Pointing To 129W Assistance

[mcface]

Good afternoon everyone,

I have had my dish pointed to 100-119 for many years its a 20" dish 500. I dont use a DP LNB i use 2 individual ones and a switch.
I only have Standard def recievers, and just recently got a dvbs2 card. I cannot take my pc outside nor is it of any use to point. Wondering if i am able to do so with my CW-800s
And if so what Tp would you suggest using to aim at from Manitoba Canada.

Thanks!

[jumbo62]

129 is all HD so if you don't have a hd rec. it wouldn't do you much good to try to pick it up!

[mcface]

As I Said I Have A HD DVB Card, But using the PC too AIM is not a option.

[stman]

12516 is an SD tp on 129 you can use.

[Terryl]

You can go to dishpointer.com and enter your location, the select 129W as the satellite, it will give you a map with a line on it, pointing to the satellite from your location, zoom in as needed.

However 129 is a bit weak in your area, (you only said Manitoba, so I picked Winnipeg) so your going to need at least a 33" dish for 129W, if your further north then you need to go bigger.

Use TP 12516 to find 129W, it is an SD CONUS beam that covers most of Canada.

To find out how big a dish is needed, go to the link below and zoom into your location, click on your location and an estimated dish size will come up.


http://www.satbeams.com/footprints?norad=33453

Select the CONUS beam as the others are spot beams and are not viewable in your area.

[mcface]

Thanks Terryl,

I am winnipeg yes. i had it before on this exact same dish, so i think ima try it before i go to a larger dish. But that transponder its not in my cw800s 12516 is not in the list (hahah go figure) can i just add it? or perhaps use the one under the 119 sat list?

[lonster1]

I used an elliptical in Calgary and hit 129 without a prob.
Dishpointer is great because you can put the arrow on your house with the google map
and see the line of sight. Any landmarks in your yard or across the street make it easy to find the general
location needed. then a few tweaks later your done.

When I moved I bought a motorized setup and it is great because in Manisnowba you will get 90 - 100 q pretty much across all of the sats with a 30 inch
round dish.

[Terryl]

Thanks Terryl,

I am winnipeg yes. i had it before on this exact same dish, so i think ima try it before i go to a larger dish. But that transponder its not in my cw800s 12516 is not in the list (hahah go figure) can i just add it? or perhaps use the one under the 119 sat list?

I can't help you with that one, I don't have your type of receiver

And no the TP's settings between the two satellites are different, the 12516 TP on 119W uses a 7/8 FEC, the 12516 TP on 129W uses a 5/6 FEC, so you wont get much if you can't mod the transponders.

[Terryl]

I used an elliptical in Calgary and hit 129 without a prob.
Dishpointer is great because you can put the arrow on your house with the google map
and see the line of sight. Any landmarks in your yard or across the street make it easy to find the general
location needed. then a few tweaks later your done.

When I moved I bought a motorized setup and it is great because in Manisnowba you will get 90 - 100 q pretty much across all of the sats with a 30 inch
round dish.

If you went to a 39" dish with the Invacom LNB, you can get even more satellites, the linear FTA satellites are fun to cruse through looking for channels.

[lonster1]

If you went to a 39" dish with the Invacom LNB, you can get even more satellites, the linear FTA satellites are fun to cruse through looking for channels.

I have an Invacom quad polar, but I cant get it to work because the freq range does not go low enough from what I have read.
I want to hit them but I just haven't been able to with this lnb. Not for the sake of not trying over and over again....lol

On the other hand, it may just be me screwing up over and over again....lol

[Terryl]

I have an Invacom quad polar, but I cant get it to work because the freq range does not go low enough from what I have read.
I want to hit them but I just haven't been able to with this lnb. Not for the sake of not trying over and over again....lol

On the other hand, it may just be me screwing up over and over again....lol

I will start a new thread on this, we are hi-jacking Mcface's thread.

Go here for the new thread, http://www.satfix.net/showthread.php?96137-Invacom-quad-LNB-problems

[mcface]

I have spent a hour or so in the great cold, no luck. Im starting to think its the reciever im using and not my aiming abilities. Going to try for a shot in the dark. If not I guess a installer will be dispatched :/

[lonster1]

Armed with an el cheapo analog sat finder and dishpointer you will get it.
If you keep trying you will get it, and the satisfaction of scanning it and watching later on
is a pretty good feeling.

Mind you, pulling out your hair during the install does suck but in the end you will know for next time
what to do and where to point without having to wait for an installer.

[Terryl]

I have spent a hour or so in the great cold, no luck. Im starting to think its the reciever im using and not my aiming abilities. Going to try for a shot in the dark. If not I guess a installer will be dispatched :/

It might be cheaper to look for an old (but working) CoolSat 5000, it has a great tuner in it and is very fast for tweaking in a dish, I use one along with a 9" TV set for tweaking dishes, works every time.

And I know that there are several members here that may be nice enough to give you a hand, it may cost you a couple of 6 packs but could save you some hair.

I can't drive that far, 120 miles is my limit, I'm in California, somewhere in the boonies of the Sierra Nevada's.

[mcface]

I am wondering if perhaps 61.5 would be better for me? Im dead center of the country here. Im not sure how a CS5K can help me as im tryin to tune to a HD station, im sure my CW will do about the same, its super easy to hit 110-119, 82 or 91, but thats cause i have exp there. LOL, any more tips ill give em a try, i do have a compass, but am unable to get behiend the dish to make a good alignment.

[mcface]

Right, so i got no where last night,
tody i broke down got a 33" dish and a satelite finder kit. Still nothing....
Lnb tests good on 110-119.

Any suggestions?

[dragon800]

Were you able to add tp 12516 to your reciever? If not you will not hit that bird without an HD reciever. The 1st conus tp is 12457.

[Terryl]

I am wondering if perhaps 61.5 would be better for me? Im dead center of the country here. Im not sure how a CS5K can help me as im tryin to tune to a HD station, im sure my CW will do about the same, its super easy to hit 110-119, 82 or 91, but thats cause i have exp there. LOL, any more tips ill give em a try, i do have a compass, but am unable to get behiend the dish to make a good alignment.

What I do in some cases is to go to dishpointer and zoom in as close as I can, then once I get a good looking picture with the line pointing at a local landmark, I hit the "Ctrl" "Print Screen" buttons (hold down the "Ctrl" button), then go to the "Paint" program (if you have Windows) then hit the "Edit" and "Paste", then printout the photo, this gives you something to look at.

Dishpointer also has an APP for the Iphone, if you have one it may help.

[Terryl]

Right, so i got no where last night,
tody i broke down got a 33" dish and a satelite finder kit. Still nothing....
Lnb tests good on 110-119.

Any suggestions?

What type of "Satellite finder kit"?

[mcface]

What type of "Satellite finder kit"?
Lol some digiwave deal, it came with a compass a meter with a guage. Again super easy to find 110-119 with this device but 129 eludes me.



http://www.icenternet.net/STORE/product_info.php?cPath=16_104&products_id=210

[mcface]

Here are some pictures i took.

This is locked onto 119W with 97%S And 98%Q
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/DSC08115.jpg
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/DSC08113.jpg


Is it possible that giant tree is causing my problems?

[lonster1]

The tree might be blocking you but it is hard to tell
With a meter you should get a signal if your not being blocked.

Can you move the dish to the south east at all to shoot between the trees?

Your pics reminds me of sunny St.Vital :)

[mcface]

The tree might be blocking you but it is hard to tell
With a meter you should get a signal if your not being blocked.

Can you move the dish to the south east at all to shoot between the trees?

Your pics reminds me of sunny St.Vital :)

I sure can, i will try to move that ladder/sat stand :p over back to the south east more after dinner. I really hope i get somewhere soon LOL.


Sunny ST James here :)

[Terryl]

I agree with Lonster1,that dish looks like it could be pointing into that tree, the elevation for 129 at your location is around 25 degrees, that may be too low and pointing into the main part of that tree.

Can you move the dish to the other side of that tree as a test? Maybe the front yard?

And his pick's remind me of why I moved to California from North Dakota, my old bones don't like the snow.

[mcface]

I agree with Lonster1,that dish looks like it could be pointing into that tree, the elevation for 129 at your location is around 25 degrees, that may be too low and pointing into the main part of that tree.

Can you move the dish to the other side of that tree as a test? Maybe the front yard?

And his pick's remind me of why I moved to California from North Dakota, my old bones don't like the snow.

Lol yeah its really not the weather for dish pointing today, but after dinner im going to add a extension onto that and put the dish in the far back corner where it has the best chances i hope.

[Terryl]

Lol yeah its really not the weather for dish pointing today, but after dinner im going to add a extension onto that and put the dish in the far back corner where it has the best chances i hope.

"Not the weather for dish pointing" ....

Is it snowing at 5 feet an hour?
Is it raining so hard you have to put a bucket over your head just to breath?
Is it blowing so hard the chickens lay the same eggs 3 times?
Is it so cold you can't touch your self to go to the bathroom?
Is it so dark you can't tell your hand is in front of your face unless you hit yourself?

If the answer to the above questions is "No" then you can do it, just bring a flashlight, a rope, a nice warm snugly jacket, put some lead in your boots, and hold it till your bathroom warms up, all this just in-case something changes for the worst.

If the answer to any of the above questions is "Yes" then you may think about a move to somewhere a bit nicer...........LOL............................... ...............Sorry.............................. ..........My fault.......Cold meds are getting to me again...

[lonster1]

Terryl your starting to sound like people I worked for in the past....lol

Mcface you can handle this. Im not sure about the north end of your yard, but judging by the pics when summer hits and the trees leaf out you might have issues again.
But if you can go south a bit and to the east side you should be able to shoot between those trees.

As for the snow, I wish we had more. There has been so little this year I haven't even looked at my sled let alone gone for a rip.....lol

[mcface]

Thanks for the tips guys, heading out now.
Im not worried about summer signals, once i hit it once, im sure ill have no probs hitting it ever again
I miss the snow, wish we had enough aswell, no fun tearing up the grass with the sleds.

[mcface]

Fail, fail, fail,
WHO know 129 would be soo hard to hit? Would perhaps 61.5 be better? ive setup in countless places in the yard no go :(

[Glatt]

mcface all you have to do is get a signal on 119 which in Winnipeg is 29.1 deg elevation and 207, then lower yor dish 4 deg and move to 219 west. 129 is 25.3 deg elevation and 219. No need for fancy equipment. 4 deg lower might be a problem in your picture! Good luck!

[mcface]

Glatt,
ive dropped the dish spun it all around, i figure if its about a quarter inch from 110 to 119
119-129 should be about the same but lower. Idk boys.

mcface all you have to do is get a signal on 119 which in Winnipeg is 29.1 deg elevation and 207, then lower yor dish 4 deg and move to 219 west. 129 is 25.3 deg elevation and 219. No need for fancy equipment. 4 deg lower might be a problem in your picture! Good luck!

[dragon800]

Well I'm north of the 56th & picking it up with 1M dish. I've never used a sat finder always a HD reciever. Just guessing but does the sat finder you bought pull in mpeg4 sats? Like I said just throwing it out there, you should be grabing it with no obstructions.

[mcface]

Well I'm north of the 56th & picking it up with 1M dish. I've never used a sat finder always a HD reciever. Just guessing but does the sat finder you bought pull in mpeg4 sats? Like I said just throwing it out there, you should be grabing it with no obstructions.

New Day new challenges.
I dont know the first thing about pointing HD sats, i have never tried and it seems quite difficult. Perhaps i should be trying to find someone locally with a HD box i can borrow for a hour to get this over and done with.

[Glatt]

You do not need a HD receiver because of the slow response just follow post #4 and use tp 12516. If you get 119 all dishes have degree marks on them and lower it exactly 4 deg! Thats all. A protractor will show you if you have a tree problem! It is not rocket science!

[mcface]

Okay, so if i hear you correctly 4 deg lower the 119 and a bit to the right?
This is 119
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/IMG00002-20120301-1029.jpg


so this would be 4deg lower roughly?

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/IMG00003-20120301-1030.jpg

[mcface]

Man this sucks big time, so is there anyone here from the winnipeg area? lol i could really use the assist here.

[lonster1]

Elevation looks about right (about 25.3), Skew should be around 23.9 for you.

Set that up and hook up the meter and swing the dish slowly from east to west a bit at a time.
Have you used dishpointer to landmark the yard with the line of sight tool?

If I was going to the city any time soon I would help, but Im 4.5 hours away...lol

I will do what I can to help you in the thread though.

[mcface]

Elevation looks about right (about 25.3), Skew should be around 23.9 for you.

Set that up and hook up the meter and swing the dish slowly from east to west a bit at a time.
Have you used dishpointer to landmark the yard with the line of sight tool?

If I was going to the city any time soon I would help, but Im 4.5 hours away...lol

I will do what I can to help you in the thread though.
Thanks man, ive tried dishpointer no objects are useful for me to pooint with.
My dish has no skew? Is this ok?

[lonster1]

If you don't mind entertaining this thought a bit.

Go to dishpointer, select hybrid, find your house and zoom in on it, drop the icon in your yard roughly where the dish is situated.
Use those big trees as the landmark to get the general area and make minor adjustments from there.

Your elevation is pretty much dead on for your area, the skew shouldn't affect it much with that dish ( I think....lol)

I know it's frustrating but I don't think your too far off.

[Terryl]

What type or brand of LNB came on that new dish?

And it's not any different looking for this bird, then finding 119, SD or HD, if your on the right TP for that bird, you should get a signal to lock onto.

129 is 10 degrees to the right of 119, 110 and 119 are about the same, so here is what you do.

First make a reference mark that is easy to see and in a location that is easy to get to, on the dishes pole mount, (I use a fine black sharpy for this, and a small ruler) have it go to the bottm of the pole mount before you run off the end and hit the pipe holding the dish up.

Then find 110W, once you find it, make a small mark on the mounting pole with the black sharpy.*
Then find 119, do the same.
Next move the dish to where you should think 129 is, this would be "X" millimeters or some number of "Y" fractions of an inch.

129 should be in that general area, you would have to drop the dish "Z" number of degrees to get it in your sights.

Now as to 61.5, it dosent have the HD channels on it like 129 does, most HD for the Eastern arc are on 72.7W.


* One thing I have done in the past for experiments is to go get some of that glue on tape with inch marks on it, the stuff used for wood working, attaching a small piece to just below the dishes pipe mount will give you some good reference marks to play with.


But it shouldn't be this hard to find that one satellite, you get 110 and 119 just fine, one question, what is right out in front of the supposed line for 129?

A large metal building? A big parking lot? an open field? a lake? what?

[mcface]

WOW, ok, so ive found 129W! BUT.. and theres a big one still, only 42% Q thats just not going to cut it, and i mean if a leaf falls on the dish, its completly gone :(

So im almost there, thanks for gettin me this far, now to figure out the fine tuning.

[lonster1]

Yup some fine tuning and you should be there.

Glad you have it this far. :yeaah:

[mcface]

I suppose this is where it gets tough, if i even go near the dish all my Q is gone :(
Is this cause im using a transponder that is one of the few SD ones? As Scanning with my DVBS2 8PSK card renders nothing yet. Except 12516TP.

[lonster1]

With a 30inch dish on that tp I get 99% q
so IMO it's gonna be some tweaking to get it up there as high as you can provided
you have a clear shot to the sat.

[Terryl]

One thing we haven't looked into, and that the mounting pole, it has to be absolutely vertical, front to back, left to right, or your arc will be off and you will/may miss the bird at the far end. (129)

You may hit 110 and 119 but when you swing over to 129 you may be off just enough to miss the 129 bird.

I have done some calc's based on your down town.

Satellite. ..... Elevation. ..... Direction (true)..... Direction (magnetic)......... Difference

110W............31.5................196.5......... ...........193.2.................................. .0, (This will be the reference satellite.)

119W............29.1................207.6......... ...........204.2.................................. .EL = -2.4, Dt = +11.1, Dm = +11

129W............25.3.................219.......... .............215.7................................ ..EL = -6.2, Dt = +22.5, Dm = +22.5

[mcface]

Allrighty, here is a look right down the arm, i dont see anything that could be blocking my signal? or am i wrong.
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/DSC08147.jpg

And here is what my CW-800S is reporting.
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/DSC08148.jpg

[lonster1]

Right now without any leaves on the tree you should be able to dial it in, but when it leafs out you might have issues.

[Terryl]

Allrighty, here is a look right down the arm, i dont see anything that could be blocking my signal? or am i wrong.
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/DSC08147.jpg

And here is what my CW-800S is reporting.
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/faced/DSC08148.jpg


Yaaaaaayyy you got it.

But remember the LNB is looking at the dish from a different angle the right down that arm, the satellite(s) are higher up then what the arm angle is.

If you where to look down a line from the eye of the LNB you will see the difference.

You may be just missing the top of that one tree, it's wood pecker time.

[mcface]

Thanks to everyone! Got it all dialed in, HDTV time!

[lonster1]

Awesome!
Enjoy the show.