Trouble aiming 61.5

[todd93]

Hello, everyone! I'm having a little trouble aiming 61.5. I had to move my parents dish due to trees. I can tune 72 very well, strong signal... 61.5 not so much. It has very little signal strength, and even less quality, no matter what I do. I'm not sure what could be going on with it, as I tweak it and tweak it, but get very little action on 61.5. I am using a superbuddy 29 to aim with... I'm wondering if there could be an issue in the lnb, but I. I'm not confident that's possible since it is picking up 72 so well...

Any advice is deeply appreciated!

Thanks!

Todd

 

[Jim5506]

First you need to determine that you are receiving 72 satellite on the correct lnb. From BEHIND the dish, the left lnb receives 72. Cover it with aluminum foil or a tin can or something else metallic that will totally block the signal.

If your reception on 72 fails, you have the correct lnb looking at the 72 satellite. This means there may be a problem with the 61.5 lnb or the wiring to it. The reception head has separate lnb's for each satellite so one can fail and the other still be working.

If you still get 72 then you're receiving 72 on the 61.5 lnb and you need to correct the azimuth of the dish about 10 degrees toward the east and may have to do a bit of elevation tweaking after both satellites are found.

Best of luck to you.

 

[HipKat]

Hello, everyone! I'm having a little trouble aiming 61.5. I had to move my parents dish due to trees. I can tune 72 very well, strong signal... 61.5 not so much. It has very little signal strength, and even less quality, no matter what I do. I'm not sure what could be going on with it, as I tweak it and tweak it, but get very little action on 61.5. I am using a superbuddy 29 to aim with... I'm wondering if there could be an issue in the lnb, but I. I'm not confident that's possible since it is picking up 72 so well...

Any advice is deeply appreciated!

Thanks!

Todd

Also, make sure your SSB is updated to the newest Field Guide by downloading the Flash program from the website. You'll need a USB-A to Mini USB chord

 

[tjboston5676]

Im willing to vey the trees are still in the way. If you are standing/looking from behind the dish the 61 comes in n from the far left. Probably about a 45° angle or so from the dish.

Take your phone and open your camera then set the phone on the arm with camera looking towards lnb, if there's anything in the picture besides the lnb then it's blocking signal.

 

[nelson61]

Try aiming the 72 lnb to 61. If it has strong signal , the normal 61lnb is defective.

 

[todd93]

I'd like to update everyone... I'm thinking that another tree is now blocking the signal. I'm going to verify this, and move the dish to where I can verify that no tree is in the way with the dish pointer app...

In order to address some of the great info y'all have given... Yes, my Super Buddy is using the most recent software. Yes, 72 is coming in on the proper lnb. Again, this is a tree issue, and I will remedy it.

Thank you all again, and I will make another post here as soon as I can further investigate!

Todd

 

[tjboston5676]

I'd like to update everyone... I'm thinking that another tree is now blocking the signal. I'm going to verify this, and move the dish to where I can verify that no tree is in the way with the dish pointer app...

In order to address some of the great info y'all have given... Yes, my Super Buddy is using the most recent software. Yes, 72 is coming in on the proper lnb. Again, this is a tree issue, and I will remedy it.

Thank you all again, and I will make another post here as soon as I can further investigate!

Todd

Take a picture like I said and you'll know if tree is in the way

 

[NYDutch]

Take a picture like I said and you'll know if tree is in the way

He'll be using the Dish Pointer app that overlays the satellite positions on the camera view. An excellent way of making sure you have a clear view.

 

[todd93]

He'll be using the Dish Pointer app that overlays the satellite positions on the camera view. An excellent way of making sure you have a clear view.

View attachment 172109

That's exactly what I did, and can verify that there is a tree in the way... I'm currently scoping out a new location for the dish, and dad's going to have said tree trimmed!

 

[tjboston5676]

He'll be using the Dish Pointer app that overlays the satellite positions on the camera view. An excellent way of making sure you have a clear view.

View attachment 172109

That's fine and obviously it seemed to work for him and is good to locate the satellites to begin with but as far as checking for obstructions it's not as accurate as just putting your camera (or could even do it fro that app) along the arm and getting a view with the lnb like this. Anything in the picture above the lnb will block signal. In my example there is a tree but it's below the lnb so it's fine. But if it had been above the line it will cause issues.

 

[NYDutch]

That's fine and obviously it seemed to work for him and is good to locate the satellites to begin with but as far as checking for obstructions it's not as accurate as just putting your camera (or could even do it fro that app) along the arm and getting a view with the lnb like this. Anything in the picture above the lnb will block signal. In my example there is a tree but it's below the lnb so it's fine. But if it had been above the line it will cause issues.

That doesn't show you exactly where the satellites are. The satellite view angle is actually above the LNBF's. When I used the Dish Pointer app I stood just in front of the LNBF's so the camera angle would be very close while showing me where to adjust for the desired satellites. If the Dish Pointer app is too pricey, Winegard has a free app that works about the same way.

 

[tjboston5676]

That doesn't show you exactly where the satellites are. The satellite view angle is actually above the LNBF's. When I used the Dish Pointer app I stood just in front of the LNBF's so the camera angle would be very close while showing me where to adjust for the desired satellites. If the Dish Pointer app is too pricey, Winegard has a free app that works about the same way.

Reread my post, it literally just says what you just did just with different words.
That's why I said for checking for obstructions. If the dish is already pointed, my method is the absolute best for checking for obstructions. If it's already pointed, with my method there's no need to know where the satellites are. If it's in the picture above the lnb it's blocking. But you can use your camera app or the satellite finder app as long as you are putting the camera along the arm looking toward lnb.

 

[HipKat]

The Satellite finder apps are known to be inaccurate and not authorized for Techs to use for LOS. However, they are a good tool for seeing an approximate idea of where the Sats are and then allowing a wider margin of error when it comes to obstructions

 

[NYDutch]

Reread my post, it literally just says what you just did just with different words.
That's why I said for checking for obstructions. If the dish is already pointed, my method is the absolute best for checking for obstructions. If it's already pointed, with my method there's no need to know where the satellites are. If it's in the picture above the lnb it's blocking. But you can use your camera app or the satellite finder app as long as you are putting the camera along the arm looking toward lnb.

But the satellites do not align with the LNBF arm. Dish uses an offset dish where the satellites are actually above the LNBF's. If memory serves, the 1000.2 and .4 dishes have an offset of about 22.5 degrees from the center line.

 

[tjboston5676]

But the satellites do not align with the LNBF arm. Dish uses an offset dish where the satellites are actually above the LNBF's. If memory serves, the 1000.2 and .4 dishes have an offset of about 22.5 degrees from the center line.

Correct it doesn't align. But your camera has a wide fov. Hence why it's handy for checking. Most ppl think to look strsight ahead but your cameras fov is almost perfect for the angle of the satellites to off to the sides. I've been doing this for 11 years. If I'm pointing on ea and there's nothing in the camera on left edge then 61.5 is clear. I've never had something not in the caneras fov cause issues. But the moment it even barely comes into the fov it usually causes issues. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't know what I was talking about.

 

[NYDutch]

Correct it doesn't align. But your camera has a wide fov. Hence why it's handy for checking. Most ppl think to look strsight ahead but your cameras fov is almost perfect for the angle of the satellites to off to the sides. I've been doing this for 11 years. If I'm pointing on ea and there's nothing in the camera on left edge then 61.5 is clear. I've never had something not in the caneras fov cause issues. But the moment it even barely comes into the fov it usually causes issues. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't know what I was talking about.

The first photo below has trees in the fov, but still gave me a 45 on 61.5 and 52 on 72.7. The second photo has even more in the fov, but still gave me a 39 on 61.5 and 44 on 77. 72.7 was obviously blocked. The 77 filled in the missing channels on 61.5, but in SD. Knowing exactly where the satellites are in the fov makes getting a useable signal a lot easier. Obviously these screen shots were made when 77 was still active. And I've been doing this for myself and others since 2008.

 

[HipKat]

Correct it doesn't align. But your camera has a wide fov. Hence why it's handy for checking. Most ppl think to look strsight ahead but your cameras fov is almost perfect for the angle of the satellites to off to the sides. I've been doing this for 11 years. If I'm pointing on ea and there's nothing in the camera on left edge then 61.5 is clear. I've never had something not in the caneras fov cause issues. But the moment it even barely comes into the fov it usually causes issues. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't know what I was talking about.

Do you use your camera in Landscape or portrait?

 

[Jim5506]

DBS satellite dishes only retrieve maybe 20-25% of the signal that their lnbs could see of they were on a central focal line instead of off set.

 

[tjboston5676]

Do you use your camera in Landscape or portrait?

landscape with the lens closest to the arm

 

[tjboston5676]

DBS satellite dishes only retrieve maybe 20-25% of the signal that their lnbs could see of they were on a central focal line instead of off set.

It's probably more like 90-95%. Because if you use a dish500 with a single lnb on the cebter of satellite beam with a 90° skew (straight on), it will barely be higher than on an offset pattern you'd get from a multi lnb setup.
And for western arc the 119 is basically center anyways so you won't really see a difference but the 110 you would see a little difference but not huge.