I'm getting dropped frames on Channel 4 HD so I need to check my dish is still aligned correctly to 28.2E. Can anyone please suggest some cheap or free tools to align my dish that will work 100% of the time and can you give some steps for how to align a dish or link to a guide please. There's lots of guides which are different from each other so it's quite confusing. Thanks
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Can anyone suggest an easy method and cheap tools for how to align a non-motorised satellite dish?
- Thread starter SkyFan
- Start date
13mm spanner.
Thanks but that's only a tiny part of what I was asking for. Do you have any more info please? I'm really struggling here.
Not on the cheap. I have a 2000€ analyser for this job.
There are lots of guides explaining how to do it. Without a proper analyser you will have to use the meter of the receiver but that only works if the tuner is already locked. You can access that using the enigma2 signal strength app on a mobile phone. The single most important thing is that the dish is situated somewhere you can access and adjust it without a ladder.
So signal app (free) and 13mm spanner.
So signal app (free) and 13mm spanner.
Do you have a link to one of those guides please? What do you mean "if the tuner is locked"?
My dish is already on my wall where I need a ladder to reach it. Are you saying I need to put the dish on the floor to adjust it? Wouldn't that be pointless as I would need to adjust the alignment again when it's attached to my wall?
My dish is already on my wall where I need a ladder to reach it. Are you saying I need to put the dish on the floor to adjust it? Wouldn't that be pointless as I would need to adjust the alignment again when it's attached to my wall?
"locked" means tuned and receiving. If the tuner is not locked it will just show zero.
I've been aligning dishes professionally for 20 years and I have never seen a correctly adjusted motorised dish that needed to be adjusted from a ladder. How are you supposed to hold a meter, a spanner, and move the dish, and hold on to the ladder? Simple answer is you can't so you end up with a crap job that sort of works on some satellites but does not track the arc properly.
I've been aligning dishes professionally for 20 years and I have never seen a correctly adjusted motorised dish that needed to be adjusted from a ladder. How are you supposed to hold a meter, a spanner, and move the dish, and hold on to the ladder? Simple answer is you can't so you end up with a crap job that sort of works on some satellites but does not track the arc properly.
As per my original post, my dish isn't motorised. I've had satellite dish installers adjust the alignment of my dish before without taking the dish off the wall.
Is there a tutorial you can recommend please that will allow me to align my dish cheaply?
Ok so you don't need a tutorial. Just add Enigma Signal Meter app to your phone and then move the dish until you see the best signal on your phone display.
Code:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.krkadoni.app.signalmeter&hl=en&gl=USHow does it know which satellite it is receiving?
adm
Forum Supporter
Which will be no better than the Enigma Signal Meter app.
As this is not a new install I assume that the dish is in the correct position and may only require a minor tweak - a very minor movement of the dish. Aligning a dish (assuming that you have already found the correct satellite) is just a matter of moving it and looking at the received signal - in this case the received signal on your enigma receiver - and then adjusting the dish for the highest SNR or perhaps the lowest AGC. The Enigma Signal Meter App acts like a remote control on your phone allowing you to change channels whilst up a ladder and to view the Enigma/Vix screen showing the signal SNR and AGC screen in (near) real time.
Haven't you complained of dropped frames on other channels before when using a third party utility (and its analysis of the data stream) when transferring a recording? I doubt if an occasional dropped frame is caused by a dish misalignment unless you are getting a regular visual breakup of the reception. What is the current reported BER (Bit Error Rate) when viewing CH4HD as reported in the same VIX utility that displays the SNR and AGC bars? It should be zero.
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Yeah. There ARE a lot of guides out there. So far nobody has even given a stinkin' link.
I assume you have a USALS motor to move your dish. Satellite Guys has guides and hands on tips from users.
What satellite are you on? Well I have a few chinabox receivers (Dreamlink, Linkbox) that do tell you what satellite you're aimed at. Enigma2 is pretty weak on doing that.
Satellite charts with transponder and channel information will be your friend.
I don't have nor use anything to align my dish but a few phone apps. Depending on how good your phone calibrates the internal compass. They can get you in the ballpark.
For E2 and possibly your receiver there are apps that allow you to see signal strength on your indoor receiver. Provided you get a wifi signal at the dish.
Or take the receiver outside with a monitor and do it that way.
Finding your first satellite is the key. Getting the dish angles set as close as you can for the mount ( I have a polar mount for my 12 foot dish) is a no brainer.
Getting it to track the arc correctly requires getting a handle on what is actually happening in tweaking the dish when you scan the arc.
I have not installed a USALS mount like the Stab types. But believe you me. After doing a few different and quite old motorized modified German equatorial satellite dish mounts. A Stab would be like a day at the beach!
So. Get your first satellite and scan it to verify that the channels match the charts. If you setup your receiver (or whatever gadget you have) to receive a particular satellite. Choose a strong transponder. Right?
Do what is needed to grab a signal and get the strongest signal by making small adjustments of your mount.
Remember. Satellites have the same transponder frequencies, polarities, s/r....etc. You may have a good signal but might actually be aimed at one several degrees E or W of the intended one. SCAN FOR CHANNELS.
Cool. So you got your first one. Head over to another sat close to it in the arc. You 'should' get a signal on it. How strong is it? What happens when you grab the bottom of the dish rim and push it up or pull it down a little? Signal change? How about when you shove it a little bit E or W? Again. Did the signal strength change? Chances are yeah, it did. Get to work and figure it out. Why?
Or. As Watney said. "Science the s**t outta' it!"
Now. If you're lucky. When you shoot the dish higher or lower in the arc. You'll get a signal. But pushing or pulling, gently twisting it a touch E or W. Signal might bet better...or worse.
Tweaks. Realizing what's going on and how to correct it. It ain't easy. And many give up and settle for the best they can get as long as their favorite sat is strong.
Once I found the diagrams you see here. It all became clear. I won't touch multi LNBF installs here. But there is an image showing how skew relates to them also.
Stay in touch.
I assume you have a USALS motor to move your dish. Satellite Guys has guides and hands on tips from users.
What satellite are you on? Well I have a few chinabox receivers (Dreamlink, Linkbox) that do tell you what satellite you're aimed at. Enigma2 is pretty weak on doing that.
Satellite charts with transponder and channel information will be your friend.
I don't have nor use anything to align my dish but a few phone apps. Depending on how good your phone calibrates the internal compass. They can get you in the ballpark.
For E2 and possibly your receiver there are apps that allow you to see signal strength on your indoor receiver. Provided you get a wifi signal at the dish.
Or take the receiver outside with a monitor and do it that way.
Finding your first satellite is the key. Getting the dish angles set as close as you can for the mount ( I have a polar mount for my 12 foot dish) is a no brainer.
Getting it to track the arc correctly requires getting a handle on what is actually happening in tweaking the dish when you scan the arc.
I have not installed a USALS mount like the Stab types. But believe you me. After doing a few different and quite old motorized modified German equatorial satellite dish mounts. A Stab would be like a day at the beach!
So. Get your first satellite and scan it to verify that the channels match the charts. If you setup your receiver (or whatever gadget you have) to receive a particular satellite. Choose a strong transponder. Right?
Do what is needed to grab a signal and get the strongest signal by making small adjustments of your mount.
Remember. Satellites have the same transponder frequencies, polarities, s/r....etc. You may have a good signal but might actually be aimed at one several degrees E or W of the intended one. SCAN FOR CHANNELS.
Cool. So you got your first one. Head over to another sat close to it in the arc. You 'should' get a signal on it. How strong is it? What happens when you grab the bottom of the dish rim and push it up or pull it down a little? Signal change? How about when you shove it a little bit E or W? Again. Did the signal strength change? Chances are yeah, it did. Get to work and figure it out. Why?
Or. As Watney said. "Science the s**t outta' it!"
Now. If you're lucky. When you shoot the dish higher or lower in the arc. You'll get a signal. But pushing or pulling, gently twisting it a touch E or W. Signal might bet better...or worse.
Tweaks. Realizing what's going on and how to correct it. It ain't easy. And many give up and settle for the best they can get as long as their favorite sat is strong.
Once I found the diagrams you see here. It all became clear. I won't touch multi LNBF installs here. But there is an image showing how skew relates to them also.
Stay in touch.
adm
Forum Supporter
Skyfan has said that he is pointing at 28.2E and is complaining that the dish may be mis-aligned on that satellite because one channel has a occasional missing frame. If anything is wrong with the alignment it will only be a very minor tweak to the position or skew. The information for such a minor tweak in dish alignment has been given in this thread. This assumes that the problem is alignment and not a broadcast problem that has been complained about in other forums.
ronand
ViX Beta Tester
If the dish is shifting so frequently then a better bracket is essential. A 60 or 80cm dish should not shift unless the bracket is soft crap. A £5 analogue meter is good enough to re-align the dish if it is slightly out.
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