Finding satellite positions by the sun.

[AlexBellisBrown]

Why not just buy a compass from the pound shop and use that??? Thats what i did in the days before i was given my second sat finder by JuMbUcK.

[rolfw]

A compass is not accurate enough to guage whether a satellite can be seen through a small gap in trees.

[patrick_coorg]

Go to this web site and browse u r location and it will give u a rough idea towards which position hispasat is located dont forget to select u r satellite from the list.

www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/earth

all the best

Okay, I have been in denial for a couple of months now since moving to a Bungalow.
Between Trees, branches and flats I am able to see little bits of Sky and I want/need to do a bit of experimenting.
I believe that at 12 noon GMT the sun is pointing approximately due South. Could anyone tell me at what time the sun would be pointing at 19.2 East and at Hispasat.
At least I should be able to get some idea of what could be possible, and that is before the leaves come on the trees At best it will have to be a fixed position, but at least it would be something.
What is it with this hobby? I have Tivo working away in the background and I never watch half of what it records, yet here I am desperate to start playing around again.
After years of indulgence and pleasure of European Satellite it would be nice to hear and view some of those channels once again.
Incidentally, living in hopes, Would I get Hispasat here in Wiltshire with, say a 60cm dish, or would it have to be 80cm?
There you go, In my mid Seventies and starting to really shock my elderly neighbours.........this is Crystal set close along here....wish I never had to move, how I miss my 1metre motorised setup.

[puffin]

There's this, don't know how good it is .......

http://perso.numericable.fr/~gjullien/satellite.htm .

A lot easier (approx) with a compass, and using Web sat bearing calculators for exact location. If it's difficult to tell, that might mean the trees are going to slowly "grow across" your dish!

I can warmly recommend this site.

I had a really difficult installation in my new house with tall trees around. If you want to find a gap between obstacles - this is a very good solution.

[misterminibus]

for less than 3 quid, if you have no other gear that will do I found all the sats in my arc with a compass and bamboo sticks stuck in my back garden- its tecnical I know but hey it works.

[jimmcgee5]

do google for gorbtrack , pick your location in the first tab , and in tab 5 there is sundial to print out.

[allan238]

Thanks for your input.
However thanks to rolfw the situation has been resolved, I am now happily watching Spanish and German channels to my hearts content