WSI 6ft special with tracking problem...

[tuberadio]

So... I broke down, convicned the wife in to a BUD... bought it as quick as I could before she changed her mind....

So the dish arrives, I got it all set up, and put up on the post, pointed to my south sat (89W here) no problems.... so now that it has been up for a day I am finding that I have alot of weak signals. Now I am not sure if it is just because of the size of the dish or because i have the polar mount not tracking properly.

So a few details. I have checked, recheck and checked again that my post is plumb. Its perfect. I used a caluclator I found on line for my declination, which here is 6.46 deg. I went as far as using MS Visio to draw up the 'triangle' in the polar mount to make sure i get 6.46 deg declination. So that is set nicely.

Now to the problem. So with my mini-BUD I was able to reliably get most of the stuff on 91W & 99W. Got atleast 60% of the channels on it with the mini-BUD... so going to the 6ft special, I get alot more... 99W & 91W & 107W come in great, signals are in the 70%+ range... I am happy there. But, everything in between is 60 to 65%. Now I am running a Coolsat 6000, which I have never had problems with, and works quite nice. So I have played with the polar mount & LNBF (WSI DMX241) and I can not get the signals up. Infact most of them are not even watchable. So I have played, and played more. I dont know what to do... Ive been installing sats for quite a while and know what Im doing, but this BUD stuff is new to me!

I am getting the feeling that the declincation setting is not correct... but I dont know. But I am receiving signals so I know atleast I have done SOMETHING right haha. I have done my research, tryed this, and that. I am also wondering if I am asking TOO much from this dish.... good reason to get up that 10.5 ft dish I have under my deck... waiting for a new post to perch on.....

Oh, I can only see part of the arc too... 83W to 111W

Any ideas fellow sat addicts?

EDIT: Mabey its that LNBF... I have a corotor II plus here... but its full of s#*% inside the throat... corosion.. whats the best way to clean that up with out screwing it up... Windex and a toothbrush? When I clean that up, I might try that up on the dish.

 

[Anole]

I can't comment on your existing feedhorn.
No pictures.

But, do read through this install thread on the dish:
6 foot dish install
One thing noted was the placement of the LNB support struts.
Apparently, the docs are not so clear as to where they go on the dish.
You may have a focal length problem.

 

[brentb636]

When I installed my "bargain" dish, I had to adjust the declination angle again, just once ( lower the dish a tad" to bring in the birds as I got further away from true south. I get good strong siignals from the end of the arc , as well as the center, now.
I agree with you on this being a learning experience, It's my first prime focus dish , too, and I too rushed it in the door after getting my wife's reluctant OK. Post a couple pics , if you can, and maybe we'll see something.

 

[tuberadio]

Ok, So its foto time! I just clicked a few. Ill get some better ones of the support arms & polar mount later today. For now, these should give you a better idea.

Its not a BUD, its a BBD..... Big Beautiful Dish

 

[brentb636]

here's a pic of the latest incarnation of my actuator setup. I think this is the 3d variation, and seems to work fine.

 

[Babadem]

These are very nice pictures.

 

[Anole]

There is an assembly error on your dish.
Brent has it correct.
The short L bracket that is used to hold onto the middle of the motor is supposed to be mounted the way Brent has his.
edit: based on all the pix in 6 foot dish install - I didn't consult the manual

Don't think this has anything to do with your signal level, but worth fixing before going further. -

Yea, great pix from ya both!

 

[FaT Air]

I think you declination is off, unless your Latitude is around 41.4. (according to the chart) http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=54150&d=1280612186 from the Bud Manual.

 

[tuberadio]

Hello, Yeah I know the bracket on the back is all screwed up. The screw holes dont allow me to put it on an angle like everybody else. I am going to go get some scrap angle from the shop and make my own anyways. That shouls make it easier on the actuator anyways, but for the time being, that should not effect the tracking of the dish im guessing.

So I got my lat/long out of Google maps again... and looked at the BUD Manual. It gives me a different declination. The Latitude here is 48.4 and long is -89.5... The BUD manual is showing i need to have 7.11 deg declination. This is going to be tough... They way the declination is set now... the nuts are at the bottom of the screw. the little bracket that sits on the main angle, that connects to the screw to set the declination, i will have to spin around to get even close to 7.11 deg declination. So, I will have to remove that and fiddle with it. But it looks like this afternoon ill be hunting for a peice of angle and making a proper bracket for the actuator.

Thanks for the info guys! Im going to play with it here this afternoon and ill post my results.

 

[brentb636]

I know that my bracket holes would not line up to attach the way you have yours, so I can't say that we even have the same hardware.
At 7 deg declination you should be moving the nut TOWARD the dish, actually giving yourself more screw to play with, not less. The manual I used to setup with , recommended using my latitude as the elevation, and about 6.5" declination, for my 42.7 latitude. It was pretty close. Measuring the elevation and declination angles on my dish was a challenge, even with an inclinometer. Very easy to pick the wrong surface, or to "complement" the angle desired.
Keep chugging ! You've got much of the arc, it's a tuning issue now.

 

[brentb636]

I know that my bracket holes would not line up to attach the way you have yours, so I can't say that we even have the same hardware.
At 7 deg declination you should be moving the nut TOWARD the dish, actually giving yourself more screw to play with, not less. The manual I used to setup with , recommended using my latitude as the elevation, and about 6.5" declination, for my 42.7 latitude. It was pretty close. Measuring the elevation and declination angles on my dish was a challenge, even with an inclinometer. Very easy to pick the wrong surface, or to "complement" the angle desired.
Keep chugging ! You've got much of the arc, it's a tuning issue now.

 

[FaT Air]

Just a suggestion here. Because, in my view, the western sats are pretty dead for wildfeeds or anything of high interest. And the eastern sats are much more popular for wild feeds and active TP's. I'd put the actuator on the east side of the dish. I moved mine from the west side to the east side and can now get 53W - 137 W. With my actuator on the west side I could only get to 72W safely. I-9 @ 58W was too close to going "Over Center" to be tried if there was any west wind.

 

[brentb636]

I agree, although just 2 days ago there was a good game on 137W . You have to play the odds, though.

 

[jaray]

your trees

tuberadio, trying to figure out where you might be in my area based on the trees, . But I'm just not that good haha.
I've been toying with the idea of buying one of those dishes and this might be my opportunity to see one first. If your interested, check your PM for my msg I sent you.

Ok, So its foto time! I just clicked a few. Ill get some better ones of the support arms & polar mount later today. For now, these should give you a better idea.

Its not a BUD, its a BBD..... Big Beautiful Dish

 

[FaT Air]

With the arm on the east side, I'm still able to get to 139W safely, But 139W is too much in the trees. I can get signal at 139W, sometimes usable, more so in the winter months. 137W is one to get to if you have an S-2, HD box. 55.5W has been active with WF's all summer. concerts to the tonite sho.
Get that declination angle set correctly, set the polar elevation on G 28, and shortly you'll have the whole arc. I'm almost directly west of you a few(?) hundred miles, Location: 97W 48N and 7.11 declination works for me. I've been using that chart since the 80's.

 

[stanleyjohn]

With the arm on the east side, I'm still able to get to 139W safely, But 139W is too much in the trees. I can get signal at 139W, sometimes usable, more so in the winter months. 137W is one to get to if you have an S-2, HD box. 55.5W has been active with WF's all summer. concerts to the tonite sho.
Get that declination angle set correctly, set the polar elevation on G 28, and shortly you'll have the whole arc. I'm almost directly west of you a few(?) hundred miles, Location: 97W 48N and 7.11 declination works for me. I've been using that chart since the 80's.

Hope im not hyjacking this thread but when you talk about going so far east or west safely!what do you mean?.It seems here that no one is going down to 30w! (lots of stuff on that sat).I can get from 135w down to 30 with my 24" actuator but i do take it a bit slow when i get to 30w because dish looks to me to be getting to a point of getting alittle unstable.PS 72 west is my mid point on the dish.

 

[FaT Air]

When the arm is extended the geometry moves the arm closer to the polar axis pivot. Extending it so far that it gets too close to the polar axis, it falls over. Commonly called "Over Centering" Having your actuator mount offset from the pole will keep the actuator arm further from the polar axis, minimizing this potential problem. This is the reasoning for the angle iron, set at an angle relative to the dish mount, to attach the actuator to.

 

[tuberadio]

Hey Guys,

Did some playing this afternoon... Its tracking the arc a bit better now, TP's are up about 4 to 7 points depending where it is in the sky... The BUD Manual helped me out tremendously! Ill post some more pic's shortly after Married With Children comes on The CW over @ 91W

So, went out to the shop today and made a new bracket for the actuator. The hole spacing on the one that came with the dish kit would not let me mount it on the angle like everyone else. Who knows why i got one that is different.... Regardless, This weeked if I have a few minutes ill be swapping it out for the one I made.

My question is now signal strengths. I dont know what to expect. Im in Thunder Bay, ON.... mabey there are a few folks around that have a 6ft dish that can give me some reference signal levels.... Tonight I think ill check a few TPs and put them in a spreadsheet to give my self some references.

This project has given me a good challenge.... Its a good thing I like a good challenge.

 

[jaray]

tuberadio, I've got a 6' mesh on a motor here in TBay. Let me know what you want checked for reference and I'll let you know sq's.

 

[tuberadio]

Hey, So I played with it all weekend.. And now I have much more watchable stuff. Since my setup is temporary... im going to be moving in a few months, I am at the point where I am happy with it.....

jaray, drop me a PM.. we can meet up one day and you can check out the BBD...

Off to bed...