Very First Installation

[BabyClanger]

Just re-fitted the LNB to the old sky dish that i used for EB9...... was very careful not to change the dish alignment in any way so it should have worked right away. It didn't. Same story - two red Level/Quality readouts. This now leads me to believe that it might be a problem with the box itself?

Anyway, had enough for today - going to clear up a bit and re-start tomorrow. I might even try a new box.

 

[BabyClanger]

If you begin with the dish face just up from vertical and slowly sweep from East to West by moving the motor/dish assembly on the pole does the quality reading fluctuate at all? If so maybe it's time to get things peaked up on any signal, do a blind scan and tell us which channels you come up with. At least then we'd know in which direction to send you (so to speak).

But that's just it - i've not picked up anything at all. Not even a sniff of a sgnal anywhere.

 

[Lazarus]

But that's just it - i've not picked up anything at all. Not even a sniff of a sgnal anywhere.

Don't use 11325 as it's marginal for you: Try the other BBC World on 11862 H 28000, which should be very strong.

 

[sonnetpete]

Before you begin anew tomorrow I think you had better review the thread I posted about yesterday. It may just be a coincidence but that poster had problems with his setup and was using a Satgear dish. I'd suggest Post #31 is particularly relevant.

 

[Lazarus]

And to save everyone spending as much time as I just have trying to find that link, here's it is again - direct to the Post Pete refers to

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...y-setting-up-motorised-dish-2.html#post957188

 

[sonnetpete]

Thank you Super Moderator

 

[Lazarus]

You are welcome, Splendid Specialist :-sball

 

[Huevos]

slowly sweep from East to West by moving the motor/dish assembly on the pole

Just want to say do the elevation first, i.e. up and down rather than left and right. The reason for this is the centre of the satellite arc follows an almost horizontal line and by going up and down you are going to cross it. There is a satellite every few degrees so when you cross that line the satfinder will respond.

 

[BabyClanger]

Before you begin anew tomorrow I think you had better review the thread I posted about yesterday. It may just be a coincidence but that poster had problems with his setup and was using a Satgear dish. I'd suggest Post #31 is particularly relevant.

Hi Pete, had a look at the thread and as you said, in particular to post 31. I'm sure that my mounting bracket is on the right way round as the mark in the top left corner of the bracket lines up with the numbers on the long dish bracket.......... View attachment 32883

I still can't help but think it's something i've missed on the TM box. For all the tilting up/down of the dish and the left/right sweep of the dish on the motor pole, i would have thought i'd have picked up something.

Is there a thread with specifically deals with the setting up of a dish with a Technomate Sat Box?

 

[Lazarus]

Nope.

TM is much the same as any other DVB S Box with DiSEqC and USALS.

Your "sweeping" must be slow and in very small increments.

 

[sonnetpete]

Hi Pete, had a look at the thread and as you said, in particular to post 31. I'm sure that my mounting bracket is on the right way round as the mark in the top left corner of the bracket lines up with the numbers on the long dish bracket..........

Yes, it was actually the point that through swapping the mount round it became apparent that it was assembled correctly. However, the OP did find that the elevation markings were of little or no use and he began his alignment with the dish almost vertical and increased the dish elevation by small increments on each pass. He was located in Scotland and as you are quite a way further south of that the problem he had with the dish being almost at the limit of it's adjustment shouldn't be as great. I'm also trying to show you that you will succeed despite what you might think.

I really don't think there is anything wrong with your box. Did you not have it working with the dish fixed on EB9? If you are getting an increase on tone on the meter with a hand in front I really can't see there being any problem with the STB. I've managed to set up four motorised dishes (including my present one) purely using a needle and tone meter. No, it's not as accurate or as quick as using an analyser. But if you are patient, careful and persistant it will work.

Follow the list Huevos posted. As soon as that tone increases and the needle moves try and peak up the dish, backing off the gain control at each increase till you have it as best you can.

 

[Chris76]

OK - what a pillock. Motor angle reset to 51...... presume this looks better...... View attachment 32865

Well i see you are getting there. I agree with the guys i think the dish has been assembled wrong mate it looks to be off, it's worth the effort taking it off now rather than driving yourself nuts trying in vain to set it up.Have a look at other members setups and see the angle of the dishes.

Best of luck
Chris

 

[Channel Hopper]

Hi Pete, had a look at the thread and as you said, in particular to post 31. I'm sure that my mounting bracket is on the right way round as the mark in the top left corner of the bracket lines up with the numbers on the long dish bracket.......... View attachment 32883

Definitely something wrong there

The pole of the motor should be more or less vertical when at the 28E or 30 W settings, and the angle of the dish should be (more or less) vertical when you are looking at 1W.

Can you take another couple of shots with the dish at true south and at the Astra 2 angle ?

 

[sonnetpete]

Well i see you are getting there. I agree with the guys i think the dish has been assembled wrong mate it looks to be off.....

Can I just clarify something? In the thread a few weeks ago the dish in question was the same as Babyclanger has. After experimenting it became clear that although it looked wrong the dish was assembled correctly. However, the markings on the dish are complete pants. I'd guess they could be out by as much as 10°. The whole rear of the dish seems to be poorly manufactured. Babyclanger will have to begin alignment with the dish face almost vertical and adjust from there, disregarding the dish scale and suggested angle in his instructions.

 

[BabyClanger]

OK - more pics as requested......

Full view of dish and motor on pole. Dish at 22 degrees pole motor at 51...... View attachment 32885

Dish bracket and pole angle.......... View attachment 32887

 

[Analoguesat]

Something isnt right - if thats south the dish face should be more or less vertical, and there doesnt look like there enough travel on the top adjustment bolt to get that. The blt on the motor needs slackening off and the face made vertical (ish)

 

[satelliteman]

The dish EL bracket is upside down not allowing the elevation to be lowered.

 

[Huevos]

The dish EL bracket is upside down.

It looks the same as the one in the other thread but somehow that is more vertical but it does seem assembled the same. If the dish bracket was upside down why would the marker line up with the elevation scale?

Attachment from other thread:

 

[satelliteman]

Don't know but... if the bracket installed this way will not allow the dish to be lowered then it would clearly need to be turned around given the motor stub looks correct.

 

[Huevos]

BabyClanger can you take another picture from 20 feet away so the geometry of the picture looks more natural, as it is hard to tell the true angles of everything with the camera so close.