Aligning Sattelite dish.

[trukdoc]

I have spent numerous hours setting up my Dish Network satellite. Just when I think I am getting better at it, I run into a snag. I have stumbled into something that might make a difference. What is the best transponder to use when setting up? I was having one of those days when I could not get a signal for nothing and about to loose my cool, check and double checked and triple checked my settings when for giggles and grins flipped through the transponders and found I nearly had a full signal on transponder 2 sat 119.
So from the more experienced, what secrets might you veterans let go of.
Camping world has a new automatic dish that is portable, anything on that?

[Jolu]

Trukdoc,
I think most of us have experienced those days when we could not hit the satellite. This caused me to try and find a way that was cheap and easy way to home in on that initial satellite. Once you find that satellite the rest of the fine tuning seems to go ok. I use DTV but the principals should be the same for Dish.
You can make a satellite locating helper for about $15 and it has worked for me for home installations and the RV when I use my old tripod and a spare 5 LNB dish. I know you can spend a lot on some meters that will ID the satellites, but this is for the guy who wants to keep it simple.

Take a look at http://www.jolusspot.blogspot.com/ and see if this is for you.

JB

[49merc]

I don't know what process you use but I'll explain what I do. It can be very frustrating especially in a marginal area (trees, etc.). I have a set of output jacks on my tv and I use wireless earphones plugged in there. Then I set the receiver up with the tone loud enough to hear and with the earphones plugged in the tv is silent. I set my dish to the cordinates called for and check for tone in the earphones. About 75% of the time I will have something and then I just have to home it in. If I don't have anything but a steady tone then I tilt and rotate around slowly until I pick up something. Then I can home it in. This process has saved me countless hour of grief. A lot of the time it only takes me a few minutes to get it done.
Bob

[bsmeaton]

Rick,

There are locater transponders for each satellite, but I don't remember what numbers they are. Once locked onto them, you have to switch transponders to actually recieve programs. Perhaps somebody knows which numbers they are.

[OntMont]

I'm no expert, but I don't think the transponder numbers matter. My own experience is that if you have the right coordinates, corect for compass variation if reqired, and have a clear shot at the sky, you should not have any problem. If you can't get it in 5 mins or so, one of the above things is probably wrong.

on edit: Make sure that your compass is not being deflected by iron objects, particularly the tripod and mounting post. I usually stand well behind to get my compass reading. The type of compass that is mounted on base that can be turned is useful. you get the needle lined up on N, then turn the base so that the arrow on the base is aligned with the sat. compass heading.

[boylanag]

We always had trouble with our DishTV. We switched to DTV and now it seems so much easier to locate the satellite.

[bw2]

At least for now, DTV does not require a 'skew' the angle of the dish, rotation on the 360 degree. I believe with DTV, the new dishes will require up to 5 LNBs and also a skew to hit all of the satellites. So, this will make it a little harder to align.

[ols1932]

My DirecTV dish is set up on a piece of 2X8 and I never have any trouble finding the satellite. I don't tune in on any one transponder. I just receive the signal and lock in. It takes me all of five minutes to set up.

Orv

[Charlie]

I've been setting up for Dish Network for 8+ years and never had a problem until this last fall in Arkansas. I could find 110 satellite but would not lock onto 119. After the 5th day of trying I changed the skew setting slightly from what the menu gave and 119 came in perfect. Worse time ever to get dish reception and I have a satellite finder.

Seems to me one time a Dish Network tech said to use transponder 11, but most of the time it does not matter. What I think does matter when one pulls the receiver out of the stick house and it was tuned to a "local" and leave the local area. I use transponder 19, this is channel 202 or Headline News. Rick- sending you a PM.

[Emmel]

I have to kind of laugh at myself sometimes when I try to set the Direct dish. There are times I want to throw the thing in the trash and then times I get it in the first try. There has been times I have walked away and came back to find it working beautifully!
At the Rally in Oregon this year, I purchased a gadget to align the dish with the satellite. I'm not convinced it was worth the price yet!
The thing that makes me feel better is to watch the other guy try to set his, that tells me I'm not the only one that has trouble!

[bsmeaton]

Our portable dish was commonly referred to as the "Divorce Dish". Out of all the set up tasks, that one was by far the worst. On a lucky day I could hit it in a few minutes. Other days, we just did without altogether.

[dsprik]

We had been doing fairly well with our DishNet HD dish - I have a sat finder - until we got down here to FL this past October. I spent two intermittent days trying to get a signal - any signal. Finally called DishNet. They sent out a tech who promptly dropped my elevation a whopping 8 degrees from what my TV was reading for this zip code, and got a perfect full signal As most will tell you, that is a HUGE difference.

When I mentioned that I was not happy that they would be that far off of their listed coordinates, he just shrugged, leading me to believe that he was not surprised and that this may be somewhat of a common occurrence. On the very next bill there was $29 charge for a service call. I PROMPTLY called them and politely (that's a lie) asked them to remove that charge as it was their fault I had to have a service call in the first place... The charge was PROMPTLY removed.

Your settings shown on your TV during your setup may be wrong.

With that said, we love out DishNet HD/DVR service and we have had no other issues at all with them. We did have issues with DTV. It was initially our first choice.

[Waynem]

I have a King Dome. I have just as much trouble as all of you with your mechanical dishes. I'm going to buy a portable dish, turn on the King Dome and have it search, then go set up the portable one and see which one is faster. I'm on DISH network also. First time out was horrible. Second time out i finally gave up. Next day, hit search and there it was. Go figure!!!!

[simonsrf]

trukdoc,

When we first started out, tuning the DishNet dish was a divorce just waiting to happen.

To help from getting into a all out shouting match, I found that making sure the tripod is completely level, the skew and the elevation are set to their "recommendations", and then rotating the azimuth until the signal is full.

We use this same procedure for our internet dish. When in a questionable area, we use the Align-a-Site (http://tinyurl.com/2pwneg) before setting up the tripods.

Like others have said, we have those days when nothing you do will make the process easy. Sometimes double checking your coordinates is like 'measuring twice, cutting once". If you know everything else is setup correctly, try a reset on the receiver.

[trukdoc]

Thanks everyone. As always there is a wealth of tips and experience. We are probably going to mount a automatic dish, not just yet. Anyone seen this or used one? VuCube http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm/
Outdoor-and-RV-Accessories/RV-Electronics/
RV-Satellites--Receivers/Vu-Qube-Portable-
Satellite-TV-Antenna/skunum=37042

[exav8tr]

This month, Winegard is coming out with the "Traveler" model, roof top, automatic, HD dish which I have purchased. just waiting to have it installed. It is on the CW website, but they are not shipping yet. This is supposed to be the dish to end all dishes. Raises automatically and locks on the 4 sats for HD (KU and KA? If that's right). Of course it is still a roof top mount and won't do any good in the trees. I am using my portable dish as we speak. I have found that IF you get the thing level before starting and dial in the numbers from the screen the only thing left is to zero in on the azimuth. I use a small sat finder that Winegard sells for about $30.00. It has an audible tone also. The first day I sat up here in Mesa, AZ, I could not receive any HD, couldn't figure out where I was going wrong. The next day I decided to call DirecTV for some help and I turned the unit on while on hold with them and I flipped thru the channels and was receiving HD channels. I think sometimes there is a sat out of commission or something beyond our control.

[bncinwv]

trukdoc,
Keep in mind that that is a single lnb dish, no HD and no locals.
Bingo

[trukdoc]

Thats what I needed to know. Figured it to be too good to be true.

[dsprik]

That CW new dish sounds pretty good.

Trukdoc, if all else seems good - level tripod, azimuth/elevation/skew, and still no (or very low) signal, then I would be VERY suspicious of incorrect numbers from DishNet - especially at lower parallels (snowbird areas). Call them if this happens.

[rogue]

Little trick to try if all else fails. If you really think you have the dish positioned correctly, and double checked it,
and still no signal, turn off the receiver, unplug it for 10-15 seconds, and then plug it in and check it again.