After third try in trees last night I have low signal strength as follows (110W - 20; 119W – 24; 129W – 0) I do not have a smart phone – thus not their application. I am trying to shoot through hole in trees. I use web site - www.dishpointer.com to get information which is Elevation 37.6; Skew 129.4 and Azimuth 233. My current location in zip 35160 is near GPS coordinates N33 27.164 W86 08.053. I normally cover 110 & 129 with foil and then tweak 119 but that was best I could get.The issue is 129 I have zero signal which means virtually no HD nor the locals. Also, low signal on both 110 & 119 which means will loose signal in rain coming this Thursday. Questions for you guru’s1) What is the actual magnetic Azimuth from my location for the 129W? 2) 2) At what elevation are the three satellites actually in the sky? Not the dish set-up elevation but exactly where is the signal coming in?Trying to figure out which way to try and move around in hole to get better reception. Check back here tonight @ 5. Someone out there will have good information!

Seems to me that you've pointed the dish correctly, but not selected a clear hole through the trees. You're probably getting 110/119 through some minor obstructions and are blocked completely on 129. Without a smartphone available, it's purely trial and error to find that open shot. You're close, so try moving up or down, left or right in small increments.

As I found many years ago, I could not use DISH because the 119 was so low on the horizon from Alabama. As I remember, it was 38 degrees or so and there was no place I could position the satellite dish without cutting several trees. The lower the sat the more difficult it is to avoid obstructions. I took the equipment back and got DirecTV, just for that reason. DTV 101 satellite was at 48 degrees from my location.

Kenc_AL wrote:After third try in trees last night I have low signal strength as follows (110W - 20; 119W – 24; 129W – 0) I do not have a smart phone – thus not their application. I am trying to shoot through hole in trees. I use web site - www.dishpointer.com to get information which is Elevation 37.6 . . .Good luck aligning your dish with just a smart phone. I don't have those kind of skills and use a good sat meter.Anyway, you're using the wrong dish (1000.2) for your location. The 1000.2 is shipped as a Western Arc (sats 110, 119, 129) dish which is generally good for west of the Mississippi (a generalization).However, for your location you should be using the Eastern Arc sats (61.5, 72, and 77).Why?Elevation -- for Wedowee, AL the Eastern Arc sats are at about 49 degrees while the Western Arc sats (what you're using) are at 37 degrees. That's a 12 degree difference -- making it easier to aim over trees.Don't change to DirecTV, change you 1000.2.It can be "upgraded" to use Eastern Arc sats. Check eBay. Here's a description of the Eastern Arc Twin LNB upgrade.

Wow.....I am not suggesting he align with a smartphone. He's obviously already aligned, but is blocked by trees or some other obstruction. The smartphone app (DP Pro in my case) would allow him to more easily pick a spot with a clear shot to the satellites, after which he could align as he has in the past.I'm also thinking he's in Alabama? Why in the world won't the Western Arc sats work for him there???? Sorry, but you have me really confused.TechWriter wrote:Kenc_AL wrote:After third try in trees last night I have low signal strength as follows (110W - 20; 119W – 24; 129W – 0) I do not have a smart phone – thus not their application. I am trying to shoot through hole in trees. I use web site - www.dishpointer.com to get information which is Elevation 37.6 . . .Good luck aligning your dish with just a smart phone. I don't have those kind of skills and use a good sat meter.Anyway, you're using the wrong dish (1000.2) for your location. The 1000.2 is shipped as a Western Arc (sats 110, 119, 129) dish which is generally good for west of the Mississippi (a generalization).However, for your location you should be using the Eastern Arc sats (61.5, 72, and 77).Why?Elevation -- for Wedowee, AL the Eastern Arc sats are at about 49 degrees while the Western Arc sats (what you're using) are at 37 degrees. That's a 12 degree difference -- making it easier to aim over trees.Don't change to DirecTV, change you 1000.2.It can be "upgraded" to use Eastern Arc sats. Check eBay. Here's a description of the Eastern Arc Twin LNB upgrade.

Dish 1000.2 | Good Sam Community

paulcardoza
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
Seems to me that you've pointed the dish correctly, but not selected a clear hole through the trees. You're probably getting 110/119 through some minor obstructions and are blocked completely on 129.

Without a smartphone available, it's purely trial and error to find that open shot. You're close, so try moving up or down, left or right in small increments.
K_Charles
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
Dish pointer
mikestock
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
As I found many years ago, I could not use DISH because the 119 was so low on the horizon from Alabama. As I remember, it was 38 degrees or so and there was no place I could position the satellite dish without cutting several trees. The lower the sat the more difficult it is to avoid obstructions. I took the equipment back and got DirecTV, just for that reason. DTV 101 satellite was at 48 degrees from my location.
TechWriter
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
Kenc_AL wrote:
After third try in trees last night I have low signal strength as follows (110W - 20; 119W – 24; 129W – 0) I do not have a smart phone – thus not their application. I am trying to shoot through hole in trees. I use web site - www.dishpointer.com to get information which is Elevation 37.6 . . .

Good luck aligning your dish with just a smart phone. I don't have those kind of skills and use a good sat meter.

Anyway, you're using the wrong dish (1000.2) for your location. The 1000.2 is shipped as a Western Arc (sats 110, 119, 129) dish which is generally good for west of the Mississippi (a generalization).

However, for your location you should be using the Eastern Arc sats (61.5, 72, and 77).

Why?

Elevation -- for Wedowee, AL the Eastern Arc sats are at about 49 degrees while the Western Arc sats (what you're using) are at 37 degrees. That's a 12 degree difference -- making it easier to aim over trees.

Don't change to DirecTV, change you 1000.2.

It can be "upgraded" to use Eastern Arc sats. Check eBay. Here's a description of the Eastern Arc Twin LNB upgrade.
paulcardoza
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
Wow.....

I am not suggesting he align with a smartphone. He's obviously already aligned, but is blocked by trees or some other obstruction. The smartphone app (DP Pro in my case) would allow him to more easily pick a spot with a clear shot to the satellites, after which he could align as he has in the past.

I'm also thinking he's in Alabama? Why in the world won't the Western Arc sats work for him there????

Sorry, but you have me really confused.

TechWriter wrote:
Kenc_AL wrote:
After third try in trees last night I have low signal strength as follows (110W - 20; 119W – 24; 129W – 0) I do not have a smart phone – thus not their application. I am trying to shoot through hole in trees. I use web site - www.dishpointer.com to get information which is Elevation 37.6 . . .

Good luck aligning your dish with just a smart phone. I don't have those kind of skills and use a good sat meter.

Anyway, you're using the wrong dish (1000.2) for your location. The 1000.2 is shipped as a Western Arc (sats 110, 119, 129) dish which is generally good for west of the Mississippi (a generalization).

However, for your location you should be using the Eastern Arc sats (61.5, 72, and 77).

Why?

Elevation -- for Wedowee, AL the Eastern Arc sats are at about 49 degrees while the Western Arc sats (what you're using) are at 37 degrees. That's a 12 degree difference -- making it easier to aim over trees.

Don't change to DirecTV, change you 1000.2.

It can be "upgraded" to use Eastern Arc sats. Check eBay. Here's a description of the Eastern Arc Twin LNB upgrade.
TechWriter
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
paulcardoza wrote:
I am not suggesting he align with a smartphone. He's obviously already aligned . . .

Hardly. Those are low numbers the OP listed.

paulcardoza wrote:

Why in the world won't the Western Arc sats work for him there????

I didn't say his 1000.2 wouldn't work. He can make WA work. I've heard folks acquiring sats with elevations < 20 degrees.

However, in his current location, EA sats are significantly higher and thus probably easier to shoot, don't you think?
paulcardoza
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
I'm thinking his low numbers are due to obstructions, not alignment. He clearly has done this before and admits hes struggling to "find a hole in the trees".

Without looking up the numbers, I cannot say for sure, but I'm guessing both arcs are pretty high in the sky from Alabama.......

TechWriter wrote:
paulcardoza wrote:
I am not suggesting he align with a smartphone. He's obviously already aligned . . .

Hardly. Those are low numbers the OP listed.

paulcardoza wrote:

Why in the world won't the Western Arc sats work for him there????

I didn't say his 1000.2 wouldn't work. He can make WA work. I've heard folks acquiring sats with elevations < 20 degrees.

However, in his current location, EA sats are significantly higher and thus probably easier to shoot, don't you think?
mikestock
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
The 1000.2 is a really good smaller dish to convert to DirecTV, replacing the enormous Slimline dish. That's what I have used for years for my RV setup with SL 3 horn, receiving HD channels. Whatever you do, don't discard the 1000.2 dish.

This is how I used mine.
bob213
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
I agree with TechWriter. The 1000.2 upgrade would make it much easier for anything east of the Miss.
Kenc_AL
Explorer
Apr 30, 2013
Thanks for your comments.

Hello moved around twice - On transponder 11, now have signal strength of 70 on 110W and 54 on 119W. Considerably better numbers than in the dark last night.

But still no 129W. I guess it is behind trees. No one addressed addressed the azmith elevation question on 129. I'm not sure where it is.

Regarding Direct - not an option for me as I actually have a stick house in an Alabama county with an Atlanta DMA. To change to Direct means I have to get Atlanta for 6 lousy months, then "move" to the Birmingham DMA where dish thinks I live. However, Direct service is already at that address and the FCC DMA cops then go crazy.

Also, this afternoon the RV next door had more trouble getting Direct dialed in the first time than I had with moving dish around twice. We travel around quite a bit and I got Dish 1000.2 in both Maine and New Hampshire as well as Oregon & California.

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