Another motor dish set-up problem

FSDSMAN

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Hi, Sorry for such a repetative cry for help but:
I am trying to set up my system and had (at least I thought) got true south set up. Then centered my dish on the referance point and then tried to tune into Thor2/3 as that is the nearest sat from the referance point. My Lat is N 51.22:02 E 0.18:07
The motor I have is a ***** superior DARK MOTOR on a 90cm Fortec Star with a ***** DARKGOLD single universal LNB.
The table for the motor suggests an Elevation angle of 39 and a dish angle of 27.6
Now on the motor the elevation Angle table is quite clear but what is the referance marker? The tab in the slot, the face of the motor or the bolt? Also the dish bracket which I must say is rather flimsy the angle table starts at 30 and goes up to 60 and is almost obsured but the cut out notch is where I am reading from.
On scanning through the satellites on the reciever I get full (90% quality) on the Eurobird 9E.
Does this indicate that it is just my due south settings that are way off or should I get a wig (no hair left) and start again
Any advice would be very helpfull.
 

redout

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Try _http://www.dishpointer.com/ and enter your exact location on the map.
 

Lazarus

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FSDSMAN said:
Hi, Sorry for such a repetative cry for help but:
I am trying to set up my system and had (at least I thought) got true south set up. Then centered my dish on the referance point and then tried to tune into Thor2/3 as that is the nearest sat from the referance point. My Lat is N 51.22:02 E 0.18:07
The motor I have is a ***** superior DARK MOTOR on a 90cm Fortec Star with a ***** DARKGOLD single universal LNB.
The table for the motor suggests an Elevation angle of 39 and a dish angle of 27.6
Now on the motor the elevation Angle table is quite clear but what is the referance marker? The tab in the slot, the face of the motor or the bolt? Also the dish bracket which I must say is rather flimsy the angle table starts at 30 and goes up to 60 and is almost obsured but the cut out notch is where I am reading from.
On scanning through the satellites on the reciever I get full (90% quality) on the Eurobird 9E.
Does this indicate that it is just my due south settings that are way off or should I get a wig (no hair left) and start again
Any advice would be very helpfull.


1. Motor: The datum is (should be!) a slightly raised mark on a small plate visible through the slot just forward of the bolt.

2. If you look on the other side of the Motor, you'll find a corresponding scale marked directly as Latitude, so you should find that showing 51.
 

FSDSMAN

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Tivù said:
1. Motor: The datum is (should be!) a slightly raised mark on a small plate visible through the slot just forward of the bolt.

2. If you look on the other side of the Motor, you'll find a corresponding scale marked directly as Latitude, so you should find that showing 51.

Hi That is what I thought. The only problem is that both sides of the plat show the scale in Latitude and from what I have read in the manual if my lat is 51 I set the elevation angle to 39 on the Latitude scale markers on the side of the moter. If I set it to 51 and not 39 the motor pole is pointing rearwards and not slightly forwards.
I did got to the site to find my true south but the main problem I have is I have a garage wall the entire length of my garden which obscures any visual referance point in that direction. Also for local reasons and covonets I cannot mount the dish any higher than my fence (within reason)
Also does anybody make a square pole so the motor cannot turn and then have that welded to a circular plate that can rotate before being clamped and have magnetic markings on it?
Just an idea but it would make the motor mount far more stable and line up a cinch. Sort of base mount sun dial if you like.
Thanks for the replys but I still need to get it set up correctly.
 

satelliteman

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90-Latitude is your Elevation.

Set either the latitude or elevation on the motor bracket and the dish elevation slightly facing up as a starting point. Dish elevation scale markings are not accurate.
 

bigtee

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... if my lat is 51 I set the elevation angle to 39 on the Latitude scale markers on the side of the moter.

This is almost but not wholly accurate: either set Latitude on Latitude marker to 51 OR on the other side set elevation on the elevation marker to 39.

If you set the figure for elevation i.e. 39 on the Latitude scale, then you will have problems with the setting up.
 

FSDSMAN

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bigtee said:
This is almost but not wholly accurate: either set Latitude on Latitude marker to 51 OR on the other side set elevation on the elevation marker to 39.

If you set the figure for elevation i.e. 39 on the Latitude scale, then you will have problems with the setting up.

Many thanks for your patience,
the point is ON BOTH SIDES the scale is marked LATITUDE and are exactly the same. At the back of the handbook that came with the new motor there is a table of "elevation and declination angles" that imply to set your correct angles you look down the chart for your site latitude (51) and then it gives off the angles to set on the Elevation angle (39) and the Declination angle for your site (7.4) and the dish angle bracket 27.6
This more or less matches the info on the web site.
However after a bit of tweeking and the meter I can no go to Thor, and a few other sat's close by and get a picture with a quality of about 80% on some transponders so now I guess is throw away the pole that came with the dish (again rather flimsy) and get a decent mount and set it truely plumb - re site - and start again but I think i will invest in a incline meter to assist.
 

rolfw

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Can you take some pictures of the motor side plates and others of the rest of the installation and upload them?

Most motors nowadays have a latitude on one side and elevation on the other, if the bracket says latitude, then that should mean using the latitude figure of 51 degrees.
 

RdMin

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went back to initial setup on my motorised setup,initially had issues with 1W,so using 13E as a reference,I got a good lock on it,then went to 1W,increased my reception by about 20%.Used a horizon sat meter to fine tune in conjunction with on board sat receiver sig qual and strength.Would recommend sending the motor to another sat other than 1W,and see how you get on!.
Still considering a Fraccaro all the same,to reduce rain fade on fringe sats.:)
 

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RdMin said:
went back to initial setup on my motorised setup,initially had issues with 1W,so using 13E as a reference,I got a good lock on it,then went to 1W,increased my reception by about 20%.Used a horizon sat meter to fine tune in conjunction with on board sat receiver sig qual and strength.Would recommend sending the motor to another sat other than 1W,and see how you get on!.
Still considering a Fraccaro all the same,to reduce rain fade on fringe sats.:)

If you are using USALS, it is perfectly possible to use any Satellite position as the algorithm merely requires a single point on the arc to be fixed: BUT, this does mean you need to be doubly sure the mount is plumb and the mechanical assembly is spot on - if not, it makes it somewhat more difficult to diagnose tracking errors than if you use your South Satellite (There is a pleasing symmetry about using the Satellite nearest motor zero and at maximum elevation).

Clearly, doing as you've done, and checking other Satellites straight away is de rigeur: In fact, having set up on any strong Satellite, it is a good idea to check a couple of weaker ones to fine tune alignment even further - In general, you don't need to be quite so precise to get the strong ones, so it can be the case that you are up to half a degree or so out in Azimuth: When you go to a weak Satellite, that half degree could represent a total miss!

Given that you've had a go at Thor, now try some of the weaker TPs on eg 16E, 23.5E, which would benefit from fine tuning that size dish. And don't forget to check the ends of the arc too.
 
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