Figuring out skew because mast isn't plumb?

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Mr Tony

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Nov 17, 2003
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Mankato, MN
I'm thinking of putting the Starchoice dish back up for Hispasat once it gets warm out

Now here in Minneapolis the elevation is like 9 and skew is -42. But due to the way I have the foot up on the roof, I cant have the mast level/plumb. The only way to make me get signal is to have the mast the other way. So the issue is there is no way I can get the mast to 90 degrees due to the slope of the roof. The best I can do is around 82-83 degrees.

So does anyone know if there is a way to figure out skew because the mast is not at 90 degrees? From my location, the dish faces pretty close to east (109 azimuth) and because of the mast not being 90 degrees the skew is more than it should (which results in weak signals) or is it just trial and error?

The SC dish skews not the LNB so its not just a skew the LNB thing :)
 
That's one I'd have to trial & error with, I don't know that the math solution would tell you. I suppose you've done this before (use the un-plumb pole?)
I would just adjust the elevation as necessary to hit the bird, then adjust the skew as needed to get the best levels. Hopeyou have help, or can get the tv up there!
 
Think about the poor man's H-H mount.

I don't think the plumbness of the pole will have as much to do with it as having the elevation set correctly. I think the skew would be the same as long as the elevation was correct.

But what do I know? :)

It will be trial and error.
 
I know what I would do...get a cigar, tasty beverage, and get to it. I'd just mess with it until it worked. :)
 
okey dokey...figured maybe there was a scientific way...we'll just do trial and error (and some 4 letter words)

but when its 4 above with wind chill I think I can wait a few more days :)
 
linuxman said:
I agree rv1pop, bur unfortunately I get more errors than success. :)
Click to expand...

From what I read, both you and Iceman have LOTS of successes!:):D:D

Thanks to both of you (and Many others) for all the help.
Building inspectors coming over Tuesday AM. After they leave (happy I hope) I will get back to Satellite fun. It rained this AM so it will be a few more days before I get the backhoe and drill in. Foundation drains, septic tank, sewer line, water line, gas lines, wider driveway;:hungry: but most important SATELLITE Dish Foundation:hungry:

Anyone who can put a 6 foot dish on a table and make it work can skewer a dish on a bent pole!:D;)
 
Iceberg said:
when its 4 above with wind chill I think I can wait a few more days :)
Click to expand...

When its four above with wind chill, its time to fly South, my Brother! :)

Let us know how you do! I've been kinda cool on the satellite stuff lately, I am becoming an outboard mechanic by force, I bent a tilt ram on my O/B and I am too cheap to pay someone to fix it so I am learning O/B repair on the fly...y'all just think satellite is expensive...:D
 
Many years ago, I installed my Dish 500 on a badly tilted pole, maybe 20º off-plumb.
That drove me to rig up a dual satellite meter configuration so I could tune both for peak at the same time.
Was actually much easier than I thought.
Part of what helped, was my pole was tilted south.
I'm sure that was a factor.

It wasn't clear which way your StarChoice pole was tilted, just which way it needed to be aimed.

Having pondered the problem many times over the years, one conclusion was to figure out how to level the post.
See attached drawing for one of the more likely solutions. - :eureka
Not really my idea.
It came in an email from a buddy.
Shows what "thinkin outside the box" is all about. ;)
 

Attachments

  • FixFootMoreElevation.jpg
    FixFootMoreElevation.jpg
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Anole said:
It wasn't clear which way your StarChoice pole was tilted, just which way it needed to be aimed.
Click to expand...

the roof runs north south (when I stand on the deck and look at the roof, thats the north side) and the plate is right there on the edge of the roofline. So normally the mast would be on the "north" side of the plate (when you get on the ladder the mast is right there) but I have it 180 degrees so its on the "south" side of the foot.

I could try that anole but the SC dishes use a bigger mast and therefore a heavier metal plate.

We'll just rig it I guess.
 
One buddy swore he was gonna take his mast to a muffler shop and have 'em put an extra 10º or 20º kink in it. - :D
 
Anole said:
One buddy swore he was gonna take his mast to a muffler shop and have 'em put an extra 10º or 20º kink in it. - :D
Click to expand...

Now there is an idea!:eureka take a piece of cardboard, tape it to the mast and then draw a "plumb" line on it, Take a picture, then take mast and all to a muffler shop and have them bend you a new one. The muffler shop that helped me (way too many years ago - I'm not THAT old) built my tail pipe from a template = a bent coat hanger wire! It fit, too!

Iceberg, Iceberg, he's our man, if he can't do it, nobody can!
 
If the dish is fixed, you just need to peak it the hard way (by guess and by golly). If the dish isn't stationary, you CANNOT make a non-plum mast work. Well, you could, but you'd have to scab a section onto the top of the mast that was plumb.

If the dish moves, both the skew and elevation will be adversely impacted by any kind of rotation about a non-polar axis.
 
nah this will be fixed. The motorized cant see 30W

Once I get the snow off the roof we'll try and rough ball it :)
 
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