Motorised satellite out of alignment

After abit of advice with regards my dish.
I lost one or two satellites a while back in high wind, I put up with it cos there were still plenty left, then in high wind again lost a few more.
my builder changed the lnb over for me to a stronger inverto black and got a few back.
the satellites I still receive (though weaker signal that previously) are..
28e, 23.5e, 19e, 16e (just), 13e, 9e, 7e, 4.8e (no Nordic beam), 0.8w and 5w.
The ones I’ve lost are..
30w, 4.8e (Nordic beam), 26e, 36e, 39e and 42e.
I’m wondering if this would be something I could solve myself, or my builder cos he’s better up ladders than me lol
I’m absolutely brassic at the minute so thought I’d ask on here first.
I’m wondering if (to the experts) it sounds like either the motor has moved or if it’s an elevation problem?
Or maybe something else?
I wouldn’t have thought it’d be a pole problem cos I’ve got heavy duty brackets and a scaffolding pole and it’s never moved in the past.
A few details, not sure if it matters..
1m dish, technomate tm2600 m3, inverto black lnb, Gigablue receiver using Diseqc, N Manchester.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
thanks.
 
Have you driven your dish to those satellites and then used the positioner option in the menu system to nudge the dish either east or west to see if you can lock the signal. If you find its common on all sats that you need to nudge the dish either east or west you can adjust your settings figures to be either further east or west.
 
Have you driven your dish to those satellites and then used the positioner option in the menu system to nudge the dish either east or west to see if you can lock the signal. If you find its common on all sats that you need to nudge the dish either east or west you can adjust your settings figures to be either further east or west.
I think the stored positions are now messed up.
But I’ve tried “search east/west) and I’ve also even tried going to the nearest satellite to the one I want to receive, say I go to 28e and then using fine tune to move it east to search for 36e, 39e and 42e and it doesn’t pick up anything.
 
If you look at the attached file it will give you an indication of what setting needs to be altered to realign the dish.
You might be quicker just starting from scratch and aligning to your southerly reference satellite with the recommended settings for your location/motor.
 

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Its very likely the whole motor assembly has been moved by the wind around its mounting pole.

I'd start by sending the motor to zero select a channel on 0.8 west then loosen the ubolts on the rear of the motor and peak the signal and tighten. Then do the same for the ubolts attaching your dish to your motor and peak the signal. To finish loosen the bolts on your dish to adjust the elevation of the dish push up and down to tweak the signal.

When all thats done you should be sorted.
 
Its very likely the whole motor assembly has been moved by the wind around its mounting pole.

I'd start by sending the motor to zero select a channel on 0.8 west then loosen the ubolts on the rear of the motor and peak the signal and tighten. Then do the same for the ubolts attaching your dish to your motor and peak the signal. To finish loosen the bolts on your dish to adjust the elevation of the dish push up and down to tweak the signal.

When all thats done you should be sorted.
Sounds like a plan.
Now I just need to convince my builder to come do it when he’s not too busy.
Think that will be easier to do while sat on the roof and ain’t confident enough to be getting up there.
ta
 
Sounds like a plan.
Now I just need to convince my builder to come do it when he’s not too busy.
Think that will be easier to do while sat on the roof and ain’t confident enough to be getting up there.
ta
Im not sure the builder is the right guy to be peaking a signal mate. And what he going to charge you to try.

If your not confident it might be best to get a sat installer in.
 
Im not sure the builder is the right guy to be peaking a signal mate. And what he going to charge you to try.

If your not confident it might be best to get a sat installer in.
Usually buy him a pizza lol
I’ve now messaged 3 installers, one said they’re not doing it at the minute, the other 2 haven’t even bothered replying.
 
Sounds like the wind has caught the dish and moved it out of alignment. Most likely there's loose bolts attaching the dish to the motor. The motor has probably stayed in the same place whilst the dish has moved a bit.

The workaround without attending to the dish would be to revert from USALS to DISEqC 1.2 in the Tuner Configuration menu. You can Google guides on how to setup motorised DISEqC 1.2.

Next goto Positioner Setup menu. Highlight the option Fine Movement and press the green and yellow buttons for Step west/east until you maximise the SNR%. Do this for all the satellites you're suffering a lower signal with whilst the dish is pointing to that satellite then highlight Memory Index and save the satellite making sure it corresponds to the allocated number you gave it in the Tuner Configuration menu. Do the same for the missing satellites pressing Step west/east whilst the dish is positioned on that satellite. You will have to do the same for all satellites you wish to watch on DISEqC 1.2
 
Sounds like the wind has caught the dish and moved it out of alignment. Most likely there's loose bolts attaching the dish to the motor. The motor has probably stayed in the same place whilst the dish has moved a bit.

The workaround without attending to the dish would be to revert from USALS to DISEqC 1.2 in the Tuner Configuration menu. You can Google guides on how to setup motorised DISEqC 1.2.

Next goto Positioner Setup menu. Highlight the option Fine Movement and press the green and yellow buttons for Step west/east until you maximise the SNR%. Do this for all the satellites you're suffering a lower signal with whilst the dish is pointing to that satellite then highlight Memory Index and save the satellite making sure it corresponds to the allocated number you gave it in the Tuner Configuration menu. Do the same for the missing satellites pressing Step west/east whilst the dish is positioned on that satellite. You will have to do the same for all satellites you wish to watch on DISEqC 1.2
I’ve tried fine tuning using DISEqC, it’s a DISEqC motor so don’t use Usals.
It improved the signal on some satellites but still cannot get the satellites listed.
thanks for the suggestion though.
 
Don't all motors do USALS?

Sounds like it's the elevation that needs sorting if fine tuning east/west doesn't sort it.

Try tilting the dish back a bit and tightening the bolts. Should be simple enough.
 
None usuals motors did exist but they would be really old now. Do you know the make and model of motor Northern Monkey? Its fine fine tuning sat positions under 1.2 but i do think in this case the dish is out to the point Diseqc 1.2 wont help much.
 
None usuals motors did exist but they would be really old now. Do you know the make and model of motor Northern Monkey? Its fine fine tuning sat positions under 1.2 but i do think in this case the dish is out to the point Diseqc 1.2 wont help much.
It’s a technomate tm-2600 m3
In the manual it says it’s a DISEqC motor and shows you how to set up using DISEqC but doesn’t mention usals at all.
I was told my previous technomate motor (very old) couldn’t do usals and assumed this was the same?
 
It’s a technomate tm-2600 m3
In the manual it says it’s a DISEqC motor and shows you how to set up using DISEqC but doesn’t mention usals at all.
I was told my previous technomate motor (very old) couldn’t do usals and assumed this was the same?
Hi mate

The tm 2600 is Diseqc 1.3 compatible which is usuals they probably dont state usuals as some sort of copyright thing. But that motor is usuals compatible. They call it GotoX

So setup your receiver under usuals protocol and see if it finds yours missing sats.
 
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Hi mate

The tm 2600 is Diseqc 1.3 compatible which is usuals they probably dont state usuals as some sort of copyright thing. But that motoer is usuals compatible.
Thanks, firstly I have never used usals so my knowledge is lacking shall we say.
‘If’ my elevation was off on the actual motor or dish would using usals change that?
I’m convinced it’s an arc problem probably caused by the elevation being off.
 
Usuals is just a position system based on coordinates you enter. In basic terms it will swing east or west accurately finding a sat position from the coordinates you enter.

So if your motor is out elevation wise it wont change that. Its worth swapping over to usuals though as a process of elimination if it does not pickup sats you should be the problem is elsewhere but as i say it will rule out user error finding positions yourself.
 
If you are considering using Usual The built in settings with in your reciever I would start from
Scratch Reset your motor to 0° hard reset your
Motor Make sure your satellite pole is exactly 90° all round From the installation point of view
Either use smart compass app find 180 °Remember 180° true south is roughly 2.7° west
Or if you have satellite meter find your reference
Satellite 0.8west Then move the motor satellite dish 2° and you will be on true South Then when
You have added the correct longitude and latitude with in the Usal settings obtained from Google earth which give the most accurate longitude latitude for your location Move the
Satellite dish to 0.8west move the satellite dish
Left right or up down to maximise the Signal
Then move the satellite dish to 28 east peak the
Signal Then back to 0.8 west peak the signal
Then to 30 west peak the signal Then back to 0.8 west peak the signal continue the process
until you have good s.n.r on all the transponders
From east to west Tighten all bolts Take a permanent marker mark the elevation off the
Satellite dish and motor elevation Then if the
Installation ever moves it can be easily corrected
 
Although dish alignment has been covered a few times on this thread below is a guide done by william-1 so a big thank to him for the guide, it's very comprehensive on dish alignment and fine tuning so thought it would of use. I dont agree with point 4. With a usuals motor and the correct coordinates in the receiver just send the motor to 0.8 west not zero. He as to adjust his longitude later in the guide because he used Zero so hes not tracking the arc correctly doing that.

Set up guide for maximum signals on a motorised dish >>


Part-1

1/ Pole must be dead vertical in 360 degrees ( use a spirit level ),

2/ Dish mounted dead central on the motor spigot,

3/ Motor set at the correct Elevation for your location for maximum signal at your reference satellite,

4/ Motor at zero on the scale when aimed at your reference satellite,

5/ Dish Declination set for maximum signal at your reference satellite,

6/ Lnb set in the correct position for max signal(Move Lnb fully forward & Back while viewing a meter for max signals)

7/ Site dish so that you have an unobstructed view of the Satellite Arc,

8/ Tighten all bolts when you have achieved maximum signal on all Satellites in your Satellite Arc.



Part-2

A normal motorised dish installation is very straight forward for receiving the major satellites 42 east,39 east,28.2 east,19.2 east,13 east 5 east 1 west 5 west & 30 west,

But the feed hunter is looking for feeds that are sometimes very weak signals so the dish/motor set up is more critical than a normal installation,



I have found this method to be the most successful after you have established that the pole is dead vertical,

The dish is mounted dead central on the motor spigot,

Your motor elevation is set for your location (use as a guide only) & maximum signal was achieved on your reference satellite by altering the the dish declination & USALS settings of Longitude & Latitude then check out the Lnb position in the Lnb holder is giving you the best possible signal by moving the Lnb fully forward & back to achieve this whilst viewing a signal meter we then move on to stage two,



As the scales for the motor elevation & dish declination are just a guide & not an accurate measuring scale so with the Longitude & Latitude can be altered slightly to improve your dishes ability to track the arc more accurately as with all guides you may find a slight variation on my finding will enable you to track the arc more accurately,



To improve your motor's capability to track the Clarke Belt / Geostationary Satellite's on the Arc make sure that the Motor has been clamped in the correct position to make tracking the arc accurately possible,

Try this to find out if your dish is set up correctly:-

Go to 30 west or the furthest West your dish will travel now while viewing a signal meter lightly flex the dish back at the top if the signal goes up or down make a note of this now do the same with the bottom of the dish & make a note of what happens,

Now go to 36 east or the furthest East your dish can travel & flex the dish as above,



If your findings are that the signal gets better on the East satellites when the dish was flexed back & the signal gets better on the West satellites when the dish was flexed forward then the motor is fixed to the wrong place on the mast to correct this change your USALS @ your reference satellite from say 0.07 Longitude to 0.4 Longitude now slacken off the motor fixing bolts & move the motor a few mm either way to achieve maximum signal,



Now check you East & West satellites again for maximum signal if it is better then tighten up your Motor at the new position if not then change your USALS to 0.0 Longitude now slacken off the motor fixing bolts & move the motor a few mm either way to achieve maximum signal,

Then check your East & West Satellites again for maximum signal.



Once you have established that you are tracking the Arc more accurately you can fine tune your dish / motor set up by changing USALS by 0.3 to 0.6 from your current best setting then slacken off the motor fixing bolts & move the motor a few mm either way to achieve maximum signal,





Settings for my location should be Longitude 0.07 East & Latitude 51.7 North but I track the arc more accurately with Longitude 0.4 East & Latitude 51.7 North as I said scales are just a guide line & you must use your own common sense & judgement when setting up a motorised satellite system to track the arc as accurately as possible,



After completing these fine tuning adjustments your 90 to 100cm dish will now pull in the weaker signals on 10 east,16 east ect & probably work better than a 120cm dish that has not been set as precisely as this,

Happy Feed Hunting
 
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