I've installed a positioned dishes for Voom, Direct, and Dish, and have never been as frustrated as I am with FTA. I simply want to find one satellite with FTA channels to learn more about my receiver before a replacement motor arrives. I've worked on getting a signal for several hours - I got 1 - all scrambled chanels. There are so many variables it just gets confusing. I've got the compas settings and the elevations but I can't spot one bird. My zip is 47933 (Indiana). Any suggestions while my busted knuckles begin to heal wrapped in my make-shift bandaids made from painter's tape and napkins? I'm throwing in the towel for the day.
Not so wonderful world of FTA
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What satellite are you trying to aim at?
All the variables I can think of for a fixed dish if the mount is leveled are: azimuth, elevation, and lnb skew.
This can be helpful: Aiming Stationary Dish (Calculate angles)
All the variables I can think of for a fixed dish if the mount is leveled are: azimuth, elevation, and lnb skew.
This can be helpful: Aiming Stationary Dish (Calculate angles)
Been there, done that, too, Gross. You will be needing ALOT of patience with the FTA stuff.
If you have to, take a little breather and study up on the threads this site has to offer and when you're ready to tackle it again, go for it! I put up Directv, Dishnet, and C band systems but the FTA is really hard to do.
You can do it!!!
If you have to, take a little breather and study up on the threads this site has to offer and when you're ready to tackle it again, go for it! I put up Directv, Dishnet, and C band systems but the FTA is really hard to do.
You can do it!!!
Thanks for the info/support guys. I have taken a breather and am back at it. I just noticed that the readings on the compass I have been using and the one I just discovered in the set-up kit are different. Perhaps my aim has been off. I'd been using a magnetic compass an the one that came with is a liquid filled compass but the numbers run the other way around making the settings quite different - I'm back on the roof for another go.
Make sure to have an active transponder programmed into your receiver speeds up the process alot!
I had the transponder input. The problem was my compass. Once I used the one supplied with the install kit, I found the satellite within 10 minutes. 97 W. It scaneed in 100+ channels and loads of radio stations as well. Now I know exactly what Satellite I will scan for when my motor arrives. My "map" compass was pointing my dish in a SE position while the one I used pointed me in a correct SW position. However, I thing the setting I was sent with my motorized kit has all ready calculated the difference. So, in short, I am up and running after a very frustrating start. Let's just hope I can get a signal again once the motor arrives.
87 degrees AMC3 for your pbs cravings. Aiming these things is a trick,eh.
It's simply a matter of figuring out how the elevation changes , for your location, as the dish moves east and west of your 'true south' satellite.
The true south sat for you is whichever one is closest to your longitude, and will be the highest point in elevation for your site. As you go further east, or west of that sat, the elevation drops . Don't forget to mark the location on the pole, when you find a satellite , write down your elevation for it and you can spin the dish right back to it. Once you get a motor, it will do all that elevation-changing as it travels.
It's simply a matter of figuring out how the elevation changes , for your location, as the dish moves east and west of your 'true south' satellite.
The true south sat for you is whichever one is closest to your longitude, and will be the highest point in elevation for your site. As you go further east, or west of that sat, the elevation drops . Don't forget to mark the location on the pole, when you find a satellite , write down your elevation for it and you can spin the dish right back to it. Once you get a motor, it will do all that elevation-changing as it travels.
I think it is much easier for ground level mounted dishes. Especially for people just getting started. A small TV setup next to the dish really helps. Having a known active transponder for a milepost is the best way. Get a nice compass.
If you have an idea what you want to point plan your site survey with orbital positions in mind. There is no sense mounting your dish with trees in the way and having to move it later.
If you have an idea what you want to point plan your site survey with orbital positions in mind. There is no sense mounting your dish with trees in the way and having to move it later.
I have had a BUD for over eleven years and have installed some Direct TV's, but I run into the same trouble as you did with FTA.
Been playing with one for over a month off and on and still don't have it adjusted correctly. I have spent a lot of money just trying to get it up and going. Had trouble with my compass finding true south, so I just threw money at it and bought a GPS. I do receive a lot of satellites but they are not where they should be, must be some ajustment off.
I will give it a bit longer then I am going to put up an eight foot dish with a BSC621-2. I have a couple of dish's behind the garage another just throw money at it.
FTA is a great hobby but it does get frustrating.
One of these days I will be up and runing too.
Been playing with one for over a month off and on and still don't have it adjusted correctly. I have spent a lot of money just trying to get it up and going. Had trouble with my compass finding true south, so I just threw money at it and bought a GPS. I do receive a lot of satellites but they are not where they should be, must be some ajustment off.
I will give it a bit longer then I am going to put up an eight foot dish with a BSC621-2. I have a couple of dish's behind the garage another just throw money at it.
FTA is a great hobby but it does get frustrating.
One of these days I will be up and runing too.
Don't get too disappointed , Gross, if it's tough going. I've found it MUCH easier to just install a motor and let USALS do the work ! You'll be a happy camper once the motor is online.
The cool part is after you have gone through all of this frustration like I did and finally get it going - only to find out that it really wasn't that hard after all!
Just a pain in the butt.
But there are A LOT of little things you have to learn.
I don't think there are any "user friendly" fta setups!
-phil
Just a pain in the butt.
But there are A LOT of little things you have to learn.
I don't think there are any "user friendly" fta setups!
-phil
Thank you for all the input and support. I'm up and running AND managed to get the receiver to read my thumb drive. I thought I had updated the firmware but did not. If you hit OK and not the RED button when you choose which firmware to update, it doesn't actually update. Also, I had to reformat the thumb drive ON A PC. I did what I read - FAT32 formatting and the on/off combinations of the remote and switch and the update took. This has also allowed me to get the PVR features working. Night and Day ladies and gentlemen, night and day. When the motor arrives, I will really get some use out of this setup. Now I have a great many channels - but not many that I can understand. I can see that FTA broadcasts will certainly give me a better view of world news. The US does such a horrible job of showing/telling what is happening elsewhere and why. It will be nice to see what is really happening around the world. I am the lucky winner of this system and once it is all put together, I'll write a review in that section of this forum. But not until I have that motor working.
welcome gross 67,
as a hobbiest i have to tell you i worked for 3 weeks just to get my first signal.
don't give it up. I have set and reset at 4 times ku and c band, and it does get easier.
I would not go back unless all the sats. suddenly went black. it is worth it!
as a hobbiest i have to tell you i worked for 3 weeks just to get my first signal.
don't give it up. I have set and reset at 4 times ku and c band, and it does get easier.
I would not go back unless all the sats. suddenly went black. it is worth it!
My suggestion is to find someone nearby to give you a hand and show you the basics. You may not have that available to you, but I had a friend who had only done one motor install and he gave me a ton of useful help. After that I was confident enough to make my own adjustments.
Maybe someone here lives nearby and wouldn't mind dropping by.
Maybe someone here lives nearby and wouldn't mind dropping by.
Thanks for all the well wishes and advice. I'm now up and running AND I have a LACIE 300GB hard drive (Formatted FAT32) up and running as my FTA PVR. When the motor arrives, I am confident that I can find Galaxy26 from my start position and then scan/tweak for the next. I will update on this thread and will do a review on the receiver some time next week. I think I'm hooked.
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