How to position the dish

[SundayTicketRocks]

I have a poor view of the southern sky, to the extent that I have to mount my dual LNB dish on a pole as close to the street as possible to get the best angle. My question is, how can I adjust the dish position? I have read that all I need is a compass, but are there actually metrics that represent the azimuth, elevation and tilt?

With the winter season in Seattle, the constant rain and wind invariably affect my signal. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[newsposter]

I'm assuming you have the 3lnb dish?

Well hopefully with your dish you got a compass or have access to one. Then when you setup the receiver, it will give you the reading to set the dish at. That's the general direction it needs to be pointed. I'm far from an expert but got in a very good signal on my self install so it can't be that hard.

On the dish there are markings to change things ( elevation i think?) but I can't recall which one you touch and which you aren't supposed generally to, sorry. But still, with a compass and the known direction the dish should be pointed it, you can sometimes eyeball it pretty good.

sorry I'm not more help but saw no one else posted yet.

and yes, while weather doesn't help, unless you are talking severe cloud issues, you shouldn't have issues dialing in a good signal. I'm in SE PA and get everything in with 95+ readings.

Helps to have a friend or else a tv outside so you can see what you are doing.

 

[SundayTicketRocks]

Thanks Newsposter... I have the old 2 lnb dish, not the 3lnb. I have no problem running out and buying a compass - a couple of the threads posted some info about Walmart compasses and others, but I just found a signal finder that seems to do the trick.

www sadoun com /Sat/Products/Accessories/Meters/SF-95-DSS-FTA-Satellite-Signal-meter.htm

(had to split this out since I'm a newbie)

My signal issue is due to the south side of my house being a hill with large 25' trees. Would love to do some trimming but it is owned by the city. Hopefully the signal meter can help me out.

Preciate your response!

 

[PROSAT1]

If you purchased one of the smaller sat finders with the meter, be cautious because it will show a reading on ANY satellite transmitting. (In other words, you can get a strong signal from the wrong sat.) My advice is to buy an inexpensive compass to go with that meter, and you should be OK. Remember to look on the menu of your box for the settings you need for your zip code. Good luck!

 

[dragon002]

wind doesnt affect the signal as long as the dish is stable.

 

[newsposter]

wind doesnt affect the signal as long as the dish is stable.

or you aren't shooting through trees and the branches move or leaves grow back

 

[SundayTicketRocks]

Thanks for the replies.... I used to get a fairly clear signal of 89 to 93 on both LNBs but have since come down to the 60's. The post is wood, and some have claimed that 'wood twists' but I had wanted to put something in that was somewhat aesthetic. The heavy rain sometimes interferes with my signal, and it is always worse in bad weather. The trees do sway in the wind which probably has an effect.

I ended up buying the dual lnb signal meter. A bit pricey but worth it if I can get it done easier/quicker. I liked being able to see both signals on the same meter, as well as the small size.

www sadoun com/Sat/Products/JVI/Acutrac22Pro-Dual-Input-Satellite-signal-meter.htm

 

[SundayTicketRocks]

Got the AcuTrac 22 Pro, hooked up both LNBs, tuned one to 55.2 and the other to 53.1 (best that I could do). Came inside and the signal strength was 96-97 on both satellites.

Awesome - thanks to all of you for your posts in other threads - really appreciated the suggestions and ideas.

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/JVI/Acutrac22Pro-Dual-Input-Satellite-signal-meter.htm

 

[Jimbo]

I have a question. The two big boy sat finders I see are the Sathawk 3000 and the Birdog.
These units TELL you which sats you are pointed at ???

I have a cheapo meter I have used, it worked originally, but I usually don't use it anymore, partly because it doesn't tell you which sat your hitting and I have not had much trouble pointing dishes in quite a while , However, I have never done the new dish, I have seen the install guides for it.

Do any of the less expensive sat finders tell you what sat your pointing at ? or do you need to spend 2-5 hundred dollars for that feature.

If I found a meter that tells you, it might be worth the investment.

btw, NO I don't install on a regular basis, just for friends and family mostly, unless someone asks.

Jimbo

 

[grydlok]

I have both sat hawk and birdog. Yes they are both nice, but an Acutrac would serve your needs better.

 

[SundayTicketRocks]

The Acutrac does not tell you which satellite you are pointing at, but since I just need to tweak my existing dish position, it was ideal, since it allows you to align both signals at the same time.

Obviously I have nowhere near the skills of an installer but I got enough to get the job done, in about 5-10 minutes.

 

[Jimbo]

I have both sat hawk and birdog. Yes they are both nice, but an Acutrac would serve your needs better.

I would like one that told you what sat you were looking at.

I can generally find my sat fairly quickly, I was just wondering what was available, perticularly with the new dishes coming out.

I see them listed at $ 3-450 hundred.
Maybe I can find one that is not new.

Jimbo

 

[newsposter]

does the fact that I installed my own single, then triple, lnb dish with nothing more than a compass and get 90s signals mean i'm ready to be an official dtv installer ?

 

[putterboy]

Newsposter-- The answer is NO !! In my area, you would be considered
OVER QUALIFIED !

 

[newsposter]

yea that's right ...penalize me cause i speak english too

 

[grydlok]

yea that's right ...penalize me cause i speak english too

That isn't a cool thing to say.

 

[agsbill]

I just installed a 5LNB dish, the AT9. All I did was connect the lead wire from the LNB to my H20 satellite receiver and then with a 3 ft RCA cable to my 13" TV. I set all of this up next to the dish. I used a 75' extension cord for power.

Why couldn't you do something like that? No compass was needed. I preset the dish with the numbers recomended by the receiver and then rotated the dish left and right until I got a signal.

Bill

 

[grydlok]

I just installed a 5LNB dish, the AT9. All I did was connect the lead wire from the LNB to my H20 satellite receiver and then with a 3 ft RCA cable to my 13" TV. I set all of this up next to the dish. I used a 75' extension cord for power.

Why couldn't you do something like that? No compass was needed. I preset the dish with the numbers recomended by the receiver and then rotated the dish left and right until I got a signal.

Bill

You know there are some people with LOS issues, and you need you inclinometer to aid in finding lOS.

 

[Jimbo]

does the fact that I installed my own single, then triple, lnb dish with nothing more than a compass and get 90s signals mean i'm ready to be an official dtv installer ?

Been there done that ....

I don't use the meter I have, but was thinking it might come in handy, just incase.

Jimbo

 

[newsposter]

That isn't a cool thing to say.

I'm proud to be able to speak english and no one will change my mind, sorry. It helps me greatly in my day to day activities and think everyone should know it as well. Makes life so much easier. You must be able to as well or you wouldn't have responded. See, what's the big deal about us being proud to be able to speak english?