First timer ...be gentle please

Dogs · 03-07-2008

Here it is my first question/ questions

Been given a Technomate TM1200 and a 1mtr Dish with a MTI 0.6 LNB.
Going to try and set it up this Friday/Sat on my EV Quantum weather permitting

From reading a few tutorials it looks like if i set the dish up and sent it to Thor 0.8E manually find the dish and tune the signal too its max i should be fine for my starting point?( i have a cheap dishfineder meter)

My details are Latitude: 56.188°Longitude: -3.039°

I know the direction of Thor as i found it when i was mucking about with my sky dish and have a couple of good "markers" for my alignment.

I think my elevation should be 26 deg as a few sites for the co-ordinates say 25.89 - 26.14 but on my tm-2200 it has an Elevation marker on it and an latitude marker on the bracket...but when i set the latitude to 56 the elevation marker is at 34...did i miss something.

Now once i get the elevation sorted there is the declination (or "The What???") as i affectionately know it as

...as i understand this bit the declination angle for my area is 7.8 so my dish angle set in the dish bracket should be 22.2 ? ...damn i hope thats right or i may just shoot myself ...or is the present accepted practice to shoot myself after two days of not getting everything aligned properly

So if i get thor sorted in theory using USALS i should be able to choose another satellite say 19e and the dish should track to that satellite providing i have my initial satellite setup right?

First time attempting this so please be patient

Damn after reading that last bit back back it seems so easy...lol

**satelliteman** · 03-07-2008

Take you time and read through the guides and tutorials carefully.

With a Longitude of 3W, you could use 5W or 1W as your reference satellite for set up

***wod*** · 03-07-2008

also make sure your wall mount is 100% level otherwise you will have issues when tracking the arc east/west

yes use either 1west or 5west to align up once you have correctly entered your location coordinates in the usals menu on the receiver.

on the dish elevation i found on my dish the marking wasn't correct so just start from figure given in the motor manual and tweak it from there for best signal.

Originally Posted by dogs

I think my elevation should be 26 deg as a few sites for the co-ordinates say 25.89 - 26.14 but on my tm-2200 it has an Elevation marker on it and an latitude marker on the bracket...but when i set the latitude to 56 the elevation marker is at 34...did i miss something.

no this is correct some motors have both so just set it to 56 as the other side just tells you what it is in degrees thats all

Originally Posted by dogs

So if i get thor sorted in theory using USALS i should be able to choose another satellite say 19e and the dish should track to that satellite providing i have my initial satellite setup right?

yes once you have got the alignment to the reference satellite correct everything else will be found

**Robbo71** · 03-07-2008

Originally Posted by Dogs

..but when i set the latitude to 56 the elevation marker is at 34...did i miss something.

So if i get thor sorted in theory using USALS i should be able to choose another satellite say 19e and the dish should track to that satellite providing i have my initial satellite setup right?

Nope, you missed nothing. Latitude setting on motor =90-elevation and vice versa.

Yes, once set up right for Thor, you should be able to pick up all the other available satellites. A little tweak here and there may be necessary, but essentially you'd have it.

***Park Royal*** · 03-07-2008

Hi Dogs

26degrees is the look angle to THor from your location. It has nothing to do with the scaling on your motor.
You state that your location latitude is 56.188 which will be 56.2 (close enough). If you have latitude and elevation marked on your motor, then elevation equals 90 minus latitude. Inyour case elevation = 90 - 56.2 = 33.8
So you set your motor to latitude 56.2 or elevation 33.8. All depending upon the scale marked on the motor.
Dish elevation, as wod mentiones, is as per the motor handbook.

Parky

Woops, Robbo tyes faster than me.
Parky

Dogs · 04-07-2008

Thanks for the great info guys......here's how it went
Spent a lot of time adjusting the pole with the dish and motor on it...its my old sky mount that was squint....got everything level as it should be then started the fun bit
Couldn't find Thor.....so thought about it and thought if i could get a good signal on hotbird or Astra 19e then the rest should follow.....used the receiver to move the motor and had a few goes at moving the dish but picking up different satellites than the ones i wanted then after a few hours and numerous trips up the ladder ...bingo found 19e...not a great signal bit a signal none the less.....a little bit of tweaking and more swearing than usual the signal improved...scanned and got over 700 channels...went to 28.2 and scanned there getting a lot of channels as well...went back to hotbird and got 10 channels.....gave it one more tweek with the meter on one of the channels and the signal went from 20% to over 70%....scanned again and picked up over 1000 channels and an improved signal on the others as well.
So all in all a happy bunny
Now off for a glass or two of wine

Once again guys thanks for your help

**Topper** · 04-07-2008

Well done, you know once you get some channels it makes it all worth while, but be warned 1000 is never enough there are a few thousand more yet!!!!!

**satelliteman** · 04-07-2008

Well done

You now want to send the dish back to your reference 1W OR 5W to see if you have the arc correctly, .... assuming you want other satellites and not just the Astra's and Hotbird that is

**Robbo71** · 04-07-2008

Yep, I've often done my initial setup on 28E as there is a Sky dish in view so I know where to point it, but then I always whack it back round to 1W for any final adjustments.

**satelliteman** · 04-07-2008

I did it with 13e once using DiSEqC 1.2 and from the pre- installed satellite table pre programmed into the motor. I then sent it back to 1W and it was only a fraction out. It is possible

***wod*** · 04-07-2008

yes send it back to 1west and check that the arc is good and then move west and check 5w, 8w, 12w, 15w,18w, 22w, 30w etc

once its all good patch your receiver if it can be patched to open some channels and chill with some beers while watching a movie or whatever you like

robbo, you should get a meter off Ebay

then it will take you a few minutes, i like the quickness of my horizon meter saves all the hassle as i don't have a lot of patience

**Robbo71** · 04-07-2008

Originally Posted by wod

robbo, you should get a meter off Ebay then it will take you a few minutes, i like the quickness of my horizon meter saves all the hassle as i don't have a lot of patience

I use a portable flat screen TV connected to my TM via UHF, it does the job fine since my dish is at ground level. Which model of Horizon are you referring to wod?, I wouldn't mind taking a look anyway as I have a problem when it rains.

**satelliteman** · 04-07-2008

OR...................you could get yourself an even better meter and get a second hand spectrum analyser Robbo. I know a few fellow installers that have always got spec's for sale used

Dogs · 05-07-2008

went back to thor and got 106 channels...cant go any further west due to some inconsiderate bugger building a house there 60 years ago...the nerve of some people

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