LNBF Alignment Off

[Lone Gunman]

Looks like this one is off a bit hey. I measured it and it's 2 1/4" off center and this is on my 10ft Winegard dish, which is the better of the two. Scaler ring to the outside of the dish measured in 3 places around the dish show that it's pretty much in the center but it's not square to the dish center line.

Lord only knows how far that button hook is off on that 10ft Unimesh I have as I haven't even tried to measure that one yet. I'll bet that one is several inches off as measurements around the outside of the dish to the scaler ring on that one last fall showed it's almost 2 inches off before I even check it with the laser to see if the scaler ring is square to the center line of the dish.

Yup, made me a new toy to play with.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Now that's a good one?? 35 ppl have looked at this thread and NO ONE has any questions about how I got that laser dot on that center plate? Maybe this one will help then.

 

[Magic Static]

LOL. I missed that red dot the first time. I was paying more attention to the clean spot. Now I see. Cool Beans! I think doing that procedure gives you excellent results. I use a laser to align my feeds also. :

 

[phlatwound]

Did you spin your alignment tool and see if the dot stayed in the same place?

 

[migold]

Where did you get the laser?

 

[KE4EST]

I didn't even notice the dot at first either. I kept scratching my head, thinking how is those pencil marks showing 2 1/4 inches off.

 

[FTA4PA]

Just don't aim this laser at it!

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/may/0507-ss-adam.html


Seriously though, would like to try this!

 

[Lone Gunman]

Did you spin your alignment tool and see if the dot stayed in the same place?

BINGO!! Give the man a prize! Yup, that's how you "calibrate" it as it is adjustable and you can move the dot's location with a small allen wrench. I turned this one 90* and marked the locations with a pencil then tweaked on those allen screws until it was dead center.

FYI, this laser is actually designed for a rifle and the cord coming out of that aluminum plug is the pressure switch that usually is stuck to something on the rifle so you can activate it with your fingers. The laser was $12.99 on fleabay and I already had the pressure switch in my spare parts.

I wanted to make that aluminum plug out of hifax or nylatron but the friend in Texas that made it didn't have any of that material. He made the plug blank and I machined the holes and such on my Bridgeport mill.

Here's more pics that will show more detail.

 

[T4Runner]

I'm not too clear on how you are sure the laser is perpendicular to the face of the plug to start with? Otherwise the laser is off?


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[Lone Gunman]

I'm not too clear on how you are sure the laser is perpendicular to the face of the plug to start with? Otherwise the laser is off?


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That plug was machined on my Bridgeport Milling Machine and I can guarantee you that the hole is perpendicular to the face of that plug that seats on the end of the LNBF.

If you turn that aluminum plug while it's seated in the throat of that LNBF then adjust the laser to where it is pointed at the exact same spot on the dish as that plug is rotated then that's where that LNBF is pointing, which on my system means that the scaler ring (where the LNBF is mounted) is NOT perpendicular to the face of the dish.

 

[T4Runner]

Have you been able to quantify the difference in quality readings after adjusting, or is it too small a percentage?


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[77TA]

Looks like a cool toy. The only design change I would have wanted to do differently would be to try to figure some way to get rid of the pressure switch and just have it stay on. Seems like that would make it easier to hold and tighten down the lnbf if it could be done.

 

[phlatwound]

Nice rig there.

Didn't know you could get the adjustable lasers like that.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I adjusted laser-pointer with bronse ring to insert instead of Ku LNB. In the same way it is possible to place laser instead of C-band LNB.
I also made tests of laser; turned it around and found out that on distance of approximately 2 meters leverage was only 4cm, not a big deal.

 

[Lone Gunman]

try to figure some way to get rid of the pressure switch and just have it stay on.

CLOTHESPIN on the switch will do that. FYI, it came with a regular on off switch on the back end of that laser but I'd rather have the momentary switch and just use a clothespin to make it stay on if I need it to. I was more concerned with battery life than anything else. Here's a link to that laser site that I used.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/141177796689?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I haven't done any adjustments to that dish yet and probably won't until after I modify the other dish by removing the button hook mount and replacing that with the 4 arm type using 1/2" EMT. Believe it or not that Winegard dish gets everything I want to see even with it being that far off. That Unimesh with the button hook does give me some trouble though so that's the one I'll mess with first.

And racing season is in too so that takes up some of my time also. In fact we're headed to Roxboro Motorsports Park in Roxboro, NC in a few minutes.

I don't know how I got anything done when I worked a full time job!!

 

[Lone Gunman]

UPDATE: Well, as I suspected this alignment tool doesn't work on a button hook LNBF mount. That laser shines right into the bend in the mount pole so about the only way to know if it's centered is to measure from the outside of the dish to the scaler ring. I've done that before and it was off a fair amount which means that there's a chance that either the dish is warped or the button hook is bent at the mounting flange.

So the original plan I mentioned in my previous post is going to be the fix for this one when I get time and the desire to mess with it.

 

[Trust]

with this electric rotating laser I'm searching for the best lnb position at offset dishes .
At this Visiosat dish the original lnb holder is not pointed correct for 100% covering the dish (like a lot of other brands)


More to see at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXSc8WauhQ-oedsNAn4MILg

 

[richyrich]

UPDATE: Well, as I suspected this alignment tool doesn't work on a button hook LNBF mount. That laser shines right into the bend in the mount pole so about the only way to know if it's centered is to measure from the outside of the dish to the scaler ring. I've done that before and it was off a fair amount which means that there's a chance that either the dish is warped or the button hook is bent at the mounting flange.

So the original plan I mentioned in my previous post is going to be the fix for this one when I get time and the desire to mess with it.

That plug was machined on my Bridgeport Milling Machine and I can guarantee you that the hole is perpendicular to the face of that plug that seats on the end of the LNBF.

If you turn that aluminum plug while it's seated in the throat of that LNBF then adjust the laser to where it is pointed at the exact same spot on the dish as that plug is rotated then that's where that LNBF is pointing, which on my system means that the scaler ring (where the LNBF is mounted) is NOT perpendicular to the face of the dish.

That is so cool. I like the "machine" that made the cut on your new tool.
After you get backed racing, can you make one the makes lines in 3 quad's other than the center so a buttonhook light can be seen. I think you can with your machine and a 3 laser's that makes 3 lines hit 3 of the quadrants from inside the waveguide. 4 cools to you! ! Good luck with you {car/truck?} series in NC! Racing is so cool.

Oh, a similar item is called a bore site; what is used to align a gun's scope to a gun without shooting it so that it will at least hit a target at; say 20 yards? Yours is aiming at something that is 22k miles away! So cool!