True South Sat

[redilyn]

Hi,

Just got a motor which I am getting ready to setup but I don't understand all the details.

First off, What would my true south sat be?

Latitude: 45.0889°
Longitude: -64.5009°

Also when talking about declination, is that just the elevation I set on the dish itself? The book I have says declination angle 6°, How would I set that?

I understand I set my latitude on the motor then aim true south.

 

[Lak7]

dishpointer.com for your Long and Lat....

Motor Latitude: 45.1°Same as Your Latitude
Dish Elevation: 23°
Elevation: 38.1°
Azimuth (magn.): 198.5° using a Compass

Don't worry about declination
Make sure you use the Latitude Scale on the Motor, not the Elevation.
Your True South Sat is the Sat that is Closest to your Longitude, for you 63 west...
SatelliteGuys.US - 63.0°W Estrela Do Sul Ku
There are only a couple of Active TPs pointed to North America.
when aiming, you must have an Active TP selected in the Receiver's Setup menu, the Quality Meter is a "Transponder" Meter not a "Satellite" meter. So, if you do not have an Active TP selected, you will not see the Quality Meter Light up.

 

[redilyn]

Perfect, Thanks for your help, I'm sure ill be back with more questions

 

[redilyn]

I need some clearification.

You say dish elevation 23
You also say elevation 38.1

Where do I set the second elevation at? The elevation on the motor is the same as the latitude. Should I change the motor elevation to 38?

I am setting up a DGHH-990 motor, same as Sg-2100 I was told. I know there are better motors but the price was just to good on this one, $25/new

 

[Lak7]

The elevation on the motor is the same as the latitude.

Not exactly.
Use the Motor's Latitude scale and set to your Latitude: 45.1
Dish Elevation Scale to: 23
Azimuth (magn.): 198.5° using a Compass

The extra "elevation" is un-needed, I forgot to remove it when C/P from dishpointer, sorry for the confusion.

 

[ZetaMale]

Hi,

Just got a motor which I am getting ready to setup but I don't understand all the details.

First off, What would my true south sat be?

Latitude: 45.0889°
Longitude: -64.5009°

Also when talking about declination, is that just the elevation I set on the dish itself? The book I have says declination angle 6°, How would I set that?

I understand I set my latitude on the motor then aim true south.

The sat nearest true south for you is at 65 degrees (StarOne C1) but you're not in it's footprint so you'll need to peak on the next best sat at 72 degrees (AMC6). Declination is used in conjunction with elevation and the declination needs to be set first, then the initial elevation. How declination is set depends on the dish manufacturer. And, yes, you start with the sat nearest to true south, or the nearest one to true south that covers North America, and with an initial elevation setting. You should get an AZ/EL chart printed for your location to assist with alignment.

 

[redilyn]

One problem down now another

I peaked on 63w and i can manually drive the dish to the west and pick up other sats. Problem is, i store the positions and move on, but when I tell the motor to go back to the stored position it is always off. For example i say drive back to position 1 which is 63w, well its off about 6 steps west, if I drive the motor back 6 steps to the east I peak on the sat again.

What am I doing wrong here?

Using a Dm500

 

[putney]

are you using diseqc or usals?

I don't thinks usals stores location, at least on my system. you have to enter new coordinates.

also for usals your long./lat. need to be entered as a reference.

 

[redilyn]

I was using the store command.

I am now trying gotoX

 

[Lak7]

Which Receiver are you using?

 

[redilyn]

DM-500 - Dreambox

 

[AcWxRadar]

One problem down now another

I peaked on 63w and i can manually drive the dish to the west and pick up other sats. Problem is, i store the positions and move on, but when I tell the motor to go back to the stored position it is always off. For example i say drive back to position 1 which is 63w, well its off about 6 steps west, if I drive the motor back 6 steps to the east I peak on the sat again.

What am I doing wrong here?

Using a Dm500

Redilyn,

This definitely has all the signs of a mechanical problem.

At first glance of your description, I would suspect that your motor's backlash adjustment is not properly set. The gear mesh is either too tight or too loose (probably too loose). Also, check the motor tube attachment to the motor "stub", there could be some play or slop here and this is easiest to remedy. These are the first items that I would investigate.

I would not suspect your receiver in this case, but you might take a close look at the dish and the LNBF support arm. If the support arm does not have side "struts" or braces to stabilize the position of the LNBF, that could also pose a problem similar to this.

And of course, make sure all your mounting hardware is secure. Not overly tight, but it should be snug enough that nothing moves.

RADAR

 

[redilyn]

I think you are right.

I did notice some left/right play in the motor tube. This is my first time setting up a motor so I thought it was normal. After doing some more reading I realized this is not right and I have to adjust the backlash.

I found the instructions on how to adjust the backlash but it is raining here right now so I will give it a try later.

Thanks for all the help so far guys. I'll let ya know how I make out.

 

[redilyn]

Well, I was unable to locate the 3 screws which are used for backlash adjustment on a SG2100, I'm guessing my Dg-990 doesn't have those screws, it is possible the play is where the tube bolts to the motor. I will check that later.

I've decided that my mount on the facia board is not sturdy enough for proper installation so I am going to take it down and put it somewhere better. I bought a Johnson magnetic angle finder last night so I can be sure the new placement is totally plumb (I don't trust bubble levels).

I'm sure I will be back for more help once I get things moved around.

Thanks for all your help guys, Its greatly appreciated.

 

[redilyn]

Can someone explain the following.

Pointing to true south sat

Should I drive the motor to 0 then point to 63w or do I tell the motor to drive to 63w with gotoXX then point?

 

[Lak7]

Should I drive the motor to 0 then point to 63w or do I tell the motor to drive to 63w with gotoXX then point?

Either way is fine.
If you have the motor at Zero, you will have to make that small adjustment after you Lock on.

 

[redilyn]

Got another question....

When I plumb the pole I run into a problem. I have it plumb left/right but front/back is giving me a problem.

I can plumb the front, but then the back says its a few degrees off plumb, If I plumb the back, the front is off a few degrees. If I level across the top of the pole both front and back are off by about 1-2 degrees.

What should I do here?

I am using a wall mount, A pole is not an option.

 

[Lak7]

Plumb the Front side, where the Motor will be connected.
It's really the Motor that needs to be Plumb.

 

[redilyn]

Excellent, Thanks for the quick reply!

Back up the ladder I go

 

[Lak7]

Have you gotten any Quality readings yet?