Usals problem & alignment

[Red alert]

Even so, concrete slabs can be moved about in the earth to re-orient the tripod.

I wasnt able to lay slabs due to the shape of the area i have to work on. Last year the garden was landscaped and the worker has laid concrete here in the corner. It wasnt laid specifically for this dish mount. The concrete seemed stable at first except later on when i noticed problems with the front turnbuckle. Here is what the area looks like.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Those locking bolts (top and bottom) should allow some tolerance to get the post near vertical.

Filing out the holes slightly may assist

 

[Red alert]

I remember the locking bolts allowed some tolerance but not enough to allow it to be bolted into the concrete, however like you say filing it should allow it. I'll have to consider my next steps.

 

[a33]

@a33 From what I understand i need to set the motor elevation to around 34.4 degrees using the inclinometer to achieve a modified motor angle including the 1.5 degree the pole is off by. I calculated this by doing: 90 - 54.1 (54.1 is the modified latitude for my location) = 35.9 . Then because pole is off by 1.5 degrees do 35.9 - 1.5 = 34.4 on the inclinometer. Does this sound about right? The value should be taken from the belly of the motor?

Yes, 54.1 modified latitude and 35.9 modified elevation are the values from post #134. These measures are against dead vertical/horizontal to earth surface.

The inclinometer measures against the vertical or the horizontal (unless you change the 0-position of it), so don't bother the mast offset. Just measure against dead vertical/horizontal, if possible at the side where the axis comes out.

BTW. As written earlier, the mast needs to be perfectly plumb only east/west-wise!

Greetz,
A33

 

[antrabe]

tomorrow i will play with my motorished 1.10m dish last days was so windy and i have to adjust which is the best manual or advised.
I think i have to adjust all from 0 again. When i receive 19ºE more or less fine 30W decrease and viceversa only with a little movement on the dish inclination.

Lets see tomorrow because something for sure is not correctly adjusted.

 

[Red alert]

tomorrow i will play with my motorished 1.10m dish last days was so windy and i have to adjust which is the best manual or advised.
I think i have to adjust all from 0 again. When i receive 19ºE more or less fine 30W decrease and viceversa only with a little movement on the dish inclination.

Lets see tomorrow because something for sure is not correctly adjusted.

This image helps me when I am trying to figure out which way I need to move the mount. This was attached earlier in one of the replies.

 

[antrabe]

This image helps me when I am trying to figure out which way I need to move the mount. This was attached earlier in one of the replies.View attachment 129815

yes i saw reading the thread i would like something like this thanks

 

[jeallen01]

This image helps me when I am trying to figure out which way I need to move the mount. This was attached earlier in one of the replies.View attachment 129815

FWIW, I think you need to make adjustments according to the middle/second one of the the above and then, when that aspect seems to work, go to the 3rd one, i.e. the declination adjustment to peak the signals as far as you can - and then redo the same steps again because (in the abcense of a "pro" sat meter!) it's almost certainly an iterative process.

 

[a33]

it's almost certainly an iterative process.

Absolutely!

When not starting all over again with the motor setup, but with the analysis of the above drawings:
I would start with correcting the zero-position alignment, if necessary, so pictures 3, 4 and 5 in the above drawings.
That is because if you have no symmetrical effects in the east arc and the west arc, it is very hard to know or conclude how much elevation and/or declination adjustment should be applied.

Greetz,
A33

 

[Red alert]

FWIW, I think you need to make adjustments according to the middle/second one of the the above and then, when that aspect seems to work, go to the 3rd one, i.e. the declination adjustment to peak the signals as far as you can - and then redo the same steps again because (in the abcense of a "pro" sat meter!) it's almost certainly an iterative process.

In my case its i try to follow the middle/second one and doesnt quite work for me i start questioning the plumbness of pole and make 0.1 adjustments east/west and never win. I purchased a GT Media v8 sat meter recently so I dont have to keep taking my tv outside. Not used it yet, I have never used one of these so how does a Sat meter help with alignment other than tell you when you have peaked on a satellite compared with taking tv outside? Probably something I am not aware of. I want to understand how it takes out the iterative process.

regards

 

[Red alert]

Absolutely!

When not starting all over again with the motor setup, but with the analysis of the above drawings:
I would start with correcting the zero-position alignment, if necessary, so pictures 3, 4 and 5 in the above drawings.
That is because if you have no symmetrical effects in the east arc and the west arc, it is very hard to know or conclude how much elevation and/or declination adjustment should be applied.

Greetz,
A33

It would be nice if a motor exists that tell you once you are at 0 position based on your location so dont have to guess where your true south is exactly. I just send motor to 0 and move it until I get some signal on 0.8 west then move it half a centimetre to the right since my longitude is -2.1.

 

[Mickha]

Your receiver works it all out for you, if using USALS.
You set everything to 0, dish, motor, and LNB, input your Latitude, and Longitude, into your receiver, as your Longitude is -2.1, use 2.1 West, then use your receiver to send the dish to 1W, or other satellite.
As your Longitude is 2.1W the receiver should send your motor just over 1 degree East, as 1W is just over 1 degree East of 2.1W.
You then physically align your dish onto 1W and 0, on your motor, should then be pointing at 2.1W.

 

[Lazarus]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well put!

I was about to Post on similar lines as @Red alert 's last post confused me somewhat and I wonder if there has been a fundamental flaw in the methodology previously applied? It could explain why the job hasn't yet fully borne fruit.

 

[Red alert]

Your receiver works it all out for you, if using USALS.
You set everything to 0, dish, motor, and LNB, input your Latitude, and Longitude, into your receiver, as your Longitude is -2.1, use 2.1 West, then use your receiver to send the dish to 1W, or other satellite.
As your Longitude is 2.1W the receiver should send your motor just over 1 degree East, as 1W is just over 1 degree East of 2.1W.
You then physically align your dish onto 1W and 0, on your motor, should then be pointing at 2.1W.

I had followed this method initially. I have just been trying what i wrote in my last post to see if there will be any improvement following the arc. Ive set up usals in the past when the dish was on a wall which worked fine, but since the setup i have currently is very different now and I can assume many error factors can be introduced.
When the motor mount is on due south surely when you then peak for 1 west by moving the motor mount east/west doesnt that put the whole setup slightly away from true south. You mentioned you align the dish, you mean moving the motor azimuth or dish only?

i should note that since my north/south is 1 degree off that I have been using a inclinometer to set elevation to 35.9 as per instructions from A33.

 

[Red alert]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well put!

I was about to Post on similar lines as @Red alert 's last post confused me somewhat and I wonder if there has been a fundamental flaw in the methodology previously applied? It could explain why the job hasn't yet fully borne fruit.

Or possibly something wrong with the digital level I am using to make pole plumb?

 

[Lazarus]

^^^^^^^

Alignment of azimuth is achieved by moving the entire motor/dish assembly around the pole - the dish should not be disturbed from its position aligned to the datum line on the motor stub.

Peaking for elevation, however, is achieved only by adjusting using the dish bracket.

 

[Lazarus]

Or possibly something wrong with the digital level I am using to make pole plumb?

TBH, I've never found it necessary to try to achieve the precision such a device offers. A simple spirit level has always sufficed - after all, errors elsewhere in the installation can easily accumulate.

 

[Red alert]

TBH, I've never found it necessary to try to achieve the precision such a device offers. A simple spirit level has always sufficed - after all, errors elsewhere in the installation can easily accumulate.

I agree, the problem also is when I tighten the motor brackets. Seems to slightly affect the signal quality. No matter how i tighten them they dont level up, which makes me question its either the mast or im tightening the brackets incorrectly. I try to tighten the nuts evenly.

 

[Red alert]

I have just placed the digital level and a regular spirit level side by side. I am not getting the same result. See attached. The bubbles report differently. So something is off. Ignore this one. See the photos in post below

 

[Red alert]

I just placed 3 levels on the mast and the digital one says 89.90 degrees but the magnesson Spirit level thinks otherwise