Help a first-timer with an Eastern Arc 1000.4 dish install

[charliemb]

There is a is 4.3 degree difference between the 72.7 and 77 satellites from the center of the earth . But from my location, the angle difference is more, accoring to dishpointer.com it is 7.2 degrees.

I've read many threads here that made it clear that many have successfully peaked a 1k.4 using only a receiver and so I tried it, ! and only partially succeeded.

I'm seeing 72.7 on the 77 lnb, port 1; and nothing on the other two lnb's. The reason is that I connected my receiver to port 1 and set the point dish screen to look for 72.7. Told my wife, "look for a green bar" and sure enough we found 72.7 (on the wrong lnb). Of course I should have been looking for 77 if my receiver was connected to port 1. I know that now . (or I should have connected my receiver to port 2 for 72.7, or 3 for 61.5 as other have done with and without foil.)

So I am very close. Only one small tweak and I should get all three. I also know that the small tweak is to be clockwise somewhere between 3 and 7 degrees.

Of course, I could start all over again, dismantle the lnb assembly, reconnect to port 2 or 3, clear out the oribitals, repeak, re-tweak, etc... but I'd rather see if I can just turn it to the right a little, almost in the blind, and see what happens.

From your field experience with this dish, do you care to guess how many degrees clockwise I have to turn the dish so that 72.7 appears on port 2 lnb instead of port 1 lnb?

(I realize that theoretically the answer should be 7.2 degrees, but I'm looking for actual experience here because it is really the reflection off the dish several feet away to an lnb that is also moving as I turn. It probably moves faster than the rate I'm turning near the peak point)

 

[Dah-Henny]

Your easiest solution is to put aluminum foil over the 77 and 61.5 lnb, and find the 72 signal. Port 1 is fine to use.

 

[MikeD-C05]

You should have your matrix showing the following :

77 /72.7/61.5

If you will adjust the azimuth cam with a wrench a little to the left or right you can get maximized signals on both 72.7 & 77 sats. It helps if you have the manual to install it and follow it step by step . I took hours to get good signals on all 3 sats and I followed the manual and read and re-read to get all the steps followed so I could achieve maximum signal strengths. I used a cheap sat meter and peaked on 72.7 sat like the manual tells you to. It helps if you cover the 77 lnb and the 61.5 till you achieve 72.7 sat on port 2 of the lnb. Port 1 is for the 77 sat. I get the following strengths in southeast Texas:

77 sat between 40- 50
72.7 sat in the 60s
61.5 sat between 45 -70

 

[charliemb]

Your easiest solution is to put aluminum foil over the 77 and 61.5 lnb, and find the 72 signal. Port 1 is fine to use.

Thanks dahenny. Are you sure this will work given that port 2 and port 3 show NoConnectoin on the check-switch test results (as shown in the attached photo in the original post)?

I'm thinking that port 2 and 3 lnb's are not necessarily available through port 1 given these test results. If not, this may not work.

 

[charliemb]

You should have your matrix showing the following :

77 /72.7/61.5

....

Thanks MikeD. That's what I'm trying to do: get to a check switch result of 77/72.7/61.5. Right now I'm showing 72/Conn/Conn and enjoing core programming. I'd like to see if I can get there by simply adjusting azimuth to the right a little, without clearing out the orbitals, which takes forever, or diss-/re-assembling the lnb bracket which is like starting all over again.

 

[Dah-Henny]

Charlie, all 3 lnb's flow through port 1 when using the receiver to peak. When you get a lock on 72, and have peaked, remove foil and run a check switch and save. If your particulars are set correctly (AZ/EL/SK), you will have all 3 sats.

 

[jtiner]

I'm seeing 72.7 on the 77 lnb, port 1; and nothing on the other two lnb's.
So I am very close. Only one small tweak and I should get all three.
From your field experience with this dish, do you care to guess how many degrees clockwise I have to turn the dish so that 72.7 appears on port 2 lnb instead of port 1 lnb?

I believe you'll need to move the azimuth by loosening the mast bolts; you're outside of the adjustment range of the azimuth cam bolt (I think that's only +/- 3 degrees), and even if you can hit peak, you'll want the peak in the center of the cam bolt adjusting range. And I think you're correct about the dishpointer angles; you're looking to move the reflector the distance that is the difference in the two magnetic headings they give you for 72.7 and 77.

 

[charliemb]

Thanks all. Success! I was able to turn the dish to the right exactly by the difference that dishpointer.com claims lies between 77 and 72.7 sats, 7 degrees, and BANG! Saw 77 on port 1 and then I bolted it down and ran a check switch and I got all three satellites on the eArc.

Turns out I was on near peak right after I bolted it down, even though thereafter I spent an hour tweaking. Signal strength is not as good as MikeD's but I'm happy for now. We have record rain right now and there is a lot of humidity in the air. Mostly 50's on 72.7, mostly 50's on 77, both having max's at about 60, and 30-60 on 61.5, mostly 40's.

For the record, to help those who find themselves in a similar predicament, when the last check switch finds only 72 on 77's LNB and reports 72/Conn/Conn, only port 1 is active; the only way to peak the system with the receiver connected to port 1 was/is to peak on 77. In other words, the point dish screen does not switch-in other LNB's as it would if a previous Check Switch found all three sats.

 

[Dah-Henny]

For the record, to help those who find themselves in a similar predicament, when the last check switch finds only 72 on 77's LNB and reports 72/Conn/Conn, only port 1 is active; the only way to peak the system with the receiver connected to port 1 was/is to peak on 77. In other words, the point dish screen does not switch-in other LNB's as it would if a previous Check Switch found all three sats.

Not quite. Port 1 sends all 3 LNB's when connected to a receiver. Dish Network's Protocol is, when using your receiver to peak, to peak on 72, port 1. I'm in NC also, and can confirm that your numbers will get much better if you peak on 72.

 

[charliemb]

Not quite. Port 1 sends all 3 LNB's when connected to a receiver. Dish Network's Protocol is, when using your receiver to peak, to peak on 72, port 1.

Yes and no.
Yes, port 1 finally got around to sending all three LNB's to the receiver, but only after doing another check switch in which all three sats were hitting all three LNB's.
No, port 1 for sure only saw 77 when the prior check switch test returned 72/Conn/Conn (which means the previous check switch found nothing on ports #2 and #3). How else can you explain no signal on ports #2 and #3 with the dish properly aligned?

 

[charliemb]

I'm in NC also, and can confirm that your numbers will get much better if you peak on 72.

This is interesting. Thanks. In a way, I did max the signal on 72. Here's what I did. I was forced to do the peaking on 77 port 1. Then I bolted down and ran a check switch. Got all three. Then from there tweaked the fine-tune controls to maximize 72 and 61.5. 72 and 61.5 and 72 tracked exactly: if it went up or down a little on 72, it also did on 61.5. It stands max'd using this procedure, down to quarter turns on the elevation rod, and half of one face on the azimuth cam bolt.

Can I do better?

 

[jtiner]

It stands max'd using this procedure, down to quarter turns on the elevation rod, and half of one face on the azimuth cam bolt.
Can I do better?

I found that 61.5 and 72.7 seemed to behave exactly as you indicate; they both peaked in the same spot (or less than the resolution of the signal strength meter, which also varies based on modulation...).
I'm peaking mine again this weekend; I'm getting a new reflector, as mine was damaged and I was never able to see the 77 position at reasonable levels.

 

[atvman]

Sat 77 does not work well for Maine at all. Nothing on there for us because of that.

 

[jtiner]

Sat 77 does not work well for Maine at all. Nothing on there for us because of that.

Oddly enough, when I installed my new reflector yesterday, I ended up with the same results at 77. My overall signal levels were up a few points on each position, but 77 is still about 1/2 the others.

 

[charliemb]

Oddly enough, when I installed my new reflector yesterday, I ended up with the same results at 77. My overall signal levels were up a few points on each position, but 77 is still about 1/2 the others.

If the signal number includes a degree of quality and not just strength, for example if it is a signal to noise ratio measurement, then maybe you have a noise or other quality issue with your port #1 path. To verify, you can swap out your LNB assembly with a new one. I've seen them cheaply available on eBay.

 

[charliemb]

I did a second install today. This time I connected my receiver to port #3 and looked for 61.5 (while pointing toward 72). Worked very well as others here have suggested.

 

[jtiner]

If the signal number includes a degree of quality and not just strength, for example if it is a signal to noise ratio measurement, then maybe you have a noise or other quality issue with your port #1 path. To verify, you can swap out your LNB assembly with a new one. I've seen them cheaply available on eBay.

I posted this in another thread, but I ended up finding the footprint maps for E1, E4, and E8 at the 77 position, and none of the U.S. beams on those cover Maine. I'm in an outer contour on one or two beams, and that's where I get the signal level of 25. There's just very little signal to begin with.....

 

[theothersatelliteguy]

When using a 222K receiver which port on the 1000.4 lnb do you use?
We need to pull in Green Bay locals.
I usually use a 1000.2 dish for Wausau Locals so this is throwing me.
Right now I have the wire run to Port 1
when I do the check switch it says 110 ok 129 conn 119 conn.
They are getting their 110 and 129 programing but not their 119 programing.
Thank you for having this forum it's great. Wes