How do I aim my DirecTV slimline dish?

[rbdaves]

This is my first post, so please forgive me if it's in the wrong place.

I have aimed a single LNB dish and a Hughes 2-way satellite dish numerous times and Azimuth, Skew, and Elevation and a plumb mounting pole are familiar to me.

I have DirecTV HDTV dish and hr22-100 receiver. The dish is a slimline and I think it has 5 LNBs.

Anyway, I moved my dish and want to get it pointed. On the setup screen, I found 99 (KA), 101 (KU), 110 (KU), 119 (KU) and 103 (?). Each of these birds has a lot of transponders and I am wondering if there just one I need to peak
I know this question has been asked before, so I'll guess all I need is a link to find the answer.

Also, the mast that I planted in the ground is about 1/16-inch too skinny and I can't tighten up the mounting collar. Any tricks?
Thanks.

 

[dfergie]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys! You might try duct tape for a temporary solution to the mast size, peak to 101 first, then take slow and very gradual steps to get 110 and 119 with 99 and 103 being the hardest to get in... I'm on the wrong computer or I could point you towards some videos that would help you a lot.

 

[MikeinBaja]

This is my first post, so please forgive me if it's in the wrong place.

I have aimed a single LNB dish and a Hughes 2-way satellite dish numerous times and Azimuth, Skew, and Elevation and a plumb mounting pole are familiar to me.

I have DirecTV HDTV dish and hr22-100 receiver. The dish is a slimline and I think it has 5 LNBs.

Anyway, I moved my dish and want to get it pointed. On the setup screen, I found 99 (KA), 101 (KU), 110 (KU), 119 (KU) and 103 (?). Each of these birds has a lot of transponders and I am wondering if there just one I need to peak
I know this question has been asked before, so I'll guess all I need is a link to find the answer.

Also, the mast that I planted in the ground is about 1/16-inch too skinny and I can't tighten up the mounting collar. Any tricks?
Thanks.

Try a piece of PVC - use it as a sleeve (attach it to your pole with sheet metal screws).

Preset the EL & tilt to whatever your zip code calls for. Focus on the 101 bird first. Adjust the AZ & EL only to nail the center of the peak on 101. Lock down the AZ & EL.

Switch to the 119 bird and adjust the tilt ONLY to center of the peak. Lock down the tilt. Double check the 101 (fine tune only).

That's it! The others simply fall into place.

 

[sddtvtech]

straight south.


as far as tilt and elevations.. you can find out what it is on D* by selecting DISH POINTING and type in zip code and it will tell you all that. for example..

im in SD and mine is 181 azimuth, 40 elevation, 89 tilt.

 

[rbdaves]

Okay, I wrapped duct tape around the mast. Az is 139, El 47, Tilt 112. El & Tilt were alaready set. Using a compass, I aimed the dish at 139. I then went to menu>Parental, Fav's & Setup>system setup>Satellite>view signal strength>signal meters. Then I aimed the dish at 139 and set the "test Signal Strength" page to satellite 101, transponder 1. I scanned back and forth and between each scan, cranked on the elevation bolt a bit. After several tries, it was getting late, so I decided to let it rest until tomorrow. but noticed that 110 is acquired with high 90 signal strength on transponder 8 and in the mid 70's on 10 and 12
. Anyway, 101 has lots of transponders on it. Which one do I choose? Similar question for the other birds.

 

[sddtvtech]

just use transponder 1 til you get high signal on 101.

 

[MikeinBaja]

Okay, I wrapped duct tape around the mast. Az is 139, El 47, Tilt 112. El & Tilt were alaready set. Using a compass, I aimed the dish at 139. I then went to menu>Parental, Fav's & Setup>system setup>Satellite>view signal strength>signal meters. Then I aimed the dish at 139 and set the "test Signal Strength" page to satellite 101, transponder 1. I scanned back and forth and between each scan, cranked on the elevation bolt a bit. After several tries, it was getting late, so I decided to let it rest until tomorrow. but noticed that 110 is acquired with high 90 signal strength on transponder 8 and in the mid 70's on 10 and 12
. Anyway, 101 has lots of transponders on it. Which one do I choose? Similar question for the other birds.

Since you are in SOCAL - use TP 18 on 101 and 28 on 119 - they are both VERY strong TP's (I install D & E in San Diego).

Excellent TP's for you to use anywhere south of the grapevine if you are doing this without a really good meter.

Make sure you follow the "nail" 101 bird mentioned above (with a dead level mast top) then tilt only for 119 & fine tune on 101. If you do - strong sigs and virtually no rain-fade in our area (all bets off if El Nino visits us ).

Not a fan of the duct tape solution for long term, prefer the PVC sleeve since it doesn't slip or react to the weather - but it's your dish.

Make sure you use monopoles for the Santa Anna's.

 

[rbdaves]

I don't like the duct tape idea as it seems to be too sloppy.

Perhaps the hunk of water pipe that I found in a bone pile behind our Resort shop is just a freak, but it is 3/32nds smaller than needed by the dish's 2 " mounting collar. Slipping a PVC sleeve over it isn't possible. Perhaps replacing the metal pipe with a hunk of PVC would work. I'll have to check that out tomorrow in the daylight (it's dark out right now).

Question: If I can find a hunk of PVC that has the right O.D. and bury it in the ground about 18-inches, is that solid enough? What do you guys think? Any other ideas on how to make this too small pipe bigger and not sloppy? I'm trying to avoid using the supplied bracket as it takes up too much space.

 

[Keithjb]

I have had Direct TV for 20 plus years, I was an early adopter when the 18" dish was RCA and I have moved it about 11 years ago to a new current location. It still works fine with my Low Definition Receivers. I have added and changed receivers twice (I have 3) and now one of them is starting to act squirley. So I went out and bought a HD Receiver from Best Buy, but I do not want HD TV yet. I just thought I would buy a HD receiver because in the future I may want HD, but not now. I bought a new "DIRECTV MULTI-SATELLITE kA/kU LNB" dish and Now I need to Aim it properly. Although I installed the Single LNB Dish I am not sure of what procedures to do next.
I cannot find the Dish I have listed in the list on the receiver and I am not sure which 101o Satellite to aim at. My Model No is 151647 Lot 0208 for my dish. The satellite pointer using 101.1W Dir TV 4s 9s Suggest the following: Elevation 44, AZ True 196.5 Mag 197.0, and Skew 12.8. Are these the correct settings, am I looking at the right satellite?
Another question, Can I make sure the Satellite dish is tuned before activating the card with Direct TV. I want to make sure everything works before activation, in case I have to take the receiver back to Best Buy. I know I am probably qualified to receive new Dish, Receiver etc from Direct TV, But I wanted to do this myself and do not want to change any plan I currently have. A lot of information but I hope someone can help, Thank You.

 

[the mack]

I have had Direct TV for 20 plus years

really? you must of been some sort of beta tester as I thought there service was launched in 94
as far as shimming your mast aluminum flashing material wrapped around the mast will work fine, pvc pipe would not be a good replacement for your steel mast.

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

flag down a tech and pay him $100 - he'll fix you up

 

[Keithjb]

yOU GOT ME

Sorry about that, I looked up my invoice and it was dated 4/17/1994 Seemed like more than 20 years, I guess it is the aging process. Thanks

 

[Keithjb]

How do you flag down a installer in the St. Louis MO area?

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

point beep and wave $100 bill = they'll stop
find a installer on a job directv vans are easy to spot

 

[the mack]

Sorry about that, I looked up my invoice and it was dated 4/17/1994 Seemed like more than 20 years, I guess it is the aging process. Thanks

just messin with you... lol
I was there too, paid like 700 bucks for a dish and pos receiver...

 

[the mack]

point beep and wave $100 bill = they'll stop
find a installer on a job directv vans are easy to spot

boy you do sound like a fed up installer, I did cable installs in the early 80's and it was a tough racket. had to bust ass to make any money.

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

So what would you have charged?....... @ 30 years ago??

 

[rbdaves]

Haven't had to aim my dish for about a year, but I am traveling now and aimed my dish today. I am wondering what the process is now that the 119 bird doesn't seem to be available to me here on the Oregon Coast. Looks like 99 and 103 need my attention. I am recalling from memory of how I aimed the dish today that There's a 99 "s" and "ca". as well as a 103 "s" and "ca". I am wondering what the "by the numbers" procedure is now. Any advice?

 

[Jimbo]

Haven't had to aim my dish for about a year, but I am traveling now and aimed my dish today. I am wondering what the process is now that the 119 bird doesn't seem to be available to me here on the Oregon Coast. Looks like 99 and 103 need my attention. I am recalling from memory of how I aimed the dish today that There's a 99 "s" and "ca". as well as a 103 "s" and "ca". I am wondering what the "by the numbers" procedure is now. Any advice?

Depends what dish your using now.
If your using a Slimline (needed if HD is needed) level mast, set Tilt and Elevation, move for azimuth slowly, peak the 101, dither to fine tune the 99 and 103.

 

[rbdaves]

How do I aim my DirecTV Slimline dish

Okay. I did peak the 101, then moved to 99 (ca) and 103 (ca) and peaked those signals. Ignored 99 (s) and 103 (s). Please excuse me if my memory on this isn't correct. I don't want to go back to the aiming process for fear I'll screw something up. One note: I tried using one of those Radio Shack screamers to find the satellite and it was problematic. Ended up having my wife doing the screaming into a personal communicator. Worked well, however, if she's not around, I'm out of business.