need advice - getting fustrated

[spacebug42]

I've spent a week so far trying to get my FTA dish in line with my southern satellite - Echostar 9 / Galaxy 23. I had no idea how arduous it is to get it lined up with that satellite - even with the use of my Fortec Star Dynamic receiver's signal strength meter and the SF95LK satellite finder. I can't get the satellite finder meter to get above 1 and the receiver's signal strength meter still shows it as 40-41% with 0 to 1% quality. What I need to know is - How do I get the correct angles and azimuth to align the motor and dish? The reason why I ask this is that the directions that came with the DG280 motor, Dishpointer.com, and one other dish pointing calculator website (Geosat finder I think) all give me different angle and azimuth settings. For a newbie, this is getting to be a fustrating experience. This is especially true for setting the azimuth. I used a digital compass to aim the dish at 163.5-165 degrees (the variated settings from the sources listed above), but Dishpointer showed a satellite photo of my neighborhood with a green line overlay which shows the dish aimed towards my neighbors' house across the street and it's not at 163.5-165 degrees. I am about ready to call in a pro to come and do the alignment work for me. Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions to help me before I call in a pro?

 

[spacebug42]

one more bit of information

I neglected to mention that my satellite finder meter tool is connected between my Fortec Star Dynamic receiver and one of the Linear outputs on the Invo QPH-031 Quad LNB. Would it be better to connect the finder tool to an external voltage source instead?

 

[Lak7]

Don't get frustrated, FTA s not "Plug N Play"
for Woodland, CA
Pole MUST be Plumb!
Motor Lat scale is set to Your Lat: 38.7 - 39 is fine
Dish Elevation: 29, to start Set to highest Quality reading.
Azimuth: 165 using compass to start. Or the "Green Line"

Can you list all your Equip, Receiver, Dish and LNB?
You need to enter the correct info for your LNB.

 

[Lak7]

Connect to the "L" port on the LNB
In the Receiver's Setup Menu
LNB Type: Standard / Single
LNB Freq: 10750
LNB Power: On
Transponder: 11899 V 20000

EDIT: New Hot Transponder!

 

[spacebug42]

more clarification on setup

I made sure that the pole is plumb. I have the motor elevation set just under 40 degrees (hard to get the exact angle with that dial) and the dish elevation angle started out at 29 degrees. The list of equipment: Fortec 90cm dish, Fortec Star Dynamic receiver, Invacom QPH-031 Quad LNB, and temporarily using a 13" TV/VCR as a monitor to see the meter.

I had the LNB perimeter setting set to 10750, but I may not have specified it as a single LNB even though this is a quad LNB. You also mentioned that the LNB power perimeter setting should be set for on. I will check to see if it was set for on (my gut feeling tells me it might be turned off). I also just thought of checking the LNB. There's a good possibility that the LNB is not dead center - another great way to screw the alignment up.

 

[spacebug42]

couldn't find perimeter in menu

Okay, I just looked at the setup menu and I did find the LNB set for 10750. I could not readily find the LNB power perimeter, but I did see a perimeter for 0/22 KHz. It is currently set for off. I will grab the manual for the Fortect receiver and see what it says on setting up the LNB.

 

[spacebug42]

found details in manual

I just found the information on where the LNB power setting is located - under the Others tab in the System Setup menu. I'll go take a look on the monitor to see what that LNB power perimeter currently says.

 

[spacebug42]

LNB setting is okay

I checked the LNB setting in the Others sub-menu under the System setup and it shows the setting as on. Do I need to have the 22KHz setting on to make it work for that transponder on Echostar 9?

 

[brentb636]

No, 22khz off is correct ( although with a standard linerar lnbf, it probably won't matter. You should DISTRUST the dish elevation scale. So, after you try moving a little in either direction to pick up a signal, you should move the dish elevation a little ( perhaps 2 degrees) and do the azimuth adjustment again. It's a process you have to go thru. Once you get ANY Quality signal, then it becomes pretty obvious how to move the azimuth and elevation to optimize it. [edit] by the way, the dish elevation setting is not at the center of the bolt, but at a mark inside the adjusting slot. [/edit]

 

[Lak7]

I have the motor elevation set just under 40 degrees

Make sure you are using the Motor "Latitude" Scale, not the Elevation Scale

If you have "Signal Strength" the LNB Power is On.

Did you find the Transponder I listed? "11899"
The Quality Meter will only light up when you are aligned to the Sat AND have a Live / Active Transponder selected.
Also double check you are connected to the "L" port. Many have sworn that they are just to actually look again and notice that they are not.

And to Second BrentB, make sure you understand when the scale indicators are, they usually are not the bolt.

 

[spacebug42]

Yeah - I did it!!!!

This is an update on my status of the alignment of my dish. I set up my dish according to the DG280 manual and remembering what direction the Dishpointer web site told me to aim the dish. Forget the compass! I aimed it towards my neighbor's house, turned on the TV and the receiver and I heard a steady tone coming from the signal finder. I adjusted the meter to midscale and then adjusted the elevation of the dish. Interestingly, the satellite meter went a little past 10 when I elevated the dish angle, but the monitor still showed 40-41% on the TP. I exited out of the antenna setup menu and did an auto scan. The scan did confirm strong signals across several transponders. I then had an idea of choosing another transponder on that bird which was really putting out the signal. This time I got a 97% signal strength and 77% quality. I went back and tried to maximize the strength, but I couldn't do it anymore. By the way, the final dish elevation angle is just a whisker above 45 degrees, not 29 and yes, I aimed at the right bird. The satellite finder helped so much in peaking the signal strength. I turned off the monitor and receiver, removed the satellite finder meter, and connected the motor between the LNB and the receiver. I picked G19 as my next test for an alignment check. I started an auto scan and within a few seconds the screen was filling up with found TV and radio channels. After the scan was complete, I exited out of the menu and I flipped through the many TV channels on that bird. Yeah - I'm now locked in on the satellite belt! It's now 8:49 PM Pacific and I'm making a quick trip into the attic to temporarily drop the receiver antenna cable into the living room before I have dinner. I'm looking forward to staying up tonight to see what's on TV!

 

[Lak7]

Congrats!
Nothing like watching channels pop in.

I then had an idea of choosing another transponder on that bird which was really putting out the signal. This time I got a 97% signal strength and 77% quality.

Correct, the Quality meter is not a "sat signal" meter, it's a Transponder Signal meter, and will only light up if the TP selected is Live / Active.

I then had an idea of choosing another transponder on that bird which was really putting out the signal. This time I got a 97% signal strength and 77% quality.

I would just guess that you are not looking at the proper Elevation indicator, remember it is not the bolt.

To test your alignment, pick a Sat far to the east, like 74 west, scan that, you should come up with 1 Channel called "Service 1" it should be ONN (Ohio News Net)

 

[Anole]

dish elevatioin marker:

Here are pictures of what everyone is talking about, concerning how to set your elevation.
- on some dishes, you use the center of the bolt (no picture)
- on some dishes, there is a little indicator on the elevation bolt with a pointer
- on some dishes, you use the red line to set the elevation.
However, it's just a hint. Assume a couple of degrees of "play" or error.

 

[AcWxRadar]

This is an update on my status of the alignment of my dish. I set up my dish according to the DG280 manual and remembering what direction the Dishpointer web site told me to aim the dish. Forget the compass! I aimed it towards my neighbor's house, turned on the TV and the receiver and I heard a steady tone coming from the signal finder. I adjusted the meter to midscale and then adjusted the elevation of the dish. Interestingly, the satellite meter went a little past 10 when I elevated the dish angle, but the monitor still showed 40-41% on the TP. I exited out of the antenna setup menu and did an auto scan. The scan did confirm strong signals across several transponders. I then had an idea of choosing another transponder on that bird which was really putting out the signal. This time I got a 97% signal strength and 77% quality. I went back and tried to maximize the strength, but I couldn't do it anymore. By the way, the final dish elevation angle is just a whisker above 45 degrees, not 29 and yes, I aimed at the right bird. The satellite finder helped so much in peaking the signal strength. I turned off the monitor and receiver, removed the satellite finder meter, and connected the motor between the LNB and the receiver. I picked G19 as my next test for an alignment check. I started an auto scan and within a few seconds the screen was filling up with found TV and radio channels. After the scan was complete, I exited out of the menu and I flipped through the many TV channels on that bird. Yeah - I'm now locked in on the satellite belt! It's now 8:49 PM Pacific and I'm making a quick trip into the attic to temporarily drop the receiver antenna cable into the living room before I have dinner. I'm looking forward to staying up tonight to see what's on TV!

Congratulations SpaceBug!

Persistence and patience really are required and do pay off in this hobby! Some nice cuss words sometimes help, in moderation! LOL



RADAR

 

[Cadsulfide]

Good deal putting one in the win column! Everyone who does FTA has had similar stories, but the payoff is worth the effort!