JanAndBill
Well-known member
New Dish receiver, new Dish antenna. Any suggestions, comments or tips on hooking it up???
First Time Satellite Setup
- Thread starter JanAndBill
- Start date
wdk450
Well-known member
Manual or automatic antenna?
HornedToad
Well-known member
If you have the Dish Tailgator forget my advice. If you have a manual or even automatic carryout style that you have to manually set the elevation, then you'll need a round bubble level. If the tripod on a manual or the carry out antenna is not level to start, it is very difficult to set the elevation or even the azimuth.
JanAndBill
Well-known member
Manual on a tripod. With all the upgrades we've done this fall, will be awhile before we can afford the tailgater.
Silverado23
Iowa Chapter Leaders
Get a satellite finder such as this http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/satellite-finder/14067#sthash.swrcRsko.dpbs
and a good compass.
Both will help tune in you dish quickly and reduce the frustration.
and a good compass.
Both will help tune in you dish quickly and reduce the frustration.
Attachments
wdk450
Well-known member
I like a little more electronic finder like this.
The price is about the same but the performance is much better. And, by the way, I have learned (the hard way) that some of these satellite strength meters may not pass the switching signal from the receiver that switches the dish LMB's to check the other satellite signals.
Also, an electronic digital compass is also well worth the money.
Last of all, keep a log book with the specified coordinates and the settings that brought in the satellite for you, to generate your own setting offsets for your own equipment.
The price is about the same but the performance is much better. And, by the way, I have learned (the hard way) that some of these satellite strength meters may not pass the switching signal from the receiver that switches the dish LMB's to check the other satellite signals.
Also, an electronic digital compass is also well worth the money.
Last of all, keep a log book with the specified coordinates and the settings that brought in the satellite for you, to generate your own setting offsets for your own equipment.
If you have a "smart phone" there are great apps that help to determine placement of your tripod/dish. If you have an Iphone, there is an app that uses the camera view on the phone screen to show where the satellites are actually located based on where you are standing. This helps to determine if there are any line of sight blockages(trees), or if all the applicable sats are visible to the dish.
We have been using a manual Tripod with our Dish HD for years. Setup time is typically about 5 minutes. We use the Dish Pointer App to find a clear view on our I Phone and a Accutek III Meter to peak / tune all 3 Satellite's. The Accutek III meter powers the dish and reads signal strength for each Satellite.
HornedToad
Well-known member
My dumb phone came with a free satellite finder... I have my wife call me from inside the trailer and listen to the signal meter on the receiver beep. Seriously all the technology mentioned is very affordable but ultimately the money you spend on a tailgator will be a wise investment.
HornedToad
Well-known member
Thanks Dan, I feel a little better about my Winegard satellite antenna. I bought the less expensive model that you have to manually set the elevation, then the antenna automatically finds the satellite. If the unit is not very near level when you set the elevation then the automatic part does not work!!! Until I bought a good round bubble level I was having the same frustration as with my old manual dish style antenna.
If I had to do it all over again, I would spend the extra $$$ and get the fully automatic model.
If I had to do it all over again, I would spend the extra $$$ and get the fully automatic model.
wdk450
Well-known member
I did a Google search on "Accutek III Satellite Meter" and got no hits I recognized as info on buying the unit. Is it still available?
wdk450
Well-known member
I wanted to add to this thread simple modifications to a dish reflector antenna for RV use, transport and frequent set-up. I cannot seem to find the exact webpage I used for this info so I will just be describing some of it.
The main modification is to the antenna elevation mechanism. Please see the last page of: http://tv4rv.com/conversion.pdf to get the general idea. I did not buy this company's kit, but instead installed the threaded rod/washer/nut along with a bracket. My dish is in my rig in storage right now, but I believe I made a simple bracket for this using a small right angle shelf bracket, drilled with a hole for the threaded rod assembly. This allows elevation to be set easily, and I don't even tighten down the antenna elevation nuts when I use the antenna.
A second modification I made (but can no longer find online) to a previous antenna is to make the rectangular LMB support arm hinged so the antenna can be folded up some for transport. To do this remove the LMB assembly from the end of the arm tube (Dish network has just 2 screws holding it), unscrew the coax cable and pull it out of the arm tube, select a point about 3 inches from the arm tube base end, and cut the tube in 2 with a hacksaw at that point. Then using a small door-type hinge and short machine screws and nuts, put a hinge on the top (LMB) side of the arm tube. Plans I saw also had a disassembled hinge on the bottom of the tube with a hinge pin you took out to fold the arm tube, and put in to use the dish, but I found that gravity held the arm down enough not to need this. Re-thread the coax cable back to the LMB, re-attach the cable to the LMB, and re-install the LMB. You now have a dish antenna where you can fold the arm tube flat against the dish reflector curve for compact storage. I used a small piece of foam rubber between the dish face and the LMB's to protect them from banging. I usually used a slightly stretched bungee cord from one reflector edge, across the folded arm tube and to the other reflector edge to hold the arm tube and foam rubber in place during travel.
My current dish has just the elevation mod. I put 2 large sheet metal screws into the exposed aluminum studs of the top of my Bighorn storage compartment, and added 2 loops of mechanics wire (one at each end of the arm tube) to the dish arm tube to hang the antenna upside down from the top of the storage compartment sheet metal screws, out of harm's way during travel.
The main modification is to the antenna elevation mechanism. Please see the last page of: http://tv4rv.com/conversion.pdf to get the general idea. I did not buy this company's kit, but instead installed the threaded rod/washer/nut along with a bracket. My dish is in my rig in storage right now, but I believe I made a simple bracket for this using a small right angle shelf bracket, drilled with a hole for the threaded rod assembly. This allows elevation to be set easily, and I don't even tighten down the antenna elevation nuts when I use the antenna.
A second modification I made (but can no longer find online) to a previous antenna is to make the rectangular LMB support arm hinged so the antenna can be folded up some for transport. To do this remove the LMB assembly from the end of the arm tube (Dish network has just 2 screws holding it), unscrew the coax cable and pull it out of the arm tube, select a point about 3 inches from the arm tube base end, and cut the tube in 2 with a hacksaw at that point. Then using a small door-type hinge and short machine screws and nuts, put a hinge on the top (LMB) side of the arm tube. Plans I saw also had a disassembled hinge on the bottom of the tube with a hinge pin you took out to fold the arm tube, and put in to use the dish, but I found that gravity held the arm down enough not to need this. Re-thread the coax cable back to the LMB, re-attach the cable to the LMB, and re-install the LMB. You now have a dish antenna where you can fold the arm tube flat against the dish reflector curve for compact storage. I used a small piece of foam rubber between the dish face and the LMB's to protect them from banging. I usually used a slightly stretched bungee cord from one reflector edge, across the folded arm tube and to the other reflector edge to hold the arm tube and foam rubber in place during travel.
My current dish has just the elevation mod. I put 2 large sheet metal screws into the exposed aluminum studs of the top of my Bighorn storage compartment, and added 2 loops of mechanics wire (one at each end of the arm tube) to the dish arm tube to hang the antenna upside down from the top of the storage compartment sheet metal screws, out of harm's way during travel.
I use one of the three that I got from the app store.
Satellite AR, Satellite Director or SatFinder.
Peace
Dave
Referencing the #2 response from Danemayer, that is an excellent point; to hook the dish directly to the receiver first (i.e. not using the internal 5'er cable wiring). After several years, I'm still not using the internal "satellite" feed wiring because I could never get it to work. I now use the "cable-in" line (from the utility box to the TV) for my setup.
After several years use with the dish and tripod, I have the setup down to an art. The steps I use are 1) erect the tripod and dish (anchor if you’re in a windy area); 2) Level/plumb the vertical shaft that the dish mounts on; 3) set the dish elevation for the area you are in; 4) with your TV dish receiver on “searching for satellite” mode while it emits a slow beeping sound, slowly rotate the dish in the intended azimuth direction and you should hear the beeping sound increase dramatically. I can open one of the back windows and generally hear the beeping without the aid of DW. The only tools I use are a compass; either a small pocket compass that I carry in the RV, or my iphone using a compass app, and if under trees, I use a carpenters angle indicator to "see" where my dish setting need to see. Bare in mind the steel in the dish will affect your compass heading if close to the dish. This sequential method has worked well for us, and its quick. I can set the whole thing up in 5 to 10 minutes inclusive of stringing the cable from the utility box to the dish. I do carry up to 100’ of outside cable should I need to get out from under the trees. Good luck with you setup. gebills
After several years use with the dish and tripod, I have the setup down to an art. The steps I use are 1) erect the tripod and dish (anchor if you’re in a windy area); 2) Level/plumb the vertical shaft that the dish mounts on; 3) set the dish elevation for the area you are in; 4) with your TV dish receiver on “searching for satellite” mode while it emits a slow beeping sound, slowly rotate the dish in the intended azimuth direction and you should hear the beeping sound increase dramatically. I can open one of the back windows and generally hear the beeping without the aid of DW. The only tools I use are a compass; either a small pocket compass that I carry in the RV, or my iphone using a compass app, and if under trees, I use a carpenters angle indicator to "see" where my dish setting need to see. Bare in mind the steel in the dish will affect your compass heading if close to the dish. This sequential method has worked well for us, and its quick. I can set the whole thing up in 5 to 10 minutes inclusive of stringing the cable from the utility box to the dish. I do carry up to 100’ of outside cable should I need to get out from under the trees. Good luck with you setup. gebills
Similar threads
