If my opinion helps at all, I would like to present it here.
If you start with a perfectly plumb mast (and I am very critical on this) you will have resolved 90% of the problems that others have experienced.
This is a critical item as all your other angles depend upon it.
If the mast is not supported or anchored well, this will hinder the first step for maintaining the plumb of the mast. If you can grab the top of the mast and push it out of position (without being a linebacker) and it does not return back to its original position, then it won't stay there when you put a dish on it.
Next, attach the motor to the mast and ensure that the motor brackets (sides) are level when you have the U-bolt clamps fairly well tightened (but not excessively). Overtightening will deform the motor bracket and change the plumb angle.
If the motor tube isn't already set to precisely 0 degrees or the center reference point, hook up the receiver and drive it there. Best way is to just tell the receiver to GO TO REFERENCE.
Ensure that the motor tube is tight on the motor shaft. Any slop in the gear train will cause you significant problems down the line. If you need to, adjust the internal gear backlash as suggested and outlined in the manual for your motor.
Determine TRUE south for your location and aim the motor tube so that it faces or points as close to that direction as you can possibly judge. Use a compass or a GPS if you need to. I use other methods, personally. I like to use Google Earth and set the image so that true north is always UP and then overlay a crosshair image with the center point at the proposed installation site of the dish antenna.
I print this out and then use a protracter to mark lines indicating true south and any of the strong satellites for my area.
Then I draw lines outward from the center to meet these marks and label them. I laminate this picture and take it out to the site with me and then I have a birds eye view of all the lanscape features (houses, barns, trees, hills, water towers etc) to use for reference points.
I aim the motor tube for the best possible true south angle that I can.
I set the motor latitude angle to the latitude angle of the site and lock it in and never move it afterwards.
I attach the dish bracket to the motor tube and set the Dish elevation angle to the specified degree for my lat/long position. This can be a little vague on some dishes as they are not marked with great resolution. Some are, some are not. I just trust them to be reasonably accurate and make a personal judgement here.
Next step, I determine the nearest true south satellite that has a most consistent and strong signal broadcast. I don't care if it is ITC (In The Clear) or encrypted, it doesn't matter, I am only looking for the carrier signal for alignment purposes. Often, the Internet or DATA feed channels are strongest, always active and can get you in the ball park much more quickly.
I am near Omaha, NE so my nearest true south satellite is 97.0W.
I did some research and found that TP 11.788 V SR 28.126 is strong for my location. So I go to the MANUAL SCAN or the MOTOR SETUP MENU and select sat 97.0W and select TP 11.788 V.
When I select this satellite, 97W, my motor moves just a tick. I am only offset a few tenths of a degree so it does not have to move very far.
Then, on a Coolsat 5000, I monitor the signal level and quality on a portable (small) TV directly at the dish installation site with the shortest RG6 jumper cables that I can use and without any switches in the circuit.
I pan the motor on the mast (moving the motor where it attaches to the mast mechanically) east and west of what I think is my true south. I move it very slowly and gently and only a degree or two at a time. Move it and pause and wait to see what the receiver picks up. Give the reciever a bit of time to acknowledge the signal if there may be a signal there. Some receivers may be slower than others to "lock on". So you need to allow the recveiver some time here. Move again and pause. Move again and pause. Etc.
Since I am usually quite certain of my true south positioning, I don't move the motor azimuth much more than five degrees in either direction, sometimes maybe eight to ten degrees just because (if the weather is nice and I have time to play).
If I do not detect a signal, I adjust the dish elevation. I pick an angle 5 degrees lower than what the angle calculator has told me to use. Then I pan the azimuth again. If I get no signal, I reset the dish elevation to five degrees above what the angle calculator informed me and pan the azimuth of the motor once again.
If I still do not catch a glimpse of the signal that I am looking for, I then drop the elevation by one degree increments and pan the azimuth again. I have rarely had to do anything this dramatic. Usually the first dish elevation setting is pretty close and I detect a signal right off.
I continue this process until I find any signal at all. When I find a signal, I peak on it and scan it to see what I am really dialed into. If it is incorrect (may have channels coming in, but they are not from the sat 97W that I was looking for) I then at least know where to go from there. If I need to go east or west, now I know. I at least have a reference point.
Then, I move the dish in the proper direction to pick up my desired satellite (97W) and when I find it, I fine tune on it. Then I scan whichever TP I am on so that the receiver logs in the channels and the position of the satellite.
Then I select USALS and any other satellite that I know to have a consistent, strong transmission and go there to check. Preferrably a Vertical polarity TP on a sat more than 5 degrees east or west of 97W. The further I can go and still pick up a signal on the first try, the better.
At this other sat, I adjust the motor azimuth to peak the signal.
Then, I return to 97W and adjust the dish elevation to repeak the signal. Then I move back to the other sat or a sat further in that direction and peak the signal with the motor azimuth. Back and forth until I cannot peak the signal any further. Then I go to the opposite side of the horizon and check sats there.
The very first time I set up a motorized dish, I either got lucky or I had researched the procedure well enough ahead of time to understand what I should be looking for. Now, I am still searching for new "toys" and new sats! But. I think I have the gist of it.
Getting the entire arc tracked properly was another chore. I was new to setting up a motor at that time. I am still trying to perfect my satellite system, but I don't know if I ever will. It seems to be a continual hobby with no end, eveytime you think you have the dish aligned the best, or the motor, then someone comes out with a new satellite or a new motor or a new dish or a new LNBF or a new receiver that you just have to test!
Getting everything perfect and up to my own expectations is quite another matter. That is why this is a continual hobby!
It is just like my other hobby, fishing. You are constantly seeking better bait or lures, better fishing holes, a better boat and a better fishing rod and more tackle!
AcWxRADAR
