Getting Started with FTA - What u need/how 2 start - a brief overview

[Dishman Dan]

...The splitter's that I use are "Ideal".  should be able to pick one up at local electronics store. Jess out in California

Lowes sells "Ideal" brand splitters too.

[mrneedy]

Just for all the newbies like me out there.. I found the following things to be helpful but did not really notice them in the newbie threads.

1. Make sure to set your LNB correctly in the receiver - KU should be 10750, C should be 5150 and DSS should be 11250

2. Make sure to set the scew on your lnb correctly, make sure your on an active trasnponder

3. Have patience

4. A good satellite finder will go a long way, I had a junk one.. bought something better and voila..

5. Have Patience

6. A small tv is very helpful to watch the smeter during setup.

7. Blind scan is the way to go once you have some smeter activity

[Hyper]

 

[skymaster]

hyper,
here is how i tune in the clark belt without protractor or cellphone.
 
i use an 8 dollar signal indicator that buzzes on a signal. i also have a sat hero hooked to it on the reciever side of the meter. the lnb side of course feeds the lnbf. i look around for south, lossen bolts on elevation and azimuth. i swing dish to south and start raising dish until i hear a signal on indicator. when i lock the bolts after peaking, i go thru sathero to find which transponders give me a positive . this tells me if i need to turn the dish left or right to get on true south. once i have it, i mark on the pole where im getting hits on indicator. then i go back and tune each one with sathero. indicating which sat is which by using a stick on sheet with these marks listing the sat locations.

I did this after my wife wanted to tune in a dish after a heavy wind storm. now, all she has to do is swing the dish to the mark,check for signal and watch. if its not, then undo the inline coupler,hookup meter and peak. wife has it down pretty good now. about 3 to 4 minutes after hooking up meter.

skymaster

[skymaster]

I know this is brute force way sometimes but its quick and if you know where south is you will be pretty close. I did this when i didnt have my sathero. then, i just labled the marks a thru whatever and made a chart for where the sats are compared to the letters.

I found that alot of guys get overly worked up over the declination, elevation etc. yes its important,but if you are just starting out with a simple indicating meter, and have trouble getting on the internet like there are in some parts of the country like where i live, its a start.

 find the most high south sat by moving the dish left or right. and  move dish slightly up or down. it will tell if you are going to the left of south or to the right of south.once you find you are no longer moving dish downward either left or right,
 then you found your most high south sat.

i used to tape a string with a bolt or nut on it to tell me if im going up or down on signals.this is only for those who dont have internet and dont or cant put a tv out by the dish.and who dont have a meter that ids on given sats on certain transponders.others may have other tricks, but for  my wife who doesnt know squat about declination, elevation etc, this method has worked for her also.I find that when i place a dish on fixed position, i dont really worry about declination,etc.I find it, peak the dish and peak the lnbf,and go watch some tv.when i put in a motor, yes i worry about it so it will track the sat belt correctly end to end.

hope i dont sound stupid, but it works

skymaster