Motorizing my 1.2m dish

[jibaro29]

Ok, I have the WS 1247 dish now and it up and running. Meaning just running. I have no sound or picture. I have done the up and down and side to side moves to no avail. Amc 5 @ 79 W is my point of reference. Nada. :rant:

I have attached three picture of the the dish setup hoping that someone out there can help me. I have the motor elevation @ 26.7 and dish @ 59 for Amc 5.

I should tell you that this dish did not come with the motor mount for the dish. I used one from my 1M to hook this bad boy up and I'm using the SG2100. Moving the dish has not been a problem. Please help

Thanks

 

[Mr Tony]

broke off to new thread from review

 

[Mr Tony]

The dish shouldn't be that high if using a motor. You need to drop the elevation of the dish alot...down to about 30 degrees which would be near the end of the thread bolt

 

[Anole]

The middle picture looks like your dish is pointed around 54° elevation.
I was sloppy measuring, so could be in error 5°..8° easily.
Would that be anywhere close to correct?

The motor should be set on the latitude side of the bracket, to your latitude.
Ya didn't say where you were, so I can offer no suggestions.

 

[jibaro29]

My latitude is 26.7N and 80.05W (Zip 33460). I haven't been out side for awhile. I live in South Florida and todays temperature is suppose to be in the high 90S (heat & humidity). So there is no chance I will be there any time soon. I'll have to wait until night time before I can star messing with the dish.

 

[zamar23]

I wonder how changing the dish original mount to the 1M dish (different offset angle) mount might change optimal mount position in relation to the dish center, and affect using dish scales for aiming, or even affect tracing Clarke Belt with the motor? Did you have to drill new holes in the dish for M1 mount?

 

[jibaro29]

4 to be exact. This dish came with a pole mount only. I did not have much trouble mounting the 1M bracket. It does look like my elevation went off kilt. I'll find out tonight for sure.

 

[turbosat]

Come on now- can't be more than 114 lol. I got 95degrees even here, hot and stinking humid, can't stand it long out there even in the shade.
Drop your elevation on your motor bracket to about half of what you got and start looking for your sat from there, it's way too high for an offset dish.

 

[jibaro29]

Thanks turbosat for the input. I must tell that I was just out there and the humidity must have been 114 in the shade. I drank two gallons of beer and a mix drink and I'm still hot and sweaty.

Back to business,

After spending a better part of two hrs of my time, mind you I'm retired, I must say my problem could be the receiver. The reason I'm saying this is because I switched dishes . Yes I went back to my one meter. I got everything setup where is suppose to be and bang ....no f... St...ky signal. Checked the pole, motor elevation, dish elevation, I prayed some (I'm catholic) and still no signal.

My Mercury ll has been acting a little strange as of late. For Example:

When sent back to zero.. it goes anywhere but zero.
Only works with USALS. Must of the times.
When using DiSEqC is like a hope and prayer or a box of chocolate.

I problably should have this receiver checked. I have no clue where to send it.

 

[SatelliteAV]

USALS is calculated by the receiver, DiSEqC settings are stored in the motor. If the motor DiSEqC settings are not cleared or reused, the receiver is instructing the motor to move to position X, which has been previously stored in the motor.

The dish elevation is set way too high. Start with the dish angle set to 25 degrees (measured on the vertical axis of the dish) when the motor is in the Zero position.

 

[zamar23]

Drive motor to 0 (zero) by its own buttons, then Reset the motor using a small depressed button or a button-in-the-hole in it. After that update firmware in the receiver, reset the receiver, and hard restart it, switching its power from the outlet Off/On.

 

[jibaro29]

Drive motor to 0 (zero) by its own buttons, then Reset the motor using a small depressed button or a button-in-the-hole in it. After that update firmware in the receiver, reset the receiver, and hard restart it, switching its power from the outlet Off/On.

After resetting the Motor and Receiver I was able to move the dish using the DiSEqC setup however, it will not go back to the zero position. I tried using the go to zero position and the dish end up @ 12.5W (my east limits)

The dish elevation that I'm using is the same I have been using since I got the dish 5 years ago. My normal setting is 60 for AMC 79W. Until yesterday I had no problems tracking the Arc.

I'm to the point where I'm beginning to question my receivers performance. This problem is been going on for awhile. It comes and goes. I'm starting to look for another receiver. I guess it is good idea to have a backup.

 

[zamar23]

Upon resetting the motor and receiver your east-west software set limits should be erased, but motor hardware sliders set limits will remain. Try again to drive motor to 0 by its buttons, hard reset it by motor reset button, reset and hard restart the receiver, then drive motor to east limit - save, to west limit - save limit positions. Now try Go to 0 with DiSEqC again. If it misses, can you correct its position to 0 by buttons at that point and save?

 

[jibaro29]

Day #4 and still no signal. Today I'm planing on taking the 1.2 dish down and replace it with my 1M. I need to reset my motor elevation back to 26.7N and dish to 59. That is where I get my best signal across the Arc. What I do not understand is why I can't get the same with the 1.2. What am I missing here?

 

[zamar23]

Your 1M dish scale might not be useful with the 1.2M dish, as it has a different offset angle and its mount may be off the new dish center, making the angle error even bigger. On top of all that, how exactly did you aim your dish? The Motor Bracket angle should be set to your Lat. on its Latitude Scale regardless of the dish used - it shouldn't change, and neither its Elevation = 90 deg. - Lat. You may want to study Aiming a Motorized Dish - Tutorial for better luck.

 

[Sasquatch04]

Motor Latitude: 46.9°
Declination Angle: 7.0°
Dish Elevation: 23°
Elevation: 36.1°
Azimuth (true): 180.0°
Azimuth (magn.): 196.9°

These above should be yr settings,,,,,make sure yr mast is plumb on all sides if not ,it will not work,,,,,,make sure to put yr long,,,,lat in yr set up before starting,,,point yr set up to true south ,then command yr motor to go to yr sat closest to yr true south,,,,,,,when it stops,,tweak yr dish until you have a signal,,,,once the signal obtained ,,,store the position,,,,,,then go to yr farthest sat to the west and do the same,,,,,,twaek until you obtain a good signal then store,,,,,,from then on,,,,,you should be able to follow the clark belt,,,,,

Good luck,,,,,,just remember,,,,the most important is for yr mast to be perfectly plumb on all sides,,,,

Cheers,,,,,

Sas

 

[jibaro29]

Sas,

Are you saying that my motor latitude changes from 26.7N to 46.9N because of dish size? My zip code 33460.

Jose
__________________

 

[turbosat]

Set your motor elevation bracket to your latitude, you might have to make minor adjustment as none of them are going to be perfect.

 

[jibaro29]

Finally a SIGNAL!!!
One thing is for sure, dish elevation is a lot different. I went from 25/26 to 39dgs. I'm going to post pictures of the motor and dish as soon as the weather gets better.

 

[caddata]

.....mount may be off the new dish center, making the angle error even bigger....

Notice that the bracket is curved to fit along the back of the dish. You attached the bracket from the other dish down, too low below the center of the dish and now the scale has no reference to the new dish.

You could place a long, straight object (2"x4") vertically on the front side of the dish and allow for the offset angle (if you know it) to determine your pointing angle.

Harold