Need some guidance aiming dish for Orby.

[KC9DAA]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum, but have read every orby related thread before joining. I'll apologize now for this post being long, but i"m going to cover what equipment I have, plus the methods that I've tried, so here goes.

Equipmentto eventually hook up 2 Orby boxes)
39" ku band dish from ebay
Geosatpro SL1PLL LNB
200' of RG6
PVDP3 Diplexer
Eagle Aspen 500309 Splitter
Dual Ground Block
8 bay bowtie for UHF

Also purchased a Satlink WS-6933 meter, hoping to get the aiming done before buying the Orby boxes.
My home qth is at 39.3N, 89.0W
According to dishpointer . com I need to set evelation 36.1*, azimuth 219.8*(true), and skew 29.7* clockwise.

So far I have built a mount for the dish, kind of a sidearm off of the tv tower, from 3/16"x3" flat steel, confirmed it is perfectly plumb and quite solid, mounted the dish on it, and cut off about 14' of the rg6, this piece will reach where the ground block will be mounted, but is currently running from the LNB into the meter. This is all that I'm currently dealing with, the ground block, splitter, and diplexer are not yet hooked up. I found a landmark from aforementioned website to start the aiming. I also did a little trig and put a couple nails in a 2x4 that I could set a 6" level across to start close to the correct elevation, as the marks on the dish mount left a little to be desired.

Here is what I have in the WS-6399:
Sat Name: W116.8 Ku-Eutelsat
LNB type: Ku
Low Freq: 10750
High Freq: 10750
TP NUM: 12
Frequency: 11940
Symbrate: 30000
Polarity: V
22K: Off
DiSEqC Mode: DiSEqC1.0/1.1
DiSEqC1.0 Off
DiSEqC1.1 Off
LNB Power: 13v

I have started about 15* to the east of distant landmark, and 8 or 10* low on elevation, and slowly rotated to about 15* to the west. Then I raise the dish a degree or so, and swing back to the east. I've done this until I'm about 8* high on elevation, then adjusted the skew slightly and repeated, then adjusted the skew slightly the other way, and repeated again. LNB is rotated clockwise if standing behind the dish looking toward LNB. The meter has not showed any quality a single time. Am I wrong thinking that I should have found 'something' in this process? Do I have a setting wrong in the meter? Any and all help is appreciated, I'll check this as often as I can, but don't live in front of the computer, so reply's may be delayed.
Thanks All, 73
Adam

 

[PWMGUY]

I don't think this should impact you, but it is DVBS2. I'm wondering if you are taking into account the KU dish is going to be an offset feed. Which means your lnb will not actually be pointing at the bird, but about 18 degrees lower.

 

[5Rounds]

You should definitely use the marks on the dish mount. If you have a level and plumb pole, it should be accurate enough to get a signal.

 

[aaronmb]

I had a hard time hitting the 117, but I was just using the on screen meter. I was a DTV tech and the 95 was also difficult to get sometimes. Someone on here may correct me if I am wrong, but the 95 and 117 are not as high power as the DBS sattelite like DTV 101 so harder to get locked on. You gotta be right on to get a signal lock.

Be patient n go slow you will get it.

 

[lamp]

Try the other transponder frequency shown at lyngsat 11980 V 30000. And the dish is offset. You cannot simply put an angle finder on the dish and read the elevation. Even pointed at nothing, you should have some kind of signal strength showing the lnb is alive and working and connected properly with working cable.

 

[OrbyTV-ITK]

Here is what I have in the WS-6399:
Sat Name: W116.8 Ku-Eutelsat
LNB type: Ku
Low Freq: 10750
High Freq: 10750
TP NUM: 12
Frequency: 11940
Symbrate: 30000
Polarity: V
22K: Off
DiSEqC Mode: DiSEqC1.0/1.1
DiSEqC1.0 Off
DiSEqC1.1 Off
LNB Power: 13v

Hi Adam. The 22kHz tone needs to be set ON.

 

[KC9DAA]

Try the other transponder frequency shown at lyngsat 11980 V 30000. And the dish is offset. You cannot simply put an angle finder on the dish and read the elevation. Even pointed at nothing, you should have some kind of signal strength showing the lnb is alive and working and connected properly with working cable.

I've heard the term 'offset dish' thrown around. I assumed it was something to do with the mounting of the dish to the mast. After reading your post, I researched it a little deeper, and ended up getting another education, boy was I wrong, Thank You! I will check the markings closer, and assume that the center of the bolt is where I should line up the required elevation.
I'm getting signal when the meter is hooked up, just no quality.
Thanks for the info!

 

[5Rounds]

Don’t use the center of the bolt. There should be a flat edge in front of the bolt. Use it instead.

 

[Titanium]

Also, be sure the mount was correctly assembled using the hole stamped with "A" and reading the "A" scale.

 

[KC9DAA]

Hi all, Figured I'd give an update. Between working on vehicles, working on a tractor, hamfests and NHRA top fuel finals, this project took a few week hiatus.
Turned the 22kHz tone on in the meter, set the elevation according to the gauge on the bracket, and tried again tonight. After several more completely unsuccessful attempts and copious amounts of frustration I took a step back and assessed the situation. Dish looked to be pointing WAY to high. Even took the dish down, and checked to see if I had put it together wrong, but it basically only goes together one way. Put my board with the nails back on it, and it was physically at 36 degrees, just as the marks on the bracket said. Did some internettin' on offset dishes and came up with 24.6 degrees of offset to the dish. Moved the nails in the board to reflect 11.5 degrees, set the dish there and started tweaking. VOILA, 40% quality. After more adjusting of elevation, azimuth, and skew got quality up to 99%. Gonna call that good and have the wife pick up a couple Orby boxes tomorrow. Checked the elevation marks on the bracket when done, and it's showing 11 degrees. Apparently the dish manufacturer threw the wrong bracketry in this box, but regardless it's working now. Just goes to show you can't always assume something bought new is correct.

 

[PWMGUY]

Fantastic! Congrats!

 

[Titanium]

Glad you found a work around and receiving signals!

As the original developer of that dish model, I am 99.9% certain the post clamp is incorrectly attached to the elevation butterfly bracket for your install location. No need to assemble correctly at this point since the signal is being received.

For anyone else installing the GSP90cm dish:
The post clamp has a centered hole stamped "A" and an off-centered hole stamped "B". The post clamp attaches to the elevation bracket butterfly two ways. If the through-bolt uses hole "A" bracket, read the left side elevation scale (10-60 degrees). This is used for all North America installs. If properly assembled, you should see an off-centered hole drilled through the post clamp visible below the elevation scale.

If the through-bolt uses the offset hole "B" to attach to the elevation butterfly bracket, read the right side elevation scale (50-90 degrees). This is used in Mexico and the Central Americas.

 

[KC9DAA]

Glad you found a work around and receiving signals!

As the original developer of that dish model, I am 99.9% certain the post clamp is incorrectly attached to the elevation butterfly bracket for your install location. No need to assemble correctly at this point since the signal is being received.

For anyone else installing the GSP90cm dish:
The post clamp has a centered hole stamped "A" and an off-centered hole stamped "B". The post clamp attaches to the elevation bracket butterfly two ways. If the through-bolt uses hole "A" bracket, read the left side elevation scale (10-60 degrees). This is used for all North America installs. If properly assembled, you should see an off-centered hole drilled through the post clamp visible below the elevation scale.

If the through-bolt uses the offset hole "B" to attach to the elevation butterfly bracket, read the right side elevation scale (50-90 degrees). This is used in Mexico and the Central Americas.

So when properly assembled the A on the post clamp and the A on the bracket are on opposite sides?

 

[Titanium]

When properly assembled, the top through-bolt of the elevation butterfly bracket passes through the clamp hole "A".

Read the elevation on the 10-60 degree scale. The white edge of the pointer will be visible through the elevation scale slot on the left (forward) side of the elevation nut.

 

[KC9DAA]

It appears I did not assemble it correctly. I assembled it the only way that the tiny, single page illustrated parts list showed. I assumed the 'A' on the post mount and the 'A' on the bracket needed to be on the same side, not realizing it was referring to a hole, and that would have put the A's on opposite sides. All the instruction you gave here would have been invaluable to have a month ago, it would be fantastic if there were more detailed instructions included. Although I'm not a professional satellite installer, the gentlemen who have visited my house before to install the 'big name' satellite dishes would have struggled to fight their way out of a wet paper sack. So I doubt our local 'professionals' would have done much better. Also, there was no white edge on the pointer, everything on it is solid gray.
Oh well, it works great now, hindsight is 20-20, and I learned a great deal from the whole process, So I'm marking this one up in the win category.
Thanks All, Adam