Bodged Motor issue

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
Hi, I have set up a sky zone 2 dish on a motor and put the skew on 0, this took a very long time :mad: . Its on a bodged stand in the garden but it seems ok, I just wanted a couple of sats not a large number however it only picks up 5e, 19.2e and 13e (Good signal quality). I find it strange that it will not get 28.2e or 30 w because my 45cm can pick 30w up from near by and 28.2e is just next to 19.2e, I also tried to move the dish east and west a little from the stb to get a signal but no luck. Could it be that it is too low as its on the ground? Also what other sats should a zone 2 pick up?

Thanks for reading.
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
I used a zone 2 for a while and picked up 30W, 5W, 1W, 5E, 13E, 16E, 19.2 e, 28.2E, 36E and 42E, plus a couple of others in between. Not all satellites were of great signal strength and I didn't receive all channels, but enough to be worthwhile.

I'm surprised that you cannot receive 1W, as that is the one you should be setting up on and it is the highest in the sky from your location. :)

Can you supply a picture of what may be blocking the view of the dish?
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
Yeah, very strange, i tried 1w, all I could get very easily is 13e not a flicker of 1w or any other western sat. Could it be the skew?, It may be trees or buildings but then I don't understand why I get what i get. About the picture ill try tomorrow because its dark now that is if i find my camera, but im kind of embarrassed because it looks very dodgy, thanks for the info
 

Topper

Amo Amas Amant Admin
Staff member
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
23,991
Reaction score
4,014
Points
113
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
Has gone to a good home elsewhere
My Location
Blackburn, Lancashire
modman said:
but im kind of embarrassed because it looks very dodgy, thanks for the info

Does it look worse than a dish sitting on a bald radial tyre in the back garden? if not then don't be embarrassed everyone has seen Analoguesat's tyre setup so your cannot possibly be worse.:cool: :toke:
 

2cvbloke

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
9,768
Reaction score
1,808
Points
113
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
No satellite stuff for the moment (aside from a 43cm minidish that was on the house already), Samsung SyncMaster T27B550 Smart TV & Monitor, and a few computers...
My Location
Near Pontop Pike, Co. Durham
modman said:
but im kind of embarrassed because it looks very dodgy, thanks for the info

You ain't seen nothing until you've seen what I can do to get a dish set up.... :D
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London

digdog

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
Points
0
My Location
Doghouse
At this time of year if your dish is in direct sunlight from sunrise to sunset you have a clear view of the Clarke Belt.
If you have then assuming mounting pole is vertical it might pay to check motor angle is correct per your manual and then play with dish angle for best results on something fairly close to due South - for you for starters this looks like 5e. When you have max quality on this one you might have better luck with 1w - not that there is much available there at the mo though!
Sounds as tho your arc is out - so checking the basics looks like a good starting point!
Skew at 0 should be OK - your motor will automatically tilt dish and lnb to something like the ideal as it swings east or west...
:) :)
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
Thanks, I will try again soon, I think ill move the stand position
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
Here we are, the dish is currently on 13e. The middle image shows whats in the western direction.
 

2cvbloke

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
9,768
Reaction score
1,808
Points
113
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
No satellite stuff for the moment (aside from a 43cm minidish that was on the house already), Samsung SyncMaster T27B550 Smart TV & Monitor, and a few computers...
My Location
Near Pontop Pike, Co. Durham
modman said:
Here we are, the dish is currently on 13e. The middle image shows whats in the western direction.

Looks to me that the tree blocks your view of 30W & other western satellites, and it's possible that your fence is blocking 28.2E, so the easiest option is to just relocate your dish a bit further back in your garden (to get 30W) and a little more towards the middle of the garden (for 28.2E), or you could put the dish on the front of your house... :)
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
I think ill try the move back option because i have not got the equipment to properly mount a dish on a wall. I just need a longer cable now. Thanks for the help.
 

digdog

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
Points
0
My Location
Doghouse
This is a useful site for calculating elevation etc

h**p://www.hansa-electronic.com/satcalceng.asp

If you can rig up some sort of inclinometer (even from a protractor , ruler and spirit level) you might be able to judge if you can clear those obstacles - that tree is going to be even more of problem when it is leaf!
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
What ill do is try to move it first, if that fails i might try to make something to check like you suggested, thanks for the link
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
Thanks for the help everyone, I moved the dish about a meter back and now get 30w,5w ,1w , 28.2e, 5e, 13e and 19.2e. I still cannot get others like 16e but im happy. Im just worried it won't last because that is not the best stand.:-doh2
 

2cvbloke

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
9,768
Reaction score
1,808
Points
113
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
No satellite stuff for the moment (aside from a 43cm minidish that was on the house already), Samsung SyncMaster T27B550 Smart TV & Monitor, and a few computers...
My Location
Near Pontop Pike, Co. Durham
modman said:
Thanks for the help everyone, I moved the dish about a meter back and now get 30w,5w ,1w , 28.2e, 5e, 13e and 19.2e. I still cannot get others like 16e but im happy. Im just worried it won't last because that is not the best stand.:-doh2

You should have seen my indoor dish's tripod!!! That took ages for me to let it actually fall apart (I had it strapped together with duck tape, parcel tape and unused electrical cables!!!), but all you need to do is get a pole of somesort (scaffold is good, but get it from a scaffolder's yard rather than a nearby house with it going up the side!!!), a few feet is best, then hammer it into the ground (or set it in concrete, whichever's easiest), but make sure it stays perfectly vertical, then strap your dish on and enjoy!!!! :D
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
2cvbloke said:
You should have seen my indoor dish's tripod!!! That took ages for me to let it actually fall apart (I had it strapped together with duck tape, parcel tape and unused electrical cables!!!), but all you need to do is get a pole of somesort (scaffold is good, but get it from a scaffolder's yard rather than a nearby house with it going up the side!!!), a few feet is best, then hammer it into the ground (or set it in concrete, whichever's easiest), but make sure it stays perfectly vertical, then strap your dish on and enjoy!!!! :D

LOL, once it fails, ill try another way, i tried to find a pole in B+Q but no luck, The motor that i have requires a chunky pole, the bolt threads only go a short way, so when you reach the end if you have a standard pole it will still be loose, you can't see it in the pics but i used two poles taped together. Good idea though
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
I now have another problem. The motor sometimes gets confused and I have to set all the sats up again. For example I moved from 13e to 30w then back but it started to go further west and then I lost all positions. It has happened twice, What could be the problem, I am using a tm 1000D, thanks in advance
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
Is that using USALS or DiseqC 1.2?
 

sg_

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2006
Messages
50
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Age
39
My Satellite Setup
45w-52e 80cm VU+ Duo2 (DVB-S/DVB-T)
My Location
Northern Ireland
There is a program called GorbTrack. You can use it to see if you can have a view of satellites if you feel youve an obstacle in your way, you just put in information like your obstacle distance, height, and the height your dish is at, the satellite your aiming for and it should tell you if you can "see" it. Its free too if I remember correct
 

modman

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
36
My Satellite Setup
PLAZA ST100 FTA,
3 mini dishes,
Zone 2 dish on a motor,
TM 1000D
My Location
London
rolfw said:
Is that using USALS or DiseqC 1.2?

DiseqC 1.2, sorry for the slow reply I was out
 
Top