Help aiming a 10 footer

[pau]

Hi,
does anyone happen to know an installer in the Jacksonville FL area? I've been trying to aim a 10 foot KTI dish for the past few days and I'm having no luck.

Thanks,

 

[toucan-man]

Can you get a signal on your true south sat?

 

[FaT Air]

First FTA project? http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-satellite-discussion/222234-bud-manual.html May be of help, Should answer a few questions. But I'll give ya a head start with this picture. Should be able to use 3805 H 4166 @ 83°W for your Zenith.

 

[pau]

Yup, first project

I've attached a picture of my protractor that is reading 55 degrees (according to dishpointer the evelation for 83W is 54.6). Am I looking at the angle correctly?

 

[Lone Cloud]

At your location, your due south satellite is 83 west. Jacksonville is in the 81 to 82 degrees.

You get your dish at zenith, which means at the highest point and not leaning down to either east or west. Zenith is where your dish will be when it is pointing due south.

The web has Jacksonville at 81 2/3 degrees west, so if you are at that longitude, you will have to do a couple of "clicks" west to get your dish to the 83w position.

With everything hooked up, and your receiver on 83 west and a on a hot transponder ( Tuff, Retro or PBJ ?) you rotate your dish on the pole and flex it up and down until you get the strongest signal.

There are really very few C band installers now. You are better off managing on your own.

 

[ken2400]

What are you using for a signal meter?

 

[FaT Air]

The location of your protractor is measuring your polar elevation, (Take another look at the picture I attached.) That should read satellite elevation + declination. Dish elevation = satellite elevation. Declination is the angular difference between the dish and the polar axis of the mount. (Dish elevation is declination lower than the polar elevation) Do you have the declination set correctly?

 

[Lone Cloud]

You know, a signal meter is nice, but as I've said before, it's cheaper and hard to beat wearing wireless rf headphones ($15) and hooking the sending unit to the audio out on your "beep" or "tone on scan" receiver. My Manhattan has that function, as does my Viewsat SD box.

In your situation, I would set my receiver on 83 west, Ku for Tuff or RTV, with the transponder and other settings as described in Lyngsat or in the Satellite list on this site. Hopefully your lnb setup can get Ku, but if not, use 78 west for Cband. You are better off using Ku for aiming though because it needs a more exacting aim. Before you go out to adjust your dish and in front of your TV, you make sure your receiver is on beep mode and you are getting the signal in your headphones, then you go out to your dish.

Really, the wireless headphone thing is pretty great because it has your hands free to work the dish and use wrenches, and you don't need to disconnect anything to hook up a meter. You just move and adjust the dish until you get the strongest audio signal .

I do think that people get off the arc when they set their zenith when their due south (I really don't like this term. It implies an exactness that isn't often there) satellite isn't exactly at their longitude. On my system, I average 15 counts or clicks per degree. My southernmost satellite is about a half degree east of my position, so I get zenith, then click east about 7 counts. Then, headphones on, I do the other two adjustments - turning the whole dish on the pole and elevation. Tighten at the best signal and you pretty much will be on the arc.

 

[highskies]

I do think that people get off the arc when they set their zenith when their due south (I really don't like this term. It implies an exactness that isn't often there) satellite isn't exactly at their longitude. On my system, I average 15 counts or clicks per degree. My southernmost satellite is about a half degree east of my position, so I get zenith, then click east about 7 counts. Then, headphones on, I do the other two adjustments - turning the whole dish on the pole and elevation. Tighten at the best signal and you pretty much will be on the arc.

How exactly is it determined when one has clicked 2 degrees? For example, 99W C band, I can be on the Lesea mux, have a lock light on the S9, then click several clicks either east or west, then still have a lock light. So if I were then wanting to determine how many clicks 2 degrees is on my 922, using 97 W to do so, from what point on 99 W would I determine this from? And what point on 97 W would I determine that I've moved 2 degrees?

 

[FaT Air]

Concerning the "clicks" to fudge the dish, not necessary. And arbitrary, as each system is going to be different.
"fudging" the dish E or W, is a short-cut used by experienced installers to help in making the first azimuth adjustment farther from the "south Satellite" Instead of maybe only the second or 3rd satellite away, You might be able to go 7, 8 or more satellites before an azimunth adjustment is necessary(to stay on the arc to find the furthest sat to the side, where your final azimuth adjustment is made).
For a first time experience, I'd rather one learn the ropes. Employ the short- cuts later.

Your "North - South alignment" is done, or corrected, when you adjust the dish at the side of the arc, (Azimuth adjustment). The polar mounted dish doesn't lower it's "look angle" much when the "south satellite" is within 5 - 10 degrees of Zenith. The elevation is close enough to only require a slight touch-up at the "south satellite" once azimuth is tuned in.

from dishpointer
Dish Location
Latitude: 48.1972°
Longitude: -96.9993°

Sat - 97W
Elevation:34.6°
Azimuth: 180.0° (Due South)

Sat - 91W
Elevation:34.3°
Azimuth: 172.0° - 8 degree azimuth change = .3° elevation change.

Sat - 87W
Elevation:33.8°
Azimuth: 166.7° Change in azimuth of 13.3° only lowered the dish .8 degrees.
Still within 10 ft BUD's beamwidth. Just go back to "south satellite" and touch-up elevation.

Back to the OP's querry, any progress?

 

[Lone Cloud]

How exactly is it determined when one has clicked 2 degrees? For example, 99W C band, I can be on the Lesea mux, have a lock light on the S9, then click several clicks either east or west, then still have a lock light. So if I were then wanting to determine how many clicks 2 degrees is on my 922, using 97 W to do so, from what point on 99 W would I determine this from? And what point on 97 W would I determine that I've moved 2 degrees?

Yeah well all of that is dependent upon the system you are using - which actuator, which mover, which dish and how things are bolted on. Actually, you aren't going to know how many clicks or counts per degree until you get it set up and working.

I wouldn't usually, but I have to disagree with Fat Air. I found that when I didn't do that seven clicks east (referred to as fudging) I was fine on the center of the arc, but as I got down further east and west, I was losing satellites. Getting zenith and doing that half degree fudge east lets me get the entire arc on just about my first try, the last half dozen or so times I did it.

Not knowing exactly how many clicks or counts per degree will make it less precise, but still better than setting a dish on zenith for a satellite that is a degree or two off of your longitude. I would do maybe five clicks per degree on your system. It's an approximation until you know for sure, but it will still be better than losing satellites far east and west.