Solar outage & dish aiming

[kittyhas1000legs]

It's that time again!

According the the solar outage calculator (http://www.satellite-calculations.com/Satellite/suninterference.php), it's about time for me to re-reinforce my jury-rigged dish stand and try to get Hispasat. Here's my plan, though I'll happily take suggestions/recommendations from the pros:

Equipment:
-X2 Premium receiver
-DirecTV World Direct dish (linear LNBF boresight)
-RTL-SDR connected to the loop out of the X2
-mediocre stand built from a mini pallet and a 4"x4" post, possibly to be replaced with a 5 gallon bucket, cement, and pole from Home Depot

For the first day or two of the solar interference, I'll be finding the best (if any) sunny spots on my balcony. There's a pretty big pine tree in the way, so it will take some maneuvering and patience. I already asked the landlord, but they gave a no-go to using an NPRM. Once I have the dish in the right spot, I'll put a few tiny mirrors on it. Once the sun is in the right spot, I'll aim my dish so the mirrors all reflect the light onto the linear LNBF and tighten all the bolts. Once the sun passes, I'll tweak the signal on the X2 and possibly in SDR#. Maybe this year I'll finally be a SatteliteGuy!

 

[FaT Air]

Sounds like a plan to me. I did the same a few yrs ago. (But not the mirrors) Just wanted confirmation that that pine tree a block away wouldn't interfere with placing the dish 'in the farm'. 30W turned out to be about 3 ft above it.

 

[lost_mesa]

Last fall I set up a dish for Hispasat using polgyver's mirror idea. Hispasat is only 2.3 degrees above my horizon. At the calculated time I aimed the dish at the sun and tightened it down. After the sun had passed I fired up the receiver and had video with a Q of 70! A bit of tweaking only raised the quality a few more points. It was very cool to fire up the receiver and find the dish almost dead on.

 

[toucan-man]

Me too, got Hispasat with the sun a few years back.

 

[polgyver]

The dish's azimuth can be set also in other time than the solar outage, as the small mirror reflections will "travel" above LNBF (when the Sun is below sat arc), and, after the outage, the reflections will move below LNBF - when the Sun goes higher.
A small card, attached temporarily to LNBF's face will reveal the reflections.
So, there are a few days before and after outage - in case, the Sun is behind clouds during the outage.
Of course, the elevation has to be adjusted slightly.

 

[Pixl]

Skip the mirror part. On the day and time that the sun is behind your desired sat simply take note of any spot on property that has sunlight. Pound in a stake there, then at your convenience mount your dish on a post and use RF signal to find and peak it in.

 

[primestar31]

Skip the mirror part. On the day and time that the sun is behind your desired sat simply take note of any spot on property that has sunlight. Pound in a stake there, then at your convenience mount your dish on a post and use RF signal to find and peak it in.

Oh man, you gave away the only real secret we had left! lol

 

[polgyver]

Most important is to find out, if the tree you mentioned would not be between the Hispasat and dish. I understand that NPRM is a device for fastening dish to the roof and it is not accepted by the landlord. It's OK, since it will be easier to get access to the dish from balcony.
You do not have to wait for Sun outage. The dishpointer indicates, that for a town of (just guessing) New Britain in CT, dish's elevation is 25.4 degree, and azimuth 125.7 degree (for Hispasat). Skew = -37 degree.
For this town, and azimuth 125.8, the Sun will be :
On March 1, 8.50 AM, elevation 24.0
On March 2, 8.51 AM, elevation 24.4
On March 3, 8.52 AM, elevation 24.9
On March 4, true Sun outage
This data can be accessed from US. Navy site - just google "sun moon altitude azimuth". Sometimes their server is down.
Chances are, that during these days, the Sun will show up at this time... Cheers, polgyver

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

When I tried in the fall, there were a couple small sunny spots. I think my poor man's dish stand had a little too much wobble to really aim it correctly. I need to have the dish around 6' high or so if I recall correctly. At the very least I can stop at the hardware store tomorrow and build a better stand. Worst case scenario, I won't get Hispasat but I'll have one heck of an antenna stand.

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

Well, if today's sun is any indication, I'd need to punch a hole through the pine tree to get any signal. The sunny spots are THROUGH the upper branches, and there aren't any branches low enough for me to climb up and do some selective pruning.

 

[FaT Air]

No 'place' accessible by you that's in the sun at that time. SUX.
I'd find a patch of grass that is and place some type of NPRM, be it a pallet or bucket of cement, and paint up the dish as a piece of art. Place pots of flowers around it, whatever, so the neighbors don't complain too much. Glad I don't have that problem. HOA Free Zone. Hey, that's going in my sig.

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

No 'place' accessible by you that's in the sun at that time. SUX.
I'd find a patch of grass that is and place some type of NPRM, be it a pallet or bucket of cement, and paint up the dish as a piece of art. Place pots of flowers around it, whatever, so the neighbors don't complain too much. Glad I don't have that problem. HOA Free Zone. Hey, that's going in my sig.

The main problem is my landlord. He'd probably complain about that too since it wouldn't be completely on the balcony. I had a grumpy letter on my door when I had my old VHF/UHF antenna with a couple elements sticking about 2 feet out beyond the railing.

Here's the obstacle:


Even if I talked to the neighbor above me and put it on their balcony, it might not see above the tree. My only options seem to be to get a few gallons of super-heavy-duty plant killer or move, which won't be until after the wedding. And yes, she somehow puts up with my antenna/radio/sat silliness.

 

[scarecrovv]

Clearly that tree has to go..... Copper nails I've heard do the trick on the QT.... You will hafta sneak out and drive them in in the middle of the night. Just like staking a vampire.

 

[FaT Air]

how-to-kill-a-tree-quickly
Me? I'd watch for the landlord to leave the premises and out would come the chainsaw. Out of sight, out of mind.
Well, maybe not, but if it was my tree - - - :

 

[polgyver]

"Bribe" your upper-floor neighbour with offer of receiving satellite programs (use LNBF with double input), so he accepts the dish on his balcony. But, first, check if the Sun, observed from his balcony, at right time is not obstructed by the tree.

 

[polgyver]

Another option, still visible, but not too radical as felling all tree, might be topping it. It is not recommended for the tree health, but here is more concern with avoiding too visible intervention. Perhaps you could use small chainsaw on a looong pole, with someone controlling extension cord?
I topped a tree in my neighbour backyard, with his acceptance, of course. This tree was infected, anyway, so it had to go. Made room for my other dishes.

There was problem with pulling down the top, which got stuck on other branches, but a rope helped with it.

 

[waylew]

Best way to top a tree is to start at the bottom,top is now conveniently on the ground within easy reach,no ladder required.