Allignment tweaking

[mdlyons]

Hi
I installed my TD88, moteck2100 with technomate 1600 around a month ago now. When I set it up I could not manage to set the pole up 100% straight but I still get from 30w to 28e without any problems. The original installation was done in a bit of a rush and although I get good signal on all the main channels, I would like to tweak the allignment a little to help a couple of the fringe channels that I get occasion break ups on (not going to touch the pole).

My question is, what is the best way to fine tune the system? I originally tuned into thor, would it be best to fine tune to this one, or could I fine tune to one of the other satellites without throwing all the sats I have stored out?
I would appreciate anyones tips for doing this before I go up the dreaded ladder once again! I am just a bit worried about losing what I already have.

[Jimdefruit]

Provided you are just doing fine tuning, then I would suggest you try slight adjustment on the channels that you want to improve.

You may get a slight reduction in signal on some channels but providing they dont reduce to an extent where you get picture loss then all should be well.

[Mship]

What I found was that even though my pole was plumb it didn't necessarily follow that the motor would be to. The clamps on my motor allow for a little 'play', if this is the case with the Moteck you might just get enough movement to set it straight

I would only ever mess with mine when on 1W (this is what it was lined up on), if you try it on other Sat's that's when things start going a bit pair shaped with a good chance of loosing what you've already got

Kev

[BGonaSTICK]

Originally Posted by mship

What I found was that even though my pole was plumb it didn't necessarily follow that the motor would be to. The clamps on my motor allow for a little 'play', if this is the case with the Moteck you might just get enough movement to set it straight

That's an excellent point, and true in my case too. In fact my pole is ever-so-slightly bent as well.

Also, if you are going to try to adjust each satellite individually (and I'm talking about from indoors here - i.e. just fine tuning the azimuth via the motor) then you'll need to be using DiSEqC 1.2 and not USALS. USALS will take a single reference point and recalculate every other satellite position relative to it. That really would make you cry if you had just manually set them all up

[mdlyons]

I take it you are talking about fine tuning by moving the dish slightly side to side with the motor?

If yes, then I have done that to the best I can, what I was thinking would help would be to adjust the up and down tilt on the dish itself (sorry, not too good on the technical terms). When I set up the dish, we were so happy to have any signal that we did not spend much time fine tuning!!

PS, I don't think the moteck2100 really allows for the motor to be adjusted to offset the less than perfectly aligned pole.

[BGonaSTICK]

No, you're right. Adjustment via the motor will only account for misalignment in the 'side to side' plane (azimuth).

If you're not sure how you need to adjust your dish (i.e. in which respect it's 'out'), you should go back to first principles, and just try to be fanatically accurate with each setting. Once you've done that you should check how your dish matches the theoretical arc (by 'flexing' the dish face at different orbital locations).

Use this as a guide:

http://www.satellitehelp.co.uk/forum...pic,403.0.html

[wod]

fine tune it on thor as that must be your due south satellite based on your logitude and latitude and then check satellites like sirus 5east etc

did you setup using usals or diseqc 1.2 as that will make a difference

[mdlyons]

Yes I set up using disq 1.2, I aligned it to thor and then manually tuned to each sat.