Satellites and trees

[dishcomm]

Elevation in the sky is different then the elevation setting on your dish. There are a couple times a year the sun is in the exact position as the sat and several times the moon is. Go outside at the right time and you'll see exactly where the sats are. They are a LOT higher in the sky then one things.

So when I say 50 degrees, that's from the horizon up in the sky, not the setting on the dish. Knowing the elevation from the horizon will tell you if you can clear any trees. I thought for sure a tall tree of mine would block 99 but sure enough the sat was at least 2 degrees above that tree. All is good.

"
"So when I say 50 degrees, that's from the horizon up in the sky, not the setting on the dish."....
The elevation look angle is what it is..You are inadvertantly confusing the issue...The look angle IS the elevation degrees above zero..The horizon is irrelevant.
I am trying to understand your theory about the horizon .. If one places a dish on the roof of a house for example, that negates your horizon theory.
Important nte..This is in no way a flame. Just another prospective.

 

[bonscott87]

Wow, you weren't kidding about it being a literal hole in the trees. Yea, you're pretty much srcrewed from any place on your house.

That 3rd picture though, garage? If that is facing south/soutwest toward the sat I think you have no problem at all there. Especially to the right of the peak. You should clear those trees no problem.
Barn is obviously no problem.

But I think you said even in your first post the guys said that the garage was fine but the length too long. So I think the garage is probably the spot you need. If you can get them to install it and see how it goes. If signal is weak you can put in some inline amplifiers which will allow 200+ feet in length.

 

[bonscott87]

"
"So when I say 50 degrees, that's from the horizon up in the sky, not the setting on the dish."....
The elevation look angle is what it is..You are inadvertantly confusing the issue...The look angle IS the elevation degrees above zero..The horizon is irrelevant.
I am trying to understand your theory about the horizon .. If one places a dish on the roof of a house for example, that negates your horizon theory.
Important nte..This is in no way a flame. Just another prospective.

No problem. Thing about sat dishes is they point down more then straight at the sats. So for example my angle on the dish is 36 degrees. But if I have a protractor and look up at the exact spot the sat is, it's well above 45 degrees. If you stretch your arm out and pointed at 36 degrees it's a lot lower then where the sat actually is. That's all I'm saying.

 

[dishcomm]

No problem. Thing about sat dishes is they point down more then straight at the sats. So for example my angle on the dish is 36 degrees. But if I have a protractor and look up at the exact spot the sat is, it's well above 45 degrees. If you stretch your arm out and pointed at 36 degrees it's a lot lower then where the sat actually is. That's all I'm saying.

Yes..If you lay a protactor or inclinometer on the arm at postion to receive the sat signal the elevation is much higher than the tick mark number..But for pursposes of installation the eleveation angle to use is as indicated by the tick marks on the dish polar plate. When I sight survey my jobs pre install I use the elevation as indicated by the chart.

 

[ldubin]

Wow, you weren't kidding about it being a literal hole in the trees. Yea, you're pretty much srcrewed from any place on your house.

That 3rd picture though, garage? If that is facing south/soutwest toward the sat I think you have no problem at all there. Especially to the right of the peak. You should clear those trees no problem.
Barn is obviously no problem.

But I think you said even in your first post the guys said that the garage was fine but the length too long. So I think the garage is probably the spot you need. If you can get them to install it and see how it goes. If signal is weak you can put in some inline amplifiers which will allow 200+ feet in length.

The Garage is not a distance issue, they just claimed trees in the way. That really is a bad pic of the garage as it facing the wrong direction and you can't really see the south. And yeah...the hole in the trees still amazes the D* people, still get an 88+ signal (most days in the high 90s).

The moon sight is kind of confusing to me now that I've played with it...but I think I'm just gonna get out a ladder and start looking (for what I'm not sure)...I'm tempted to make a DirecTV guy comes and start climbing around on roofs.

Thanks so much again guys.

P.S. What does DirecTV use for determining angles, just a standard protractor set too 99-119? or what?

 

[bonscott87]

Re: Moon

For me the moon will be 101 sat tomorrow night at 7:03pm and at 7:43pm Friday. Look at the 3rd and 4th lines.

 

[ldubin]

Re: Moon

For me the moon will be 101 sat tomorrow night at 7:03pm and at 7:43pm Friday. Look at the 3rd and 4th lines.

That makes more sense...I'll look tomorrow evening. In the mean time I'll see what D* has to say about send out a survery whose willing to actually leave the ground.

Thanks

 

[iwc5893]

Attached if a Google Earth pic of the house and surrounding area. The yellow dot is current 1 sat dish, the red line is about the direction it is pointing. Also there are some heavy shadows from the trees on my driveway so keep that in mind as the garage has a "parking lot" infront of it.

Is there any way you can do a pole & concrete out by what looks like the pool area?

 

[ldubin]

Is there any way you can do a pole & concrete out by what looks like the pool area?

Yes, but it would look really bad. If I'm gonna do that I might as well hide it on barn slightly more distance but still. Granted a line from the pool would be a lot easier to bury but still. A pole would work a bunch of other places and it would be a hidden pole (like in brush, behind buildings....by the basketball court aka next to the garage).

I've seen them on poles but D* installers were hesitant about it...no clue why.

 

[concorde1]

here are links to my install pictures one of the pictures is more covered in trees and i get all sats no problem
http://www.satelliteguys.us/misc.php?do=showattachments&t=97681

 

[iwc5893]

Yes, but it would look really bad. If I'm gonna do that I might as well hide it on barn slightly more distance but still. Granted a line from the pool would be a lot easier to bury but still. A pole would work a bunch of other places and it would be a hidden pole (like in brush, behind buildings....by the basketball court aka next to the garage).

I've seen them on poles but D* installers were hesitant about it...no clue why.

I couldn't tell if there was an area there that would allow you to "hide" the dish or not.

 

[ldubin]

Yeah...see....I think D* is just paranoided, there are enough breaks in the trees. If there a way they can check signal strength without a dish. Like a line of sight computer thing?

 

[iwc5893]

You can guestimate using a compass and an inclinometer, but without putting a dish on a tripod and hooking it to a TV or signal meter, there is really no way.

The installers are cautious about this install because if a tree blocks your signal during the warranty period, they have to come back out for NO PAY and try and fix it.

 

[grydlok]

The Home Depot Tool Rental - Trencher

Run it out there and be done with it.

 

[igator99]

The Home Depot Tool Rental - Trencher

Run it out there and be done with it.

Is there anything out there you can rent to cut high up limbs?

 

[bonscott87]

Yes, but it would look really bad. If I'm gonna do that I might as well hide it on barn slightly more distance but still. Granted a line from the pool would be a lot easier to bury but still. A pole would work a bunch of other places and it would be a hidden pole (like in brush, behind buildings....by the basketball court aka next to the garage).

I've seen them on poles but D* installers were hesitant about it...no clue why.

Poles look great (IMO anyway). Must better then on a roof. Here is a pick of my DirecTV dish on an old fense post and behind that is my FTA dish on a tripod. I need to get a more recent pick though since my wife planted the flowers in the pot and around the DirecTV dish. Looks great. Use it as an excuse to landscape.

 

[grydlok]

not near you.

I suggest make friends with a telephone worker.

 

[str8poolbanger]

I actually do installs in PA. I just did a gentleman out in the eastern side of NJ where I had to put the KA/KU above the garage/spare house. I then proceded to run 2 runs of dual coax each run was 230 ft aprox. The guy has not had one problem except for a lighting strike taking out his 6 x 8 Switch. You will need a clearance of somewhere around 229 degrees to 245 degrees wide open...36 degree evelation on the 229 side and about 20 on the 245 side.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Consider:
Would you sign off on a time and materials deal to install a 5LNB dish if all the indicators on the box said "CLEAR VIEW OF SOUTHERN SKY" and you knew you lived in the woods.
I have been installing in the same few counties long enough to see the problems coming by looking at the address. Still, I meet with customers in the woods and we look up through the trees.
Think chain saw....in rural areas you can trim the leaves with bird shot.......move the tree or the dish...connect the wire...watch the commercials.

Good luck,

Joe

 

[ldubin]

not near you.

I suggest make friends with a telephone worker.

Would make my life SOOO much easier. Anyway, I should actually have a clear view of the moon today. So I'll report back later.