Help to find satellites

[sunelec]

I am new to a motorized system. I spent all weekend trying to set this up. I have a winegard 76 km dish , an sg2100 motor and an opentech ods4000 receiver with automatic channel search for each satellite. It also has a good number of satellites preprogrammed with transponder data but you still need to search for each satellite ( no USALS ). I followed directions to a tee for pointing the dish at true south. I really could'nt find a satellite close to true south that I could get a signal on so in an attempt to learn more I decided to manually move the dish west using the little button on the bottom of the sg2100. In a short time a picture popped in on my tv that I had hooked up outside. It happened to be on IA5 and I was able to lock it in with a signal strength of 74 . I also did the receiver to motor synchronization for IA5. Now the problem is that I can't get signal from any other satellite. I am looking for AMC4 and GALAXY 10R but I have tried just about every other satellite too. Is it possible that I am swinging the wrong arc but happened to pick up IA 5 anyway. Is it maybe the wrong arc because I used IA5 for my first satellte instead of true south. If so which satellite would I use for true south. I thought that once you got zeroed in on any satellite that all the others would automatically be in my arc,but now I'm thinking maybe not. I did at one point briefly get echostar 9 to show a locked signal but it lasted only a few seconds and I can't get it any more. So I figured I must be very near the correct arc. HELP----------------HELP. My latitude is 42.1428 degrees and longitude is 83.7

 

[GrumpyGuy]

It sounds as if you have done some reading about the basics of adjusting a motorized dish so I'm going to assume you have that bit right.

If your receiver is not tuned to an active transponder on the satellite you are trying to tune you will not get a lock, even if the dish is on target.

On AMC4 try locking on KUIL 11708 Mhz, Vertical, Symbol Rate 2170

On G10 try locking on KLRA 11720 Mhz, Vertical, Symbol Rate 27692

 

[sunelec]

Those are the tp I've been using with no results. I have been rotating the motor 1 step at a time with the receiver controls. My receiver has a signal strength meter that changes to a yellow color when you have a lock on a particular satellite.

 

[Mr Tony]

I have a winegard 76 km dish

HOLY SH*T that's a big dish. (I know you meant 76cm)

 

[GrumpyGuy]

When you are on IA5 what is the position of the motor output shaft?

The heading of IA5 from your location is 199.5 degs. Therefore your positioner, if everything else is properly adjusted, should be 19.5 degs west of its 0 position. You may need to use a mirror to get a look at SG2100's position indicator while it is on the pole.

Personally I would try to use a sat that is closer to True South when doing final adjustments, but lets work with what we have for now.

 

[GrumpyGuy]

HOLY SH*T that's a big dish. (I know you meant 76cm)

Holy Arecibo, Batman!

 

[Mr Tony]

your true south is AMC9 at 83W

There are some data transponders there...good for aiming a dish
frequency/polarity
12120 H
12140 V
12160 H
12180 V
symbol rate on all is 30000

 

[sunelec]

Sorry it took so long to answer- family duties and all. Quite a blunder on the dish size, huh-good for a laugh anyway. Iceberg thanks for the info on the tp's. I actually tried to zero on AMC 9 but could'nt.

GrumpyGuy, Yes my motor index shows just under 20 degrees west of 0 for the IA5 location. When I originally locked in on IA5 I had a signal strength of 72. After that I tweeked the dish elevation ever-so-slightly and managed to gain another 2 degrees to 74. I'm using a cheapo winegard signal meter in line near the dish and also the signal meter in the receiver.

 

[sunelec]

I need help more than ever now. I've exhausted all my ideas on what to do. IA5 comes in perfectly and somehow I managed to get a locked signal of 66 on echostar 9 tp1. Other than those two I can't get anything else. I don't know whether to start over with zeroing at true south or to continue to work with what I have. It seems like my arc must be close but on the other hand maybe its shifted somewhat so it only passes through IA5 and echo9. I'm really at a loss at how to proceed. Any experienced FTA guys out there? Iceberg and GrumpyGuy you were helping me yesterday- do you have any ideas.

 

[GrumpyGuy]

Have you tried gently pushing and pulling on the upper lip of the dish while looking for sats to either side of IA5?

If you can get a lock this way, take note of which direction (higher or lower) you were forcing the dish to look when lock was attained. This will help to determine what sort of adjustment is needed.

If you can't get a lock on any other sats this way, my advice is to start over using the AMC9 information provided by Iceberg.

 

[sunelec]

Now thats a good idea, I did wiggle the dish gently up and down to fine tune IA5 and echostar 9 but I did'nt think about it to find a satellite. Also at first I did,nt use AMC 9 to zero for south because it was not listed in my preprogrammed list of satellites in my receiver and then as I said I accidently found IA5 in a few minutes and you know the rest of my story. The good thing though is that I've have learned so much the last few days with you guys help and my own trial and error. I now, just today have figured out that I can add the transponder on AMC 9, that Icebeg suggested, to my list in the receiver and thus AMC9 too. Then when I try to search for the satellite my signal strength bar will be functional wheras it was,nt initially. Anyway I really appreciate the help.

 

[Hermitman]

Sounds like your mounting pole may not be perfectly vertical or the mounting bracket for the motor doesn't have both u-bolts snugged tight.

 

[sunelec]

I was very meticulis about those things and double checked too so I don,t think that is the problem. The more I ponder I think it's because I only zeroed in at true south and not on my true south satellite AMC9 for the reasons mentioned previously. Thanks.

 

[Tron]

Here is a walkthrough I did awhile back on motorized installations:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=319756&postcount=16

It sounds like your zero reference on the motor may be off (not pointed toward TS)...

 

[datu1]

Hi everyone! Is nice to be here. I have a drem Box 500s i have hard time to set it up and i have talked to every installer they said Dbox is really complicated to set up. Could you please help and guide me how to do it I have motorized dish hooked up and ready to go

 

[dem0nlord]

Hi everyone! Is nice to be here. I have a drem Box 500s i have hard time to set it up and i have talked to every installer they said Dbox is really complicated to set up. Could you please help and guide me how to do it I have motorized dish hooked up and ready to go

You need to get another receiver. While I have lots of DB experience and can help you with any configuration, the DM500S just does not have enough power available to reliably operate a motor. Been there, done that.