Need Help Aligning New CoolSat System Please

[sidekick]

I have a new CoolSat 4000 Pro system consisting of the receiver, a Winegard 32" dish, Invacom SNH-031 LNB, and a SG2100 motor. I'm having a heck of a time trying to get it set up properly. Granted, I'm very much a newbie at this. This forum seems to have a lot of friendly folks so I thought I'd turn to the experts for some help. I live in Ventura California and my zip code is 93003. I went to the NGDC site and saw that my latiitude is 34.270568 N and my longitude is 119.2214 W. That site also computed the declination as 13 degrees 24' east changing by 0 degrees 5' W/year. Can anyone please offer some guidance as to what I should do? I set the dish up on my roof and made sure the post was vertical, etc. Now I hate to say it, but I'm at a loss as to what true south is?, etc., etc., etc. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!!!

 

[PSB]

San Buenaventura, CA 93003
Latitude 34° 16.236'N Longitude 119° 13.284'W

              Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
-----------------------------------------------------
*** ALL DBS SATELLITE ***
                      
            EchoStar 3   61.5W 109.6  95.2 17.9 -51.1
          EchoStar 6/8  110.0W 163.9 149.5 49.0 -13.2
          EchoStar 5/7  119.0W 179.6 165.2 50.2  -0.3
 EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 183.2 168.8 50.1   2.6
          EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 224.3 209.9 39.7  35.2
            EchoStar 4  157.0W 234.0 219.6 33.5  42.0
                      
     DirecTV 1/1R/2/4S  101.0W 149.7 135.3 45.6 -24.6
             DirecTV 6  110.0W 163.9 149.5 49.0 -13.2
             DirecTV 5  119.0W 179.6 165.2 50.2  -0.3
                      
*** All Satellites 61W - 160W ***
                      
              Amazonas   60.0W 108.5  94.1 16.7 -51.6
            EchoStar 3   61.5W 109.6  95.2 17.9 -51.1
             Rainbow 1   61.5W 109.6  95.2 17.9 -51.1
              Nahuel 1   71.8W 117.4 103.0 26.2 -47.2
             DirecTV 5   72.0W 117.5 103.1 26.4 -47.1
                 AMC 6   72.0W 117.5 103.1 26.4 -47.1
             Galaxy 12   74.0W 119.2 104.8 27.9 -46.2
                 SBS 6   74.0W 119.2 104.8 27.9 -46.2
               GOES 12   75.0W 120.1 105.7 28.7 -45.7
                 AMC 5   79.0W 123.7 109.3 31.7 -43.5
             DirecTV 3   81.8W 126.4 112.0 33.8 -41.7
               Nimiq 2   82.0W 126.5 112.2 33.9 -41.6
          Brasilsat B3   84.0W 128.6 114.2 35.4 -40.2
               XM Roll   85.0W 129.6 115.2 36.1 -39.5
                 AMC 9   85.0W 129.6 115.2 36.1 -39.5
                 AMC 3   87.0W 131.8 117.4 37.5 -38.0
              Galaxy 9   91.0W 136.4 122.0 40.1 -34.8
             Galaxy 11   91.0W 136.4 122.0 40.1 -34.8
               Nimiq 1   91.0W 136.4 122.0 40.1 -34.8
          Brasilsat B4   92.0W 137.6 123.2 40.7 -33.9
             Telstar 6   93.0W 138.8 124.4 41.3 -33.0
             Galaxy 3C   95.0W 141.4 127.0 42.5 -31.1
             Telstar 5   97.0W 144.0 129.6 43.6 -29.0
             Galaxy 4R   99.0W 146.8 132.4 44.7 -26.9
             DirecTV 2  100.8W 149.4 135.0 45.6 -24.9
            DirecTV 1R  100.8W 149.4 135.0 45.6 -24.9
                 AMC 4  101.0W 149.7 135.3 45.6 -24.6
             DirecTV 1  101.0W 149.7 135.3 45.6 -24.6
                AMSC 1  101.1W 149.8 135.4 45.7 -24.5
            DirecTV 4S  101.2W 150.0 135.6 45.7 -24.4
                 AMC 1  103.0W 152.7 138.3 46.5 -22.3
                 AMC 2  105.0W 155.8 141.4 47.3 -19.8
                MSAT 1  106.5W 158.2 143.8 47.9 -17.9
               Anik F1  107.3W 159.4 145.1 48.2 -16.9
               Anik E1  109.2W 162.6 148.2 48.7 -14.3
             DirecTV 6  109.8W 163.6 149.2 48.9 -13.5
            EchoStar 6  110.0W 163.9 149.5 49.0 -13.2
            EchoStar 8  110.0W 163.9 149.5 49.0 -13.2
              Anik E2R  111.1W 165.8 151.4 49.2 -11.7
         Solidaridad 2  113.0W 169.0 154.6 49.6  -9.0
               XM Rock  115.0W 172.5 158.1 49.9  -6.2
              SatMex 5  116.8W 175.7 161.3 50.1  -3.5
               Anik E2  118.7W 179.1 164.7 50.2  -0.8
             DirecTV 5  119.0W 179.6 165.2 50.2  -0.3
            EchoStar 7  119.0W 179.6 165.2 50.2  -0.3
            EchoStar 5  119.0W 179.6 165.2 50.2  -0.3
 EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 183.2 168.8 50.1   2.6
            Galaxy 10R  123.0W 186.7 172.3 50.0   5.5
              Galaxy 5  125.0W 190.2 175.8 49.7   8.4
             Galaxy 12  125.0W 190.2 175.8 49.7   8.4
             Galaxy 13  127.0W 193.6 179.2 49.3  11.2
             Telstar 7  129.0W 197.0 182.6 48.8  14.0
             Satcom C3  131.0W 200.3 185.9 48.2  16.7
             Galaxy 1R  133.0W 203.5 189.1 47.5  19.3
             Satcom C4  135.0W 206.6 192.3 46.7  21.8
               GOES 10  135.5W 207.4 193.0 46.5  22.4
                 AMC 7  137.0W 209.7 195.3 45.9  24.1
                 AMC 8  139.0W 212.6 198.2 44.9  26.4
            EchoStar 1  148.0W 224.3 209.9 39.7  35.2
            EchoStar 2  148.0W 224.3 209.9 39.7  35.2
            EchoStar 4  157.0W 234.0 219.6 33.5  42.0
                      

Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

I would use a DBS LNB (L.O. = 11250) as a true south satellite, then switch back to a linear (L.O. = 10750)

Dishnetwork 119w

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

You are right, there are many helpful folks here.

Maybe PSB will jump in and give you the pointing angles you need. Looks like your true south satellite is Echostar 7. That simply means the satellite that is southern-most from your location. Once you point at that you can use USALs to setup the rest of the satellites.

Edit:

PSB is quick-he already posted your info!

 

[sidekick]

A Couple Questions Please

Thank you PSB and W Tracy for the replies. Having the dish on the roof with no signal is like having a new car with no gas. PSB I have a couple of newbie questions: Is the Az(m) number the true south coordinate where I should aim the dish? What is the Az(t)? Is the El (presumably elevation) for the dish, the motor or both? and last but not least what the heck is the skew? lol Sorry for all of the questions, but this is a steep learning curve that I am thoroughly enjoying at the same time that I'm somewhat frustrated. Thanks Again Everyone!!

 

[sidekick]

One More Thing Please

Sorry PSB I had another question. I'm not quite sure what you mean by this:
"I would use a DBS LNB (L.O. = 11250) as a true south satellite, then switch back to a linear (L.O. = 10750)"

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

Thank you PSB and W Tracy for the replies. Having the dish on the roof with no signal is like having a new car with no gas. PSB I have a couple of newbie questions: Is the Az(m) number the true south coordinate where I should aim the dish?

Yes, that means the magnetic azimuth. You should get a compass and carefully aim for about 165 degrees making sure to avoid metal objects to aim your dish to TS (true south). AZ (t) is your true azimuth but magnetic is what you are concerned with. Set skew to zero when aiming TS as the motor will adjust skew automatically. Since your TS needs a DBS LNB use that to aim and then you can use your regular LNB for the other sats.

 

[sidekick]

W Tracey: I'm unsure what this means: "Since your TS needs a DBS LNB use that to aim and then you can use your regular LNB for the other sats". I only have the Invacom SNH-031 LNB. Do I need another? Or are you speaking of the settings on the receiver? Sorry for all the questions.

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

W Tracey: I'm unsure what this means: "Since your TS needs a DBS LNB use that to aim and then you can use your regular LNB for the other sats". I only have the Invacom SNH-031 LNB. Do I need another? Or are you speaking of the settings on the receiver? Sorry for all the questions.

Your TS is Echostar 7 at 119 degrees. That satellite provides programming for Dish Network and uses a circular LNB as opposed to the linear that you have. PSB is saying (I think-jump in and correct me if I am wrong) that maybe it would be better to use a Dish network LNB for the sake of pointing the dish only. Then when you have the dish properly pointed, you can go ahead and put your Invacom LNB on to scan the rest of the satellites.

I realize that you are probably eager to get started so perhaps someone will have another suggestion although I am hard pressed to see another sat that would work as TS.

 

[sidekick]

Ok, thank you ... I do have an old Dish LNB that I recently took off the roof. I'll use that to point to TS and then reconnect the Invacom LNB. In PSB's settings he referenced that the elevation should be 50.2. Is that for just the dish? Does it matter what elevation the motor is set at? I promise these are my last questions. Thanks again for all of your help everyone!!

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

The 50.2 is for a stand-alone dish without motor only. For motorized you need to set:

Dish Itself-24.5
Motor Latitude-just a smidge over 34
Motor Elevation-56

If you use the Dish Network LNB make sure you peak it well before removing it-signal will probably be near 80% with a Coolsat.

 

[sidekick]

Thanks again for all of your help and patience. It is much appreciated.