Help designing labels for pole

[timmy1376]

So I thought I had the math worked out to print out a marker that I could tape to my pole right below the dish for a quick and dirty way to help point the dish. Now that I print it out, it sure doesn't seem right as 123 and G10R is not far enough on my line from SBS6 at 72.

So, my pole is a chain link fence 2 3/8 pole. I want to have something that looks somewhat like the image attached (but correct). Would an autocad program work for something like this? I just want to tape it to the post until I get a motor. Any program type or image type would work so when I print it out, it should be full scale.

Any help is appreciated. I am dumb in these areas.

 

[Anole]

getto mount

I can't comment on your math, but if it's just a spacing of the lines...
... or a scaling problem, and the program that generated the artwork won't cooperate...
You can get your printer driver to scale the picture for you (in Windows).

To make life easier while you are waiting on the motor, have you considered this option?
Put the pole (or the end of it) at an angle so it's in line with the earth's axis.
Dial in your true south satellite.
Now, to get to other birds, just rotate the dish on the pole.
There is no skew nor elevation adjustment needed.
You get the same geometry as if you were using a motor, but you aren't
It's been discussed on this forum a number of times.

 

[timmy1376]

I think PSB did the angled post, but the way my setup is, that would be harder than making a label and manually doing skew for now.

My math is bad, but let me put it out there for a double check.

Post is 2 3/8 in.
Circumference of said post should be 7.46128255 in.
If I divide 360 for each degree I should get 0.0207257849 in markings for each degree.

So G10R and SBS6 are 49 degrees apart, so they should be 1.01556346 apart on my printout. But that's just not right. I never paid much attention to math, physics, and such but I know there is something I am missing. On my pole, G10R and SBS6 are probably 2 inches apart.

 

[colbec]

Perhaps we are confusing satellite location with azimuth here? Agreed, the sats appear to be 49 deg apart (123 minus 74) but my azimuth (magnetic) for these would be something like 251 less 191 which gives a different number.

 

[Hermitman]

Please remember the 123 degrees for G10R and the 72 degrees for SBS6 are degrees of longitude, not degrees apart as viewed from the earth. Satellites that are 2 degrees apart directly overhead have more visual separation than 2 satellites closer to the horizon. To get a really accurate label you'd have to find the real viewing angles from your location and do a conversion to a word-processing program. Have fun.

 

[timmy1376]

I never thought of going off the magnetic location. Let me look at that.

 

[TiminMb]

The degrees of the satellites are as measured at the equator. Your distance from the equator affects your perspective. You'd be better off simply having marks to allow you to return to known positions. If you want to do it right, you will have to enter your location into a computer program that calculates the azimuth to the satellites from your location and then use that to mark the pole. Even then, you will need to take into account magnetic declination at your location.

 

[Mr Tony]

I know when I had markings on my mast (before I got a motor) I couldn't even put 2 degree birds listed on the mast because they were too close. I skipped every other one if they were two degrees apart

 

[colbec]

Surely the satellite locations are measured from the longitude, and are hovering directly over the equator at that longitude. This would mean that the angle between 2 sats would be as measured from the centre of the earth? Next time I am down there I will check it out...

 

[Anole]

it's not easy being green

A couple of months ago, we did some discussions and calculations to find the aiming angles for two birds a fixed number of degrees apart.
As stated above, they appear closer together when they at the observer's horizon, than when directly above.

So, if you are east coast and I am west coast, the birds over your head look closer together for me than for you, ...and vice versa.

If it'd help at all, there are a fair number of DBS birds you can find quickly by hand.
They include: 61º, 77º, 82º, 91º, 110º, 119º, 129º, 148ºw.
Maybe if you manually marked your pole with those, you'd have a reference to go by.
Oh, and the big round inclinometers you see discussed, are sometimes on sale for as little as $3..5 at Harbor Freight...

It's either that, or bend the end of your pole, do some higher math, or just wait for that motor.

 

[Mr Tony]

in terms of distance on the mast, there was a sports team who had games on FTA. One year they moved satellites and to have people hand move the dish, they had to move it approx 1/16" from the marking on the mast which was 6 degrees

 

[RVD420]

Just get a few colored Sharpies, Find a bird you want and mark the post. Grab a new color, find a new bird and repeat.

 

[Anole]

fine marks on pole

If you are going to also have to manually change your elevation and skew too, I think marking the pole is a big waste of time.
It's just one of three variables, so it's really not enough.
On the other hand, if you use PSB's trick of tilting the pole, then some fine pole marks would be great.

Use a steel rule and a scribe to make a reference mark on pole or mount.
Now, use the same tools to mark the rotation of the dish on the mating piece.
Maybe use short and long marks as you see fit.
Go back and fill the scribe marks with ink, and after it dries, shoot the whole thing with a dusting of clear Krylon.
If you have one of those bright-white Fortec dishes/poles, the marks will be very easy to see.
...or you could lay down a white base coat before starting, I suppose.

 

[GreatFTA]

I did my pole the primitive way.
Before I got my SG2100 motor drive, I fixed the pole to where I can rotate the whole dish, only having to adjust the angle of dish and skew which was a pain in the a** but worked ok.
I slid the dish mount on the pole, and slightly tighten the three bolts for snug fit.
I decided to use G11 for near the true south.
After getting the signal in, I put a masking tape and put it on the pole itself, barely touching the low lip of the dish mount.
While I am on the back of the dish, I put a pencil mark on the dish mount itself, and just below it on the masking tape as well. Then while turning the dish some to next satellite, did the same for it. Just put a mark below the marked spot of the
mount on the masking tape. Write G11, T5. etc at the markings. While doing that, I noticed the even spacing between satellites, something like a 1/8 spacing.
Then whenever I wanted to go from G11 to say, T5, loosen the bolts a little, turn the dish mount to where the T5 spot, tighten the mount, and adjust the skew, etc.
This is a only a temparary fix until I got the SG2100 in.
Know what? I have seen some old Dishnet dishes and some Primestar Dishes with what looked like a tape measure markings on it back when the installers used to adjust their dishes with. It has faded from weather and time. That inspired me with the approach I used.
Maybe someone in the Satelliteguy group may create one and may sell to folks?
Just take the "FTA Satellite Marking Tape", peel off the paper backing, mount it on the pole and go from there...
I know, I know.... yea, right!

 

[Claude Greiner]

There used to be a sticker in the old Dish500 Upgrade kits that you would put on your DISH 300 and it would show where your Dish500 would have to be pointed!

 

[GreatFTA]

Don't get me wrong, guys. I was just kidding about someone creating a stick-on tape to put on the pole. (it still would be nice...) Thanks Claude for remembering which dish that had that technique that inspired me..
But what I did do to my pole is true. It's that part of adjusting the dish's angle on the mount and skewing the LNB that add to the labor of getting the quality signal on every satellite.
See that picture next to my name (MrFTAMan)? That's how I ended up looking everytime I did all that!
LOL!!!
If someone wants to do a temporary thing of this, just mark the most watched satellites and be patient until they received their motor, or pick out a satellite such as T5 or G10 and leave it there forever as a offset dish.
Where in the threads is PSB angle pole technique? Yall got my curiousity up!

 

[Tron]

Where in the threads is PSB angle pole technique? Yall got my curiousity up!

I believe there are a couple of threads that have info on it, maybe more. Do a search for "Poor man's H-H"

 

[GreatFTA]

Thanks Tron!

 

[Anole]

pix of poor man's h-h

The first of these pictures shows the described technique quite well.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=675966&postcount=5

...and is far more interesting than upside dishes for low elevation birds.
(which is not part of this discussion)

 

[Tron]

Thanks Tron!

Poor Man's H-H is an experiment I should try sometime for the fun of it