Disaster!!

[Vipersan]

Well ...
if nothing else m8's ...its proving that the dish is performing pretty well in KU .... considering I had to bend it back into shape after the fall.
Remember I'm using a low grade lnb ...sawn off and taped to a scalar feed horn ..and literally just put roughly at the focus ..
No tweaking ..no frills ..
and yet its doing the business..
rgds
All
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

Well ...
if nothing else m8's ...its proving that the dish is performing pretty well in KU ....

Additionally proving the tracking of the belt is roughly correct as well, unless you are constantly adjusting the elevation.

(time to consider moving the main motor to the east side as well eh ? ;) )

 

[sonnetpete]

Just checked and I think you're right VS

 

[Vipersan]

Additionally proving the tracking of the belt is roughly correct as well, unless you are constantly adjusting the elevation.

(time to consider moving the main motor to the east side as well eh ? ;) )

Difficult to call atm CH ..
as the ku lnb isn't exactly accurately placed ..
But as a rough guide ..
at 62 East I find the centre of postion ..
ie..max signal is at 1130 ...which approximates to 52 degrees ..
53 .5 is the setting at the top of the arc ...so 1.5 degrees of adjustment required at this low elevation ..

I'd say that was in line with what I expected ..as I still believe the Polar offset wants something like 1 degree of tweaking..

As to shifting the main moter to the other side ..
I doubt it ..
The 1.8s prime function is C band ..and most of what I access is on the west side or the arc..
;)
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Just checked and I think you're right VS

Thanks for confirming I hadn't gone mad Pete ..
appreciated m8
VS

btw do you get wild fluctations in signal strength ?
I suspect its because I'm probably right on the footprint fringe..

 

[Huevos]

NSS12 57 East..

11180 V
tp MEV4

Asia TV
DVB-S 2590-3/4

The signal comes and goes very rapidly ..
almost as though NSS12 is oscillating on a spring ..

That's a pretty high power satellite. I would have thought it would be an easy catch on a 70 or 80cm dish from there. Have you got an elevation fix to compare with 58ºE? Maybe the signal is a bit rubbish because you are firing into the fence. C-band from that satellite is a struggle though, for me at least. DoctorOfSat gets it easily but he's 24º further east than me. I can't check on 62ºE because I've set hardware and software limits around 58ºE.

 

[Analoguesat]

Well its definitely Al Alam - heres a screencap from the 13E version. I knew Id seen it somewhere else

 

[Vipersan]

That's a pretty high power satellite. I would have thought it would be an easy catch on a 70 or 80cm dish from there. Have you got an elevation fix to compare with 58ºE? Maybe the signal is a bit rubbish because you are firing into the fence. C-band from that satellite is a struggle though, for me at least. DoctorOfSat gets it easily but he's 24º further east than me. I can't check on 62ºE because I've set hardware and software limits around 58ºE.

Hi Huevos ..
Just to make a comparison ..
I've tuned in the same transponder on the AZ box ...which is hooked up to the TD110
So high up ...aligned and no fence in the way ..
Its a little more stable but still the signal fluctuates ...giving occasional freezing of the image.
So it looks like I'm on the fringe so to speak ...
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

as I still believe the Polar offset wants something like 1 degree of tweaking..

Polar offset would mean the arc is higher on one side and lower on the other. The errors discovered in declination suggest there may be a difference in the final angle of the dish, to that of the polarmount. Not common in prime focus systems, unless the two bearings are not set one above the other.
The usual suspects are offset antennas mounted on a motor where the clamping system is not aligned correctly at true south.
Since you have an elevation motor that can give you correction on the arc, I would continue using it, as the only other answer (on the design of framework on your dish) is to offset the pole to one side, or rewelding of one of the bearings, and correcting the north/south.

 

[sonnetpete]

Thanks for confirming I hadn't gone mad Pete ..
appreciated m8
VS

btw do you get wild fluctations in signal strength ?
I suspect its because I'm probably right on the footprint fringe..

No, it's never fluctuated, in fact as Huevos says it's always come in strongly. I used to catch Duhok and Silemani on the Vantage from that bird as well but for some reason the VU+ won't. Don't think it's the low S/R either.

 

[Vipersan]

Polar offset would mean the arc is higher on one side and lower on the other. The errors discovered in declination suggest there may be a difference in the final angle of the dish, to that of the polarmount. Not common in prime focus systems, unless the two bearings are not set one above the other.
The usual suspects are offset antennas mounted on a motor where the clamping system is not aligned correctly at true south.
Since you have an elevation motor that can give you correction on the arc, I would continue using it, as the only other answer (on the design of framework on your dish) is to offset the pole to one side, or rewelding of one of the bearings, and correcting the north/south.

Thanks CH ..
I've suspected for some time ..even pre the dishaster incident ..that the polar mount may have a slight build defect ..
Not complaining ...and certainly not a worry as I Can correct for it with a second motor...
rgds
VS

 

[Huevos]

Hi Huevos ..
Just to make a comparison ..
I've tuned in the same transponder on the AZ box ...which is hooked up to the TD110
So high up ...aligned and no fence in the way ..

Did you set that dish up 90º-latitude, or did you include topocentric correction?

 

[Vipersan]

Hi Huevos ..
The TD110 is on a usals 'darkmotor' ..so no setup other than the usual due south sat ...motor setting for my location ..and dish elevation setting..etc.


Just tested again ..this time on the 80cm faval /SG2100 combo ..
still the same issues with the signal from this NSS12 ...regarding the Asia TV transponder ..
That dish is the width of 3 terraced houses away

I suppose it could be local interference ...
In that direction about 300 to 400 mtrs away as the crow flies is a Telecom mobile phone mast by the side of the main road ..
..not partcularly high ...but definately along that line ..
rgds
VS

 

[Huevos]

Well if it is set 90-lat you are off the arc by a good 0.5º by the time you reach 57ºE. SonnetPete is getting 81SNR and I'm getting 85SNR so the beam looks pretty pan-European. Reception threshold for that FEC is around 30-32SNR for solid reception so it has loads of signal in reserve... and the signal map says 75cm for your area

 

[Vipersan]

Well if it is set 90-lat you are off the arc by a good 0.5º by the time you reach 57ºE. SonnetPete is getting 81SNR and I'm getting 85SNR so the beam looks pretty pan-European. Reception threshold for that FEC is around 30-32SNR for solid reception so it has loads of signal in reserve... and the signal map says 75cm for your area

Then for me the only possible conclusion is localised interference ..
What are the chances 3 dishes experience the same wierd fluctuations ....one of which has an extra motor to correct elevation ...
most odd ..
rgds
VS

 

[Huevos]

Then for me the only possible conclusion is localised interference ..
What are the chances 3 dishes experience the same wierd fluctuations ....one of which has an extra motor to correct elevation ...
most odd ..
rgds
VS

I don't know. Is that satellite a spinner? I get that pulsing here off 2D horizontals so maybe it is a fringe thing.

 

[Vipersan]

After much messing and single stepping ..I finally managed to log KissTV Intelsat12 @45 East into the V-box .. ;)

So I now have 42E 45E 57E & 62E positions logged into my positioner ..
53E still eludes me however ..and I suspect that is directly through the tree ...but will check tomorrow in the daylight.
Time for some ZZZsss I think.
G'nite all
VS

 

[sonnetpete]

VS,

FYI: My strongest TP on 53°E is 11044V (see photo), though they all have low or unusual S/R's on that sat.

 

[Vipersan]

Oh well ..the verdict is in ..
That tree is and will cause me a few probs ...even when its leafless..
The 2 images show fairly conclusive proof .
I thought the signal would be sufficient to get through the branches and twigs whilst it wasn't green
..but looks like I was wrong .
The first pic shows the alignment of dish ..tree ...and EXP AM22
The second ...was a photo taken with the camera perched on the back of the lnb ...
A dish eye view if you will ..

rgds all
VS

 

[sonnetpete]

Looks like a candidate for pollarding/coppicing/pruning!! Whose land is it on anyway? Council? If so, probably best to say nowt!!