Alignment of Silvercrest Camp Satellite dish

kozak

Hello

I have a problem with Alignment of Silvercrest Camp Satellite dish. I bought Suitcase System (60 cm dish, receiver, compass satellite finder etc) for 99 euro from Lidl on Sat 19/05/07 (returned for unknown reason).

Dish mounted in a southern facing direction on window sill inside the apartment (1st floor). I cannot have a satellite dish attached to the externals of the building.

I’ve followed instructions in the manual - used the satellite finder (floating compass, very basic!) supplied by Silvercrest to find the position of the Astra satellite 19E and aligned the dish to this position.
However, the message on the screen is “No signal found” as signal strength is only 11%. Signal strength may improve to 14% max when I try to re-align the dish.
The same story for Astra 28E, Hotbird 13E, HispanSat 30W.

I’ve read forums on this issue (for example http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2054982781) so I realise that dish alignment is not easy but still can be done.

Line of sight from my apt to the south is obstructed by number of 4-5 story buildings approx 40-45 meters south of my apt.
Apt is in South Dublin , Ireland

Any advise on dish alignment ?
I know that proper satellite finder may help but I’m not sure if its worth spending more money on this project taking into account that there is no clear line of sight to south.

Thanks

Topper

Welcome to the forum kozak

Well 1st of all you must realise that with an offset dish the angle of incidence is quite high up as per the picture and the dish almost vertical.
Ensure there are no fine copper strands shorting the central core inside the F connectors, also select a strong transponder for each of the satellites you mention as they are constantly changing, you get your info from here

You do not say what level your apartment is on so it is difficult to say with a photograph.

Attached Images

dish.jpg (15.4 KB, 10 views)

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2cvbloke

If it's the "suitcase" dish, it's about 35-40cm, not 60!!!

Anyway, the dish can be fiddly at first, but an oddity is, for example, on say Astra2 at 28.2E (where sky comes from) the dish needs to be tilted ever-so-slightly forwards rather than being straight up, and the LNB should be pushed as close to the dish as it'll go...

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kozak

Hi 2cvbloke and Hi Topper

Thanks for your replay.
Sorry for the typo. My dish is ellipse 45cm by 40 cm, not 60 cm diameter.
My apt is on the 1st floor. Line of sight from my apt to the south is obstructed by 4 story buildings approx 42-45 meters south of my apt.
Hence vertical angle of obstructed view is around 23 degrees.

Does this means that satellites with elevation below 23 degrees will be obstructed? If memory serves me right ASTRA is 24.5 degrees.

Yesterday during sunny spell I’ve managed to find ASTRA 19E channels (signal strength was around 45%). Only 10 channels were viewable. However, when weather changed to cloudy signal disappeared (strength 11 %).

How badly window glass and clouds impacts signal of your dish?
What sat finder would you recommend?

Thanks

rolfw

If you cannot see the satellite with the dish (direct line of sight), then you will not get reception. If you were receiving a poor strength Astra 19.2 and lifting the dish slightly higher (only a maximum of the height of the dish required) did not improve the signal, then it is not the obstruction, but more likely the lead content in your windows causing the problem.

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2cvbloke

The best thing to do is just try and see if you can get Astra2, but personally I'd reccomend using the suction cup base on the outside of your window, as some glass companies put different chemicals or metals in the glass or add coatings to the glass which can interfere with the high frequencies used when using one of these dishes indoors...

Weatherwise, well, if the clouds are thick enough, I lose everything on my little dish, these small dishes (also sky zone1 dishes too!!!) don't have much of a bad-weather margin so if the weather turns you end up with nothing...

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