Dish Inclination setting - multiple reference marks?

[OldBen]

Hi All,

So helping a friend last night (mainly as ladder ballast) change his old motorised dish that came with his house to non-motorised with a quattro rather than dual LNB.

The house had a 36v motor and a clear dish, it looks about 85cm but I don't think its a Metronic like mine as the construction is totally different (unless its just a lot older model, when they bought the house it turned out the dish had planning so pre 2005it seems!).

Why remove the motor I hear you cry? Well its 36v, its parked in the wrong place, he has nothing to drive it around to 28.2, and nothing to use it later so easiest seemed to be to remove it. Clearly removing the motor required setting new inclination on the dish (and yes pole is dead vertical, checked first).

The problem is setting the inclination (I think he needed 25degrees) that the full scale is on one part of the bracket as expected, but rather than a central marking on the other part of the dish bracket there are three?!

They have markings something like:
85-105
85
65-85

Which one should be used to set the 25 degrees inclination? (are they latitude ranges?!)

Any pointers appreciated, slight shortage of compression F-plug tools yesterday so lots cabling but no alignment, clearly some trial and error could be used but would be easier for this to just be in one axis finding 28.2 rather than two axis with the inclination as well!

Paul

 

[Lazarus]

Well it doesn't really matter.

Even if you could make use of a scale, they are always inaccurate and don't account for any slight deviation in the mount.

So just set the dish face vertical (assuming it's an offset dish) and adjust as necessary. No real way round having to work in two axes!

 

[satelliteman]

Dish elevation markings are not accurate on the majority of dishes. Are you using a meter to make alignment?

 

[OldBen]

Thanks for fast replies!

Ok, if its two axis then that's what has to be done, just hoped to get it in the ballpark to reduce time in cold holding ladder (well for me, time up ladder moving dish for my mate!).

We are using "a meter", but you need to think fairly nasty needle thing that is probably worth all of £3 and came free with an order sometime in the past, its certainly not reading the NIT!

Still trying to hit 28.2 with an 80cm+ dish, how hard can it be we thought?!

 

[satelliteman]

Azimuth approx 154° with an elevation of 25°. Start with the dish slightly raised and slowly swing round until you get a meter signal. Scan and check the receiver to see where you are.

 

[Lazarus]

Still trying to hit 28.2 with an 80cm+ dish, how hard can it be we thought?!

Don't forget, if it's an offset dish, that the face of the dish will be nigh on vertical (or perhaps a tiny bit up from vertical, depending upon the offset - the latter depends upon dish design but is generally between 22 and 26 deg, hence you can imagine that results in a more or less vertical dish face).



Edit: That's one-all now, Paul ................

 

[OldBen]

Yes set to 25deg on the bracket dish face is pretty vertical and looks more or less like next doors minidish. I think my friend had elv 25deg with Azimuth 164 as a starting point, so will head towards 154 first off.

I think issue is he may not have TV at the house, oh well can at least terminate all the cables today now the tool arrived and try to use meter to get it in roughly the right location.

With a quattro can you use any output with the el cheapo meters?

Paul (which confused me tivu until I worked out satelliteman must also be called Paul ;))

 

[PaulR]

It's probably academic now but my best guess on the markings is that they are for different size dishes.

Why is another question!

Another Paul...

 

[OldBen]

DISH SIZE!

That would make perfect sense, especially as "85" lined up perfectly with a reading (40 deg) with the motor on it, almost certainly an 85cm dish!

Thanks Paul, Paul.

 

[satelliteman]

A picture would identify or help with the EL query.

 

[OldBen]

A picture would identify or help with the EL query.

It would, sadly despite the council provided lighting for the job from the streetlight right outside light levels were too low for phone snap. Will give it a try tonight based on two way alignment and some guesstimation and see how we get on...

 

[OldBen]

Thanks all for help :-worship

Dish was aligned yesterday (initially on what was probably hotbird, and later on Astra) without too much trauma at all. Was not sure which (or all) inputs required the power so connected up the multiswitch to the LNB and put the cheap needle/buzz meter inline with 1 of the connections to the Quattro.

Got pretty good signal (sky menu showed strong bars for signal and quality) with meter, then careful positioning of TV near front door allowed last minute tweeks to get best signal using sky meter. Its an older white Sky+ box so not sure of model and accuracy, but its 2 blocks off full signal on the onscreen meter (85%ish) and 1 block of full quality.

Left elevation at 25 and then tweaked that last once we had right azimuth.

Another plus point was his 5/24 Paragon switch from eBay seems to work perfectly

I did snap a phone pic but its pretty much unintelligible so won't post.

 

[Lazarus]

Excellent result - well done

And you might be able to improve quality further by adjusting the LNB skew, if you haven't already.

 

[satelliteman]

Nice result.

 

[OldBen]

Yes I remembered that just after we put the ladder away! (skew) Its on the list of things still to do, left my ladders there last night so will check that when I am next there to collect the ladders.

 

[Lazarus]

Yes I remembered that just after we put the ladder away! (skew) Its on the list of things still to do, left my ladders there last night so will check that when I am next there to collect the ladders.

!