DirecTV Troubles

nomad297 wrote:
I just don't understand why this is so hard for some people. It's no wonder so many people give up with aiming their dish manually

Let me tell you why it took hours the first few times I tried setting up a Slimline:

a) Tripod. Getting a decent one is the first step - then you need to learn to set it up. It needs to not only be level, but to stay that way after putting a heavy dish on it. If the ground is too soft, a tripod leg will sink when the dish is mounted. If the ground is too hard, the feet can slip. That's why the perimeter chain for the feet is important. The tension clamps on the legs can slip, which requires adjusting the tensioning nut, but not too tight. You need to push down on the tripod top several times to make sure it's sturdy enough to hold that heavy dish. And then there's the wind. And, setting up the tripod with its on-board degree markings facing the azimuth is totally unnecessary.

b) Meter. I had a terrible time using a separate meter. It was a big hassle, wouldn't find the 101 without programming the damn thing, and the speaker blew out. Anyway, it seemed redundant to me to use a separate meter when there's already one in the receiver - one that never finds the wrong bird. Since DTV silenced the beeps, all you have is the TV screen. I bought a Swift Hitch camera to see that from the dish.

c) Dish. Like an idiot I was using the center of the adjustment bolt to measure the elevation, instead of the piece of metal seen through the window opening. Yeah, dumb, and I just couldn't figure out why all my settings were 5 degrees off.

d) Suggestions from others. You'll get 15 different answers from 15 different people about how to set it up. Not that it's a bad thing, but, you have to wade through all that and figure out what works for you.