compass usage

[sitja]

hi lads im doing a bit of research on installing a motorised dish and just wondering how can you actually use a compass to line up the dish with true south. do i just stand in front of my dish pointing the compass south making the required adjustment for the magnet variation and maybe using an object in the distance to eye it off? then using a reciever or sat meter to tweak it til i have good signal quality and on the required satellite? correct me anywhere im wrong now thanks guys.

[Mickha]

Just find your Latitude and Longitude, at a site like dishpointer.com, your logitude reading will provide you with your due South position, any negative value is West, positive value is East, then you can simply align your dish on the satellite nearest to your due south position.
I find this a lot easier than trying to use a compass and attempt to find a landmark to line up with.

[Robbo]

I have done over a hundred sat installs amd have never used a compass to find true south. Used one a couple of times as there was no internet access, just to find roughly which way was south mind.

[sitja]

so are using my way is acceptable but not necessary? im new to this stuff so excuse my ignorance.. so would i just be working through the reciever to use your way?

[Robbo]

A compass is OK if you would feel happy doing it like that, but keep away from the dish as it will just make the compass go bonkers. With dishpointer a compass is not needed as you can (most of the time) use a point in the distance (a roof top, church steeple, corner of house etc etc to use as a reference). Of course, finding a signal from your nearest due south satellite, by careful adjustment will always be necessary whichever way you do it.

Yes, absoluletely, some means of measuring the signal that you get off from the dish is always necessary, whether it be the receiver itself, or a satellite meter.

[sitja]

im in cork ireland so havent seen many sites with calculators what exactly does dishpointers do. so for a newbie what way do you think is the most appropriate way to go?

[Robbo]

Go to dispointer and see for yourself, Mickha describes the method. Childs play, to be honest, you'll see when you use it.