Motor question- P* to SG2100

[stogie5150]

Ok fellas, I have the motor set to my latitude 30.18.567. the Motor maunal says set the dish to 30 minus my declination angle. That will be 25 because the declination for 30 degrees is -5. Correct?

My southernmost satellite looks to be G9, at 182.2. should I line it up on that satellite and adjust for the arc or should I move the motor with the reciever to that satellite position THEN align the dish? I am using a Coolsat 5000 diseqc 1.2 mode.

Reason why I am doing all this is I need to design a jackscrew and I want to be CLOSE before I design a jackscrew asembly.

 

[voomvoom]

or should I move the motor with the reciever to that satellite position THEN align the dish? I am using a Coolsat 5000 diseqc 1.2 mode.

I would do this method, but I would use USALS. There's not any ku on G9 (I'm thinking G9 is G13 @ 127.0w, if it's something else forget my reply), except a DATA TP 12140 V 30000. So, I would use this method with USALS and go for G10 @ 123.0w. Good Luck!

Al

 

[stogie5150]

I'm not sure about the new names but G9/G11/Nimiq 1 are ALL at 91 west, which is 182.2 mag position. My true south is only .2 of a degree off of magentic south so that is the closest to my true south.

So what you're saying is that I tell the reciever to drive the motor to G10 and then align the dish on that satellite and then everything else should fall in? I didn't see anything in the motor manual about it supporting USALS, just DiSEqC 1.2. Or does the reciever tell the motor what position to go to?
I think I have the motor VERY close to due south on the pole right now, I set it with a compass to the middle of the tube as close as I could get it, then tightened the u-bolts.

I went back to HD and got all the supplies to make the jackscrew, I am going to try and use a all-threaded rod, but its gonna have to be CLOSE because I am only gonna have an inch or two adjustment unless I shorten or lengthen the rod each time, which I do not want to do.

 

[WyrTwister]

I'm not sure about the new names but G9/G11/Nimiq 1 are ALL at 91 west, which is 182.2 mag position. My true south is only .2 of a degree off of magentic south so that is the closest to my true south.

So what you're saying is that I tell the reciever to drive the motor to G10 and then align the dish on that satellite and then everything else should fall in? I didn't see anything in the motor manual about it supporting USALS, just DiSEqC 1.2. Or does the reciever tell the motor what position to go to?
I think I have the motor VERY close to due south on the pole right now, I set it with a compass to the middle of the tube as close as I could get it, then tightened the u-bolts.

I went back to HD and got all the supplies to make the jackscrew, I am going to try and use a all-threaded rod, but its gonna have to be CLOSE because I am only gonna have an inch or two adjustment unless I shorten or lengthen the rod each time, which I do not want to do.

You going to use a turnbuckle to adjust the angle ? Or all thread & nuts and washers ?

You can use a circulat LNBF to hit Nimiq 1 , to aim at . Think maybe the radio channels are in the clear . Probably a few promotional channels also . Use 11250 for LOF . Then replace it with a linear LNBF for Galaxy 11

http://www.lyngsat.com/galaxy11.html

You can use the receiver USALS to tell the dish to go to that position . You will have to enter the latatude and lontitude for your location in the receiver menu .

Wyr

 

[stogie5150]

You going to use a turnbuckle to adjust the angle ? Or all thread & nuts and washers ?

You can use a circulat LNBF to hit Nimiq 1 , to aim at . Think maybe the radio channels are in the clear . Probably a few promotional channels also . Use 11250 for LOF . Then replace it with a linear LNBF for Galaxy 11

http://www.lyngsat.com/galaxy11.html

You can use the receiver USALS to tell the dish to go to that position . You will have to enter the latatude and lontitude for your location in the receiver menu .

Wyr

I wanted to use a turnbuckle, but I couldn't find a left handed threaded bolt to go in one end of the stinkin' turnbuckle. All the turnbuckles have hooks and eyelets on the ends, not good for supporting weight, designed for pulling loads, not supporting them. I thought about bending the eyelet 90 degrees in my vise and then bolting it in place, but I dismissed that as unworkable. So I decided on a piece of 5/16 all thread and a whole bunch of washers, nuts and lockwashers...

The dish I am using is a P* 1m round dish, so I don't know how I'd put a circular LNB on there....I have an old D* lnb I guess I could ty-rap it to the side of the P* LNB and it probably be close enough for guv-mint work.

Soon as I finish this cigar and it warms up a bit more i am going to haul the reciever and TV out to the dish and see what I can find.

Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming! :up

 

[Anole]

Fit Direct LNB onto most FTA dishes

If you carefully take the gray plastic case off a DirecTV LNB, then the neck will fit a 20mm mount.
I usually start down around where the RG6 connectors are, and by inspection, you should be able to see where to go from there.
I think one I played with had a couple of #10 Torx screws under the horn, but others don't.
Do not remove the white cover from the horn.

It's still water proof, but I put a small ziploc bag over mine.
If you're careful, you can put it back together when you are through.

Here's a picture Iceberg posted of a naked Dish LNB, but you get the idea.

Is this info of any help?

 

[Reinhold]

If you use USALS to move to the satellite,You can go to the nearset liniar even if it is a few degrees off.It will work just fine.
Reinhold.

 

[stogie5150]

Okay I am finally sitting on IA-6. I think the name changed but that's where I am. I have all the channels scanned in and I am sure that's whre I am. Watching macy's TV in fact.

So now I am going to fab my jackscrew and put it on.

Now the question. i am using usals. Once I dial it in on ia6 it should follow the arc, correct?

 

[voomvoom]

I didn't see anything in the motor manual about it supporting USALS, just DiSEqC 1.2. Or does the reciever tell the motor what position to go to?

The receiver should support USALS, but I guess some don't. If yours does, it will be in the set-up menu's.

So what you're saying is that I tell the reciever to drive the motor to G10 and then align the dish on that satellite and then everything else should fall in?

Well yes, but I was thinking G9 used to be at 127.0w (a long time ago in a not so far away place) and it still is on my 4dtv receiver. Anyhow, since you're at 91.0 west, I would use 91.0w. Looks like you've already got it worked out. Good Job!

Al

 

[voomvoom]

Now the question. i am using usals. Once I dial it in on ia6 it should follow the arc, correct?

Yes, that is correct, it should.

Al

 

[stogie5150]

Well, after tweaking, fiddling, fuming, cussing, smoking, and twiddling some more I finally have the arc. Half of it anyway. I think I didn't set my pole back enough from the house to clear the southeasternmost satellites, either that or my aiming is wrong.

I can hit pretty much everything linear from IA-6 westward, but east of that, nothing.

The signal strengths on the 1m P* aren't as strong as on the elliptical 84e P*, either. I was getting high 80's on the 84e and all I can manage on the 1m is 70. I don't know if its the lnb on the round dish or what. I am thinking about changing the LNB out for one of the others I have and see if that matters. if that doesn't work I might take it all back down, redrill my hommade mount for the 84e and try that. Hey, its free.

Thanks to all of you for the help, y'all have been great!

 

[Anole]

The signal strengths on the 1m P* aren't as strong as on the elliptical 84e P*, either.
I was getting high 80's on the 84e and all I can manage on the 1m is 70.
I don't know if its the lnb on the round dish or what.
I am thinking about changing the LNB out for one of the others I have and see if that matters.

This is counter to what I expected.
Anyone else with info on the two dishes?

Are you using proper feed horns matched to the dishes?
And if I recall, you're using a bunch of surplus (recycled) LNBs you got with the dishes.
Changing one out for another shouldn't be a big task (hopefully).

Did you originally have trouble finding the focus point for your LNB on the 1m round dishes?
It's been a while, and I thought you commented on some trouble with the support arms....

Glad to see you're having such a good time.
I envy your stack of spare dishes.

 

[stogie5150]

This is counter to what I expected.
Anyone else with info on the two dishes?

Are you using proper feed horns matched to the dishes?
And if I recall, you're using a bunch of surplus (recycled) LNBs you got with the dishes.
Changing one out for another shouldn't be a big task (hopefully).

Did you originally have trouble finding the focus point for your LNB on the 1m round dishes?
It's been a while, and I thought you commented on some trouble with the support arms....

Glad to see you're having such a good time.
I envy your stack of spare dishes.

I just rescanned G10. Some of the TP I am getting 90+ on, some just 69-70. So it might not be that.

No the 1m I just had to fix one of the mounting bosses for one of the feed arms, that's all. I tried to skew the LNB hoping for better signal, but no dice. All the dishes I am using are the original feedhorns and LNB's.

The reciever is driving me NUTS. ( coolsat 5k) It saves the channels regardless of satellite, so if you don't delete the channels each time you move the dish when you change channels it moves the dish. grrrr....

I was used to the BUD days that when you chnged satellites it changed the channel list to the satellite you were on, not just a big list of channels. Guess that's something else to learn...

 

[Anole]

code needed for coolsat 5000

Code to do what, Tom ?

 

[stogie5150]

code needed for coolsat 5000

I use OU812. Your mileage may vary.

 

[gabshere]

my 1 meter prime* out performs my oval. but i like both

on the 1 meter ONN beams in at 74% level & 88% SQ
on the oval it hits 68-69% level and 80% SQ

both readings are from a coolsat 5k

 

[stogie5150]

my 1 meter prime* out performs my oval. but i like both

on the 1 meter ONN beams in at 74% level & 88% SQ
on the oval it hits 68-69% level and 80% SQ

both readings are from a coolsat 5k

Thanks for the numbers. I have very good LEVEL, just not good QUALITY. On the scrambled TP's on G10 I am booming 90 percent +, but on Lat TV I am lucky to get 70-72. On AMC-1 I cannot get a lock on ANY channel. They're all pixelated....
I am going to move the dish to the top of the pole to see if I can shoot over the house for the easternmost satellites, and at the same time I am going to re-aim it and change all my conections to the multiswitch and dishes with NEW cable and NEW connectors and re-try it. AT least I know somewhat I am doing now thanks to y'all...

 

[Anole]

...hrmmmm.... sounds like a good idea.
I'm having some trouble on a fixed dish myself.
Changed LNBs. Bumped up the dish size.
Thought I had a good signal.
Clearly, I've overlooked something.
Maybe you'll discover where I went wrong, too.

 

[stogie5150]

I think its the pole. I moved it to the top of the pole and NAILED G10 with 85+ on most transponders. Everything from IA-6 westward is great, no problems. East of that, still nada. I need to find that obstacle-height calculator and find out if the peak of my roof is blocking it.

I should have put a six inch pipe six feet in the ground...

ADDITION:

Well, I've been in the yard for another two hours, and I think I've gotten it about the best I can. I have G10 nailed down pretty well, and the rest are in the 65-68 percent range. I don't know what to do with it except to pull the pipe up and start over again, or either dig around the existing concrete, pull the pole back, and pour more concrete around it. I dunno, I'm kinda peeved right now so I need to cool off and think it through.

 

[Pepper]

That could explain your signal differences, if the bottom part of that bigger dish is lower to the ground than the smaller one so the house is in the way of part of it. Good luck!