Dish and Motor set up

[Robo44]

How do I find out what elevation to set the motor and dish to ? Would this be with the meter ?

 

[rolfw]

If you are using a DiSEqC motor, then you can set the Elevation using the latitude scale provided on pretty much all makes and models, just set it to your actual latitude, if this setting is incorrect your installation won't achieve a full arc. With declination (set on the dish elevation bracket) if the dish has an accurate scale, you can set this approximately, but everyone I know use meters of one sort or another to finalise this setting and lock onto a satellite.

 

[satelliteman]

Might also be worth taking a peep at the motor dish set up guides here:- Dish Setup Guides, Information threads and FAQs

 

[Robo44]

Many thanks chaps

 

[Robo44]

Yet another question. When I'm on Astra if I go to sky sports and get 68% quality which I know isn't brilliant if I then go to bt sport on the same satellite why would the quality only be 58% so I have to move the motor slightly to get a better signal. Is it just a case of getting the ladder out again and moving the dish ?

 

[Mickha]

When setting up a motorized system you will need to tweak the dish, to get it tracking the satellite arc, unless you're extremely lucky.
You do this by testing the signal quality, at the furthest East, and West, satellites, you can receive, then send your dish back to the satellite you set the dish up on, best to use the satellite nearest your true south position, which is usually 0.8W, adjust the brackets, motor, and dish, slightly, get the strongest signal, on that satellite, and test East/West again.
You keep doing this until you've got the best signal quality readings possible.
Your True South is your Longitude position, negative Longitude readings = West, positive = East.

 

[a33]

@Robo44:
And now that Astra 2E (where BT and SKYsport are) has recently moved to 28,5east instead of 28,3east, and the other Astra2-s are still at 28,2east, you should probably change your motorposition for 28east to about 28,35east instead of 28,25east.

In USALS that is easy.
In diseqc 1.2 you have to find some compromise/middle position. You can't aim at a specific 'middle satellite' anymore .

greetz,
A33

 

[Robo44]

@Robo44:
And now that Astra 2E (where BT and SKYsport are) has recently moved to 28,5east instead of 28,3east, and the other Astra2-s are still at 28,2east, you should probably change your motorposition for 28east to about 28,35east instead of 28,25east.

In USALS that is easy.
In diseqc 1.2 you have to find some compromise/middle position. You can't aim at a specific 'middle satellite' anymore .

greetz,
A33

I've tried so many times to use USALS but I never get it right so I manually set the satellites. I've also followed different sets of instructions but still can't sort it. I've put my longitude and latitude into my receiver got a strong signal on 0.8 but it still won't find the satellites

 

[sonnetpete]

I've put my longitude and latitude into my receiver got a strong signal on 0.8 but it still won't find the satellites

My first guess is that either your mount isn't vertical or the latitude setting on the motor is out....

 

[Robo44]

My first guess is that either your mount isn't vertical or the latitude setting on the motor is out....

I've double checked the setting on the motor and it is correct but I'll double check the mount is vertical. What's the best just use a spirit level ?

 

[Channel Hopper]

I've double checked the setting on the motor and it is correct but I'll double check the mount is vertical. What's the best just use a spirit level ?

A plumb line is cheaper and more accurate

 

[Lazarus]

A common mistake made in trying to set up a domestic motorised dish is to use the wrong scale on the motor.

There is usually an "Elevation" scale on one side of the bracket and a "Latitude" scale on the other side.

Ignore the Elevation scale and only use the Latitude scale: eg If you are at Latitude 51, then set the motor to 51 on the Latitude bracket.

If you set 51 on the Elevation scale or, vice-versa, have calculated motor elevation from a table then set that on the Latitude scale, you will end up tracking the arc only at the reference position. Hence being able to get a strong signal on eg Thor or AB3, but nothing elsewhere.

 

[Robo44]

A common mistake made in trying to set up a domestic motorised dish is to use the wrong scale on the motor.

There is usually an "Elevation" scale on one side of the bracket and a "Latitude" scale on the other side.

Ignore the Elevation scale and only use the Latitude scale: eg If you are at Latitude 51, then set the motor to 51 on the Latitude bracket.

If you set 51 on the Elevation scale or, vice-versa, have calculated motor elevation from a table then set that on the Latitude scale, you will end up tracking the arc only at the reference position. Hence being able to get a strong signal on eg Thor or AB3, but nothing elsewhere.

Not got round messing around with the dish but I just checked if it is vertical and it's about
2 mil out so would that make much difference ?

 

[sonnetpete]

Not got round messing around with the dish but I just checked if it is vertical and it's about
2 mil out so would that make much difference ?

If that's the mount and you're using a 1.1M dish it may make a difference. I try and get my mount to within 0.1 degrees of vertical (using a digital inclinometer)

 

[Robo44]

I went and got a plumb line and also noticed that the brackets can be moved if i undo the bolts.
So ill wait till the weather improves and have a mess about. Can you recommend a good tutorial to setting up using USUALS ?

 

[Lazarus]

Just follow the "Quick Method" outlined in the Motor's Instruction leaflet.