# Dish Realignment



## Rakim (Dec 26, 2004)

Boy, D* service is really bad. I just moved east from AZ and never had a problem there with anything! Here, everything is a nightmare!

Short story - just got my roof replaced, so the (5 lnb) dish was removed and remounted. No signal on the 101, so I get the searching for satellite error. Called D*, they transferred me to the local contractor (DirecTech) and the soonest available appointment I could get was Dec 8. What?! That's insane. Should be a quick job. Iamb on the list for any cancellations, but I need someone to come out. Goanna call for a supervisor tomorrow morning.

If I have to go on my roof and realign it myself, what am I in for? Iamb not that techno-savvy, but I think it should just be an alignment issue. Do I need a compass? Anything else? Do I have someone sitting by the TV with the signal strength screen on to let me know when it is good? Should I go for it?


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

The 5lnb dish cannot be easily aligned with the signal strength meter from the receiver signal strength meter. You must you a more sensitive standalone in-line strength meter. To align it see http://207.36.228.79/dtvkaku/launch_03.asp

The procedure is: 

Coarse align the Azimuth and Elevation 
Set the in-line signal meter for 101°RHCP (13 volts with no 22KHz tone). 
Slowly rotate the antenna around the mast in the Azimuth direction until a peak level is obtained, and then lock down the mast clamp bolts. 
Using a ½nut driver, adjust the fine elevation screw for maximum signal level. If the fine elevation screw runs out of range, or is not centered in its range of movement, loosen the elevation lock down screw and move the coarse elevation slightly to keep the bolt centered. 
Record the Coarse signal level at this point for comparison during a later step. 
After coarse alignment, verify reception of 101°on the customers IRD 
You may check channels 490 and 491 on any of the installed IRDs 

Fine-tuning the Tilt 
Set the in-line signal meter for 119°RHCP reception (13 volts with 22KHz tone) 
Slowly rotate the dish (left/counter clockwise, right/clockwise), around the tilt axis, in order to peak the 119°signal, then carefully tighten the Tilt lockdown nuts 

Fine-tuning the Elevation 
Set the in-line signal meter for 101°RHCP reception (13 volts with no 22KHz tone). 
Looking at the back of the ODU, lock down the Left side Elevation bolt, leaving the Right side slightly loose. 
With the Elevation having been coarse peaked previously, now grasp the plastic Elevation readout dial and rotate until 0 (zero) is lined up with the indicator. 
Be careful not to turn the Elevation fine adjustment bolt during this step
Using a ½Nut Driver, rotate the Elevation fine tune screw exactly 2 turns Counter Clockwise and record the level from the signal meter. (This level will be lower than the that obtained in the Elevation coarse peak.) 
Note this signal level 
While counting the exact number of turns as well as fractions of a turn, rotate the elevation fine tune screw Clockwise (through the Peak) and continue until an identical signal level is reached as that recorded from the last step (roughly 4-7 turns). The numbers displayed on the dial will not correspond directly to the total distance turned. 
EXAMPLE: If you stop on 6 you actually moved 4 increments clockwise past zero, not 6. 
Record the number of turns 
Divide the number of turns just recorded by 2. Reset the dial to Zero, then rotate the Elevation fine-tune screw Counter Clockwise by the calculated amount. 
Signal strength should be equal to or greater than the original course peak number. 
Tighten the Elevation lock down nut. 

Fine-tuning the Azimuth 
The Azimuth fine-tuning procedure uses identical signal readings either side of peak in order to arrive at precise alignment. 
Verify that the Azimuth lock down bolts are slightly loosened so as to allow free movement of the dither mechanism 
Set the in-line signal meter for 101°RHCP reception (13 volts with no 22KHz tone). 
Unscrew and pull out the Dither lock pin and verify dish will move slightly side to side without binding. 
Make sure to start with the azimuth dither pin centered. 
Move the dish fully to the Left against the dither stop and read the signal level. This level will be lower than that obtained during coarse Azimuth peak. 
Move the dish fully to the Right against the opposite dither stop and compare the signal level to the previous reading. 
Turn the Azimuth fine adjustment screw to increase the lower of the two signal levels and repeat left/right dither process until IDENTICAL Signal Levels are achieved for the Left and Right stops. You may have to make several adjustments to achieve identical signal levels.
When signal levels are Exactly the same at the left and right dither stops, then move the dish to the center of the dither range and replace the dither lock pin. You may need to move the dish slightly side to side until the lock pin is fully engaged. 
Tighten the Azimuth lock down bolts. 
The current signal level should now be equal to or greater than what was recorded for coarse alignment. A lower level would indicate a possible alignment problem and will require repeating the Fine-tune steps. 
Verify adequate signal levels are available for 101°, 103°, 110°, and 119°using the signal meter in the H20 IRD. 
You can damage the mount if threads bottom out and you keep turning the fine-tune screws. 
Strive for IDENTICAL levels between the left and right dither stops. 
Give the meter enough time to stabilize the readings at each dither stop. 
Move to the left and right dither stop by grasping the rear of the mount, do not use the reflector/ODU. 


Newer 5lnb dishes have a different way to adjust dither but it is easy to figure out.


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## SeattleCarl (Nov 11, 2005)

If the dish was very carefully taken down, and if the mast that it was mounted on is back in the same location and is perfectly plumb (and also was plumb before being removed), then maybe you can set the dish on the mast and only have to adjust azimuth (left-right) to get going again. Even if you succeed, you probably want to get the installer out to properly align it again.

Lots of "IF's" and "Maybes", but you might have a chance at it. It is very important to not disturb the LNB assemblies.

But I agree, a little more time on the phone, and escalating your issue to a second tier CSR, or to Retention, might get you better service. 

Good luck.
Carl


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## Kevin L (Jan 10, 2002)

I agree that Dec 8 is a bit extreme, but how is this bad customer service? Who removed and remounted the antenna? If DirecTV didn't do it, then why do they have to fix it? Look in the yellow pages for DirecTV installers and hire one to fix the problem.


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## kenr (Dec 26, 1999)

I priced the meter used in the video (although for one shot a different meter was shown). It's the Digisat III LCD Pro, $119.95

http://www.summitsource.com/product_info.php?ref=1&products_id=5787


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

You don't need a signal meter to align the 5LNB dish. I did it without a signal meter. Lots of other have said the same. I don't feel that you need a $120 meter. Each alignment step in the instructions that came with the 5 LNB dish say - set the signal meter to blah, blah or alternately set the customer's receiver to blah, blah and adjust the dish for peak signal strength.


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## IminMs (Sep 10, 2006)

Stanley Rohner said:


> You don't need a signal meter to align the 5LNB dish. I did it without a signal meter. Lots of other have said the same. I don't feel that you need a $120 meter. Each alignment step in the instructions that came with the 5 LNB dish say - set the signal meter to blah, blah or alternately set the customer's receiver to blah, blah and adjust the dish for peak signal strength.


Ditto. I lined mine up on 101 and then peaked 119. Then repeated.
Most TP's are high 90's or 100 on all sats.

The meter is helpful when you are pushed to do several a day. If you got the time and a 5" B/W tv. Its as easy as the old 18" dish.


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## SonicRanger001 (Nov 5, 2005)

Related dish question.

I have an HR10-250 right now, I'm moving and want to put up a new dish MY way as opposed to D* installation doing it. SO do I get the Triple LNB or do I go with the AT9 Dish for "futurisation" of my system. I know I'm MPEG-2 with the TiVo but anything else I get will be new and capable of MPEG-4 or whatever flavor they're claiming to use.

I've heard people say you can't use anything but the new receivers with that dish but that doesn't make sense since they're still broadcasting about 95% of stuff on the old sat's?!?!?!

Also I've already run 5 Quad Shielded lines to where I want to mount the dish on my house, they go to a media panel in the basement...


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

My 5 year old receiver is connected to my AT9 dish.

I also have the HR20 connected to it.


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## IminMs (Sep 10, 2006)

The AT9 will work with any directv receiver.
The receiver will only see the sats it was made to see.
The older receivers wont see the newer mpeg 4 sats.
Just remember the 3 lnb points toward the 110 sat and the AT9 points toward the 101.


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## painkiller (Jun 23, 2005)

Rakim,

If you'd be willing to spend money on getting a meter to align this yourself (about $120 someone here said, and I can guarantee that's about right because I got one for myself) I have the following to tell you.

When I subscribed to D*, a local satellite hack (that D* sent) put it in. He didn't do all that I asked and only put the dish on a pole in the back yard merely plunging the rod into the ground with no prepapration for a solid mount.

I suffered through that and eventually found myself with periodic loss of signal whenever a storm came through. Found out the soil loosened the stand with the dish. I couldn't fix it with the tuner I bought. So I gave that idea up.

Instead of calling D*, I found a more reputable satellite dealer in the area. He came out and installed in my garage roof for $150.

Since then, no loss of signal during storms.

Makes me wish I didn't buy that tuner - but I'm glad I spent the money on that guy who fixed me up right.

See what this does for you.


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