Quality still low, even with new dish.

[Timothy Buchanan]

I posted a previous thread, attempting to use a HughesNet dish for FTA. I could never get a decent quality signal, so I decided to get a dish from ebay: 39" x 36" with a Moteck SG2100 motor. I still can't get a quality signal, and would appreciate any help. Here is how I set it up:

1. The existing mast is as nearly plumb as I can measure it with an inclinometer. Front to back and side to side each read vertical, within 1/4 degree anyway.
2. I clamped the motor mount onto this mast, oriented to true south. I can look down on it from above with a compass and when the mount is pointing to zero on the built-in azimuth it is within two degrees of south.
3. My latitude is 38.8N and there is a latitude scale on the side of the motor mount, I set this to a hair under 39 degrees.
4. I mounted the dish and there is a declination scale on the side. the included manual said declination for 39 North is 61. and the dish bracket angle should be set at 23.9. There is a scale and a red index mark, and I set this a hair under 24.
5. I'm using a twin-feed LNB by X2, which I set in the receiver as 9750/10600. Skew is set at zero since I think the motor is to set skew. The LNB can be mounted in the bracket at varying distance, and I mounted it to the rear so that the skew scale on the bracket is close to the index mark on the LNB.
6. I chose Galaxy 19 and 12152/ H20000 and chose go to position. My longitude is 104.9W and dishpointer.com says that Galaxy 19 is at 167.5 true from here.
7. Go to gave zero quality so I used the fine sweep to run the dish from one extreme to the other. I found one spot that would give 29% quality with 0 to 10% one click to either side.

I am using an X2 M1 HD+ receiver. It moves the dish and seems to be functional. Any ideas of where I have gone wrong or can go from here would be appreciated.

Timothy

 

[Shicks4]

I had this problem when i first set my first motorized setup up. Have you tried adjusting the elevation of the dish and then sweep the entire assembly east and west? This was my issue. BTW I can pick up 97 w with a dish 500 (pretty low q though but i get everything I should) and im in Kansas. I think you are in the ballpark. Now its just a matter of change elevation sweep back and forth slowly rinse and repeat. Once you find the signal youll be able to peak it. If i might ask though why didnt you choose 103 west for your setup purposes. I found that setting up a motorized ku setup is way easier if you choose a satellite closer to your true south position.

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

103w was my choice for getting my dish set up (I'm at 108.5w). 11940 v is a good strong transponder.

 

[a33]

6. ... and chose go to position.
...
7. .... so I used the fine sweep to run the dish from one extreme to the other.

Did you use the diseqc 1.2 command GoToPosition? That uses the position that is stored in the motor, and you don't know if that would be the right position for your location I guess?
If you used USALS (using the latitude and longitude entered in your receiver) than it would have been correct.

For the 'sweep': do you have a satellite finder/satellite beeper? I find that very helpfull, to check if I can find any satellite.
When you do a scan after having found a satellite, you can find which satellite that is, and how to preceed with the motor alignment.

Greetz,
A33

 

[Arion]

6. I chose Galaxy 19 and 12152/ H20000 and chose go to position. My longitude is 104.9W

That is your first problem. If your longitude is 104.9W you should be setting up on AMC-15 as your due south satellite. Use USALS and drive the motor to amc15 [assuming you set up your receiver with your correct longitude] . Not much to chose from full time except the MACY's mux but it's there. Set your receiver to 11856v sr 3548 and then set your elevation appropriately. Turn your dish to the left and right right a smidgen at a time and wait 10 seconds to see if the receiver locks. Once you have any quality on that mux then stop. Gently pull back on the dish and push down on the dish and see what happens to signal quality and strength. Leave your motor elevation alone at this point if it's set correctly and just adjust dish elevation up/down till you maximize strength and quality. Once that is done pull on the dish gently left/right to once again maximize signal strength and quality.

When all of that is done and assuming that the mast is very close to plumb tighten everything up and you should be set up on the arc and then you can go to the other satellites [also you have to set up each satellite in the menu with your LNB settings, make sure USALS is enabled, ect]. Always set the dish up first on your due south satellite. If you don't have that right it will throw everything else off especially if your not using USALS. And if your going to get serious about the hobby consider investing in a decent satellite meter. To set up a dish can drive you nuts and it takes a long time. With a satellite meter it's just a matter of putting the transponder in you want to get [due south satellite if setting up a motor] and gross adjusting elevation until you get a signal reading and then gross adjust left/right until you get a lock. Then you peak the dish and your done. Takes you about 10 minutes once you get the hang of it.

 

[Shicks4]

Also using an app like dishpointer helps to get a general idea of where you need to point. I suspect its a dish elevation issue if your using USALS and assuming you have lat and long entered into the receiver. Also go to lyngsat or sathint to look at active transponders on those satellites but make sure you look for frequencies in the ku band. 104.9w (also called 105w) 11856 V 3548 is a good one for the macys mux or again 103w and look for the nbc mux 11760 H 30000. I mentioned 103w because i think its easier to hit a horizontal frequency then a vertical but that is personal preference. Motorized you always want to start on a satellite closest to your most southern and adjust from there, if it were stationary it would be a different story. And like Arion said once you get the hang of it you will be able to do it in a matter of minutes. Also if you dont have a meter if you have a small tv set take your receiver to the dish if it is convinient to do so and bring up the signal meter in the receiver. The x2 box has a pretty decent meter built in and will show quality fairly quickly.

 

[Timothy Buchanan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I used 103.0W as was first suggested. I raised and then lowered the elevation, sweeping slowly. I needed to drop the dish more than a degree from the scale reading to get an improvement. I eventually got the quality up to 50%, enough to pull in a few news stations. Thanks again.

 

[Larry1]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I used 103.0W as was first suggested. I raised and then lowered the elevation, sweeping slowly. I needed to drop the dish more than a degree from the scale reading to get an improvement. I eventually got the quality up to 50%, enough to pull in a few news stations. Thanks again.

Now that you have a signal, have you tried adjusting the LNBF in the clamp for optimal signal. Moving the LNBF in and out can make a difference, but before you loose the position, mark the pole and dish settings with an ink marker for you can get back to where it is now.

 

[Shicks4]

Always mark your pole!