Problems with new Hopper interface to align dish

I moved the RV today, just set up the dish and according to the Hopper screens, I am only getting sat 61.5 and not 72, but I am getting all of the channels, locals and upper tiers. Does this sound right ?
What do you mean "according to the Hopper screens?" The Hopper doesn't have setup settings, you have to get them either from the manual or a place like dishpointer.com. You don't get the complete mix of channels without both 61.5 and 72.7.
 
What do you mean "according to the Hopper screens?" The Hopper doesn't have setup settings, you have to get them either from the manual or a place like dishpointer.com. You don't get the complete mix of channels without both 61.5 and 72.7.

I mean the screen you see after selecting menu/settings/diagnostics/dish. It shows which satellites I am receiving signals from. It shows I am getting 61.5 on one side of the "chart" and I have 3 red X's in the other column where 72.7 would normally be. I have a signal strength of 41 on 61.5. I tried for a long time to tune the dish to get 72.7 also, but without any luck using the "tone" that this screen provides. I believe I am getting 61.5 on the 72.7 LNBF, but as I said, I was unable to adjust the dish to get 61.5 on the right LNBF. I used the dish settings from dishpointer.com and from the manual. They are not identical for this location as the skew is 90 in the manual and 93 on dishpointer.com. I am getting the locals, USA, TVLAND, DIY, HGTV, A&E, AMC, TMC, FX, TNT, TBS, ALL ESPN's, FS1, NFL, CMT, TLC, CNN & other news channels, TWC and many others that used to be on 72.7. When you press the info button, the new interface doesn't tell me which satellite that channel is one like it used to. If I am getting signals from 72.7, the screens I'm seeing do not reflect that. Looking at the James Long website, it seems that all the channels I subscribe to are now on sat 61.5.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pattykay
Well the Switch Check, now called Test Installation, has not found satellite 72.7 and therefore will not give you a signal strength.

dishpointer.com is more current than the manual but I wonder about a three degree difference in Skew. You sure you selected the correct Dish dish type on dishpointer.com? Multi-LNB Dish 1000.4 (61.5W, 72.7W, 77W)? Ignore than 77W is there, the settings are the same for a Dish 1000.4 and a Dish 1000.2.

Your subscription is no way controls what satellites you can see. The subscription limits what you can receive.

It would help if we knew the zipcode.
 
... When you press the info button, the new interface doesn't tell me which satellite that channel is one like it used to. ...

Press Info / Recall on Live TV (it doesn't work on delayed or recorded shows) to see what satellite the transmission is coming from.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dweber
Well the Switch Check, now called Test Installation, has not found satellite 72.7 and therefore will not give you a signal strength.

dishpointer.com is more current than the manual but I wonder about a three degree difference in Skew. You sure you selected the correct Dish dish type on dishpointer.com? Multi-LNB Dish 1000.4 (61.5W, 72.7W, 77W)? Ignore than 77W is there, the settings are the same for a Dish 1000.4 and a Dish 1000.2.

Your subscription is no way controls what satellites you can see. The subscription limits what you can receive.

It would help if we knew the zipcode.

When using dishpointer.com, I select Dish 1000.4 as it is the only one that has 61.5 & 72.7 listed in combo. I'm not sure what the difference in a 1000.2 & 1000.4 are, but I do have the 1000.2 dish. I'm fully aware that I can see other satellites with my dish as I could always find 82 when in the Maritime Provinces, but 61.5 and 72.7 were impossible to dial in. I am now in zipcode 04965 but when using dishpointer.com I have better luck entering the campground name. I am now at Palmyra Golf & RV Resort. I just entered the zipcode and dishpointer.com says it can't find 04965. Go figure. Oh yeah, I am currently getting Presque Isle locals, but plan to change to Portland, ME locals on Friday.
 
When using dishpointer.com, I select Dish 1000.4 as it is the only one that has 61.5 & 72.7 listed in combo. I'm not sure what the difference in a 1000.2 & 1000.4 are, but I do have the 1000.2 dish. I'm fully aware that I can see other satellites with my dish as I could always find 82 when in the Maritime Provinces, but 61.5 and 72.7 were impossible to dial in. I am now in zipcode 04965 but when using dishpointer.com I have better luck entering the campground name. I am now at Palmyra Golf & RV Resort. I just entered the zipcode and dishpointer.com says it can't find 04965. Go figure. Oh yeah, I am currently getting Presque Isle locals, but plan to change to Portland, ME locals on Friday.
EA Settings for that zip code are skew: 93, Elevation: 38. Azimuth is 202
 
I moved the RV today, just set up the dish and according to the Hopper screens, I am only getting sat 61.5 and not 72, but I am getting all of the channels, locals and upper tiers. Does this sound right ?
that is because most channels have moved from 72.7 to 61.5.
most every channel I watch was on 72.7 but now on 61.5.
not sure why but there is a thread about it. I use a 500 dish for eastern arc and had it peaked to 72.7 but noe peak it to 61.5
 
  • Like
Reactions: pattykay
Well you have the correct settings. Back to some basics. Have your verified that your mast is very vertical, using a level? If the mast isn't vertical, the Skew changes and you swing the Azimuth.

I have found one issue with the Hopper 3 is that when you run the Test Installation test, you need to be not just in the ball park but inside the infield before all the satellites are found. This may be true for a Hopper 1 and Hopper 2 but I first uncovered this when I switched to a Hopper 3 and my First Strike FS-1 meter would not work with the Hybrid LNBF head. I tried to aim using the Hopper display and found out that until I had all the satellites in the Test Installation, using the signal strength was useless.

Remember the dish is metal and will affect the compass when you get near it. Challenge, get close for aiming and get Deviation in the reading. The arm of the dish is not the pointer. The back support blades of the dish are a better indicator of Azimuth. But at 93 degree Skew, the arm is close to being a pointer.

You aim for 72.7. If your Skew is set and the mast is vertical, when you get 72.7, 61.5 will be in too.

dishpoint.com found 04965 for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HipKat
Well you have the correct settings. Back to some basics. Have your verified that your mast is very vertical, using a level? If the mast isn't vertical, the Skew changes and you swing the Azimuth.

I have found one issue with the Hopper 3 is that when you run the Test Installation test, you need to be not just in the ball park but inside the infield before all the satellites are found. This may be true for a Hopper 1 and Hopper 2 but I first uncovered this when I switched to a Hopper 3 and my First Strike FS-1 meter would not work with the Hybrid LNBF head. I tried to aim using the Hopper display and found out that until I had all the satellites in the Test Installation, using the signal strength was useless.

Remember the dish is metal and will affect the compass when you get near it. Challenge, get close for aiming and get Deviation in the reading. The arm of the dish is not the pointer. The back support blades of the dish are a better indicator of Azimuth. But at 93 degree Skew, the arm is close to being a pointer.

You aim for 72.7. If your Skew is set and the mast is vertical, when you get 72.7, 61.5 will be in too.

dishpoint.com found 04965 for me.

Not sure about every meter but if you try to point a Hopper 3, plugged in and cable connected to the LNBF and you're using port 2 to point, you won't get anything. Have to unplug the H3 or disconnect the cable
 
First thing I do is use my phone app to locate the satellites and determine a good spot for the tripod. Then I set up the tripod and get it level and the mast as vertical as I can, using my torpedo level. I then set the elevation and skew on the dish if I didn't set it that morning when taking it off the mast. Then I aim it as best I can using the compass and phone app. Next I turn on the Hopper w/ sling and go to the screen with the "test installation" feature. Here is where my problems usually start...it will not allow me to set or change the satellite I am searching for, so I have not audible or visual proof that I am correctly aimed. I usually have to mess with it a while, reboot, test installation, etc. until it finally decides to allow me to set the satellite to 61.5 and give me the "hummmm" sound. I then swing the dish until I get a signal and peak it as best I can, then run the test installation. Yesterday I kept trying to get 72.7 after getting 61.5 a few times, then discovered I had all the channels I wanted so I stopped and left it as is. I know that I should be able to pull in 72.7, but at this point, it seems inconsequential to beat my head against the wall to do so.

I am using skew: 93, Elevation: 38 currently, not sure what azimuth I ended up at.

Not sure why dishpointer.com doesn't work with zip codes for me, but could be due to poor wi-fi quality ?? I sometimes get the message that I need to have a fast internet connection to use it, but most of the time it works with the campground name. Sometimes it works better on my cell than my laptop.
 
Not sure about every meter but if you try to point a Hopper 3, plugged in and cable connected to the LNBF and you're using port 2 to point, you won't get anything. Have to unplug the H3 or disconnect the cable
I use a Super Buddy now and I use the cable (Port 1) from the LNBF head to the meter for aiming. I have satellite lock before I connect the cable to the RV.

The Port 2 issue is maybe why when I put a Hybrid LNBF head on a Winegard Trav'ler, the dish has a real tough time seeking. Port 2 is the one I had the Trav'ler logics connected to.
 
I use a Super Buddy now and I use the cable (Port 1) from the LNBF head to the meter for aiming. I have satellite lock before I connect the cable to the RV.

The Port 2 issue is maybe why when I put a Hybrid LNBF head on a Winegard Trav'ler, the dish has a real tough time seeking. Port 2 is the one I had the Trav'ler logics connected to.

I'm not sure of the technology but A Hopper 3 basically kills port 2 on the LNBF
 
Again the aiming satellite for the DPP 1000.2 EA is 72.7
I understand, but when I entered 72.7 on the test installation screen and adjusted the dish to lock in 72.7, I never get any tone indicating I am close to 72.7, however if I enter 61.5 and do the same, I will get a tone that I can peak on.

On another angle....if 61.5 azimuth is 180 and 72.7 is at 190 (just for talking purposes), I should aim the dish at 190 ? Just trying to learn more about the process as the new interface has left me hanging after over 4 yrs of working for me.
 
One thing you can do to get the signal screen to come up and emit a tone is to change the transponder for that satellite. I've noticed when trying to check signal on the diagnostic screen that it will immediately go to the satellite I have it set for with no tone and if I change the transponder it will then scan for the satellite and emit a tone when it starts to Lock in. The azimuth for that zip code is 186 for the 61 and 202 for the 72. .4 ea is 202 and .2 ea is 198
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wolfpackers
HipKat is right about the transponder selection, make it 11 or above. The lower numbers are spot beams and harder to use.

The Azimuth setting is for 72.7. Now because of the Deviation effect of the dish, it doesn't hurt to start 10 degrees or so higher than the target setting when you are east of the Mississippi. Ex: target 180, start 190. Then swing to the left.

Since you are locking on 61.5, you need to swing to the right.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)