Motorised setup questions

bjluv · 09-10-2007

how can i know the nearest satellite to my location?

**rolfw** · 09-10-2007

Go to Multimap.com and find your location, it will give your your longitude and latitude. Your nearest to due South satellite will be somewhere between 21 and 30 degrees East, so find your exact longitude and look at Lyngsat to see which satellite is closest to it.

bjluv · 12-10-2007

if the final angle set on the dish’s elevation scale should be 40 degrees minus the declination angle taken from the declination table in the Motech 2100A manual, does it then mean that I have to
> 40 - 8.265 = 31.735

and then set 31.7 on the dish???

I am installing a Motorized dish...please someone help ASAP

I have also read from this forum that it is 30 - 8.265 = 21.735 so which one is correct because 21.735 isnt giving me any signal quality here. Should it be the one above?

----

I will answer my questions hopefully after googling here and there.

This post also helped in knowing where to turn for the facts.

You will need this proggie (check attachment) to get your true south i.e the time when the sun comes out to play

and also the elevation angle for the dish. the latitude on the motor mount will remain same for the location of installation... Remember to input your long and lat from the configuration button and apply. Afterwards, you should see when the sun some to play and the elevation...

now I am writing this for others because I have been on my dish installation for about 24hours now and I get this solution after all...not yet a perfect solution but will be putting all to work tomorrow afternoon when the sun somes out here.

I do have to calculate as thus:- 33-inclination angle = elevation for me

which is also equal to what the proggie gave so all those 40 and 30 wont work round here I guess

**rolfw** · 13-10-2007

If you are using a Moteck, then set the latitude setting on the motor to your actual latitude figure.

Not quite sure why you are trying to guess at your true South figure, when you can find it easily by sending the motor to your nearest due South satellite and fine tuning the dish to it as per this procedure.

**Robbo** · 13-10-2007

Originally Posted by bjluv

if the final angle set on the dish’s elevation scale should be 40 degrees minus the declination angle taken from the declination table in the Motech 2100A manual, does it then mean that I have to
> 40 - 8.265 = 31.735

and then set 31.7 on the dish???

I am installing a Motorized dish...please someone help ASAP

I have also read from this forum that it is 30 - 8.265 = 21.735 so which one is correct because 21.735 isnt giving me any signal quality here. Should it be the one above?

Hi,
There are two ways to get the dish elevation correct, one is to work out the figures, the other to adjust it until you get a signal.

I personally, prefer the second method. Just send the motor to your nearest due south, then just pretend for a moment, that its a fixed dish, adjusting the dish elevation, and swivelling the whole assembly around to adjust azimuth, to peak on the signal. Then check it's the right sat with the receiver.

Robbo

bjluv · 13-10-2007

well i do have to pause my installation and arc find as the screws on the motor bracket got stucked and I had to cut the brackets off from the whole motor...

Will have to rush to shop on Monday to get new ones...damn that metal thingie from China or is it Taiwan now?

bjluv · 13-10-2007

Originally Posted by rolfw

... by sending the motor to your nearest due South satellite and fine tuning the dish

Hope you don't mind telling me the preferable satellite if my location is N64.2, E27.7---astra 2 or badr?

**rolfw** · 13-10-2007

Shame about the U Bolts, have had a couple go myself, the early ones were not great quality. I have managed to replace them with long coach bolts (half the head filed off), single pieces of threaded rod and threaded rod bent to make a U bolt.

You nearest due south satellite is Astra 28.2 E.

bjluv · 13-10-2007

thanks rolfw, cant wait until the shops open and i get a new set of U bolts. i could get the rod and go to a welder to get them bent too...but lets see what happens next week...

bjluv · 13-10-2007

do anyone know where I can buy the U bolts online if incase I don't get it from here which i doubt already---

Likvid, do you have any idea where I can get U bolt anywhere up here even online or from Sweden to Finland?

**Robbo** · 13-10-2007

Originally Posted by bjluv

Likvid, do you have any idea where I can get U bolt anywhere up here even online or from Sweden to Finland?

Likvid is no longer on this forum, I'm afraid.

**rolfw** · 13-10-2007

Just go to a small engineering works, they will have some threaded rod and will be able to bend some for you.

Ifnot, the cut four lengths and have a nut either side of the base of the bracket to lock them.

bjluv · 15-10-2007

now i can smile for a smile at least....changed all the bolts and stuff that came with the moteck and it indeed worked. Funny that I am located on 27.7E and I can not see 28.2E (Astra 2A)

Astra 2 would have been a blessing because I could see all the UK channels available on that sat. Anyone have the reason why I can not see Astra 2?

For now, I can view Hotbird, Astra 1 & Eutelsat W3A. When I have time, I can play with the motor more to see if I can see more satellite.

So anyone can make this happen too

**Robbo** · 15-10-2007

Originally Posted by bjluv

now i can smile for a smile at least....changed all the bolts and stuff that came with the moteck and it indeed worked. Funny that I am located on 27.7E and I can not see 28.2E (Astra 2A)

Astra 2 would have been a blessing because I could see all the UK channels available on that sat. Anyone have the reason why I can not see Astra 2?

For now, I can view Hotbird, Astra 1 & Eutelsat W3A. When I have time, I can play with the motor more to see if I can see more satellite.

So anyone can make this happen too

Well, you're outside the published footprint for Astra 2A south, but 2A north beam looks possible.

_http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/astra2a_north.html

_http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/astra2a_south.html

AS for FTA english, they're mostly on 2D, which is meant for the UK only.
_http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/astra2d.html

I don't think your 88cm is going to be up to the job, if you wanted all of astra 2 cluster.

You might get some of Eurobird1 at 28.5E ( can be considered to be co-located with 28.2E for most purposes)
_http://www.lyngsat.com/eb1.html

Robbo

bjluv · 15-10-2007

thanks Robbo will check in a moment and will write back...I feel like winning a 10million worth of lottery right now :d

thanx to rolfw too for all your help

**Channel Hopper** · 15-10-2007

Originally Posted by bjluv

now i can smile for a smile at least....changed all the bolts and stuff that came with the moteck and it indeed worked. Funny that I am located on 27.7E and I can not see 28.2E (Astra 2A)

Astra 2 would have been a blessing because I could see all the UK channels available on that sat. Anyone have the reason why I can not see Astra 2?

For now, I can view Hotbird, Astra 1 & Eutelsat W3A. When I have time, I can play with the motor more to see if I can see more satellite.

It might be worth checking the following footprint maps (all of Astra 2 satellite beams are different). If the expected signal is within your dish soze at your location though, then I would start looking at the alignment of the dish to the arc, with the declination angles as prime suspect.

bjluv · 16-10-2007

andI also should have mentioned that I got through to seeing this channels from Astra 1. Sent my motor to Astra 2 and got the signals so when I searched for the channels, they were all Astra 1 channels so I basically saved the signal point as Astra 1 and afterwards got Hotbird and Eutelsat W3A...

Well it might be that my dish size is small or that I am not yet perfectly on the arc. I remember that I got these signals when I raised the position of the motor on the pole mouth a little bit up...

Should I tangle with this a little bit more since I can ONLY successfully get 3 satellites and no more?

bjluv · 17-10-2007

Originally Posted by Robbo71

I don't think your 88cm is going to be up to the job, if you wanted all of astra 2 cluster.

You might get some of Eurobird1 at 28.5E ( can be considered to be co-located with 28.2E for most purposes)
_http://www.lyngsat.com/eb1.html

Robbo

Well I am thinking I could get Eurobird too but I havent been successful yet and I dont want to give up. I have a Triax 88DL (95x85cm) dish. Could you please tell me the best transponder to use to get this Eurobird 1 if you know?

**Topper** · 17-10-2007

Originally Posted by bjluv

Could you please tell me the best transponder to use to get this Eurobird 1 if you know?

The best transponder does not exist since it varies dependant upon your location, Robbo 71 has already given you the web address for lyngsat, from that you should be able to choose what frequency FEC and SR to scan at go and have a look. I would recommend you choose one using the fixed beam as that appears to be more powerful in your location. The S1 beam is not as powerful.

**Robbo** · 17-10-2007

Yes, I agree with Topper, I couldn't possibly know which is the best for your location, only my own.

What I do is scroll through the transponder list on my receiver, until I get one that gives a signal.
(for a weaker (for me) satellite))

Depending on how well you are tracking the arc, you may find that a little fine tuning of the EAST-WEST adjustment with the receiver helps a little.

Robbo

bjluv · 17-10-2007

By just sending the dish to certain degree with the help of the motor, it instantly locates satellites without fine tuning and with strong signal but even after fine-tuning around Eurobird1, I couldnt get anything so maybe I can not have it here

**Robbo** · 17-10-2007

Originally Posted by bjluv

By just sending the dish to certain degree with the help of the motor, it instantly locates satellites without fine tuning and with strong signal but even after fine-tuning around Eurobird1, I couldnt get anything so maybe I can not have it here

Maybe you dish just is too small, the footprint indicates that you are inside it, although the footprints obviously cannot be relied upon.

I don't know how easily you found setting your motorised system up, and you might not want to disturb it. But if it was mine, I would go outside and give the dish a bit of a tweak whilst on 28E, just to make sure, if I was desperate.

Although this would bu99er up what you have already, so you would need to put it back like it was before, if unsuccessful.

bjluv · 17-10-2007

I don't think I will bother that much moving the dish with my hands outside with what I have now.

I setup the dish by first of all sending the motor to Astra1 and went out to move the dish until I get signals from Astra. Then fine-tune it and saved it. Afterwards, I could easily get and save the other satellites with little but fine-tuning. I can now see the following satellites: Atlantic Bird 3, Thor, Sirius, Eutelsat W3A, HotBird, Eutelsat W2 & Astra1.

Will have to keep playing more until I can be able to get Eurobird

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