setting up 1.2m motorised dish.

bassy

having trouble getting my dish elevation as i,m using a polarmount,and to set my dish elevation theres a threaded bar on my polarmount thats adjusted up and down by opening 2 nuts.

its the threaded bar that is getting to me as theres no marking indication to tell you your elevation,i have added 2 pictures from the dish manual to give you a idea.

my latitude:52.860 north
my longtitude: -7.167 west

1 picture is the dish elavation,and the other picture is the dish declination,any ideas on the threaded bar elevation adjustment?.

bassy

pictures not great using a camera phone.

heres what manual says for proper elevation:

determin elevation angle X in accordance to the volumes given in table
set the mount all the proper elevation angle X by mearning the length X of the elevation screw (25) (25 is the threaded bar) and fine adjustment acting on nut already shown.

thing is i cannot work out the elevation X from the table in the picture,can some one please guide me.

fat-tony

Judging by the graph you posted, the length X for the elevation screw should be 115mm. The photo is not clear enough for me to make out exactly where the measurement is made on the elevation screw. As you turn the screw the dish should elevate. You should be able to get an approximation as, at your latitude (almost 53degrees), the dish face will be pointing 37 degrees upwards from the horizontal (parallel to a line drawn perpendicular to the equator) when facing South. Then, because the satellite(s) are only 40,000 km from earth, you need to point the dish down (decline) about 6-7 degrees.
I'm assuming that you are using a prime focus dish, which would point directly at the satellites and not an offset dish.
I have only ever used an offset dish with H-H motors, and would like to get a proper polarmount at some stage in the future, but I'll have to move to a more dish-friendly location:D

bassy

hi tony i will try to get a better picture of the graph for you,i assume the 115mm is measured from the bottom of the threaded bar,like in pic.

bassy

just uploaded 2 new pictures,so i hope you can help me out with the required settings i need cheers.

Apogee

These are the angles for a modified polar mount. They give better tracking than the simple polar mount angles. You can pick up electronic levels with a digital readout for about €10-15. Very good investment.



http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/decchartp.html

bassy

i need to know the the thread bar elevation which is measured in mm.

Apogee wrote: »

These are the angles for a modified polar mount. They give better tracking than the simple polar mount angles. You can pick up electronic levels with a digital readout for about €10-15. Very good investment.



http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/decchartp.html

Apogee

Latitude ~53deg : Elevation 53 deg, Dec ~6.8 deg
From your graph, threaded bar length 115mm.

bassy

would it not be 105mm?,because 55deg on graph is swaying down to 100mm and 50deg is swaying down to 110mm on graph,and i,m almost 53deg.
so between 55deg and 50deg works out around 105mm,am i right?.

as the 115mm seems to be between 50deg and 45deg on graph.

Apogee wrote: »

Latitude ~53deg : Elevation 53 deg, Dec ~6.8 deg
From your graph, threaded bar length 115mm.

watty

bassy wrote: »

would it not be 105mm?,because 55deg on graph is swaying down to 100mm and 50deg is swaying down to 110mm on graph,and i,m almost 53deg.
so between 55deg and 50deg works out around 105mm,am i right?.

as the 115mm seems to be between 50deg and 45deg on graph.

try the 52.9 setting

If that is wrong, try setting for 90-52.9 = 47.1

bassy

whats that in mm length on the threaded bar watty?.

watty wrote: »

try the 52.9 setting

If that is wrong, try setting for 90-52.9 = 47.1

fat-tony

Hi Bassy

Got your pm. These photos are much better:) The problem is - you're arguing the point with everyone who is pointing out that the length of the threaded bar should be 115mm (which is what I said in my original reply!). Your graph is very clear - go up the vertical axis to almost 53 degrees. Go left to where it intersects the oblique line and drop down vertically to the horizontal axis where it reads 115 mm. This is what you measure on the threaded bar 25. From the drawing I would measure upwards from the top of the nut 32. As I also said before, the dish would (should) then be pointing at a 37 degree angle upwards. You then need to point the dish down almost 7 degrees (declination) by adjusting nut 33 and aligning to the seven degree marker. You really won't be able to adjust by eye (manually) to fractions of a degree. The main thing is to firstly get the elevation as accurate as you can so that the polarmount is tracking at your latitude of almost 53 degrees (37 degrees on the dish face). I bought a spirit level about a year ago which can measure angles digitally (God bless Lidl!), but you should be able to lash up a cardboard cutout triangle with 37 degrees using a protractor and then check that the dish is elevated correctly. Then use the declination screw to drop down seven degrees and fine tune on the southernmost satellite. If it's all too much, then I have a perfectly working Moteck SG2100 which I'll swap for your polarmount and 1.2m dish;)

Apogee

bassy

thanks tony its a lot more clearer to me now your help has been greatly appreciated.

fat-tony wrote: »

Hi Bassy

Got your pm. These photos are much better:) The problem is - you're arguing the point with everyone who is pointing out that the length of the threaded bar should be 115mm (which is what I said in my original reply!). Your graph is very clear - go up the vertical axis to almost 53 degrees. Go left to where it intersects the oblique line and drop down vertically to the horizontal axis where it reads 115 mm. This is what you measure on the threaded bar 25. From the drawing I would measure upwards from the top of the nut 32. As I also said before, the dish would (should) then be pointing at a 37 degree angle upwards. You then need to point the dish down almost 7 degrees (declination) by adjusting nut 33 and aligning to the seven degree marker. You really won't be able to adjust by eye (manually) to fractions of a degree. The main thing is to firstly get the elevation as accurate as you can so that the polarmount is tracking at your latitude of almost 53 degrees (37 degrees on the dish face). I bought a spirit level about a year ago which can measure angles digitally (God bless Lidl!), but you should be able to lash up a cardboard cutout triangle with 37 degrees using a protractor and then check that the dish is elevated correctly. Then use the declination screw to drop down seven degrees and fine tune on the southernmost satellite. If it's all too much, then I have a perfectly working Moteck SG2100 which I'll swap for your polarmount and 1.2m dish;)

beer4life2

bassy wrote: »

i need to know the the thread bar elevation which is measured in mm.

G'Day Cobbers,
I came across your thread whilst trying to sort out that Geo-orbit article.
I hope you will forgive me for butting in, but,
I have found that there are at least two confusing statements.
The altitude of the Clarke Belt is given as 22300 Kms and the radius of the earth as 3964 Kms. (That should be Miles.)
The Modified Declination Chart is confusing as it gives the elevation as Zero at the equator. It should be the reciprocal of the Latitude.
I hope this is of some help.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

fat-tony

beer4life2 wrote: »

G'Day Cobbers,
I came across your thread whilst trying to sort out that Geo-orbit article.
I hope you will forgive me for butting in, but,
I have found that there are at least two confusing statements.
The altitude of the Clarke Belt is given as 22300 Kms and the radius of the earth as 3964 Kms. (That should be Miles.)
The Modified Declination Chart is confusing as it gives the elevation as Zero at the equator. It should be the reciprocal of the Latitude.
I hope this is of some help.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

The OP has been asked already to try at 53 degrees (his latitude) and the reciprocal elevation (90-53) = 37 degrees settings and then allow for the approx 7 degree declination.

bassy

tryed it yesterday with 37 degress on polarmount elevation and 7 degrees declination,not a thing.even measured 115mm on threaded bar,and tryed a paper protractor to get 37 degrees.

fat-tony wrote: »

The OP has been asked already to try at 53 degrees (his latitude) and the reciprocal elevation (90-53) = 37 degrees settings and then allow for the approx 7 degree declination.

bassy

i have it back tracking 28.2east,19.2e,13.e,30.w 90%signal there.
but i cannot get a thing from 16.east even though i,m getting 90-95% signal from 13.e and 19.e very weird?.
cannot get anything from 1.w or 0.8 thor

am using a dm500s and i believe the tuner in them is crap.

Apogee

It sounds like your declination is wrong and you're cutting through the arc.



Is the dish tracking below or above the middle of the arc e.g. if you point the dish at 10E, pull/push on the rim of the dish and see which action increases the signal level.

28E, 19E, 13E, 30W etc are sh*te for aligning a dish properly. They are fine to get your initial bearings, but they all output strong signals. This gives you too much leeway/room for error - plus they are near the central, flatest part of the arc. You should align the dish using the sats at the extremes of the arc.

Extreme East Turksat 42E - TRT 1 : 11920, V, 24440
East Hotbird 13E - Al Jazeera : 11034, V, 27500
South Atlantic Bird 2 8W - France 24 : 10972, V, 27500
West Hispasat 30W - Retevision : 12547, V, 30000
Extreme West Intelsat 9 58W - Aastha Channel 2 : 11477, H, 26462

bassy

anyone on here near kilkenny area or surrounding countys that could get this dish properly aligned and tracking the arc.
if anyone could help could you please pm me thanks.

Manc-Red

bassy wrote: »

i have it back tracking 28.2east,19.2e,13.e,30.w 90%signal there.
but i cannot get a thing from 16.east even though i,m getting 90-95% signal from 13.e and 19.e very weird?.
cannot get anything from 1.w or 0.8 thor

am using a dm500s and i believe the tuner in them is crap.

B - I'm almost sure the guy who set mine up had to find 16e first to get that bird working ok on the motor m8 - he said to me its a bas**rd of a sat

bassy

well good news today is that i can get 90%signal on 30.w,8.w is 90% also.and on some transponders i can get 90-95%signal on 42.e,i can get 90% signal on canal+ at 0.8 west.getting 90% on 28.2 east,13.e and 19.2e are 90%.but 16.east i cannot digitalb supersports the break up or poor signal.

thats weird as i can get 42.e,28.e,13.e,19.2e,5.e,0.8w,8.w,30.w.
whats the story with digitalb supersports?,as i can get some transponders on 16.e around 90%.

Manc-Red wrote: »

B - I'm almost sure the guy who set mine up had to find 16e first to get that bird working ok on the motor m8 - he said to me its a bas**rd of a sat

Manc-Red

bassy wrote: »

well good news today is that i can get 90%signal on 30.w,8.w is 90% also.and on some transponders i can get 90-95%signal on 42.e,i can get 90% signal on canal+ at 0.8 west.getting 90% on 28.2 east,13.e and 19.2e are 90%.but 16.east i cannot digitalb supersports the break up or poor signal.

thats weird as i can get 42.e,28.e,13.e,19.2e,5.e,0.8w,8.w,30.w.
whats the story with digitalb supersports?,as i can get some transponders on 16.e around 90%.

I get 77% on Digitalb's Freq on my 88cm, You getting 1w with your setup, you'll never need any more for the Footy B.

Wait until you see Canal + m8 - Amazing

bassy

FECK ALL ENGLISH COMMENTRY ON C+ @ 1.WEST M8.

check ur phone

Manc-Red wrote: »

I get 77% on Digitalb's Freq on my 88cm, You getting 1w with your setup, you'll never need any more for the Footy B.

Wait until you see Canal + m8 - Amazing

Manc-Red

bassy wrote: »

FECK ALL ENGLISH COMMENTRY ON C+ @ 1.WEST M8.

check ur phone

I got plenty in English m8 - thanks for the text m8

bassy

any chnce you could pm me details on those english ones,cheers.



don,t go mad on it m8,you know yourself don,t shoot the messenger lol.

Manc-Red wrote: »

I got plenty in English m8 - thanks for the text m8

Manc-Red

bassy wrote: »

don,t go mad on it m8,you know yourself don,t shoot the messenger lol.

LOL m8 - Cheers