Realigning Dish

[coinmaster32]

Something I forgot to add. If the dish has been up for a while, it could be possible the reflector is bent.

When the tech came out, I was not getting ANY ka, after peaking the dish several times, a new reflector fixed that. The old one did not look bent, but he said a strong wind can bend them slightly, which can affect the Ka signal.

 

[raoul5788]

Roof installs can screw with the plumbness. The D* Tech leveled the mast while sitting on the roof. When he got back on the ladder, the bubble was halfway out of the inner circle! Needless to say ka did not work at all.

A tech was using the bubble in the mast? Moron! They are very inaccurate. The best way is to use a post level.

 

[KONAKING]

Something I forgot to add. If the dish has been up for a while, it could be possible the reflector is bent.

When the tech came out, I was not getting ANY ka, after peaking the dish several times, a new reflector fixed that. The old one did not look bent, but he said a strong wind can bend them slightly, which can affect the Ka signal.

so sitting around the garage for a week or two and being moved around could have bent the relector and be causing me not to see the 99 sat

 

[charper1]

it might but the odds are not great that has happened. I have been somewhat rough on more than a few multi-LNB dishes and have never bent a reflector. But it can happen, just unlikely. it is fairly inexpensive to get a replacement

 

[Jimbo]

so sitting around the garage for a week or two and being moved around could have bent the relector and be causing me not to see the 99 sat

it might but the odds are not great that has happened. I have been somewhat rough on more than a few multi-LNB dishes and have never bent a reflector. But it can happen, just unlikely. it is fairly inexpensive to get a replacement

To expand on Charpers reply a bit ....

The reflector is curved some, giving it some rigidity, also it has an edge all the way around it also strengthening it, I doubt that the reflector got bent as the reason for your trouble.

 

[TheTechGuru]

I would think a bent arm is more likely to happen and is most likly what's wrong with my dish. I have upper 90's on 101/110/119 but 99 and 103 are low to mid 70's and even with my live meter at the dish, that's as high as I can get it using the fine tuning bolts.

 

[spaceghost]

I know what your talking about. So how do I get 99 and 103 tuned in if i am focusing on 101/110/119 like the guide says to. ? When I am on 101 I peak it then I peak 119 how do get 99 ? I have half of 103.

1st, it is imperative that the mast be level on all sides. Also, once you put the dish on, make sure its stay level.

2nd, make sure you have the correct skew settings.

3rd, undo the lockdown bolts for the fine tuning adjustments. Next, center the fine tuning right in the middle of the adjustments for both the elevation and azimuth so you have plenty of room to adjust. note: I did an install for a friend and it was a good year and a half since I had gotten away from installing for DirecTV. I forgot to undo the lockdown bolts for the fine tuning and I was wondering why I was never making or losing gain on the 99/103 even though i kept turning the fine tuning bolts.

4th, point and peak the dish (not using the fine tuning yet) off the 101. Get the best overall signal you can on the 101. Don't bother with the 110/119. If your dish is level and your skew is right, it will automatically fall into place. Lock down the main bolts once you can get the best reasonable signal off the 101.

last, use the fine tuning adjustments. Let me make a couple points about the fine tuning bolts. You can turn the bolts 2-3 times completely around before you start taking losses on the 101. Compared to the 99/103, a 1/2 a turn can lose the 99/103 completely. Make very small adjustments to peak then 99/103. Remember the receiver does not automatically refresh instantly, so you will need to refresh it yourself.
Good luck

 

[KONAKING]

1. Mast is level on both sides.

2. Skew settings came from my receiver 153 deg. 42 deg elev 101 deg tilt

3. dish has been peaked on the 101 sat.

4. tilt was peaked on the 119 sat as according to installers guide.
Now from what you are saying I need to set my recvr to 99 or 103 and fine tune those in
I have been dithering the 101 sat and expecting 99/103 sats to be there when I am done.

This what I am using for a guide.

http://store.satellitemart.com/assets/images/Slimline_Dish_Installation_Manual.pdf

 

[spaceghost]

Im assuming you're not using a meter to point the dish and you are using the receiver's signal level menu to point the dish. Using the dithering method is ONLY if you have a meter that can read the DB levels/signal strength at the dish. As I stated before, you can turn the fine tuning adjustment bolt 2x around before you ever see any loss on the 101.

The short answer is yes, set your receiver to 99 and/or 103 and go from there. Forget the dithering process in that manual. Dithering is only used to allow an experienced tech to get the right signal levels across the board in a couple minutes. Its not a magical formula that MUST be performed.

Once you get some kind of reading on the 99 or 103, use 1/4" or 1/8" turns to make adjustments. Once you get some kind of reading on both of the 99 AND the 103, you will use very gradual turns to peak it. Also, make sure your viewing the 99c (or ca) and 103 c (or ca) and not the spot beams (99s and 103s)

 

[KONAKING]

Thanks for a voice of reason

 

[Jimbo]

I would think a bent arm is more likely to happen and is most likly what's wrong with my dish. I have upper 90's on 101/110/119 but 99 and 103 are low to mid 70's and even with my live meter at the dish, that's as high as I can get it using the fine tuning bolts.

To verify, lightly apply pressure on sides of the dish and see which direction helps it.

 

[Daddy Dithers]

Pretty sure there is a 30 day waiting period after asking for the PPlan before you can use it. (With the exception of signing up at time of install) Otherwise you would never have to keep it. You could sign up-get a service call in a few days, have anything fixed for no charge and cancel it.

 

[coinmaster32]

Pretty sure there is a 30 day waiting period after asking for the PPlan before you can use it. (With the exception of signing up at time of install) Otherwise you would never have to keep it. You could sign up-get a service call in a few days, have anything fixed for no charge and cancel it.

Well I looked on my bill and I get the PPlan free. So I dunno then.

 

[Jimbo]

Well I looked on my bill and I get the PPlan free. So I dunno then.

What package gives you the PP free ?

 

[coinmaster32]

I don't think any particular plan does. IIRC I think you get a year of it free with anytime you sign a new 2yr contract, but don't quote me on it.