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onlyme72 · 03-05-06, 07:45 PM

what is the best way to set up a motorised dish with various satellites help :good:

mikeelle · 03-05-06, 09:28 PM

Setting up a motorised sat dish is pretty straight forward if you follow the guidelines correctly.

1, make sure the pole you are going to mount your dish on is plumb.
This is very important because even if youre half a degree out or so imagine how far out this will be over the distance to the satellite!

2, try and set your motors declination angle before you mount it on the pole
(this is the angle your motor will be on when it sits on the pole and allows the dish to follow the arc of the satellites). Note, some have angle scale (Elevation angle)and some have latitude scale (just set it to your latitude).
Here is a link to a really handy program that works out these angles for you and some other useful stuff too.
Satellite antenna alignment
P.S you will have to put in your co-ordinates in latitude and longitude so you can find these here:
Latitude Longitude Finder
Once you have got your co-ordinates you can either use the latitude to set the motor if its in latitude or you can put them into the program to find out the elevation angle.
To do this you have to input your latitude and longitude in the boxes on the right and then look under the tab look angles for the satellite that is nearest due south to your location (normally 1degree west for most of the UK).
Then just read off the elevation and set your motor to that.
This is the most critical stage so if you get this right everything else should fall into place.

3. Now its time to mount your motor and dish on the pole, tighten the bolts up just enough so you can still swing the motor round on the pole. Adjust the dish offset so that the dish looks vertical and then align your dish to the satellite as near to due south as you can (i use a compass but its quite difficult near metal objects) you really need a signal meter for this or use the signal meter on your receiver.
Adjust the dish from side to side until you have the strongest signal, then tighten the bolts from the motor to the pole. ( its advisable to check if the motor is sitting plumb on the pole at this point as tightening the bolts can pull the motor off plumb).
Now adjust the dish offset up or down until you get the strongest signal then tighten all the bolts.

Now theoretically your dish is set up so we have to turn the motor to see if it picks up the other satellites.

If your motor and receiver have usals, put your latitude and longitude settings in and try to pick up some other satellites. If not you will have to do it manually.
Turn the motor either east or west until you can receive another satellite and then flex the dish up and down and see if the signal gets weaker or stronger.

Do this both east and west to check the dish is tracking the satellites ok

If the signal gets stronger as you flex the dish down on both east and west satellites, then the motor needs tilting back more.

If the signal gets stronger as you flex the dish up on both east and west satellites, then the motor needs tilting forward more.

If the signal is stronger as you flex up on a west satellite and stronger as you flex down on an east satellite, then the motor is not set up at due south and needs to be turned west to find due south.

If the signal is stronger as you flex down on a west satellite and stronger as you flex up on an east satellite, then the motor is not set up at due south and needs to be turned east to find due south.

Remember that if you need to adjust the motor elevation, this must only be done with the motor turned back to zero (due south). Then adjust the motor elevation either back or forward as needed and then adjust the dish offset angle for the strongest signal and try again.

Hope this helps as its all off the top of my head and im sorry if ive missed anything, im sure the other guys will let me know....

Regards, Mike

imported_proteus · 03-05-06, 10:54 PM

@ mikeelle The best short guide I have seen m8. Regards N.

onlyme72 · 04-05-06, 06:02 PM

thanks mate great help cheers

mikeelle · 08-05-06, 07:37 AM

No problem onlyme, glad i could help :happy:

Regards, Mike

Tribal01 · 24-05-06, 04:09 PM

Brilliant guide; will use this at the weekend! Cheers.

03-05-06, 07:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
onlyme72 Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 73 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	motorised dish what is the best way to set up a motorised dish with various satellites help :good:

03-05-06, 09:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
mikeelle Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 58 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	motorised dish Setting up a motorised sat dish is pretty straight forward if you follow the guidelines correctly. 1, make sure the pole you are going to mount your dish on is plumb. This is very important because even if youre half a degree out or so imagine how far out this will be over the distance to the satellite! 2, try and set your motors declination angle before you mount it on the pole (this is the angle your motor will be on when it sits on the pole and allows the dish to follow the arc of the satellites). Note, some have angle scale (Elevation angle)and some have latitude scale (just set it to your latitude). Here is a link to a really handy program that works out these angles for you and some other useful stuff too. Satellite antenna alignment P.S you will have to put in your co-ordinates in latitude and longitude so you can find these here: Latitude Longitude Finder Once you have got your co-ordinates you can either use the latitude to set the motor if its in latitude or you can put them into the program to find out the elevation angle. To do this you have to input your latitude and longitude in the boxes on the right and then look under the tab look angles for the satellite that is nearest due south to your location (normally 1degree west for most of the UK). Then just read off the elevation and set your motor to that. This is the most critical stage so if you get this right everything else should fall into place. 3. Now its time to mount your motor and dish on the pole, tighten the bolts up just enough so you can still swing the motor round on the pole. Adjust the dish offset so that the dish looks vertical and then align your dish to the satellite as near to due south as you can (i use a compass but its quite difficult near metal objects) you really need a signal meter for this or use the signal meter on your receiver. Adjust the dish from side to side until you have the strongest signal, then tighten the bolts from the motor to the pole. ( its advisable to check if the motor is sitting plumb on the pole at this point as tightening the bolts can pull the motor off plumb). Now adjust the dish offset up or down until you get the strongest signal then tighten all the bolts. Now theoretically your dish is set up so we have to turn the motor to see if it picks up the other satellites. If your motor and receiver have usals, put your latitude and longitude settings in and try to pick up some other satellites. If not you will have to do it manually. Turn the motor either east or west until you can receive another satellite and then flex the dish up and down and see if the signal gets weaker or stronger. Do this both east and west to check the dish is tracking the satellites ok If the signal gets stronger as you flex the dish down on both east and west satellites, then the motor needs tilting back more. If the signal gets stronger as you flex the dish up on both east and west satellites, then the motor needs tilting forward more. If the signal is stronger as you flex up on a west satellite and stronger as you flex down on an east satellite, then the motor is not set up at due south and needs to be turned west to find due south. If the signal is stronger as you flex down on a west satellite and stronger as you flex up on an east satellite, then the motor is not set up at due south and needs to be turned east to find due south. Remember that if you need to adjust the motor elevation, this must only be done with the motor turned back to zero (due south). Then adjust the motor elevation either back or forward as needed and then adjust the dish offset angle for the strongest signal and try again. Hope this helps as its all off the top of my head and im sorry if ive missed anything, im sure the other guys will let me know.... Regards, Mike __________________ Dreambox 7020 gemini 3.20 Channelmaster 1.2m Jaeger 1224 H-H Motor superjack DP6600 K3, Cerebro, USB Multiprogrammer

03-05-06, 10:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
imported_proteus Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	motorised dish @ mikeelle The best short guide I have seen m8. Regards N.

04-05-06, 06:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
onlyme72 Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 73 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	motorised dish thanks mate great help cheers

08-05-06, 07:37 AM	#5 (permalink)
mikeelle Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 58 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	motorised dish No problem onlyme, glad i could help :happy: Regards, Mike __________________ Dreambox 7020 gemini 3.20 Channelmaster 1.2m Jaeger 1224 H-H Motor superjack DP6600 K3, Cerebro, USB Multiprogrammer

24-05-06, 04:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tribal01 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	motorised dish Brilliant guide; will use this at the weekend! Cheers.