Need Help aiming dish

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its easy to get frustrated with it but you are getting signals
now just need to check and see why they are low ... is there a line of sight problem. or something that would keep you from receiving satellite. if your up on the roof do you have a clear line of sight , are you clearing the top of the roof maybe the dish pole/motor pole needs an extension ... it really sounds like your getting a signal but like something is blocking part of it.....

don't give up just yet , your actually real close ... cause you get some signals from several sats so that is a big plus....we just need to talk through the things that might be cutting your reception down.

NY is a good bit away but ... i really think we can talk you through most anything :)
its a good group here .....
 
You might be dealing with a warped dish. Did you check the dish to make sure it wasn't warped by laying the dish face down on a known flat surface before mounting on the roof? If not, tape a vertical string on the face of the dish and run a horizontal string up the sides of the dish. Does the string stay evenly touching at all times?
 
I need encouragement!! I just can not lock onto a friggin satellite. Not even a Dishnetwork one. If I do, I only get some of the transponders in that are supposed to be active and live. I have gone plum crazy and made sure everything is straight and on the level. I've got the dish mounted right at the bottom of the motor arm as to make sure it's the same level as the motor. I can't even lock onto SBS6 and get ONN anymore. I wish I had my camera, maybe if I took pictures you guys would see something I'm doing wrong. I'm about ready to take the dish and use it as a frisbee.

As everyone else said, don't give up yet! Still got snow in Malone?:)

I have the Merc II w/80cm dish; on ONN, I'm getting between 60-65 SQ...so your SQ sounds about right (not sure if your bigger dish should do better). I've read that some have complained about the Fortec 90cm and that the LNB arm should have supporting braces on it (like CM dishes), especially with the Quad LNB being heavier. Could be the arm is moving just so slightly when you go to the other sats....If you can get your hands on a regular (lighter) LNB, I would try that instead.
 
Thanks guys for the replies. I took a break and went to camp for a few days, but now I'm back. It's hasn't been snowing, but it's been damn cold and rainy.

The Fortec Dish does have supporting braces on it. Two come down and meet the main LNBF bar. I really hope it's not warped, although when it was shipped, there was a dent in the skirt of the dish..... I'll do the string test just to be sure.

I'm gonna play with it some more, also I'll be taking pictures today hopefully. Maybe someone here can spot something I'm doing wrong.

As far as line of sight goes. I have a clear site of just about all the satellites, except a few to the east that is blocked by one pine tree. I do have a telephone pole and some wires in front of the dish, but they're a good distance away, and the wires I wouldn't think would cause too big of an impact. I seem to be able to get a good signal on the satellites that are close to SBS6, but the farther away I get the signals become very weak to nonexistent.
 
Growing up, I remember seeing the snow banks reaching the top of telephone poles and being snowed in for 1-2 weeks every year...and that was in the leatherstocking area.

I searched and found a few people mentioning missing parts, for example the LNB braces to hold the LNB arm sturdy...if you didn't get them, complain to your supplier:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=13130&d=1163656816

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...-fortec-motorized-dish-roof-3.html#post726774


My parents have pictures of the snowbanks being up that high, and being snowed in. I can't remember ever getting that much snow. Hell now it's a big deal if we get a foot of snow at once. In a way, I would love to have it snow like that again, but then I think of how crappy the winters are now. I just couldn't imagine having that much snow. We barely get a summer as it is now, and winter lasts way too long. If it wasn't for my love of the Adirondacks, I wouldn't think twice of moving south, but something about the Adirondacks, just keeps me from doing that.



Interesting picture of the dish. I love how that picture doesn't show many marks from hitting and banging the dish into place. :rolleyes: Mine is already starting to rust. :mad: I notice the LNBF is turned upside down in that picture also. Could that make a difference? I got all the supporting arms and whatnot with the dish. The only problem with my order was a missing motor arm upgrade and a missing receiver, plus the lovely dent that the UPS driver left in the skirting of the dish. :mad:.
 
That was back in the mid 1960's to 1970's, seems like it now snows, then melts, etc...back then, it just accumulated.

I think he placed the LNB upside down to avoid it hitting the roof. Since it's 180 degrees out, it shouldn't matter...just think of the insides of the (linear) LNB hortz and vertical portion as a +
 
That was back in the mid 1960's to 1970's, seems like it now snows, then melts, etc...back then, it just accumulated.

I think he placed the LNB upside down to avoid it hitting the roof. Since it's 180 degrees out, it shouldn't matter...just think of the insides of the (linear) LNB hortz and vertical portion as a +

Yeah, it just teases us now. :mad:

Well I'm gonna go out and try tweaking the dish once again. I'll report back with my findings.
 
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