Help with new motorised dish alignment

[SatBug]

I have a Technomate TM-5402 HD Reciever
Dark Motor with Orbital 80cm Dish.

I believe the dish has a 25 deg offset

Just need to confirm what angle to set the dish mounted on the motor from the table at the back of the motor manual, Set motor angle ok, only seem to get something on the meter around 15deg on the dish scale but this does in no way tally with the settings of the motor table for my position.

Also how to check/set dish alignment on motor (around the axis of the crank arm)

 

[satelliteman]

Welcome to the forum.

Dish elevation should be near on vertical as a starting point using an offset dish. Check motor inclination is also correct as per the motor setup guides. Could you take a few snaps and upload them. We maybe able to advise better.

 

[SatBug]

ok, not been able to take any snaps yet, but having problems getting all the satelites on the arc, have set the motor (35deg crank arm) to 39deg (longtitude 50 deg) able to get Thor 1deg west, but when moved to 28.2 deg east elevation is too low, The 80 cm (25 deg offset dish) is around 15 degrees when on thor but need to adjust it to around 18deg to pick up 28.E ASTRA 2/Eurobird1. I have double checked the motor settings table. Not checked west too much, but cant seem to get anything beyond around 8 deg.

Would this suggest the motor angle is wrong, although it is set as per the table.

 

[Robbo]

Assuming that your pole is vertical then your motor angle is wrong. Your declination is too much causing the dish to drop too much at the sides of the arc. Your longitude is not 50 deg, that will be your latitude. On the side of the motor there is a latitude scale, set that to your latitude. (50 degrees I suspect, but check it on dishpointer.com)

In other words, your motor is tilted up too much, so to compensate the dish is tilted down too much so that you can get Thor, but your arc is too steep.

 

[Terryl]

You need several things before you install that motor, one is an absolutely vertical and stable mounting mast, it has to be vertical front to back and left to right, and be stable enough to keep from moving when the motor turns the dish.
Second, you need to align the dish and motor due South from your location, (motor needs to be at zero first) if your off a few degrees left or right you wont track the Clark belt correctly (where all the satellites are) and will miss satellites at ether end.
Third, the elevation of your dish is determined by your latitude, you should go to dishpointer.com as Robbo mentioned, you can zoom in on your location and this will tell you your correct latitude, the dish needs to be set to zero elevation to start, the motor has a latitude indication on its side, this needs to be set to as close to your latitude as possible and if it has one, you need a zero skew setting on the dish or LNB as the motor will skew the dish and LNB for you as it turns.
The last thing to do is try and find your “Due South” satellite, this may be a few degrees to the left or right of “Due South” but it is your starting point for your arc, (and your receivers reference satellite) dishpointer.com or Lyingsat.com can help you with finding this satellite, (the closest one to your longitude at your location) the others will fall in line (with a few minor tweakings) once you get these settings done right first.


I have a link to an "H to "H" motor installation, it may be for this side of the big pond (might or might not be for your type of motor) but it may help you out on the first parts.

hXXp://sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/HH-mount-installation.htm

 

[Robbo]

Since the receiver has USALS and so does the motor, it is better to send the motor to Thor before trying to align on it, rather than setting the motor to zero.

 

[satelliteman]

Also take a browse over our motor dish setup guides in this section Dish Setup Guides, Information threads and FAQs

 

[SatBug]

Ok, sorry I meant 50 deg Latitude, not longitude, will try again at the weekend, I suspected that the motor angle was wrong, I used the table at the back of the instructions, which at 50 deg says 39 deg angle, perhaps I should set this to 50 instead?

 

[satelliteman]

Set the motor inclination to your latitude.

 

[Robbo]

The table is not needed, ignore it, the motor is marked latitude, set it to your latitude, simple.

 

[SatBug]

Ok, works much better now across the arc, although some FTA channels cannot be viewed despite getting more than 80% signal quality on reciever, do I need to position the LNB as well, there is a lot of adjustment available, back and forth as well as twist.

 

[satelliteman]

The LNb skew needs to be at zero when the motor is centered/at zero.

Check transponder parameters FEC/SR for those channels not working; they may have been moved so performing a fresh scan should work.

 

[Lazarus]

"Twist" = Skew.

For a Motorised system, the LNB should be set to zero skew (with reference to your South Satellite) and left there. The motor locus takes care of effective skew at other points on the arc.

Please list half a dozen FTA Channels (from one Satellite) that you cannot view that you think you should be able to.

Edit: I weas eating a Sausage butty whilst posting, SM ................

 

[SatBug]

Ok, all done!

set the motor angle with a borrowed Inclinometer on the dish mount, the Latitude pointer on the scale of the motor bracket is not very accurate

Thanks

 

[Lazarus]

Excellent - great job!