Dish Prob.

kilasser

I posted here a wile a go about putting a minidish on a flat balcony. As IM not allowed to put a dish on the walls of the building. I have moved to this flat and the balcony is on the wrong side of the building for sky reception.

I decided to put the dish inside the window of my living room as the window is facing the correct direction. I tried everything for two days and could not get a signal. So I called an 'expert' in. He tried and failed he said the signal will not go through the double glazing.

Any suggestions of what I can Try now.

Zaphod

Did he open the window and test to see if you can get a signal?

If yes, then one option is to replace the glass with polycarbonate.

kilasser

He did open the window. but no signal at it. The only way he could get a signal was to hold it out the window under the window sill

Zaphod

When the window was opened, did he keep the dish level with it or below it? It should be below it, as the signal will approach from above for an offset dish.

kilasser

It was below it. He was able to get 95% signal.

Zaphod

I meant when the dish was inside - was it on the same plane as the window, or below?

How big is the window?

kilasser

It was on the same plane. Window about H 1.5 meters X W 3 meters.

Zaphod

It's somewhat counterintuitive, but when he was searching for a signal inside, the dish should be lower that the window. If it's on the same plane as the window, then he was actually aiming more towards the wall above the window.

Offset geometry: second pic down
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/satellites/english/engineer/copy/comm/dish.html

Another question: when he found a signal outside, what angle did the feed arm make with the wall/window? Ideally, it should be close to perpindicular/90 degrees. If the angle is too small (close to zero i.e. parallel with the window), then you can get diffraction of the signal through glass.