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Old 01-03-2010, 04:12 AM   #1
mtheo
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hooking up a dish

Hope some one can help me. I got a portable satellite antenna.
When I hook it up to the reciever in the trailer it gets no signal from dish. I have aimed towards the correct azimuth and elevation but still nothing. I have tried moving it all around to no avail.
How close does the dish have to be to at least get nothing so I can then fine tune it.

I know the cables are right in the trailer,because I ran a cable to the home dish. I'm new to Satellite TV.
Any help would be appriciated.
Mark
 
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Old 01-03-2010, 04:37 AM   #2
hookman
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There is a jumper where you put the satellite receiver which directs the signal from a cable hookup to the bedroom TV and then back to the main TV remove it and try a cable from there to the receiver in and you should get your signal. Ours was the top one. If you want a satellite feed in the bedroom you will have to run another cable to there. If you do a search there is a wiring diagram of the wire for the different tv hookups.
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Old 01-03-2010, 05:24 AM   #3
ols1932
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If you use a satellite finder (electronic satellite signal finder) you should be able to find the signal without any problem. If you've set the elevation close to what is called for, you should be able to sweep the antenna from west to east and hit the signal as displayed on the satellite finder. I've used this method for over nine years of full timing and have always found the satellite. Granted, I have DirecTV, but the procedure is approximately the same.

Orv
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Old 01-03-2010, 05:48 AM   #4
jjackflash
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Mark,if you have a computer you can always find your settings.
Most of the time if there are other rigs near by, I see which way their dish is pointed and go with that. We've never carried any kind of finder just a compass,I just scan the sky with the dish and always pick the signal up in about 5 minutes. I do have a tv in the basement which helps.
Jack
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Old 01-03-2010, 06:27 AM   #5
mtheo
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I have the setting. But the meter on the TV shows no recepton not even a little. What I was wondering, is how close does it have to be to get some signal or is there something wrong with my dish, it is new so I don't know if it even works. Got it from CW.
Mark
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Old 01-03-2010, 06:27 AM   #6
Art-n-Marge
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The satellite dish needs to be connected to the RV's external "cable" connector which you have probably done. Then inside the RV you need to locate the "looped" coax jumper which is probably near the entertainment cabinet where the OEM DVD player is located. This loop jumper allows you to connect your satellite receiver in series to get the satellite signal to the RV's televisions.

The first problem is locating the loop jumper. But the biggest problem is figuring out which of the loop coax connectors goes to the external cable connector that you connected the satellite dish's cable. Mine happens to be the bottom one and the top one goes to the televisions. It does matter! The way to do this is turn on your television to the proper channel (3 or 4) for your receiver. Then connect the TV output for the satellite receiver into one of the coax ports. If you get the receiver's picture on the TV you've picked the right one. If you don't see the receiver's information, then try the other coax port. After finding the correct port for the TV, the other one is used for the satellite connection.

Make sure you are using RG-6 cable everywhere you can!

Let us know how you are doing.

On edit:

Whoops - I re-read your post. You said the interior wiring looks good since you had this working at home.

It must be the aim of the dish. I carry a "spare" 15" LCD TV and take the receiver and set these up right next to the dish. I do this when I want to watch TV outside. This way I have immediate feedback when I find the signal just like when using the electronic signal finder. Then I run the coax to the RV after it's been found. I found the vertical scale on my dish was off by about 5-7 degrees even when north and level were perfect.

Did you test your satellite dish at home to find out if it was off? Even though I started with the dish aimed north, and the tripod and base very level, and started with the right direction, I had to move the dish higher than called for to get the signal. Knowing that, I have been able to minimize problems. I still haul a portable flat screen television but rarely have to use them now for that reason.

Like Orv mentioned I have an inline signal detector but have never had good success with it, because you still have to find the signal and with the TV and rcvr right next to the dish that works just as well (and the alarm for the detector is irritatingly high-pitched and drives me bonkers when it detects the signal).

Good luck with this. It used to take me a while but I am getting better at it.
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Old 01-03-2010, 06:38 AM   #7
rlwhit
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Bring it to Q and I'll help you. I have run 50' of cable with no problem.

Dick
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Old 01-03-2010, 06:38 AM   #8
mtheo
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I have everything in the trailer connected correctly. I went thru the troble of connecting my home dish to the trailer thru the trailer system and it worked ok. Problem is that dish was setup by Directv.

I'm going out to play with again, spent most of yesterday messing with it.
Mark
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Old 01-03-2010, 06:57 AM   #9
hookman
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If you can try the LNB off the house and see if it works with your portable dish as the one you got from CW could be faulty.
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Old 01-03-2010, 07:15 AM   #10
jwedell
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Is your dish set up on a tripod?
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Old 01-03-2010, 08:43 AM   #11
HamRad
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Mark,
Tuning a satellite dish the first few times can be an exercise in futility. Ask me how I know! To answer part of your question..... You must be VERY close to the 'bird' in order to get a signal. Then once you do get a signal you may find that you are on the wrong signal. We have DirecTV and the Dish satellite is very close to the one we use. You will get a signal but not a picture.

But we have found that if you have the tripod set up so that it is plumb and you have the dish co-ordinates close you can find the bird in a very short time. We either open a window and talk back and forth to each other or we use our phones. I usually sit inside watching the signal strength meter while Mary Kay manipulates the dish.

Problems that will drive you crazy are cables not tight enough. Or if using a barrel connector it goes bad. Or the cable that you've used forever goes bad. You work and work and one or more of these things will get you and you will be wandering around bumping off of things wondering which way is up!

But if all goes well you will set the dish up correctly and plunk it down and you are right on the satellite! We have done that almost as many times as we've had major problems. But it is part of the process and we have learned to go with the flow. Sometimes we simply give up and wait until the next day.

You will get the hang of it and all will be well. Just a little practice is all it takes. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
Dennis
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Old 01-03-2010, 08:58 AM   #12
Waynem
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Mark,
There are a lot or assumptions being made. You mention that the home dish was set up by DirecTV. Is the present dish system a DirecTV also? Do you have any splitters in between the satellite receiver and the antenna? A typical TV splitter is not the same for a satellite system as it is for the normal cable/antenna system. If you can run a direct line to the back of the satellite receiver until you get it figured out, would be better than going through the external jack to the RV. There is no telling how the "Master Craftsmen" set up the wiring system.

In answer to your original question, if you have any green bar signal strenght on the screen then you should be able to receive a picture. It some times takes two people until you get used to it. Have one person stand inside with their eyes glued to the television signal strength meter, and the other outside moving the antenna, VERY SLOWLY. The person inside needs to scream when they see any bar at all on the meter. Unfortunately, you will pick up other satellite signals, but it is a start if you do. If it is not the correct satellite you will not get a picture. Another assumption is that the satellite receiver tht you are using is registered with the satellite company you are trying to get the signal from. But I'll wager that you have already seen to that.

Now, if I win the lottery I would have a Birdog satellite finder. With it, you would have TV in about 2 minutes or even less.
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Old 01-03-2010, 09:04 AM   #13
exav8tr
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Mark, I feel your pain as I HATE to use my portable dish. I have the Direct HD dish and it, to me anyway, is very difficult to align. I can tell you this, there are a few satellites very close together and sometimes you can get "locked" on to the wrong one. Case in point: This summer we were traveling with my sister and BIL Al. Al was having a problem picking up his sat, he has a single LNB dish . Now Al is a very different guy, very controlling and self assured (read: Know it all). He wanted to call DirectTV and get a tech out to see what the problem was. This was after three days and two different parks of no TV. Sis was going crazy with no TV. I SUGGESTED he might be locked on the wrong sat. NO he says, I have done this too many times to fall for that. OK, I says, you are the expert. Finally my sis says, Phil can you try? Of Course Al says go ahead if you think you can do better. I takes out the old compass and sight his dish and told him he was about 10 degrees off. He says his sat finder was going off at that azimuth. I moved his dish about 10 degrees and sis yells out the window, THAT'S IT!!!! He had locked onto a different sat and thought he was right on it. Sometimes it takes stepping out of the box and doing something differently!!!! Good luck
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Old 01-03-2010, 10:15 AM   #14
mtheo
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Thanks Phil
That was the problem it was way off the azmuth I was given by Directv.

Thanks to everybody that ffer sugestion, the MOC rules.

Mark
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Old 01-03-2010, 10:27 AM   #15
hookman
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Mark this is the best pointing program I have used. It was found by Larry Stephenson (embraceatrend). It gives you all bearings in True, Magnetic, and Skew You give it the Zip Code for where you're at and bring up the satellites you need press enter and it gives you all the info you need to find the right satellites. Give it a try and I think it will work for you.
http://www.dishpointer.com/
Sorry I forgot to put the website in.
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Old 01-03-2010, 10:50 AM   #16
jjackflash
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by HamRad

Mark,
Tuning a satellite dish the first few times can be an exercise in futility. Ask me how I know! To answer part of your question..... You must be VERY close to the 'bird' in order to get a signal. Then once you do get a signal you may find that you are on the wrong signal. We have DirecTV and the Dish satellite is very close to the one we use. You will get a signal but not a picture.

But we have found that if you have the tripod set up so that it is plumb and you have the dish co-ordinates close you can find the bird in a very short time. We either open a window and talk back and forth to each other or we use our phones. I usually sit inside watching the signal strength meter while Mary Kay manipulates the dish.

Problems that will drive you crazy are cables not tight enough. Or if using a barrel connector it goes bad. Or the cable that you've used forever goes bad. You work and work and one or more of these things will get you and you will be wandering around bumping off of things wondering which way is up!

But if all goes well you will set the dish up correctly and plunk it down and you are right on the satellite! We have done that almost as many times as we've had major problems. But it is part of the process and we have learned to go with the flow. Sometimes we simply give up and wait until the next day.

You will get the hang of it and all will be well. Just a little practice is all it takes. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
Dennis
Dennis hit it on the head with the last two paragraphs.
I've gotten to our destination and with driving and setting up the trailer I go ahead and try to set up the dish but I'm so tired I get frustrated and quit. The next day I try setting up the dish and pick up the signal within 5 minutes. Another tip is if you do get a signal but no picture try hitting the reset button on the receiver,that's worked for me many times.
Jack
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Old 01-03-2010, 11:37 AM   #17
Art-n-Marge
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jjackflash (and others)... you are SO right on. I have had to wait until the next day after a good night's sleep. Most times the satellite dish is the last thing I have set up after arriving. After unhitching, leveling and stabilizing the rig, adding the sewer connection, doing all the slides, running the electrical, installing the mass of plumbing, checking propane, interior setup and exterior setup, it could be dark by the time I get to the satellite. Then with fatigue setting in and it's all over. But once I learned the gauge on my azimuth was off even at the level and at north sometimes I can plop down the dish and BEEEP, just like that. It won't even necessarily be truly level and pointing north, but I can get OVER 90% every time. Go figure!

mtheo - Congratulations on your success and welcome to the land of satellite frustration. Wait until DirecTV releases their 3D channel and provide more than 250 HD channels and then you'll need a new dish, receivers but still have to rely on the Kentucky windage method to find that signal. More beer for everybody!
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