Dark motor supreme owners - elevation or latitude..?

[Manikm909]

Hi Guys

Received a Dark motor yesterday and having problems tracking the ARC - I didn't have too much time to spend on it, before bad lighting stopped play.

On the Dark motor bracket, the scale has Latitude on both sides (as opposed to latitude on one side, and elevation on the other (like a TM-2600)) - in the manual it has a table, latitude -> elevation.

It says if your latitude is 51 - elevation angle is 39 - but i think this is incorrect - it certainly didn't track the ARC for me on this setting.

Am i supposed to set the bracket \ motor at 51 to match my actual latitude - this would match what is embossed into the motor mount....

Thanks!

ManikM

 

[Channel Hopper]

There is another setting to align your dish to, the declination. What value have you used ?

 

[Manikm909]

There is another setting to align your dish to, the declination. What value have you used ?

i normally do this with trial and error, there is no marking on triax bracket for this.

 

[a33]

It says if your latitude is 51 - elevation angle is 39 - but i think this is incorrect

It is absolutely correct. Motor axis elevation = (about ~ see below) 90 minus Latitude-angle

Am i supposed to set the bracket \ motor at 51 to match my actual latitude

Better is to use the so-called modified motor angles, from the start (as opposed to tweaking the motor setup, to arrive at about the modified angles).
That means subtract about 0.7 degrees from the above motor axis elevation, and also subtract about 0.7 degrees from the (traditional calculated) dish declination offset angle.

Greetz,
A33

Edited: a correction.

 

[jeallen01]

Took a look at my Superior DM and TD110, as set up by CH (it's too heavy, and too high up, for me to do that nowadays ) last year and tracks pretty well from 52E to 34.5W (and probably tracks further W than that, but haven't "gone there" recently).
- The elevation on the bracket on the motor is set at around 39 degs, as estimated by the marking on the bracket scale that is "in line" with the centre of the fixing bolt
- According to the TD110 spec, the nominal declination (or "offset angle") is 26 degs (as it is for the rest of that range of TD dishes), but mine is set to around 28-29 degs. That is based on where the scribed marking on the bracket that bolts to the motor arm aligns with the scale on the bracket bolted to the dish face.

 

[Channel Hopper]

i normally do this with trial and error, there is no marking on triax bracket for this.

Declination is the elevation offset of the Triax, minus your location based on the following link

Satellite dish pointing calculator for UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales

 

[jeallen01]

Should have mentioned my own coordinates: approx 51,4N 0.42W - so, probably a bit further N than the OP - presumably that could mean that the optimum beam angle for his dish could be very slightly higher than mine.

 

[antrabe]

If you follow the manual you will get fine tune in and quickly.

 

[Manikm909]

Is it possible to over tighten the motor on the pole so it is no longer level. I ask because at a point I had no reception during setup but the motor and dish were pointing the right way as I tightened the signal got better and better until it plateaued

 

[antrabe]

Yes could be very important to check that the pole its completly vertical, i were crazy to get works my old motor because the weigth of the dish bended the motor pole in that way its also impossible to tune in fine.

 

[Manikm909]

tomorrow i'll be changing the setting from 39 to 51 on my dark motor scale. its unclear what it should be....latitude is printed on both sides - even though the book say for 51 latitude set motor to 39 - but that's elevation, and the scale isnt elevation.

ive also ordered one of those WS6906 signal meters from a rain forest site.

 

[jeallen01]

tomorrow i'll be changing the setting from 39 to 51 on my dark motor scale. its unclear what it should be....latitude is printed on both sides - even though the book say for 51 latitude set motor to 39 - but that's elevation, and the scale isnt elevation.

I think you are using the scale on the wrong side of the motor bracket! - I, and probably others, use the scale on the "West" side of the bracket, i.e. I stand so that the motor is in front of me and the dish face is on my Right side.

ive also ordered one of those WS6906 signal meters from a rain forest site.

"Good Luck" with that meter - I bought one about 5 yrs ago and had quite a few "problems" (as have others!) with it, so take a look at this thread.

TBH, I "used" it a few times but found it quite "complicated" and difficult to remember all the correct button-push sequences (as well as the fact that mine came with a very outdated and "sparse" channel database installed, and thus I finally created a somewhat more up-to-date one - which you can download from that linked thread). Anyway I basically "gave up" on it and so it's not been used for several years,as, generally, I find it more straightforward to use a simple a compass for the basic azimuth setting, and then a "sat buzzer" and a small TV for final alignment!

 

[Manikm909]

I think you are using the scale on the wrong side of the motor bracket! - I, and probably others, use the scale on the "West" side of the bracket, i.e. I stand so that the motor is in front of me and the dish face is on my Right side.


"Good Luck" with that meter - I bought one about 5 yrs ago and had quite a few "problems" (as have others!) with it, so take a look at this thread.

TBH, I "used" it a few times but found it quite "complicated" and difficult to remember all the correct button-push sequences (as well as the fact that mine came with a very outdated and "sparse" channel database installed, and thus I finally created a somewhat more up-to-date one - which you can download from that linked thread). Anyway I basically "gave up" on it and so it's not been used for several years,as, generally, I find it more straightforward to use a simple a compass for the basic azimuth setting, and then a "sat buzzer" and a small TV for final alignment!

thanks mate, yeah i know its a gamble with that meter, but it has to better than using wifi and signal finder, as my wifi drops out a lot. i did use a whatsapp video call between mine and my mrs phone and pointed it at the tv with E2 signal meter up in settings but its a faff....I might end up revisiting that though. amazon returns are great so i can try and return if its not up to scratch.

regarding the bracket, it has latitude on BOTH sides - so i cant be wrong, the manual of course can be wrong, stating that if latitude = X - then set elevation to X - well, elevation is not on the scale (it is on my old Tm2600) so i know what you mean. currently my arc is way off at 39 - so im going to try 51 - which is my latitude, and thats what the scale on the bracket has on BOTH sides...

 

[jeallen01]

I wouldn't say that the manual is "wrong"; it's just confusing because it is not very well written, and so doesn't state clearly which scales you should use at high and low latitudes - I said how I use it above,and that works (more or less!).

 

[Manikm909]

I wouldn't say that the manual is "wrong"; it's just confusing because it is not very well written, and so doesn't state clearly which scales you should use at high and low latitudes - I said how I use it above,and that works (more or less!).

the west side of the bracket, is the same as the east side of the bracket though, LOL, both say LATITUDE.

 

[Manikm909]

well ive spent a fair few hours today and i can confirm the manual is wrong, if your latitude is 51 - then you set the bracket at 51 - you do not convert to elevation as stated in the book!

hope this helps people...i'm now tracking the arc, at 100% on 45e, to 80% 30west - also getting 15-25% on 3w - so i think im fine tuned, on my 1m gibby!

on another note - the Triax TD110 is going in the bin - piece of junk - bracket is a nightmare after all, as suggested by some on here, i thought it was ok at first, until trying to fine tune - plus the nuts on the dish bracket began to strip on me - was getting all sats from 19e to 30w, but just couldnt pull in the further east sats at all!

gave up and put the gibby back on, no problem at all, its hard enough aligning a satellite dish, with motor position on pole, then motor angle, and then dish bracket angle WITHOUT having to fight the dish wobbling left to right on the sliding bracket - it might be ok, on the ground, but over a gutter line, it is a royal PITA !