trouble installing motor on KU dish

[bpalone]

Titanium said this back in post #2: "Then the dish elevation angle is set to the declination angle provided in the motor install manual (probably between 20-30 degrees) and the motor latitude mount angle is set to match your install location latitude. "

Based on that your motor should be set to 38* rather than the 46* you have. Check your manual again for where to set the dish angle.

Either satellite will work. I would probably choose the one with the strongest transponder to make it easier to get tuned in.

 

[Titanium]

To further clarify bpalone and my posts on setting the motor elevation scale. Motor scales often confuse the first time installer. I have never understood why motor distributors place an elevation scale on the motor rather than a latitude scale. An elevation scale requires the installer to perform calculations, but a latitude scale only requires setting to the install location's latitude. When I used to sell motors, I manufactured with both elevation and latitude scales to avoid confusion.

If the motor elevation setting scale is marked "Latitude", then set it to match your location's latitude (38 degrees). If the motor elevation scale is marked Elevation" then set it to 52 degrees (90 degrees minus the location latitude (38) = motor elevation (52)).

Drive the dish to either 89W or 91W using the USALS type control, so the motor is placed in the correct position to begin aiming.

 

[breynold76]

The motor says latitude instead of elevation so I set it to 38°. According to the instructions that came with the motor for my latitude the dish should be at 24°. here are some pictures of what it looks like set up. The reason I was wondering about the dish aimed so far the ground is that the DirecTV dish that's right next to it is that 101 and it's at a much higher angle than the other dish at 91.

 

[SatPhreak]

Something is wrong with your setup. Please post a picture of the back of the dish, showing the elevation scale and the motor shaft.

 

[bpalone]

I am not familiar with that dish. But does it have degree markings on both sides of the mount? If so, then maybe try using the opposite side you have been using. I know some things use one side for one area and the other side for other areas. I agree it is looking to low. It should resemble the Direct Dish in the photo.

From the little I can see of the assembly, it looks like your dish set to low. Maybe you could get us a photo of the mount assembly.

 

[breynold76]

motor

dish

 

[breynold76]

I am not familiar with that dish. But does it have degree markings on both sides of the mount? If so, then maybe try using the opposite side you have been using. I know some things use one side for one area and the other side for other areas. I agree it is looking to low. It should resemble the Direct Dish in the photo.

From the little I can see of the assembly, it looks like your dish set to low. Maybe you could get us a photo of the mount assembly.

Before I put the motor on there I had successfully got signal on 97w. The elevation for that was somewhere around 44-45. 91w is not that far from 97w so the elevation should be similar.
The degree markings are only on one side of the dish. I just noticed that on the motor, one side says latitude and the other side says elevation. So on the elevation side is about 48. Should I put the elevation side to 38?

 

[bpalone]

Set the latitude to 38. That matches your latitude. Do note that the motor has a pointer to align for that setting, rather than using the the bolt. I think it will look a lot better when you set the motor 38 on the latitude side.

 

[a33]

The motor says latitude instead of elevation so I set it to 38°.

The pictures show you set it to 43 latitude, 47 elevation. Notice the little triangle next to the bolt!

greetz,
A33

Edit. Ah! bpalone (Hi Bill! ) said about the same, while I was reading and writing....


Edit2: As the pole clamp of the dish is now upside down I believe, the elevation scale of the dish is no longer correct I believe.
Have trouble reasoning what scale value would correspond with the 24 you need, however, at the moment. I must think this through.
You have made such beautifull close-ups, that I have trouble visualising the whole dish setup....

Edit3: My best guess at the moment would be in the 60-65 scale range, when looking at your pictures. But I may be wrong...

Edit4: Easiest way is just look at the dish face: As the true south satellite elevation is 46 degrees, and the offsetangle would be around 23 degrees (believing titanium), the dish face should 'look' about 23 degrees up from horizontal..

Greetz again,
A33

 

[bpalone]

I may be wrong, but I believe that the tube the dish is mounted to on the motor, should be vertical when motor is set to zero. I say this after looking at the pictures in this thread and going out to look at my stab 90. I could be wrong on that, but it makes sense (to me anyway).

I also start to question the 24*. Could it be that the manual is giving a measured on the dish somehow and the scale on the mount is adjusted to reflect the offset. If that is the case then the dish should be set closer to the same elevation as you would use for a fixed dish. These are just thoughts, as I do not have the same set of equipment, so could be wrong. But from the photos, I think I'm correct.

 

[a33]

I also start to question the 24*.

We did cross-post again! (and I edited a few times.)

24* would be correct, I think:
As he needs total 46* elevation,
when the motor is backwards 52*, minus 30* motor axis crank angle,
that means 22* off of the 46*; = 24 degrees as new elevation angle for the dish.


greetz,
A33

Edit: Or another way to calculate the 24*:
Crank angle minus declination for latitude 38* = 6*,
in this case 30 - 6 = 24*
Maybe that is the formula given in the manual?

 

[breynold76]

The pictures show you set it to 43 latitude, 47 elevation. Notice the little triangle next to the bolt!

greetz,
A33

Edit. Ah! bpalone (Hi Bill! ) said about the same, while I was reading and writing....


Edit2: As the pole clamp of the dish is now upside down I believe, the elevation scale of the dish is no longer correct I believe.
Have trouble reasoning what scale value would correspond with the 24 you need, however, at the moment. I must think this through.
You have made such beautifull close-ups, that I have trouble visualising the whole dish setup....

Edit3: My best guess at the moment would be in the 60-65 scale range, when looking at your pictures. But I may be wrong...

Edit4: Easiest way is just look at the dish face: As the true south satellite elevation is 46 degrees, and the offsetangle would be around 23 degrees (believing titanium), the dish face should 'look' about 23 degrees up from horizontal..

Greetz again,
A33

I forgot to mention the pole clamp. Installing it upside down was the only way the screws would line up. Maybe I am wrong and it will line up. Have to go take a look at it tomorrow.

 

[. Raine]

If the pole clamp is upside down, then where is that top bolt going? If it's in front of the motor shaft, there's the problem. It should go through the pole mount and the motor shaft both. I can't tell from your pictures if it's where it should be.

 

[breynold76]

I am getting a lot of different answers as to what latitude or elevation I should use. Should I start over and make sure I have the pole mount inserted correctly? should I also zero out the motor since I used it to see if it would move?

 

[bpalone]

Yes should zero the motor and visually verify that it moved to zero. Use your latitude and the latitude scale for the motor.

Then get us a picture showing it all. The close ups were great for checking settings, but didn't get us a view of the hardware installation. The comment above, about the pivot bolt, could cause a lot of error and in the direction it looks like. So a good view of the hardware will give us a better chance to help.

Then will advise further.

 

[breynold76]

someone ask for the instructions that came with the motor. Here is a picture of the chart showing latitude and elevation.

 

[a33]

I am getting a lot of different answers as to what latitude or elevation I should use.

For the motor elevation all answers are equal.

For the dish elevation we are trying to find the best way for you to find it, as your dish is mounted out of the ordinary way, it seems....

With a motor setup problem: Yes, allways start again at the beginning!

Greetz,
A33

 

[Titanium]

There is definitely something wrong with the assembly of the dish mount. I think the dish mount mast clamp has been installed upside down! Could you post a photo of only the dish's mast clamp? Did you contact Homevision for a copy of the dish assembly guide?

I will try a different approach that will get a positive result. As I don't have your exact Long/Lat, these figures are approximate (HINT, hint, hint).

Here is a motorized dish alignment suggestion that I have used many times when the dish elevation mount was messed-up:

1. Make sure the ground mounted pole is PERFECTLY plumb and level and the motor mount is loosely tightened to the pole (motor needs to be rotated on the pole to lock and optimize).
   
2. Make sure that the dish is PERFECTLY parallel to the motor when the motor is parked at zero. If the dish is not aligned PERFECTLY with the motor when parked at the zero position, the dish will not track the arc. Tighten the dish mount to the motor post. This will not change. It is best to run a bolt through the mount and motor post when install is finished to lock this position.
   
3. Rotate the LNBF skew to align with the vertical axis of the dish ( place marks on the dish edge of the 12/6 o'clock vertical axis for future reference).
   
4. Set the motor's Latitude scale setting to match your install location Latitude: aprox. 38°
5. Activate USALS on your receiver and automatically drive the dish to the 91w orbital position.
   
6. Select transponder: 12010 V 13333.
   
7. Place a digital angle finder on a straight edge place on the vertical axis marks you placed on the top and bottom edges of the dish.
8. Adjust the dish elevation setting so the vertical angle is equal to the 91w elevation angle listed on dishpointer.com: approx. 45°.
9. Watching the Signal Quality meter reading, SLOWLY pan the motor on the pole up to 20° East and West of the compass reading for 91w (approx. 183°) and watch for the Signal Quality reading to increase. If no Signal Quality reading, increase or decrease the motor elevation scale setting in 1° incremenmts and repeat the SLOW pan movements while watching the Signal Quality meter reading.
10. Once the Signal Quality meter reading is locked and optimized, tighten the motor onto the pole a little more securely and then try to use the STB install menu and USALS motor tyoe to drive to a nearby satellite to start checking tracking. Keep moving out further to add more satellites and fine-tune the tracking of the arc.
    
11. There are more steps to add more precise tracking, but this process should get you on the arc of birds and at least a few satellites to play with.

 

[bpalone]

Very well done, Brian.

 

[breynold76]

Thank you for the detailed instructions Titanium. I am going to work on it this weekend.