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jjotmo's avatar
jjotmo
Explorer
Jun 13, 2014

dish aiming??

Ok, im at a loss so hopefully someone here can help. I have a tailgater with a 211k now working. I have a seasonal so I am trying to switch to a 1000.2 hd dish on a tripod to make things easier for my wife.
I cannot get even a hint of a signal with the new dish. I have an analog meter and the elevation and skew are what the installation manual claim. I even bought a second lnb just to be safe.
Today I used a phone app to get tje dish close then used the meter to hone in on the signal. Then I unplugged my 211k for 15 minutes and ran a check switch but nothing. I have been at this for a few weekends now. Does anyone have any suggestions before I pay dish to line this thing up. I dont think this is that difficult but apparently im wrong. Also I am in grayling mi for the install

16 Replies

  • Camper is setup for satellite. I have a tailgater working right now but want to have a regular dish so I dont have to put it away every week. I will recheck plumb and all settings.
  • Here are a couple of dumb questions:

    1. Are you using true or magnetic azimuth for setup?

    2. Are you sure the cable input on your rig is correct? I have read here of one mislabeled, and at least one with a bad internal cable.
  • I use a good sat meter but they can cost $$$. Since this is a seasonal site, why not call a local sat dealer and have them install the dish.
  • It is important that the tripod mast be as near perfectly vertical as possible for the elevation, azimuth, and skew marks to be accurate.
    Make sure you have a high quality coax cable.
    I put everything at the correct (for the area) settings and use a meter like yours to maximize the signal while "tweaking" the dish. Sometimes got it fairly quickly. Sometimes a long time if at all. Bought a Tailgater and have not regretted it.
  • Mast is plumb. And I think im reading all measurements correctly. I watched a video on YouTube showing set up and I did the same. I even checked out someone elses dish near me and they have the same settings. And it seems to be in the same direction I am trying. I feel the issue is in the 211k. I read they are finicky when setting up
  • I'm a DTV guy, but maybe this part is similar. Does Dish have an on-screen meter like Direct? Perhaps that would be easier than a hand-held.

    Also, 'sweeping the sky' in a small arc, then changing elevation slightly, repeat, is sometimes what I have to do. Are you using the correct indicator on the dish for elevation? I found myself reading that wrong. If this is HD, a plumb mast is very important.

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