Need clarificatios to start FTA

[mikesattech]

Hi there

I bought a FTA satellite kit one year ago (Mapline Ireland), I installed it six months ago and haven’t got a single channel yet. The matt is plumbed terminations are ok.
My location is Dunshaughlin in Ireland.
The system I have is Fortec Star BETA receiver with a 560 mm diameter dish, (I believe the dish or LNB is offset)with a Universal Quad LNB (nikkai A05FT)
I have a magnetic compass with no correction (magnetic North) and a satellite finder as tools.
First of all I would like to know what can I get with the actual system I’ve got, I will in the future invest in additional receivers but for now I stick to one.
I have read and browsed as may site as I can to get ready to do the job myself ( I am a beginner in Satellite system)
Secondly I need clarification on the following: For Astra 2ADB the vendor said Azimuth 28.2° East starting at 0° South, which equal 151.8° East from North (180-28.2). Correct me if I am wrong, elevation 32° to 34°.
I was told to get the exact Azimuth and elevation from web sites with the location where I live. I got Azimuth true (139.2°) Azimuth magn. (144.0°), LNB skew – 15.4° elevation 21.1°. I was told to substract that elevation value to the value of my offset dish so I shoul be around 0° elevation is that correct?
Question should I ignore the vendor recommendations for Astra 2ADB (28.2° east & 32° to 34°) and work with Azimuth 144.0° East, LNB skew – 15.4°, elevation 21.1°.(144.0° from magnetic North is different to 28.2° from 0° South, the elevation too)
Also I am using a magnetic compass, I found it extremely difficult to align the dish with the compass as all the surrounding is metal (matt, brackets, dish) the needle tend to deflect or stop evolving when approaching the dish from any positions (behind, front, from bottom), even if the LNB is not connected. I am doing wrong or what? Any suggestions?

Before I think of a problem with my system, I would like to be sure that I’ve done the correct thing which I am not sure at the moment. (Exact Azimuth and elevation vendor’s or web sites’? Align dish problem with compass.)
To finish my fortec star beta receiver’s user guide says if you point at the right sat you will have green deflections on the strength and quality bar. I don’t know if this is a misprint from the book about the colour code but I’ve never seen any Green deflections only red deflection (the maximum deflection I’ve got so far is strength 30% quality 60% but none channels).
It’s a lot of literature but I better be precise in order to get help.
Could any one guide me with the Azimuth & elevation I should use and the compass thing, I will try to work on this and the see where I stand?
Is Astra 2A a circular or linear broadcasting Transponder?
Thanks in advance.

[milli260876]

Methinks you are fishing or overcomplicating things....
Look at a neighbours sky dish point in the general direction (or use Compass for general direction).
Put sat finder on and move dish until beeping starts, then adjust angle and skew as signal gets better(your receiver should confim/unconfirm you are on the right satellite).
Took me about twenty minutes first time i did it and it was a piece of p*ss.....

[graham4877]

dishpointer.com put your post code in have a good look at the line! run your dish the same way. look at what its going over ie a fence post. and get a sat finder! £10.00 not much for one

[charlie1966]

Originally Posted by graham4877

dishpointer.com put your post code in have a good look at the line! run your dish the same way. look at what its going over ie a fence post. and get a sat finder! £10.00 not much for one

Ireland doesn't have a post code system. So plan B needed.

[mikesattech]

For Ireland, I just tried it: go to dishpointer.com (with Google map) type your location (e.g. Dunshaughlin, Ireland) select the sat you are looking to align. Pretty good you will have all the sat you can have in your area. And coordinates of your location, Azimuth, long, polarisation, for your dish
I had already all these.
But when the site gives me for example Azimuth 144.0° (magn) which mean with a magnetic compass I start 0° North and go right by 144.0° and my vendor's documentation says start at 0° South and go left by 28.2°E. if you put this on a peace of paper, they don't meet each other.
My question was should I ignore the vendor's spec and work with web sites calculations.
An other example, vendor says elevation for the dish 32° to 34° there is a scale on the back of the dish which is an offset dish. The web site gave me elevation 21°.3. I was told to subtract this calculation to the offset angle of my dish which should be around 21°/22° (the face of my dish should be vertical). So today I went on the roof, If I want the dish face vertical, the reading on the dish scale is 40°. If I put 0° (21°.3 -21°) on the dish scale it faced down.

Thanks for suggestions

[Rick]

The easiest way is to use a sat meter. Point the dish roughly 28 degrees east of due south, i.e if you are stood behind the dish looking down the lnb arm move it 28 degrees left of due south. have the bracket loose enough to move the dish but dont have it flopping about. wiggle the dish up and down left to right. be systematic about it though.

With a bit of patience you will find the right sat. Don't take of the meter until you have tightend the bolts on the dish, as it will move slightly as you tighten the bolts and will need slight adjustments to correct this.

I think the way you are trying to setup this is very precise but far more complex then you need to make it.

Hope this helps

[mikesattech]

Thanks man
I learn something,I used to take of the meter before I have tightend the bolts on the dish.