FTA newbie success

[concord]

First of all, thanks for all the help and information on this forum, I've been thinking of getting FTA for a year or so I've been lurking on this forum and others off and on.

This was my second try to getting FTA working. With about 45 mins of daylight, now armed with the knowledge that Fortec dishes may be up to 5 degrees off in elevation (thanks Ice), I dragged out my temporary dish setup (mounted on 2ftx4ft plywood, did this when I lived in an apt for DISH), connected my signal meter (this time) and pointed it to TS, selected USALS then pointed it to 97w....

No signal at the calculated 39.4degrees dish elevation. Moved dish elevation slowly up and signal meter started screaming at little, then alot (now about 44 degrees). Scanned for channels, and got JCTV, etc. Moved dish to AMC6, but only got one channel (service 1).

Ran out of daylight, so packed up the dish off my driveway and now need to find a more permanent location. I now know the equipment is working.

Lessons learned:

1) Learn all you can on the equipment that you may purchased, I didn't and didn't know about the 5degree problem with Fortec dishes.

2) Use a signal meter, this is not DISH/Directv and FTA signals not as strong. The signal meter is more sensitive than the signal/quality meter on my Merc II.

Regards,
concord.

 

[KE4EST]

Congrats Concord.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Congrats!!!! Now it is time to have fun again .... Enjoy!


I would suggest that the little analog meter used along with the Signal Level and Quality meter in the satellite receiver can be very helpful. Without a meter that shows the Signal Quality, a novice installer would not know what satellite the dish is aimed at and could become very frustrated.

The instant response from these little analog meters is a nice assurance that the LNB is working and that signals are being received by the dish. Only a Signal Quality meter, like the one on the Mercury II can indicate that you are actiually aimed at the correct satellite. Attempting to peak a dish with the little meter is nearly impossible since slight rotations of the LNBF cannot be measured and can only be viewed as an increase or decrease in the Signal Quality.

The small meters can also be distracted by the wrong satellite .... for instance on AMC4. If you use an analog meter to find AMC4, the co-located DirecTV 101W satellite will usually cause the installer to aim the dish slightly to the west of AMC4. Even though they believe that the dish is aimed at AMC4, the dish usually needs to be panned slightly East. The Signal Quality meter is very useful in these types of installs!

First of all, thanks for all the help and information on this forum, I've been thinking of getting FTA for a year or so I've been lurking on this forum and others off and on.

This was my second try to getting FTA working. With about 45 mins of daylight, now armed with the knowledge that Fortec dishes may be up to 5 degrees off in elevation (thanks Ice), I dragged out my temporary dish setup (mounted on 2ftx4ft plywood, did this when I lived in an apt for DISH), connected my signal meter (this time) and pointed it to TS, selected USALS then pointed it to 97w....

No signal at the calculated 39.4degrees dish elevation. Moved dish elevation slowly up and signal meter started screaming at little, then alot (now about 44 degrees). Scanned for channels, and got JCTV, etc. Moved dish to AMC6, but only got one channel (service 1).

Ran out of daylight, so packed up the dish off my driveway and now need to find a more permanent location. I now know the equipment is working.

Lessons learned:

1) Learn all you can on the equipment that you may purchased, I didn't and didn't know about the 5degree problem with Fortec dishes.

2) Use a signal meter, this is not DISH/Directv and FTA signals not as strong. The signal meter is more sensitive than the signal/quality meter on my Merc II.

Regards,
concord.

 

[iafirebuff]

CONGRATS and WELCOME! Now you fun will begin! I spent many a nights outside in a lawn chair while blind scanning (before I had a motor and was setting up a couple dishes). I made a habit of doing this in the fall on Friday nights - I made a fire in my fire pit, aimed a Primestar, sat in lawn chair by the fire while she scanned, then aimed for another bird and repeat Yes, I am a nerd!

 

[Davage]

CONGRATS and WELCOME! Now you fun will begin! I spent many a nights outside in a lawn chair while blind scanning (before I had a motor and was setting up a couple dishes). I made a habit of doing this in the fall on Friday nights - I made a fire in my fire pit, aimed a Primestar, sat in lawn chair by the fire while she scanned, then aimed for another bird and repeat Yes, I am a nerd!

I'm really glad to see that I'm not the only one who likes to sit out in the backyard with a small tv and a satellite receiver sitting and scanning the skies. It is a different experience to be sitting outside scanning vs inside. When outside it is almost like you can feel the signals on your skin and then you can see them on the screen. Outside it allows you the opportunity to tinker and tweak the dish for a stronger signal. Now that it is warmer, I am going to fine tune my motorized dish because I think that the winter winds blew it off the arc a bit.

 

[iafirebuff]

I would usually start about 7pm, and go until 11 or so. I would start at the east and work my way west Boy I miss that

 

[concord]

Brian,

Thanks. Yes I used the signal meter in line with the receiver. As I got near the sat, the analog meter started squealing, but the receiver meter had yet to respond.

Congrats!!!! Now it is time to have fun again .... Enjoy!


I would suggest that the little analog meter used along with the Signal Level and Quality meter in the satellite receiver can be very helpful. Without a meter that shows the Signal Quality, a novice installer would not know what satellite the dish is aimed at and could become very frustrated.

iafirebuff,

One good thing about doing it at dusk/night, easier to see the TV!

CONGRATS and WELCOME! Now you fun will begin! I spent many a nights outside in a lawn chair while blind scanning (before I had a motor and was setting up a couple dishes). I made a habit of doing this in the fall on Friday nights - I made a fire in my fire pit, aimed a Primestar, sat in lawn chair by the fire while she scanned, then aimed for another bird and repeat Yes, I am a nerd!

 

[Tron]

Nighttime is the BEST time to tweak dishes. Bring your small TV or video monitor and receiver with you to the dish, turn it on, and have fun! It's almost like going camping, and the best thing about it is that it keeps the neighbors guessing

 

[iafirebuff]

The spot I used to sit out at and scan the skies is close to my neighbors driveway. They work 2nd shift so I always made sure I was all done before 11pm. I didn't want them to think I was goofy

 

[jayelem]

The spot I used to sit out at and scan the skies is close to my neighbors driveway. They work 2nd shift so I always made sure I was all done before 11pm. I didn't want them to think I was goofy

Ok GOOFY ...................... LOL
Is this what you look like when your setting up a DISH.

 

[Tron]

Hey, that's a nice CM setup. Looks like a 1.2M eh?