Setting up a Big Dish

S

stone1150

Banned
The best way to enjoy the fta receiver to it's fullest is to have a c/Ku dish setup if you have the room. One should not be intimidated at the size of the dish. Just by taking your time and doing things properly you can be enjoying the benefits of both c and ku bands. In the world of the big dish, bigger is better. However that said one can get by with as little as 6 feet. 7-8 feet is considered the norm, while larger will expand the transponders that can be received when it comes to the weaker transponders. I ran an 8 footer for a few years only to size up to a 10 foot. The price was right, (free for taking down,) and it only cost me a new pole and some concrete mix from my local hardware store.

This series of posts should hopefully show you how it can be done. Let's first start by selecting the placement of your dish.

Your dish should be back enough from any trees that might be in the way. That said this will affect the lower sats as opposed to the higher ones because of the look angles.

As you can see by the pix, I have a couple of trees to get around. The ones to the south are 150 feet plus and belong to my neighbor. The trees to the west are mine but the dish sets back from them far enough that I can see AMC-7 without any trouble even with the leaves full on.

I used google earth to aid in the placement of my dish. You also can use a protracter by sighting along the angle needed to see the sat.

Once this is done to your satisfaction, grab a shovel and beer. It's time to dig!
 
Mounting the Pole

The pole that you use should be sturdy enough to support the dish well beyond the actual weight of the dish. The dish will be subject to heavy loads from the wind and you want a solid mount to prevent any movement of the dish. If the pole flexes at all it will be next to impossible to align the dish to the sat arc.

I mounted a 10 foot dish so I used a 9 foot pole. I had a fin welded to the base of the pole to prevent the pole from "spinning" in the ground. The fin only needs to be a few inches long and wide if it is set in concrete. The softer the soil, the sturdier the base needs to be. With my setup and soft soil, I buried it 4 1/2 feet into the ground. Even though my pole was 5 inches in diameter, I dug a 2 foot diameter hole and centered the pole in it on top of a brick at the bottom so the pole would not sink. I then used about 6 bags of concrete mix to fill the hole making sure the dish was supported and perfectly plumb. I can't stress enough about the pole being perfectly plumb! Once this is done, wait for the concrete to cure. I waited 4 days before mounting the dish. Then I let it sit for another couple days and kept checking the plumb on the pole to see if it was settling with the weight of the dish. After I was sure that the pole was firmly planted I proceeded to wire the dish.

So first locate the area to set the dish. Second, get a heavy enough pole to do the job. Third dig the hole large enough to hold the amount of concrete you will be using. Remember to place a brick or patio block at the bottom of the hole and set the pole on that so it won't sink into the ground over time.
Finally plumb the pole and brace it. then pour the concrete and wait for it to fully cure. You do not want to rush this last step. Let the mix cure! Good things come to those that wait. ;)
 
Focus Distance

The dish is like a reflecter telescope. The dish gathers the signals and sends them to a single point, the feedhorn. Some feeds have seperate lnbs on them, others are all in one. The latter is commonly referred to as a lnbf. (Lnb feedhorn) Either way, I will refer to them as a feed.
The feed must be centered in relation to the center of the dish. It also must be set the correct distance away from the center in order to be "in focus". Centering the feed is easy enough. For quad or tripod feed mounts, measure from the outside edge of the scaler ring to the edge of the dish. Do this at 3 places for a tripod and 4 places for a quad. Adjust each leg of the mount so that each measurement matches the other. I.E. if the measurement is 45 inches on one, it should be 45 inches on all.

Refer to the pic. this will be 2 steps. First make the feed centered. Second set the focal distance of the feed. If you do not see your dish listed in the following post about focal distances, you can figure it out.

To check the focal length you will need to do a little math. F= the focal distance in inches, or the distance from the dish surface to a point one quarter inch inside the feed horn opening. D= the diameter of the dish in inches and d= depth in inches, from the intersection point of all those strings to the surface of the satellite. Therefore the equation you would use is F=(D*D)/(16*d)

For example if a satellite is 10 feet or 120 inches this would be D. Then the depth from the intersection point of the strings to the back of the satellite is 25 inches this would be d. Therefore F= (120*120)/(16*25) which equals 36 inches.

Hopefully your dish will be identifiable and listed in the following post.
At this time I must mention that your dish should be true and not warped. If it is warped slightly, it can be corrected. But too much and it is no good so you would be better off getting one that is in better shape. You can check the warpage by running string across the face of the dish. Run a few of them slicing the dish up like a pie. After running the strings, look where they cross. They should touch. Up to a 1/4 inch gap is O.K. but no more without being corrected.
For buttonhook mounts, the centering of the feed can be a little tricky. The mount tends to sag over time. As you move the dish across the arc, the feed sags in a different location making centering the feed a nightmare. I run a buttonhook. To correct this I ran stainless steel cables and turnbuckles from three points. These are then adjusted to center the feed and support it throughout the sat arc.
 
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Skew

For those running a seperate feedhorn with lnbs attached, the skew is set by a servo motor that the receiver controls. For those running a c/Ku lnbf, the skew must be set at the time of setting the focal distance. What the skew does is align the probe inside the feed with the signal comming down from the bird. There are 4 types of polarity. Horizontal, Vertical, for the most part. Then there is Left and Right circular. The kind that is used on many overseas birds and direct and dish. The polarities are different so as the signals do not interfere with each other. A transponder will be lets say vert polarity, the next one will be horizontal. The polarity is set on a lnbf by rotating the feed. I set my dish to the highest point in the arc at due south. I did not worry about seeing a sat. Due south inline with my north mark on my pole and the dish mount totally straight. I then went to the front of the dish and put some tape at 6 oclock. Now the back of the lnbf will have some marks on it. The object is to set the 0 mark at the 3 oclock posisition. So by marking the dish like I did, I then moved the dish to the lowest point I could and set the feeds 0 mark at 90 degrees to the right of my mark. Could I have just made a mark at 3 oclock? Sure if I could of reached it! But due to the size of the dish that was not an option. While setting the skew I referred to the following and set the focal distance.....

Focal Length Distances



Make of Dish Size of Dish Focal Length F/D Ratio Solid One Piece Solid More Than One Piece Mesh One Piece Mesh More Than One Piece

KTI (Kaul-Tronics
UXI-6 ) 68 inch (5.666 Foot) 0.40 * (4 Sections)
KTI (Kaul-Tronics SI-10) 68 inch (5.666 Foot) 0.38 * (4 Sections)
KTI (Kaul- Tronics S7.5) 7.5 Foot 0.40 * (4 Sections)
KTI (Kaul- Tronics KTI-10) 10 Foot 0.38 * (4 Sections)
KTI (Kaul Tronics STI-12) 145 inch (12.08333 Foot) 0.40 * (8 Sections)
KTI (Kaul- Tronics STI-161) 191 inch (15.91666 Foot) 0.30 * (16 Sections)
ORBITRON (SX-7M) 7 Foot 31.75 inches 0.38 * (Sections ?) TOP
ORBITRON SX-8.5 8.5 Foot 35.75 inches 0.36 * (Sections ?)
ORBITRON SX-10M 10 Foot 42.56 inches 0.36 * (Sections ?)
ORBITRON SX-12 11.7 Foot 50.12 inches 0.36 * (Sections ?)
ORBITRON O-16 16 Foot 57.12 inches 0.30 * (Sections ?)
ORBITRON Other Models PDF File Click Here
Paraclipse Classic PT 12 Foot 53.375 inches 0.375 TOP
Paraclipse Classic Islander 14.5 Foot 53.375 inches 0.310
Paraclipse Classic CD 12 Foot 53.375 inches 0.375
Paraclipse Classic CD 14.5 Foot 53.375 inches 0.310
Paraclipse Classic CD 16 Foot 56.250 inches 0.30
Paraclipse Eclipse Series 8.5 Foot 39.5 inches 0.40 *
Paraclipse Eclipse Series 10 Foot 35.875 inches 0.30 *
Paraclipse Eclipse Series 12 Foot 47.875 inches 0.333 *
Paraclipse Hydro 4 Foot 18.900 inches 0.40 * (Steel)
Paraclipse Hydro 5 Foot 23.100 inches 0.39 * (Steel)
Paraclipse Hydro 6 Foot 23.125 inches 0.335 * (hydroformed)
Paraclipse Hydro 7 Foot 31.800 inches 0.375 * (hydroformed)
Paraclipse Millennium 3 Foot 26.125 inches 0.65 * (Galvanealed Steel)
Paraclipse Millennium 4 Foot 0.50 * (Galvanealed Steel)
Paraclipse Millennium 5 Foot 0.50 * (Galvanealed Steel)
Patroit 6.1 Meter 96 inches 0.400 * (Solid Aluminum)
Patroit 5 Meter 96 inches 0.488 * (Solid Aluminum)
Patroit (Old Style) 4.5 Meter 63 inches 0.35 * (16 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 4.5 Meter 62 inches 0.35 * (16 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 3.8 Meter 61.8 inches 0.413 * (16 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit (Old Style) 3.7 Meter 57.6 inches 0.40 * (16 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 3.1 Meter 41 inches 0.336 * (8 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 2.8 Meter 33.1 inches 0.30 * (8 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 2.4 Meter 32.1 inches 0.34 * (6 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 2 Meter 23.6 inches 0.30 * (8 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Patroit 1.8 Meter 31.9 inches 0.45 * (6 Draw Die Formed Pedals)
Perfect 10 (6S) 6 Foot 25 7/8 inches 0.390 * (4 Sections)
Perfect 10 (7.5S & TI) 7.5 Foot 33 1/4 inches 0.375 * (4 Sections)
Perfect 10 (10S & SI) 10 Foot 44 5/8 inches 0.375 * (4 Sections)
Perfect 10 (PE1000) 10 Foot 41 inches 0.34 * (4 Sections)
Perfect 10 (12SII) 12 Foot 52.0 inches 0.375 * (4 Sections)
Perfect 10 (14SII) 14 Foot 63 7/8 inches 0.375 * (4 Sections)
Sami (UPS6) 6 Foot 26 1/4 inches 0.375 * (4 Sections) TOP
Sami (S7.5 & SI7.5) 7.5 Foot 33 3/4 inches 0.38 * (4 Sections)
Sami (SC10 & SI10) 10 Foot 45.6 inches 0.38 * (4 Sections)
Sami (SM12) 12 Foot 57.6 inches 0.38 * (6 Sections)
Sami (STI12) 12 Foot 59.0 inches 0.40 * (8 Sections)
Unimesh (7ASI) 7 Foot 33.6 inches 0.4 * (4 Sections Mesh Screw Att)
Unimesh (10AS) 10 Foot 48 inches 0.4 * (4 Sections Mesh Screw Att)
Unimesh (10AL) 10 Foot 48 inches 0.4 * (4 Sections Mesh Press Lock)
Unimesh (10PR) 10 Foot 48 inches 0.4 * (4 Sections Perforated Press Lock)
Unimesh (12XL) 12 Foot 57.6 inches 0.4 * (4 Sections Mesh Press Lock)
Unimesh (12PR) 12 Foot 57.6 inches 0.4 * (4 Sections Perforated Press Lock)
Winegard (QD-0750) 7.5 Foot 31 1/2 inches 0.35 * (4 Sections)
Winegard Pinnacle (CK-1088) 10 Foot 33 5/16 inches 0.278 * (8 Sections)
Winegard Quadstar (QD-1000) 10 Foot 41 inches 0.35


Use the above measured distances from the face of the centerplate to the inner ring face of the feed horn.

4 feet = 1.2m
5 feet = 1.5m
6 feet = 1.8m
7 feet = 2.3m
8.5 feet = 2.6m
10 feet = 3.0 m
12 feet = 3.8m
16.4feet = 5m
20.01feet = 6.1m


Again if you don't see your dish listed or can't identify it, do the math in the above post......
 
Awesome info stone, sounds like years of experience. Your motor peeked my eye, is that an HH motor? I've only seen 2 of those at another site, which move big dishes.
 
Costactc said:
Awesome info stone, sounds like years of experience. Your motor peeked my eye, is that an HH motor? I've only seen 2 of those at another site, which move big dishes.
Click to expand...

Yes that is a h to h setup. My old dish that can be seen in the backround on a couple of pics was hit by a falling branch and I needed a replacement. My mom saw the 10 footer for free in the paper. I had to travel 35 miles due south to get it but it came with a houston tracker 5 receiver and a drake receiver. It was originally set up to run both receivers with a duel C-band lnb. I replaced the lnb with a combo c/ku feed and hooked it to my 4dtv receiver and slaved a pansat 9200 with s-2 add on. All I had to do was adjust the elevation and declination a bit to compensate for the move north and center the feed. So I added the guy wires and turnbuckles to support the feed and keep it centered. I'm so dead on that there is no difference between c and ku signals. I track from intelsat 805 to the east to amc7 to the west. Have a great day!
 
Tracking adjustments... Part 1

The following posts will deal with the actual adjustments to make to get your dish to track the arc. Due to the length of the info this will be spread out over a few posts. It is advised to read through all the info before attempting to align the dish. Alignment of the dish will take time so plan to have an afternoon of good weather, (Maybe even a weekend,) so you can concentrait on what you are doing and take your time. Remember to make small adjustments. By small I mean only a quarter turn on bolts at a time when fine tuning. You will not actually see the dish move doing these small final adjustments, however it does move and can be the difference between a signal and no signal. Moving the dish a hair down here can be a hundred miles by the time the distance to the bird is covered. If you don't seem to get anywhere, take a break and get away from it. Come back later starting from the beginning and try again. Clear thinking and progressive adjustments will get you the best possible signal. Have a great day!
 
Initial adjustments and settings

Set declination/elevation.

Move the dish to the highest point in its travel arc, i.e. centering the dish at
its zenith. Do this by using the actuator; it can be done by visually looking at
the dish. It is now time to set your declination/elevation angles. I use a common carpenter's inclinometer,to set angles. First set the elevation angle, it is measured on the polar axis (sometimes the elevation angle is called the polar axis angle). By elevation, it means the angle in degrees which the dish must be tilted up from the horizon prior to addition of the declination angle. Use az/el charts to get total elevation for your latitude location then substract the declination value for your latitude location and the remainder is the elevation angle to set in this step. (NOTE: The true dish pointing angle is the angle given by all az/el calculation programs and is in fact the sum of the zenith elevation angle (when the dish is at the top of the arc) plus the declination offset angle therefore substract the declination offset angle from the zenith az/el value to get the zenith elevation angle. This is not very critical at this point because you will adjust this angle for best reception later but be as accurate as possible. Next, set the off-set angle on the polar mount, this is the declination. This is an adjustment that tilts the dish 'forwards' at an angle depending on what latitude you live. This adjustment is usually measured on one of the mounts connected directly to the dish, i.e. in the plane of the dish but on its back ring, it depends on your type mount. (In practice, use az/el charts to get total zenith elevation angle, i.e. from the ground to the dish face, for your latitude location and this will be the value to set in the declination adjustment.).



Set magnetic deviation.

Align the polar axis to the true north-south line for your site (don't forget to
adjust for magnetic deviation and to apply the deviation to the correct 'side' of the north needle on the compass) and check that the satellite dish mount cap is vertical on all sides after you tighten it. Tighten the dish on the mount, then loosen it just enough so it will turn. Sometimes, though, the weight of the front of the dish will typically cause it to drop a little so that the mount cap will not be plumb - this is especially true if the pole diameter is in centimeters and the polar cap is in inches; when this happens, Jam a screwdriver between the pole and cap until the cap is plumb then tighten the cap bolts. NOTE: Sometimes the act of tightening mount cap bolts will cause the dish/mount to rotate slightly so after tightening mount cap bolts check that the dish is still aligned to the true north-south line.In case you haven't used a compass in a while, remember it's a circle, 360 degrees. Zero is North, East is 90, South is 180 and West is 270. Put the needle on North and pick something in the distance that is in line with North. Make sure the needle moves freely as you turn the compass around and that it is not too close to the dish or anything metal. It may help you to tie a string to the mount and walk out away from the dish. Line your compass with the string and have someone hold it, or tie it to something such as a rod in the ground. When you
are behind the dish, this will give you a reference to work with. Remember, the dish will look south if you are in the northern hemisphere and will look north if you are in the southern hemisphere and will look straight up if you are on the equator



Align azimuth for azel mount satellite.

If you are using an azel mount, i.e. not a polar tracking mount, then you will
align the azimuth setting to the true heading (not the magnetic heading) of the satellite you are seeking and proceed to azel elevation setting.
 
Programming sats and tracking

Program first satellites.

Move your television and satellite receiver to a table near the dish, if
possible; it will save time from running in the house to look at the image then go outside to make dish adjustments. Begin with a satellite that is located as close as possible to due south of your location (if in the northern hemisphere and otherwise locate a satellite due north if you are in the southern hemisphere), this is the highest point of the arc and it is easiest to accurately adjust the polar axis angle (elevation angle) from this position. (A few degrees off will not make much difference because the dish moves almost flat in the center of arc.) It is usually best to look for a C-band satellite when you begin (if you are working with a C/Ku system), they will be easier to find than a Ku satellite; however, try a Ku satellite because the accuracy your system will have will be much greater if you tune to Ku satellites although Ku satellites are more difficult to find initially - if you have a Ku system only, of course, look for the nearest Ku satellite due south of your installation. The quickest way to track a dish, though, is to program all the C-band satellites first then put in the Ku satellites. If the elevation setting is way off or if the magnetic adjustment is way off, you might not find this first satellite. If so, while having the dish located at the highest point of the arc (due south), you have to turn the entire polar mount on the ground pole until you 'hit' the satellite.- this is where using a spectrum analyzer comes in handy. If you do not have a spectrum analyzer, then set the receiver to 'scan' mode (you will find a button, switch, on the back of the receiver to accomplish this) so it will rapidly scan the channels and you will be sure not to miss an active transponder as it flashes across your TV screen. If your first satellite is not at the top of the arc, or near to it, continue with this procedure until you locate the top of the arc satellite; always program all satellites you find into the receiver, as you find them, and do not forget to use the skew adjustment to fine tune polarity. When you find a satellite, take the receiver off scan mode and check with a current copy of your local satellite TV guide to confirm which satellite you have found. Remember to adjust the polarity to its best at each satellite and program into receiver.



Program azimuth-elevation satellite.

If you are using an azel mount, i.e. not a polar tracking mount, then you will
have aligned the azimuth setting to the true heading (not the magnetic heading) of the satellite you are seeking and in this step you will raise (lower) the elevation setting to the elevation of the satellite you are seeking and you will be finished with your installation except for fine tuning the two settings.



Fine tune north-south alignment (tracking the sides of the arc).

After you are satisfied with the elevation and declination adjustment at the top of the arc, it is time to program middle and end of the arc satellites. This is where most people fail. DO NOT adjust any elevation angles on the mount at this point! Choose the side where the satellites are lowest on the horizon and move the dish, using the actuator, to each consecutive satellite from the top of the arc to the lowest one you can find. Peak the dish on the satellite, the lowest on the arc you can locate, using the actuator. Next, push or pull upwards and downwards on the dish (remember not to stand in front of the signal so as to block incoming signal). You don't have to use much force, just a bit to see if the signal gets better or worse when you push/pull on the dish. What you are actually doing is changing the elevation angle a bit. For instance, if the dish is pointing at a satellite to the east of center and you have to push up on the dish to get a better signal, then the elevation angle must be adjusted higher. At this time, you adjust this by turning the entire mount to the east (to the west if you are in the southern hemisphere) and not by adjusting either the elevation or declination angles! Most errors in tuning a satellite system are due to improper north/south alignment. To repeat, if the dish needs to be pulled down (lowered) for a better signal, then turn the mount the opposite direction (towards the higher point on
the arc) and if the dish needs to be pushed up (lifted) to get a better signal,
then rotate the entire mount away from the top of the arc. BE SURE TO MARK, using a piece of chalk or place a strip of masking tape on the pole and mount cap, the pole and mount to know exactly where your original position is - rotate the mount only SLIGHTLY (no more than 1/16inch ). Note from the chart, a very small movement on the pole can translate to a very large amount in degrees of rotation. Best method to rotate the dish is to barely loosen the cap bolts then stand in front of the dish and grasp the lip of the dish with both hands and gently move the dish in the desired direction. Then retighten the cap bolts, checking that mount cap is still plumb, and mark the new cap position on the pole. After moving the mount, use the actuator and move the dish east/west as necessary to peak the signal on each satellite encountered. Observe the results on a satellite at each end of the arc and at the top of the arc after each mount adjustment. Repeat this procedure
until the dish has the correct north/south alignment, as you do this you should be able to locate the satellite lowest on the arc if you could not find it at first. Always go back to the top of the arc to make sure it is still in view and always check the satellites on the low ends of the arc. If you peaked the dish for center, and then for one side, and the center is still in view then the other side should be very close, of course, this will depend on the ground pole being vertical and offset angle/elevation angle settings.Remember, when you rotate the mount on the pole, each satellite will need to be reprogrammed into the receiver as rotating around the pole changes the location of the satellite in respect to the memory of actuator setting (per satellite) internal to the receiver. If, when the end of the arc satellite is in view and the top of the arc satellite is not in view, then the elevation angle adjustment is grossly wrong and you have to readjust the elevation angle and repeat the procedure until you get one side of the arc, including the top, all in view and programmed into the receiver. If you suspect your elevation adjustment is grossly wrong, go back to the first satellite, the one at the top of the arc, and adjust the elevation so that the satellite remains in view when the mount is set back to its true north-south axis then repeat procedures of this step. Ideally, what you want in this step is to be able to see the entire arc (even if the dish is not hitting center on either ends or the top); what you are looking for at this time is a compromise on the north/south setting that allows all satellites, from end to end, to be in view. After this compromise is reached then it is time to fine tune elevation/declination settings. Always, as you move the dish from side to side, stop at a couple of satellites in the middle and at the top to monitor your adjustment effects.
 
Fine Tuning The Dish

Fine tune elevation.

Once again, lift and pull the dish on the satellites on the low ends of the arc
to see which direction produces a better picture (stronger signal). As stated in
previous step, lifting and lowering the dish has the momentary effect of making elevation changes to the mount - if you are using a spectrum analyzer to tune the dish then you will be able to visibly see if the signals are weaker or stronger as you lift and lower the dish otherwise watch the image on the TV screen and/or the strength meter on the receiver. If lifting the dish on both sides produces a better signal, including the center satellite (or at least does not affect the center) then slightly increase the elevation angle. If lowering the dish on both sides produces a better signal, including the center satellite (or least does not affect the center) then slightly reduce the elevation angle. Keep track how much you turn the bolt(s) that adjust the elevation angle so in case you overadjust you know how much to 'back up' the adjustment. A rule of thumb is to only move the elevation adjustment bolts no more than a quarter of a turn per adjustment. After each adjustment quickly check all satellites to see if they are better or worse. You might have to go from side to side and repeat the elevation adjustment steps before the dish tracks to your satisfaction.



Fine tune declination (end of the arc adjustments).

If, and ONLY if, you can not get both sides to peak, and both sides would be too low or too high while the center remains the same; you can then do a small adjustment of the declination angle to get the two sides into peak with the top. BUT, only do this if you can confirm that both sides are low or high while the center remains the same. If the dish is too high on the sides (arc ends), but fine in the center, the declination angle is too low so increase the declination and decrease the elevation angle the same amount. The two adjustments will cancel each other in the center of the arc while tracking lower on the sides. Conversely, if the dish is too low on the sides (arc ends), but fine in the center, the declination angle is too high so decrease the declination and increase the elevation angle the same amount. One thing to remember, the satellite dish also receives random noise, earth thermal noise, from the earth in addition to signals from space. Random earth noise is something we can not control and is generated by internal molecular motion of all matter; therefore, when the dish is at its peak, it is receiving less thermal noise than when it is positioned looking out on the horizon. Therefore, lower end satellites will always show a weaker signal than higher arc satellites - all things being equal. If your satellites of interest are on the low end of the arc and those satellites are delivering weaker signals to
your system after your best efforts at tuning the dish, then you will require a
larger diameter dish though installing the best rated LNB you can afford might
overcome this. Note, a larger diameter dish will take in more thermal noise, of course, but the increased satellite signals it will gather are more significant than the increased thermal noise it will pick up. The side lobes of a larger dish are smaller in comparison to its main lobe so a larger dish receives less per cent noise per signal as compared to a smaller dish and, as the chart indicates, consequently shows to receive less noise than a smaller dish. so that a larger diameter satellite dish is the clue to overcoming weak signals from low end of the arc satellites.
 
If you have a spectrum analyzer (I don't) ;)

Using spectrum analyzer.

You should now have a perfectly peaked dish and you can check this using a
spectrum analyzer. A spectrum analyzer displays frequency vs. amplitude of all carriers, per polarization, per satellite. If you used Ku-band satellites for
peaking, it will be as good as it can be. If you used C-band satellites, you will
want to repeat the fine tuning steps using Ku satellites. As you go from satellite to satellite in the tuning process, note the weakest channels on each satellite and see what effect your adjustment process has on them. If at the end of the adjustment process and there are still weak channels then check the eirp footprints (eirp for Eastern Hemisphere satellites, for Western Hemisphere satellites) for that satellite and channel (transponder) to see if they are aimed into your region and, if possible, use a spectrum analyzer to look at the weak channels (transponders) and see how weak they really are in comparison with the stronger channels on other satellites with similar eirp patterns to see if ground effects are playing a role in reception and/or if your tuning is that much off. Also compare weak channels to strong ones on the same satellite to see if the weak channels might belong to a broadcaster that is simply not uplinking a strong signal or is uplinking a half transponder signal. All these actions will give you peace of mind that you have done the best job possible and will tell you if what you need is a bigger dish to receive the weaker channels. On older satellites it is a fact that some transponders age quicker than others and thereby are inherently weaker. A spectrum analyzer allows more quantative understanding of the variations in transponder reception per satellite than does monitoring each channel with a TV. In regards to final tracking of the dish, in general, it is said that Ku reception is three times more sensitive to tracking errors than is C-band and tracking Ku satellites is really where a spectrum analyzer comes in handy. The last thing to do after satisfying yourself that your installation is its best, apply VNR (video noise reduction) and/or bandpass filters, as built into
your receiver, to any channels which still show a few sparkles. A satellite
receiver with a good set of internal filters (especially Chapparal brands) will
increase video quality by a 'grade', i.e. make a 'B' grade image to an 'A' grade. If you are using a frequency tunable receiver (again, Chaparral), then try adjusting the center frequency and frequency range of any channel that is giving you a problem especially if you think they might be half transponder transmissions or transmissions on non standard transponder bandwidths, i.e. a downlink on a 54MHz transponder.
 
In Closing.....

SUMMARY:

Find top satellite first then satellite at lowest arc position then program
satellites in the middle between these two then program your way down to the lowest satellite at the other end of the arc. Always adjust north-south axis before making elevation/declination adjustments. Always adjust elevation before making any declination adjustments. To determine whether to make elevation or declination adjustment, program as many satellites as possible into satellite receiver then use this chart to analytically see which adjustment is appropriate.(The best manner to understand this is to understand that the satellite arc makes a half circle and that the tracking movement of mount of dish makes another half circle and when these two half circles are aligned then dish is properly tracked.)If at any time a satellite signal quality can be improved by manually lifting or lowering the dish then your adjustments are not complete. A perfectly tracked C-band arc can appear to be 'all over the place' when you go to program the Ku satellites - do not be shocked. So repeat fine tuning steps on the Ku arc but stay away from further north/south adjustments in Ku fine tuning unless you are really convinced it will be beneficial or you can really get 'mucked up'!! Be sure, on Ku, that you are not chasing weak or half transponder channels and that your dish size relative to site location relative to transmitted footprint is conducive for high quality reception from the questionable weak signal, i.e. check the footprint of that transponder to see if it is being transmitted to your region. Ku signal strength can vary greatly from transponder to transponder within a satellite - especially on hybrid C/Ku satellites. On Ku, national news feeds are
usually strong throughout the coverage region; regional feeds may be on a spot beam; local news feeds may be uplinked weakly and dependent on a very large dish at the home station to bring in a quality picture; private educational classes are often half transponder transmissions and depend on a very large dish at the receive site to bring in a quality picture. For dedicated Ku satellites the energy level of the transponders is more even and your major problems will be one of spot beams - you may be under a strong regional coverage yet be marginal in a spot coverage.If you really want to 'play' with your system further (and your wife does not mind), position and leave the dish on the satellite with weak channels and experiment with moving the focal point (the feed) in and out slightly then with moving the setting of the F/D ratio slightly. Remember that warped dishes (antenna
symmetry), missing panels, hail damaged panels and loose bolts in the mount (especially check the bolt that connects the pivot axis tube to the mount cap) will deter top performance from your system - and Ku reception is the most sensitive to incorrect focal length and F/D settings.When you are satisfied with your efforts, recheck that all bolts are completely tight and definitely tighten the mount cap to axis tube bolt. Also, make a definitive mark on the pole/mount cap for the correct alignment just in case extremely high winds should cause the dish to rotate slightly on the pole. In high winds, position the dish at the top of the arc at which point is the least resistance to wind forces; aiming the dish into the wind will put the most strain on your installation.
 
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I thought I knew all the ins and outs, obviously I was wrong. I have a long weekend coming up, starting on Friday-think I'll see if I can max out my bud.
Thanks for the info Stone.:bigthumbup:
 
Angle Finder

This is what I use when I work on my dish..... I also added a chart to the "summery" post at the top of this page. Have a great day!
 
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Polar Mount Angle Readings

Here is a pic of a polar mount. This will hopefully give enough info on where to take angle readings when you align your dish. Have a great day!
 
Focal distance calculations..

Here is a diagram that shows the focal distance calculations for the feed in relation to the dish. You can use this formula to figure the focal point if you do not know what it is or it wasn't listed in that list I posted earlier. Have a great day!

Note: a better diagram uploaded... one that can be read! Sorry for any confusion the previous diagrams caused...
 
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Magnetic Deviation

Here is another chart I found buried from the past. It explains finding true north. To track the arc correctly, you need to locate true north. For example..... where I live I need to add 3 degrees to my compass reading to locate true north. The map is not the greatest quality however should do the job. Each line on the map is 1 degree. Weather you add to or subtract from your compass reading, depends on if you live east or west of the Mississippi river. Have a great day!
 
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