Peaking my 10.5 footer, need help...

[Cnut]

I got my 10.5 foot dish up yesterday and found the arc within an hour, but I need help peaking my dish. When I get toward the ends of the arc, the signal is not as strong.

My true out Sat is 87W, and the signal quality on the Manhattan 1997 shows I'm getting over 90 percent, but when I get to 121W, the signal is down in the high 40s. When I lift up on the edge of the dish when I'm 121, the signal disappears, but pushing down on it, it jumps up into the 60s and 70s.

I can't remember, when you push down and the dish and improve the signal, do you turn the dish on the pole that direction or the opposite direction?
thanks
cpsp0

 

[FTA4PA]

I got my 10.5 foot dish up yesterday and found the arc within an hour, but I need help peaking my dish. When I get toward the ends of the arc, the signal is not as strong.

My true out Sat is 87W, and the signal quality on the Manhattan 1997 shows I'm getting over 90 percent, but when I get to 121W, the signal is down in the high 40s. When I lift up on the edge of the dish when I'm 121, the signal disappears, but pushing down on it, it jumps up into the 60s and 70s.

I can't remember, when you push down and the dish and improve the signal, do you turn the dish on the pole that direction or the opposite direction?
thanks
cpsp0

Glad to hear you got her up and on the arc! The adjustment needed for your dish depends on whether you are experiencing signal drop at either one end or both ends of the arc. Here is a link to a guide that was written by one of the members a few years back. Pages 33 - 35 have the info you need to determine which setting is off.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/attachments/installation-of-a-motorized-dish-pdf.43002/

 

[ancient]

Sorry, but I must disagree with that document, because of this:

"Drive the motor to the east most satellite that you can detect a signal from and adjust your dish elevation (and only the dish elevation) for the best possible signal."

NO, NO, NO! That is COMPLETELY wrong.

You only change the elevation when you are pointed at the satellite most directly to due south, that is, the one with has a longitude closest to that of your location on the ground.

At the easternmost or westernmost satellite, you make adjustments by turning the dish on the pole (not with the positioner motor) in the direction that takes closer to the proper elevation. So in your case, you are looking at a satellite on the western end of the arc, so you would tun the dish on the pole a bit further to the EAST so that when you use the positioner motor to bring it back to that satellite, the dish will be lower to the ground. You could do it the opposite way also, use the positioner to rotate the dish a bit further to the west (lower to the ground) FIRST, then rotate it on the pole (back toward the east) until you find that satellite again. Repeat until you have the best signal on that satellite. (Note, this is for the OP's specific case, where pushing down on the dish improves the signal - if pulling up improves the signal, then reverse the east and west references in this paragraph).

Then bring it back to your due south satellite and peak the elevation again. Then go back to your westernmost satellite. If the signal has dropped any, repeat the process in the previous paragraph. Then go back to your due south satellite and peak the elevation again. Repeat the cycle until you are getting the best signal on both your due south satellite and at the end of the arc.

That is the correct way to do it. And I did not just come up with that procedure on my own, it was in a book I got from the library back in the early 1990's that was written for professional dish installers (I wish I'd had a scanner back then because I would have scanned and saved that section). The guy who wrote that document linked above says, "The procedure above was recommended by Tim Heinrichs in January of 2008. Mr. Tim Heinrichs is the CEO of DMS International. DMS International is the manufacturer/importer of the SG-2100 motors." Well, that procedure may or may not work with a SG-2100 motor, but it is definitely not correct for big C-band dishes!

 

[FTA4PA]

Sorry, but I must disagree with that document, because of this:

"Drive the motor to the east most satellite that you can detect a signal from and adjust your dish elevation (and only the dish elevation) for the best possible signal."

The guy who wrote that document linked above says, "The procedure above was recommended by Tim Heinrichs in January of 2008. Mr. Tim Heinrichs is the CEO of DMS International. DMS International is the manufacturer/importer of the SG-2100 motors." Well, that procedure may or may not work with a SG-2100 motor, but it is definitely not correct for big C-band dishes!

You are referencing page 36. Please note that the document I linked above is in the FAQ section of Satellite Guys and although it is directed at ku installations, pages 33-35 apply equally well to c band installs and I specifically referred to them, not the rest of the document. In fact, the diagram on page 35 is even included in an excellent c band installation site that, unfortunately, is no longer being hosted. It can, however, still be found at the Internet Wayback Machine and the diagram from page 35 is there for use with c band installs.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150208100107/http://geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/tuningp4.html#anchor677238

 

[FaT Air]

I got some tips here that may help http://www.wisegise.net/BUD/4066/index.html otherwise I'd be typing for an hour.
And then some fixing all the typos.
(it's a direct link to AZIMUTH.

I can't remember, when you push down and the dish and improve the signal,

You push the dish to the opposite side, so when you actuator back the dish is lowered.

 

[armadillo_115]

Well done on getting it up Cnut! The heavy lifting work is behind you.
Better post some pics to show off that new puppy.

 

[Cnut]

Photos of my new toy up and running! It's rainy here, so the pics aren't great.

PLEASE NOTICE THE HIGH TECH WEATHER COVER. THAT BABY SET ME BACK 100 PENNIES AT MY LOCAL DOLLAR TREE STORE. LOL!

 

[FaT Air]

PLEASE NOTICE THE HIGH TECH WEATHER COVER. THAT BABY SET ME BACK 100 PENNIES AT MY LOCAL DOLLAR TREE STORE. LOL!

Mine was about 3 bucks, but came with a gallon of vinegar in it.

 

[waylew]

Mine are free with the purchase of an item at the drug store

 

[iBoston]

At the easternmost or westernmost satellite, you make adjustments by turning the dish on the pole (not with the positioner motor) in the direction that takes closer to the proper elevation.

What about the declination aspect? I was using this picture below to fine tune. I'm just curious, as I am still in the learning process and know i have some axis and/or declination adjustments to make.

 

[iBoston]

I got some tips here that may help http://www.wisegise.net/BUD/4066/index.html otherwise I'd be typing for an hour.
And then some fixing all the typos.
(it's a direct link to AZIMUTH.You push the dish to the opposite side, so when you actuator back the dish is lowered.

In that link was this...

If re-adjusting the azimuth is necessary to maximize Quality readings on the eopposite side of the arc

Tranfer the mount mark to the pole You should now have 2 marks on the pole for the one mark on the mount. The difference in the two marks on the pole are because the declination is off slightly.

Can someone explain the 2 marks? I understand one mark, when you moved the azimuth and then penciled between the mount and the pole.. But, where does the 2nd mark come in???

 

[FaT Air]

For the second mark, transfer the mark on the mount onto the pole, if it's no longer aligned with the first.

 

[FaT Air]

Updated the page at http://www.wisegise.net/BUD/4066/index.html (AZIMUTH)
hope it clarifies description of process

 

[iBoston]

Okay, so let me get this straight. Your twisting the mount on the pole on your farthest EAST. Mark it at PEAK. Then farthest WEST if you need to twist at all to peak, then there is your second mark, which means your declination is off..

DId i understand that correctly??

 

[FaT Air]

By George, I think you've s got it!

 

[iBoston]

Okay, so, then how do you know whether to decrease or increase the declination?!?!

 

[FaT Air]

The objective is to get the AZ adjustment 'peak' for the E and W to occur at one point. This will occur between the two marks on the pole. When that happens, you're perfectly tracking the arc.

Do you know when to increase or decrease the declination

Wish I could remember that. Haven't really used it since BITD. Been trying to do 3d modelling in my head to no avail.
But if the E W az peak points move further apart, you've adjusted the dec in the wrong direction.

 

[iBoston]

Gotcha... Ill be doing it in April.

Great people here!

 

[turbosat]

Fatair can do 3d modeling in his head! I think I only have a 2d head, lol. That dish should be tracking if it's got a good shape, the elevation is fairly close to correct, and the declination is set. That picture in the prev post shows the declination thing pretty well, it's all about lining up two semi-circles, one in the sky, and the other on the ground (track of this dish matching curve of the satellite arc.) Easier to do than to explain, of course. Mine 10' dish hasn't been adjusted in 12-14yrs and still tracking very close, but I'm still not 100% sure the declination is right as it could be. I'm afraid to mess with it though, long as I get good signal levels on the c-band birds, and that's all I use my big dish for nowadays.

 

[Babadem]

These are excellent pointers and also refreshing.