Dish elevation setup

[LilPapa55]

Guys, I'm having trouble setting up the dish elevation.
The dish is a 36" oval (Ariza Technologies), attached to a SG2100 motor.
I have set the motor elevation, it is easy because there is a mark (like an arrow) which allows an accurate setting. As opposed to the motor, the dish does not have any reference mark on the elevation scale. How the heck am I supposed to set the dish elevation with no reference mark?
Couldn't find a clear guideline or pic anywhere.
Thanks.

Cheers,

[radiobob]

LilPapa:

There may be more scientific ways of doing this, but here's what I'd do:

1. Haul your receiver and a small TV right out to the dish site.
2. Make sure you're aimed to your True South satellite.
3. Set the motor elevation to where you think it ought to go. Note that the published elevation figures may be several degrees (+/- 5°) off.
4. "Eyeball" the dish elevation to where you think it should be. You can use an already mounted fixed dish as a rough guide.
5. Assuming you're pointing at the right azimuth, you can then slowly raise and lower the dish elevation, all the while looking for peak signal and quality.
6. Peak the signal. You may have to go higher or lower in elevation than you imagine, but keep looking for the "sweet spot". Lock down the dish.
7. Loosen the motor's U-bolts and gently move the whole motor/dish assembly east-west, again looking for peak signal and quality; when you find it, tighten the U-bolts.
8. Loosen the dish elevation bolts again and re-peak the signal. Use a permanent marker to somehow note the position on your dish's non-existent "scale".
9. If you never get signal (in step 6), assume azimuth is off (or you're monitoring an inactive transponder) and adjust accordingly.

You don't really need to have a scale on the dish; chances are the numbers for your particular installation would be off a few degrees anyway, so why not just guesstimate your starting point?

Now, as I have posted before...there is definite interaction between the motor elevation and the dish elevation; this shapes how sharp, shallow, or "just right" the arc traced by your motor is. Too sharp an arc, you miss sats on the east and west edges; too shallow an arc, you get the east-west edges, but don't get the sats in the "middle". You may have to raise the motor a smidge* and lower the dish by an equal smidge, or vice-versa to get the "perfect" arc.

It can be a long and sometimes frustrating process, but once it works, it works!

*Smidge=highly technical measurement

[LilPapa55]

Radiobob, thanks man, you are always very precise and helpful.
Everything clear, one thing I want to make sure I understand correctly: the "true south" where I aim the dish first is the magnetic south, right? In other words, the 180 degrees south plus or minus magnetic deviation, which in my case is about 10.3 degrees plus, which brings my south where I aim the dish to 190.3 degrees. Is that correct?
...and, is it there where I will find a true south satellite?...what sat is that?

Thanks a lot again.
Cheers,

[updatelee]

your true south satellite has the same orbital location as your longitude. ie if you live at 120long then use 121.0w as your truesouth satellite.

[LilPapa55]

Originally Posted by updatelee

your true south satellite has the same orbital location as your longitude. ie if you live at 120long then use 121.0w as your truesouth satellite.

Thanks man, this is a good piece of info that actually clarified a lot in my mind...
Cheers,