pointing DirecWay dish
« on: 30. Aug 2004 at 20:47 »

Same satellite Miles. You might move, but your account doesn't. The satellite/transponder to which you're assigned in NC is necessarily the same satellite/transponder you must access in OK.
 
Too bad you didn't say which satellite. As I could have given you the correct antenna angles from Edmond. You'll never never find the right signal using NC antenna settings in OK.
 
//greg//

Assuming you have a blue and white DW icon down by the clock, right click it and select ABOUT - then click System Information. I'm interested in Satellite (and Transponder) Information
 
//greg//

The icon location was offered, based on the assumption that you were a DW4000 subscriber. Not a problem though, you found the DW6000 info that helps me accomplish the same end; SatMex5, transponder 1090H.
 
These are rough angles mind you, since I don't know your exact lat/long within Edmond. But you should be off to a good start if you initially set in
AZ 205.6
EL 43.8
Pol 24.7
 
I can't stress enough that peaking the received signal level (RSL) is NOT the end of the job. You set in the 3 angles listed above, then peak RSL with AZ/EL angles. THEN you must fine tune the Pol for max ACP (manual). On SM5, the minimum acceptable ACP is 81. Sometimes this involves going back and "tweaking" the AZ and/or EL angles to arrive at the best compromise. Please realize that peaking for max ACP necessarily "costs" you some RSL.
 
Good luck
 
//greg//

I guessed at your lat/long pretty close. Your Magellan points compute to identical look angles.
 
Azimuth marks can be located at the top of the antenna bracket, on the round portion that clamps onto the mounting arm or pole.
 
And I'd also like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of care in setting the pole mount perfectly plumb. If it's not 100% vertical in all directions, those AZ/EL/Pol numbers I gave you won't mean a thing. And a tip to prevent the pole from working loose in the hole; drill horizontally through the pole, about 6" from the bottom. Makes the holes big enough to accommodate at least a foot of steel rebar. Should keep the pole from turning in the hole, especially if you anchor it with Quikrete. After the hole is dug, fill it with water. Once hole is empty again, set in the pole - and fill the hole to within a few inches of the top - then cover with dirt or sod. No water. Plumb and brace the pole immediately. The water held by the damp soil, will then leach back in to - and set - the Quikrete. It will be solid enough to remove the braces, and mount the dish within 24 hours.
 
//greg//

Miles
My calculator gives the azimuth direction relative to magnetic north (as well as the true bearing).  So, if you have a compass, just aim as per the magnetic bearing.   East is 90, south is 180 and west is 270.
If you have a GPS try walking in a straight line for 50 yards and it should give you a true bearing to about +/-5 deg accuracy.
Finding the satellite is best done by setting the elevation first really accurately using the scale on the bracket and then swinging the dish boldly in the general azimuth direction to find the satellite.  Having found it, you are only part done.  You need to spend much more time peaking up really carefully. Good luck and take care if using ladders or tools high up.  Best regards, Eric.  

I finally have my satellite dish and running.  The help was much appreciated and the numbers were right on the money.  
 
Speed: 631(down)/163(up) kbps  
And I learned a great deal from the installer.
The dish TV installer who just happened to be across the street offered to point the dish from me, for $35.

It takes a lot better compass than I had -- I was not even close.  
Again the installer said that having all the information - polarization elevation satellites identification made his job very easy and he was in and out 30 minutes.  
 
That works out to about 70 bucks an hour.
Still I'd rather be retired.  
 
I'm sure to follow this forum; as I intend to network the 6000 to at least one may be to two other computers.
Miles

Well of course Greg -- increase my download speeds?  It is the upload this certainly needs to upgrade or improvement.
 
As you can tell from my post, I'm more than willing to take on a job I can't do, but will try anyway.  
 
Interested --  yes.
 
Miles

Greg the reason for my interest in the increasing, if not the quantity of the uplink,  then maybe there's something to be done for the quality; is because of my telephone over the Internet program.
 
Vonage telephone service is just so cheap and the quality of the reception is excellent however everyone complains about the delay and the broken quality of my transmissions.
 
My inquiries to the company about this discrepancy received the following response, Oh you are using direct way satellite broadband.  but further discussion with the tech personnel assigned to my account revealed that it was a problem inherent in slow upload speeds with broadband satellite operations.
 
It is late at night, yes 10:30pm is late for me these days, I'm tired and I've just inherited a really fine Roland ep.9 piano.  I can see my priorities changing as the need to play, compose and edit some compositions that have had to hang on the back burner while I completed a career in the railroad industry.
 
But never one to pass up an opportunity to ask the dumb question; would you elaborate on the definition of " DrTCP or TCPOptimizer.  
 
mbm