Help Required Motor setup

[jeallen01]

Isn't there a driver-run indepent delivery service that could do that? - can't remember the name though.

Bump - I'm sure someone knows who/what to contact as several members have used that sort of service in the past!

 

[moonbase]

Bump - I'm sure someone knows who/what to contact as several members have used that sort of service in the past!

Anyvan or Shiply are the van services I have used for dishes ranging between 1.2m and 2.2m.
Both services are based on the customer listing a project with the van men underbidding each other for the job.

 

[Mickha]

I used to use a comparison site, where you input your parcels details, weight, size, etc, and it would search various companies, for the best prices.
I have lost it, from my bookmarks, but I think it was this one:

https://www.parcel2go.com/

I did find a second option, when doing a google search:

https://www.deliveryquotecompare.com/courier-service/cheap-couriers/

 

[jeallen01]

I used to use a comparison site, where you input your parcels details, weight, size, etc, and it would search various companies, for the best prices.
I have lost it, from my bookmarks, but I think it was this one:

https://www.parcel2go.com/

I did find a second option, when doing a google search:

https://www.deliveryquotecompare.com/courier-service/cheap-couriers/

I think one has to be very careful with the "mainstream" courier services (and Parcel2Go is really only a front-end leading to a number of actual courier company sites) because most of them are only used to dealing with the collection & delivery of relatively standard sized and shaped parcels. Should work with a dish in an appropriate box but might not for an irregularly shaped one like an unwrapped dish or one only wrapped in paper or cardbord!

 

[cwsat]

I have been having a look at the more fringe sats today to get a good idea on how the dish and motor is performing.

I was pleasantly surprised to see channels appearing on Badr 4 (FSS and BSS beams). There appears to be a rain margin there too which shocked me on an 85cm dish.

Around at 8W I get the AlJazeera channels, Dubai Sports and Dubai Racing all on the MENA beam, all verticals but nothing on 7W 12445V (Bein) on the MENA beam. I do get Qatar TV on 7W though? Is the transmit power on Bein lower?

If I remember rightly, on my old 1M dish I used to be able to get the horizontals on a crystal clear day in the morning. That would have been on Nilesat though.

 

[MRM_4]

Your Longitude reading is your true South, thus why the dish/motor are set to 0, prior to your receiver moving it to your desired satellite, for setting up.
Hence if your Longitude is -2.5, which equates to 2.5W, then when you move your dish, to 1W, using your receiver, the dish will move 1.5 degrees East, and 0, on your motor, will point to 2.5 degrees West.
Even after setting up using USALS, you can still switch to Diseqc 1.2, and manually assign positions, to satellites, but first set it up using USALS, as provided you enter your correct Latitude, and Longitude, you should track the satellite arc, as the motor shouldn't have too much play, with it being new.
The only adjustments, you might need to make, are to your motor bracket, and dish bracket, to get it to follow the arc precisely.

Thanks a lot. This is the very information I needed!

 

[cwsat]

Unfortunately I have had to dig this post back out as since switching dishes, I have an issue with my arc.

I started fresh, removed dish from motor and then motor from the pole.

Installed the motor all brackets equal, latitude is just below 53.

Installed the dish, with motor at reference.

Moved the dish round to 1w, tweaked the dish. Strong signal levels even on some spot beams.

Dish brackets and motor brackets look bang on.

Problem is, the more east I go, the more elevation the dish needs. I have to tip the dish back to get 26e for example.

Any idea what is wrong? I can’t check west really as I can only get round to 8W.

 

[jeallen01]

Your declination angle (that of the dish on the motor arm) is incorrect - there are diagrams on the forum of how to understand and correct the problem, but you MUST make that correction when the dish is pointing at your most southerly satellite (probably Thor at 0.8W) or you will just get it wrong.

Edited: A33 gave a better answer - see below!

 

[a33]

Any idea what is wrong? I can’t check west really as I can only get round to 8W.

It could be either
1. motor-dish-LNBarm not aligned properly,
2. due south alignment not correct,
3. or an improper elevation/declinationoffset setting (as jeallen01 wrote),
I would say.

First checks:
- where does the motor go on the Goto-Zero or GotoReference command? To exactly zero, or slightly off?
- if on exactly zero, is the dish then exactly in line with the motor? and the LNB(arm) exactly in line with the dish?
- if yes, did you use the USALS procedure to align east-south-west properly (as described by @Mickha ): Help Required - Motor setup ?

By the way: Did you use the modified motor angles, as given here: Help Required - Motor setup ?
How did you measure them: on motor scale and dish elevation scale, or with an inclinometer (App)?

Greetz,
A33

 

[Mickha]

Have you consulted the diagrams, showing how to diagnose the dish, by which satellites it can pick up? Providing it's not due to obstructions.

 

[cwsat]

I think it’s sorted.

One of the dish u bolts was out, quite significantly. It was no longer a u shape.

I am only really seeing an improvement in signal on the Spot 3 beam on 1west, 16e and 26e compared to my old Gibertini 85cm.

Does that sound right? There isn’t really a lot in it size wise. 85x90 vs 99x110

 

[jeallen01]

I think it’s sorted.

One of the dish u bolts was out, quite significantly. It was no longer a u shape.

I am only really seeing an improvement in signal on the Spot 3 beam on 1west, 16e and 26e compared to my old Gibertini 85cm.

Does that sound right? There isn’t really a lot in it size wise. 85x90 vs 99x110

Would not have thought that your earlier problem was totally down to that U bolt - you still need to check the diagram in Mickha's post #90

 

[cwsat]

I have also corrected the latitude on the motor. I noticed that was a couple of degrees out.

From 46e to 8W the 1m dish and Inverto black ultra out performed my Gibertini 85cm with Golden Media GM201 on 16 of the sats.

This is just going by signal quality readings from the receiver.

There is very little in it on the stronger sats though. % here and there.

On the meter, 1w Spot 3 beam and Nordic beam are stronger. 16e, 26e and 7w are stronger.

I can see why people go from 85/90cm to 1m and struggle to see a difference.

 

[jeallen01]

Unfortunately I have had to dig this post back out as since switching dishes, I have an issue with my arc.

I started fresh, removed dish from motor and then motor from the pole.

Installed the motor all brackets equal, latitude is just below 53.

Installed the dish, with motor at reference.

Moved the dish round to 1w, tweaked the dish. Strong signal levels even on some spot beams.

Dish brackets and motor brackets look bang on.

Problem is, the more east I go, the more elevation the dish needs. I have to tip the dish back to get 26e for example.

Any idea what is wrong? I can’t check west really as I can only get round to 8W.

Ignore the "Z" that was here - don't know how that happened!

 

[moonbase]

Ignore the "Z" that was here - don't know how that happened!

Russian hackers !!

 

[cwsat]

Can one of you experts explain in basic terms what the declination angle is or more how do I measure it / adjust it.

It’s the angle from the back of the dish (bracket) in relation to the motor from what I can tell…..but how do you measure and adjust it.

All I’ve got that can be adjusted is the dish elevation and motor elevation.

 

[cwsat]

Feel free to annotate this photo of the dish at 1W if it helps the explanation.

 

[jeallen01]

Russian hackers !!

I wonder what I've done to deserve that "honour" (at least today, anyway)!

 

[jeallen01]

Can one of you experts explain in basic terms what the declination angle is or more how do I measure it / adjust it.

It’s the angle from the back of the dish (bracket) in relation to the motor from what I can tell…..but how do you measure and adjust it.

All I’ve got that can be adjusted is the dish elevation and motor elevation.

I think what you call the "dish elevation" is what the rest of us refer to as the declination - in which case the adjustment is via the lower of the two long bolts/nuts shown right behind the dish facing the camera/phone.

 

[Mickha]

Before doing any adjustmentsmake a mark, using chalk, tape, or something else, so that you can easily get back to the dish/motor positition, prior to any adjustments.
You will have to adjust both settings, on the motor, and dish, to peak the signal, to maximise the signal quality, on your chosen, aligned, satellite, e.g. 0.8W. Then send the motor/dish East, and West, checking the signal quality, on various satellites.
Use william-1's strongest transponders list, as a comparison.

Just Sharing This - Strongest transponders

same here,rainy weather and midday time mean weak reception for 7w and it strengthens a lot after 7pm

satellites.co.uk

When initially setting up did you follow the guides?
To get a really accurate starting point you zero motor/dish, and LNB. Enter your Latitude, and Longitude, into the receiver, then use your receiver to send the motor/dish, to a suitable satellite, to manually align your dish, remembering that negative Longitude readings = West, positive = East, when entering them into your receiver.