New Installation question

will3001

Hello

So this is my first post so please bear with me if I'm missing something obvious.

I bought a LIDL system at christmas and only got around to installing it the other day. Once all together I paid a visit to my neighbours house. Firstly I live in the country and my neighbours hse is directly opposite mine approximately 1/2 mile away. Both houses face the mountains and his Sky dish is pointing diectly into the mountain (but its a good bit away if you understand). I used a formation on the mountain to pick out where his satellite is pointing to for the 28.2E astra 2 satellite.

I returned home and set up my system and after a few minutes adjusting the dish got a strong signal but no picture. After consulting the manual it suggested I might be picking up a signal but not from the correct satellite. I then realised that I was getting a signal from the astra 1 satellite.

Now even thought these satellites are only 10 or so degrees apart I would have expected to see a distinct difference in the orientation of the dish. I went further a field and checked with other neighbours less close to the mountain and found that their satellites were indeed pointed more easterly than my closest neighbour.

So my questions are:
Will I find it really hard to pick up the Astra 28.2E satellite. Also how come when pointing in the same direction as my neighbour I'm getting a signal thats supposed to be about 10 degrees further south.
Why do different neighbours a few miles apart have distinctly different dish orientations.

Would really really appreciate any advice on this. Also apologies if I haven't explained this but its quite odd. I'm fairly techy (honest I'm a science graduate) but this stumps me. Ive been trying to contact the engineer who installed my closest neighbours dish but no luck.

If it helps I'm living in the glen of Aherlow in tipperary facing the galtees..maybe it might help set up the question a bit better.

Thanks

Will.

watty

Welcome to Boards, Wil

If the arm is bent very slightly the dish angle will be different for the same satellite.

10 degrees isn't much.

You have no accurate measurement method, so can't be 100% sure.

As well as moving dish more east, (less than 10 degrees as we are far north of Equator and the satelllites are quite a bit South West) you'll need to reduce elevation slightly

go www.smw.se and "free software" | "SMW link" and download

You enter your position, - for west

you will see then the elevation and azimuth. Also the dishes are offset, so the elvation is NOT the apparent visual angle of dish edge. The dish is actually pointing up about 20 degrees when vertical, depending exactly on model of dish.

will3001

Ok I'll get the software and see how we go from that. I'm still pretty convinced that my closest neighbours dish is pointing in a very different direction to my further away neighbours using the mountain as a guide....
still I'm open to any solution.

thanks
Will.

will3001

Ok so I get an azimuth of ~169 and an elevation of 30 degrees. Taking into account the offset you mentioned when the dish is flat I expect I'll be pointing the dish exactly where I was the first time when I picked up astra 1.

I'll move my location in the yard a little bit and start from scratch. I may be back for more advice. Thanks for your help.

Will.