Bizarre ..silly ..or Just Plain Daft ?

[Captain Jack]

I like your thinking. Can you calculate how much of the dish area you may recover by raising it?

 

[Vipersan]

Not realy CJ ..but I can use the extension to raised about 17 inches max ..
So I'm guessing this should more than compensate for the forward movement due to the H180..
I'll start at max height and if its too high I can always trim it down in situe with the angle grinder..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Ok ..gradually working my way westward now ..but not much to use as reference ..
Can one of you 1.2 users ..please check levels on 11028 V
@ STM
DVB-S2 5000-2/3
8PSK
34.5 west.
Obviously you won't get a picture or a lock neccessarily...as it's a data channel..
But I need reference levels.
Currently am getting 8db - ish

Just fluctuated up to 9db ..so its variable
rgds
VS

 

[Captain Jack]

Getting between 10 and 11dB on the F15/Fibo 120 here.

 

[Vipersan]

Getting between 10 and 11dB on the F15/Fibo 120 here.

thanks CJ ..
Looks like I'm in the ball-park..
rgds
VS

;)
I'll try for 45 West next but this might be a bit low and clip some leafage..
Gotta try tho'

 

[Vipersan]

Rain stopped play ...again..
My method was to point the gibby in roughly the right direction...and using a floating black ultra connected to the meter ..rotate around the fixed lnb on the dish ..and nowhere did I get any sign of signal or lock..
So my guess is The foliage of the low tree in the way is making 45w impossible ..
My theory being ..even if the arc was still a little out..the lock/signal would appear briefly ..and give me a hint as to whch direction the dish needed to be adjusted.
Not a thing.
I'll try again ..if it ever stops raining.
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

If in doubt ..go to Cband ..

Certainly I'm ok up to 37 West..

Locked Metro no probs at over 7db ..

..ands that's just a lash-up ..nothing tweaked and a cut down offset feed

rgds

VS

 

[Captain Jack]

C band already, eh! There's DoveVision on 11063V on the same satellite. I get 8dB on that... my western limit (might be partially obscured by the house).

I did have >6dB on 31.5W but I seem to have not stored the position and I can't seem to home in on it remotely.

 

[Vipersan]

Dovevision..I didn't know about ..but could prove very useful..
The TD110 sees it no probs ..
But having swapped back to a ku black ultra on Neil ...
Nothing ?? not even a hint of signal..
..and yet putting back the Cband lnb gives a good level on Metro..
Now thats confusing until you think ..well ..the C band lashed at the focus may be cm or 2 out ..therefore the arc is still compromised ..
More tweaking to do it seems.
..and thanks again ..for heads up on Dovevision.
At least I know this _should_ be possible ..so something to aim at.
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

..Can't try any experiments atm ...
Constant rain here ...making it dodgy at best to take any electrical gear outside.
cest la vie.
maybe later
;)
rgds
VS

 

[Captain Jack]

Hi VS. A lot of readings you provide seem to be slightly lower than those reported here by others. Can a wall really be in the way of the whole arc? Or could it be a too high or too low elevation on the motor? It seems to be tracking the arc correctly, so I don't think the declination/elevation of the dish is wrong...

Should be a sunny day tomorrow!

 

[aceb]

When I'm doing the same as you VS, trying to find signals when one doesn't either the oribital position of the dish or if it's tracking correctly I find using Crazyscan on loop mode between 10900-11700 both pols will very quickly spot carriers that might not neccesarily be strong enough to lock. A quick check on Flysat for likely contenders and you should be able to find out what bird you're looking at.

Other method is to gradulally move out from south via each satellite and on known transponders checking the dish elevation, Dream has a nice large meter module to make things easier and I just take a laptop out with me and VNC to the sat PC. If you've got more than a few SQ% error at +/-10° there's not much chance of getting anything from 45W, the 1.2 is a lot sharper than the 1m.

 

[Vipersan]

All good suggestions Paul ..though not so easy when such gear is indoors ..and the dish you are adjusting is outside ..
A nice sunny day ..and I'll take the F15 and a monitor outside ..and follow the working outwards from the last sat East or west found.
Another method I find very useful ...is to pretune an expected transponder ...remove the lnb from the focus on a flying lead and circle it around the focus ..Up Down - Left Right till a signal appears ..
This method requires you have the dish roughly pointed in the right direction to start with ..
The indicated variation when lock is achieved gives good approximation of the direction of adjustment to AZ EL and Declination etc.
rgds..
VS

 

[wod]

That is where a signal meter comes in handy, even though I can't manually edit tps my horizon meter has aligned my dish up well.

I thought you had one ?

also are we heading for an epic thread like the one on your extension panels ?

This one is 10 pages.

 

[Vipersan]

I have a meter wod ..but it simply wont lock and produce a picture from this transponder (dovevision) ...something it doesn't like about the signal ..which makes life a bit difficult..
However ..I persevered keep nipping indoors ..and half turns on a spannel re the declination adjustment ..and I now have this transponder locked in ..
Signal varies wildley from 1db ..to full lock and pictures 7db..
Watching outside ..the only thing that _could_ possibly account for this is the thinly leafed tree in its path ..and the blustery gusts of wind moving it..
So yes ..even 37 west has fallen foul of Neils lack of height..
Lets hope the pole extension sorts things out.(ordered this morning)
Had a word with a friend who knows someone with a mobile welder (MIG)
So if I can make it fit ..and get it plumb ..I'll hopefuly be able to give the guy a shout and he can come round and run a seam round the overlap..

Given the info regarding 37.5 W ...I'm not surprised at all that RASD is out of bounds atm ..
Maybe with a bit more height say about a foot ..I'll get more useable arc ...except for the direction of the Troublesme Tree ..during the spring and summer.
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

In the last 5 minutes the wind dropped significantly ..
The tree top becalmed ..and the signal level stabalised at 1.6db
So yes ..its clipping the tree at this height.
rgds
VS

 

[wod]

I think wait till theres some wind and sort the tree out then blame it on that.

I have a problem with a tree from 36e blocks signal but other way I can get to 58west.

 

[Vipersan]

Ok ..the exhaust extension in stainless steel arrived this morning ..but had to wait till this evening to compare it to the pole ..
The dish face removed (6 screws) ...and the rest of the assembly lifted off in a lump ..after a decent reference line had been drawn for refitting close to true south.
The extension offered up to the pole..but as expected its about the same diameter (overlap as the original pole ) so need a bit of play to fit..
Removed all the shelves from the gas oven ...and popped the extension in ..
Currently cooking nicely..and hopefully will expand a couple of mm's to allow it to be pushed onto the existing pole..
We shall see..
rgds
VS

 

[Lazarus]

.................. "just plain daft"


(I got there in the end)

 

[Vipersan]

.................. "just plain daft"



(I got there in the end)

Daft indeed Gordon ...but here's the result..

..and only one tiny blister on my left hand pinky...

Had I no got such crappy MS ridden hands ..I'd have got away with none..

;)

rgds

VS