New Cisco D9865

[lajackson]

What's the box you refer to?

Stationary satellites are not truly stationary. They are assigned a "box" of space, a square, so to speak. When they drift to the edge of their assigned space, they are sent slowly back toward the center of the box.

If you align your dish while the satellite is at one of the box corners, the signal will not be as strong when it gets to the other corner. So you align it when it is at the "center of the box". In the U.S., we used to have a number we called to get the date and time the satellite next will be at the center of the box. It appears to be available online now. Google Satellite Center of Box Calculator and go from there.

[russellhltn]

The trees are on local council land the embankments of a old railway line now a public path so I'm sure we could trip them but it would cost loads. I can't see the FM group stumping up the money but then moving the dish is not really an option there is a location in the carpark but this is at ground level and getting the cable I to the building would likewise be costly.

FM probably has contacts to get tree trimming done at a reasonable price. They may not have to trim more then a few trees to create a "hole" for the signal.

[sphester]

It's a screw on connector we have are these worse than once you can crimp on?

[russellhltn]

When you say screw-on, are you talking about cable to connector, or connector to receiver?

[Biggles]

The crimp type requires a suitable tool. The screw type aren't quite as secure, but if threaded on to the cable correctly are adequate.

[sphester]

I had to check if this really was a tree issue and now think it must be. I tried to re-pan our dish and it would only work in its current position if i moved it even slight left or right it lost signal totally.

Below is a link to a video i took and some better photographs. Would this confirm the tree are the issue. I basically took a camera and placed it flat against the dish in 3-4 different places basically where the screws are on the photograph link.

When fully zoomed in at the centre or just above centre all you seem to get is tree.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLoXA ... sp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLoXA ... sp=sharing (this is a large file 100meg plus.

I will look further at this box idea as yesterday i found a site that told me our dish should be in a bearing of 197 and it seemed to be dead on this. I did try a few phone apps but not sure how accurate they were so used a very handy line of sight compass we use at work and it seemed to suggest it was bang on 197. The elevation also seemed spot on.

[russellhltn]

I can't see the photo - you haven't given permission.

It depends on what kind of dish you have. Some dishes are 'non-symmetrical' with the feedhorn below the center, so the signal has to be reflected at a angle. For those, it can be a bit difficult to see where it's actually aiming.

If you can figure out when the sun is at the same elevation as the satellite, you can see if the trees are casting shadows on the dish. It may not be perfectly accurate since the sat is probably left or right of the sun, it should give you a good idea.

[sphester]

try these

video https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLoXA ... sp=sharing

shot of the middle of the dish https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxLoXA ... sp=sharing

hmm no idea if this is a non-symmetrical i will google around and see. I'm no expert just can;t work out why it is cutting out, want to find the cause as the FM group has had contractors out a few times in the ast and i'm not sure i trust what they do besides the fact i never get told what they do. Based on thickness of the trees at some points i can;t see how it ever works.

[sphester]

Checking i think it must be the non-symmetrical type as the feed arm is on the bottom. There is thankfully a elevation scale on the mount and from a the little bit of reading i have done these are all but essential for this type of dish. This was set at the correct angel and if i changed this i lost signal on either side.

Reading up n how to get the correct elevation on an off set dish it may not be the trees as ii think the incoming beam is coming in at a higher angle very hard to tell from what i have done i'd have to go back and take a second look.

Needless to say i think i have enough info to have the FM group take a look it needs fixing and I can only hope the experts they get out can take a look at the tree issue. Thing is even if itis not a problem now then it is going to be in a few years.

Also when i checked via another site the tree would have to be 9m above the base of the dish using some crude methods i made the tree 11-12 meter tall above ground level and the bottom of the dish is about 5.5m above ground level. this would mean the tree is only 6 meter so maybe it is not trees.

Lets hope the experts can sort it.

[russellhltn]

I'd have to see the whole disk. By symmetrical, I'm talking about where the feed horn is directly in the middle of the dish. In that case, if you put the camera directly in the middle of the dish, then look at what's behind the feedhorn, it should give you a good idea of what's going on. If the feedhorn is held in place by three equal-length "legs", it's symmetrical.

By non-symmetrical, the feedhorn is not positioned in the middle, but off to one side. In that case, the satellite is also off to one side - by an equal amount. The feedhorn on tend to be mounted using a single "arm", but it could be symmetrical. See this pic and how the feedhorn is not in the middle.

Based on the pictures, I'm inclined to think that you have a non-symmetrical and the satellite is above the trees (take the distance from the center of the picture to the feedhorn and go above the center by the same amount.)