Improve signal readings?

[Diansul]

I'm new to DirecTV. I understand that the stronger the signal readings the less the issues with bad weather. These are my readings on a clear day. Could these readings be improved (I'm in East Texas - 75605) or are they as good as they can be?

99b 1-8 98 0 91 0 94 0 n/a n/a
9-16 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 74 0
17-24 65 61 29 0 80 84 80 82
25-32 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

99a 1-8 86 88 85 86 84 87 83 85
9-16 83 88 83 85 88 89 n/a n/a
17-24 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
25-32 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

101 1-8 98 98 97 96 97 100 98 100
9-16 98 98 98 98 99 100 97 100
17-24 98 0 98 99 97 100 97 100
25-32 97 0 98 90 97 100 96 100

103a 1-8 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a
9-16 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 92 0
17-24 0 0 0 0 86 87 88 91
25-32 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

103b 1-8 89 94 85 89 87 92 84 88
9-16 88 92 83 87 87 92 n/a n/a
17-24 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
25-32 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

110 1-8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 87
9-16 n/a 92 n/a 90 n/a n/a n/a n/a
17-24 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
25-32 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

119 1-8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
9-16 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
17-24 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 98 0 96
25-32 98 100 98 99 0 99 98 100

 

[MikeinBaja]

Your readings are pretty good. You might be able to pick up 1 or 2 points on some, but I'd probably leave it. Remember that some of these are spotbeams and you will not get a good signal from them (nor should you).

 

[jdspencer]

I think the 99a and 103b strengths could be a bit higher. Those are the Ka sats and a bit more susceptible to rain fade.
You must have an H2x receiver.

 

[Diansul]

Is it likely that the dish is not aligned optimally? I have a post mount, and the dingbats who did the free professional installation did not get the post plumb. It is out of plumb (at the top of the pole which sticks out about 4 feet from ground level, with reference to the base) about 1/4 inch leaning to the north and 1/2 inch leaning to the east.

 

[jdspencer]

A plumb mast is very important. Without it, it is very difficult to get the proper alignment. How is the pole installed? Probably with concrete. Any chance you could bend it plumb?

 

[Diansul]

Well, I think I could bend it. But considering how much concrete they used, it would not take much with a sledge hammer to knock it off the pole and start over (after first removing the dish!). I know I could call back the install crew that did the deed, but I like doing stuff like this myself. And I am quite sure I can get the mast plumb.

If I do that, though, obviously the dish would have to be realigned. Can this be done using satellite signal information I can get from the receiver, or do I just need to get a meter?

 

[jdspencer]

The 5 LNB dish is tricky to align. It's possible to do it yourself, but you need a meter that can tune the Ka band satellites. I'd get the installers back and have them redo the job. Or just live with what you have.

 

[iwc5893]

Why mess with it if it is working? Your signal readings are pretty good, and you're more likely to end up lowering them if you try to straighten the pole.

 

[Diansul]

I'm just not anxious to get the installers back. I have a decent alignment now, and I'm afraid they'll make it worse.

Besides, I need to learn how to align a dish, and I'll take any excuse to buy a new tool like a signal meter. Also we'll be taking a dish in our RV, so having a meter would make it easier to get that one aligned, too. The video instructions on dish alignment available on the Solidsignal site didn't seem to be too intimidating.

What I don't have an understanding of is how much improvement in rain fade I could expect to get. My HD locals are on 103a, TPN 24 and is (in good weather) 90 or 91 on the receiver's signal strength meter. With a plumb pole, and assuming a dish with the best possible alignment, how much higher than 91 on TPN 24 could I likely get it? And assuming that I can get the strength up to that maximum level, how much does that help rain fade?

Thanks to all for taking time to explain such basics to a newbie.

 

[jdspencer]

Well, there is the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!".

 

[Diansul]

You folks are right. The reasonable thing to do is to leave it alone... but where's the adventure in that?

If or when I plumb the post and realign the dish, I'll post my level readings back. If I do it, it will be a while.

 

[Diansul]

Same story, more questions:

I bought an Acutrac22 (but I don't have it yet). I'd like to try peaking the alignment without plumbing the post, as it is in concrete. I will dig it up and re-set it plumb it if I have to.

I (perhaps) understand why it is difficult to get an alignment with the post out of plumb (at the top of the pole which sticks out about 4 feet from ground level, with reference to the base: about 1/4 inch leaning to the north and 1/2 inch leaning to the east). I'd like to confirm my understanding:


1) In theory, the dish adjustments would allow the dish to be aimed properly - if you knew exactly where to aim it. Right?
2) The lean north and south could be handled by adjusting the elevation, and does not add special difficulty to getting a good alignment (once you find the satellites). Right?
2) The lean to the east is the problem, as the dish would lower or raise from one side to the other as you dither the azimuth, so you have two variables (azimuth and elevation) as you are trying to peak the azimuth adjustment. Right?
3) In this situation, is there any special method of adjustment that results in a well-aligned dish?

 

[Bob Nielsen]

Even though the pole is not plumb, the two adjustments are still orthogonal so you can get to an optimum point but it might take a bit longer.

Your numbers are pretty good and it probably won't take much of an adjustment to make them slightly better. I don't think the Accutrac 22 reads Ka signals, so you might need to use the on-screen display to peak on 99a and 103b.

 

[jdspencer]

One thing to keep in mind when trying to align with a non-plumb mast.
That is that any adjustment to one direction will slightly affect the other directions.

 

[texasbrit]

Even if you can improve the signals so that your 99a/103b signals are all in the mid-90s, it will have no significant effect on rain fade performance. You might hold the signal for a couple of seconds longer but that's all.

 

[Lodi25]

I noticed on mine, on the Sat 99c most of the signals are in the upper 70s to lower 80s. Is that an OK signal??? Is anything above 70 an "average" signal???

 

[jdspencer]

Those are probably okay, but you should be able to get upper 80s to mid 90s.
How's your rain fade in Stockton?
My 99c values range from 88 to 95.

 

[Lodi25]

I did the HD upgrade back in February of last year. As far as I know, it only broke up 1 time last winter when he had 1 day of very heavy rain. I have a Slim Line but i'm not sure what "LNB" if that matters. I'm just not sure if it's worth having to pay somebody to a realignment. And I just "MOVED" so I could not do it with Directv and there so called protection plan. lol