Please help point slimline LNB Dish Lexington, KY
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I normally start by finding the 101 and go from there.
It sounds like your TILT is probably slightly off.
Jimbo
I live north of you toward Cincinnati so not much difference in settings.
1st, make sure the mast is level. As dead-on as you can get it.
Here's the easy way to align this sucker with no hand-held meter. All nuts are 1/2".
First set your elevation to about 41 degrees. Since you're a LITTLE further south 42 might work as well. Lock the inside nut on the elevation adjustment screw. (Make sure the two outside nuts, and the two nuts underneath at the FRONT are loose. DO NOT mess with the big odd looking nut at the back. This is a factory pre-set and is not to be messed with.
Set your tilt/skew (whatever you wish to call it) to 90 to start with. ( I'll explain why in a moment.) Leave the 3 tilt nuts a little loose.
Now with your on-screen Signal meter turned on, and with it set to the 101, slowly pan back back and forth til you find the 101. If you don't lock onto it the first sweep, adjust the elevation in 1/2 degree increments up/down, repeat to sweep, until it locks onto the 101. Get the highest signal you can get from sweeping side to side (40% 50% 90% whatever, just get the highest you can) and tighten the 3 nuts on the collar down completely.
Repeat with the elevation until you get the highest signal you can get, as well.
At this point, you should be able to rotate the dish on it's tilt, and NOT LOSE the 101. The Slimline is centered on the 101 satellite, that's what we techs tune it by, and this is why we started with the tilt at 90. We always align the 101 first do to it being centered on that satellite. If you lose the 101 at any time when you slide the tilt through its entire run, either you've got something partially blocking the dish, the mast is not plumb, or the reflector itself is bent or warped.
If you don't lose the 101, let's carry on. Move the tilt back to 90. With your on-screen meter still on, let's fine tune it. Start with the azimuth fine tune dial. Turn it 1/2 turn and check the signal meter each time. This isn't textbook but it's the easiest way. Get the most signal you can with the azimuth dither. Now repeat the same thing for the elevation. 1/2 turn, and check the meter, until you max it as high as you can.
Once we have that done, finding the 119 is easy. Set your meter for the 119, and rotate the tilt to about 71. Max that out as high as you can, should be 70-72 for Lexington. Once it's maxxed out, tighten the 3 tilt nuts.
Recheck the 101 and 119, sometimes the 101 will drop a little when we tighten the tilt nuts as it draws the reflector up against the back assembly. Fine tune them til your maxxe again if you need too, then lock the 2 side elevation nuts, and the 2 azimuth nuts underneath.
Done.
Like I said if all you get from the 101 is 40ish %, something is either blocking it, the mast isn't level, or the reflector istelf is bent, damaged or warped. Highest signal I've ever gotten on 101 transponder 1 with the on-screen meter is about 96-97.
1st, make sure the mast is level. As dead-on as you can get it.
Here's the easy way to align this sucker with no hand-held meter. All nuts are 1/2".
First set your elevation to about 41 degrees. Since you're a LITTLE further south 42 might work as well. Lock the inside nut on the elevation adjustment screw. (Make sure the two outside nuts, and the two nuts underneath at the FRONT are loose. DO NOT mess with the big odd looking nut at the back. This is a factory pre-set and is not to be messed with.
Set your tilt/skew (whatever you wish to call it) to 90 to start with. ( I'll explain why in a moment.) Leave the 3 tilt nuts a little loose.
Now with your on-screen Signal meter turned on, and with it set to the 101, slowly pan back back and forth til you find the 101. If you don't lock onto it the first sweep, adjust the elevation in 1/2 degree increments up/down, repeat to sweep, until it locks onto the 101. Get the highest signal you can get from sweeping side to side (40% 50% 90% whatever, just get the highest you can) and tighten the 3 nuts on the collar down completely.
Repeat with the elevation until you get the highest signal you can get, as well.
At this point, you should be able to rotate the dish on it's tilt, and NOT LOSE the 101. The Slimline is centered on the 101 satellite, that's what we techs tune it by, and this is why we started with the tilt at 90. We always align the 101 first do to it being centered on that satellite. If you lose the 101 at any time when you slide the tilt through its entire run, either you've got something partially blocking the dish, the mast is not plumb, or the reflector itself is bent or warped.
If you don't lose the 101, let's carry on. Move the tilt back to 90. With your on-screen meter still on, let's fine tune it. Start with the azimuth fine tune dial. Turn it 1/2 turn and check the signal meter each time. This isn't textbook but it's the easiest way. Get the most signal you can with the azimuth dither. Now repeat the same thing for the elevation. 1/2 turn, and check the meter, until you max it as high as you can.
Once we have that done, finding the 119 is easy. Set your meter for the 119, and rotate the tilt to about 71. Max that out as high as you can, should be 70-72 for Lexington. Once it's maxxed out, tighten the 3 tilt nuts.
Recheck the 101 and 119, sometimes the 101 will drop a little when we tighten the tilt nuts as it draws the reflector up against the back assembly. Fine tune them til your maxxe again if you need too, then lock the 2 side elevation nuts, and the 2 azimuth nuts underneath.
Done.
Like I said if all you get from the 101 is 40ish %, something is either blocking it, the mast isn't level, or the reflector istelf is bent, damaged or warped. Highest signal I've ever gotten on 101 transponder 1 with the on-screen meter is about 96-97.
BlueGrassGuy1976,
Thank you very much for your post. I am very new to all this and followed your procedure on my very first satellite alignment. Everything went very smoothly. You are spot-on! Your instructions are so much easier to follow than what comes with the satellite dish. I did use a meter since I bought a dish with a SWM LNB. But, the alignment procedure that seems rather confusing in the instructions was a snap with your method. Thanks again for your post!
Bob
Thank you very much for your post. I am very new to all this and followed your procedure on my very first satellite alignment. Everything went very smoothly. You are spot-on! Your instructions are so much easier to follow than what comes with the satellite dish. I did use a meter since I bought a dish with a SWM LNB. But, the alignment procedure that seems rather confusing in the instructions was a snap with your method. Thanks again for your post!
Bob
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