Big help needed for seting up a FTA Sat Equip.

leonliang

Hi all,

Can anyone help me please, or even suggestions.

I have recently bought a set of FTA satellite equipment. Since I brought it back to home, I have spent many days to aligning and orienting the dish, but still not joy . So, I am wondering whether I did something wrong , or it just happen to everybody. Can I aligning the dish by hand? I am considering to get a motor, will that help me to get there. Does the dish must face south?

sergeant121

Have a read (and print out what you need) of the DIY-er's bible for Sky dish installation and alignment.

Tony

nice site that one, lots of useful info

weehamster

Heres a link of european satellites http://www.lyngsat.com/europe.html

seano

leonliang wrote:

Hi all,

Can anyone help me please, or even suggestions.

I have recently bought a set of FTA satellite equipment. Since I brought it back to home, I have spent many days to aligning and orienting the dish, but still not joy . So, I am wondering whether I did something wrong , or it just happen to everybody. Can I aligning the dish by hand? I am considering to get a motor, will that help me to get there. Does the dish must face south?

It would help a lot if you told us the receiver type and dish size

leonliang

Digital Satellite Receiver Touch Box 2 (Metronic), dish size is 80cm.

Thank you guys!

leonliang

If I align the dish manually, how do I know whether the it faces a right position? (e.g. 13.0°E, Hot Bird 1 ) Do I have to purchase extra tools or equipment(e.g. compass, Motor), if I do need some please give me some suggestions. Does the dish have to be face South?

I am only a newbie, thanks for helping me.

Tony

well 13 deg actually means 13 degress east of south so if you look where the sun is around 11 am that will give you a rough idea which way to point

Greenman

leonliang wrote:

Digital Satellite Receiver Touch Box 2 (Metronic), dish size is 80cm.

Thank you guys!

What sort of coax are you using?
Have you checked that the F connectors (the plugs connecting the coax to the receiver and lnb) are fitted well ie no short?
Your pole mount well is it perfectly vertical?
Do you know someone with a properly alligned dish? if so connect your box and do a scan of channels, then you have something to go on.

Have you more questions??

leonliang

Greenman wrote:

What sort of coax are you using?
Have you checked that the F connectors (the plugs connecting the coax to the receiver and lnb) are fitted well ie no short?
Your pole mount well is it perfectly vertical?
Do you know someone with a properly alligned dish? if so connect your box and do a scan of channels, then you have something to go on.

Have you more questions??

Thanks for that,
the Coax that I am using is fine, and the Fconnectors are connected correctly (the level indicator on screen is around 70% which means good connections and the quility indicator is 0%, no matter what direction it faces.) the pole mount should be vertical.
I do not know anyone who owns a satellite or expert in this area, so that I hope you guys help me.

Did you mean that if I have everything connected correctly, there are something come out, no matter what way the dish is facing?

Tony

If it says 70% no matter which way you point then it is not fine. Please tell us specifically what type of cable you are using (saying its fine in response to a question does not really help)

leonliang wrote:

Thanks for that,
the Coax that I am using is fine, and the Fconnectors are connected correctly (the level indicator on screen is around 70% which means good connections and the quility indicator is 0%, no matter what direction it faces.) the pole mount should be vertical.
I do not know anyone who owns a satellite or expert in this area, so that I hope you guys help me.

Did you mean that if I have everything connected correctly, there are something come out, no matter what way the dish is facing?

leonliang

Tony wrote:

If it says 70% no matter which way you point then it is not fine. Please tell us specifically what type of cable you are using (saying its fine in response to a question does not really help)

I have just checked it, it is black and marked"RG59 B/U MIL-C-17F".

Greenman

Ok try this, set it on satellite Astra 28.2 set the receiver on manual transponder scan FTA key in 11390 horizontal SR 27500 FEC 2/3.

Face the dish where the sun is around 11AM and move very slowly left and right up an down!!!

When/if you get a signal do a scan.

Let us know!!!

Anymore questions.

BTW can't comment on the coax!!!

leonliang

What direction it has to be facing for Hotbird?

leonliang

Greenman wrote:

Ok try this, set it on satellite Astra 28.2 set the receiver on manual transponder scan FTA key in 11390 horizontal SR 27500 FEC 2/3.

Face the dish where the sun is around 11AM and move very slowly left and right up an down!!!

When/if you get a signal do a scan.

Let us know!!!

Anymore questions.

BTW can't comment on the coax!!!

I will have a try tommorow. This thing really killing me!

Thanks a lot Greenman

Lennoxschips

Use this calculator.

http://www.satsig.net/ssazelm.htm

Fill in the location of the dish (+13 degrees for hotbird) and your home location geographical coordinates. Dublin is +53.3 (latitude) and -6.25 (longtitude). If you don't live in Dublin and don't know your coordinates, just fill in the ones for Dublin anyway, it will be more than good enough to get you pointing in the right direction.

The calculator should give you an idea of the compass bearing the satellite should be pointing (the azimuth), and the elevation the dish should be set at (i.e., how much the dish is 'crooked', there should be numbers along the back of the dish that shows what the elevation is set at). Those are the two values you need to align a dish properly. After that you need to fiddle with it to get a good lock on the signal.

Be sure to keep a compass away from a powered on dish, as the it can interfere with the compass readings.

Tony

Lennoxschips wrote:

Use this calculator.

http://www.satsig.net/ssazelm.htm

.

Thanks for that link very useful site

Zaphod

"Some cables have a type number printed at intervals along their length. Amongst the hundreds of different types of unsuitable coax available, the following are, in my experience, commonly found on building sites masquerading as TV downleads: URM43, URM70, URM76, RG58, RG59 , and RG62."

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/coaxcablequalityhmdim.htm