Damn wind unaligned my satellite dish

[ChadTower]

So, we had a hardcore rainstorm yesterday with serious, serious wind.  Downed trees, stuff everywhere.  Now my dish gets NO signal. 

It's right on the corner of the roof so I should be able to get at it without trouble.  Anyone here know the best method for determining the exact position in needs to be in?

[jjd]

With my Dish Network dish, I can go into the setup screen and enter my zip code.  You should be able to get the pertinent information from that. 

[ChadTower]

I seem to remember that now.  The question is, though, how do you align the dish to those coordinates?

[jjd]

There are markings on the dish for the veritcal alignment (azimuth).

A compass or GPS comes in handy to get the bearing. 
 
There is a test tone that plays when you get signal.  Either turn up the TV really loud or get someone to watch the screen while you fine tune the dish. 

[vader]

I've had directv.....I put so many dishes up you just lean after a awhile.  A companss is really helpful.  My area was  35 degree elevation, 220 azimuth and once multibank dishes came out, I believe 55 skew.

Tim

[Stingray]

There are markings on the dish for the veritcal alignment (azimuth).

A compass or GPS comes in handy to get the bearing. 
 
There is a test tone that plays when you get signal.  Either turn up the TV really loud or get someone to watch the screen while you fine tune the dish. 

This is exactly how I set up mine.

-S

[ChadTower]

I have a GPS... haven't used it in like a year or more.  Sounds like it won't be hard, as I'm not installing it, just need to reaim it.

[vader]

You'll be fine....if you can build a cabinet, that is a cakewalk to install and aim, even though your nt installing.

Tim

[ChadTower]

Can't build a cabinet... I can convert and restore them, but I have very little carpentry knowledge.   

[Havok]

It's not that hard. The setup screen will tell you the numbers based on your area code, then just slowly move the dish with the signal strength meter on the tv until you get at least 85% - more or less depending on your location\obstructions. I personally get 92-95% signal strength, but anything past 65% will give you a reliable picture w\o rain or snow.

[vader]

Chad,

On a side note....my carpentry skill are next to nil, yet I was able to make a decent replica of a Missile Command ( check out my site ).  THe most  valuble saying is " Cut once, measure twice ", oh good tools help

Tim

[Hoopz]

Depending on how old your dish itself is and the brand of the dish/receiver, you may have an LED light on the LNB that shows you the signal stregnth.  Since you have a DVR built in (if I recall that correctly), then it may be too new.

I had (have) an old Sony dish/receiver and that was one very nice feature.  When you get close, the LED flashes.  The stronger the signal, the faster it flashes or goes to a solid light.  Beats the piss outta turning up the tv etc.

[CCM]

This is just another reason I have cable!

[Hoopz]

This is just another reason I have cable!

Nope. In almost 9 years of having my dish, I have never had a problem.  In the number of years that I have had cable or a cable modem, I have lost service at least for a few minutes at least once every month or so.  Not that big of a deal, but its never happened with my dish.

Combine that with the NFL package on the dish, and its a good decision for me.

The storms that CT is talking about were severe storms.  Do a search and see how cable companies fared.   

[ChadTower]

Most cables companies went out during the storm and some are still out.

In 7 years of having DirecTV this is the first time this has ever happened and this was some of the strongest wind I've seen around here in years.  It threw other stuff around in my yard, including the CLIMBING THING AND SLIDE.

[missioncontrol]

Chad...

your not thinking clearly.... If the satelites out you'll just have to tell your wife she can just entertain you in the bedroom...

[ChadTower]

Dude, priorities.  The NFC and AFC championship games are on sunday.

[missioncontrol]

Dude, priorities.  The NFC and AFC championship games are on sunday.

Naked Fat Chicks

Aussie Fat Chicks

[ChadTower]

Football.

[missioncontrol]

oh yeah... I forgot about that crap....

[CCM]

This is just another reason I have cable!

Nope. In almost 9 years of having my dish, I have never had a problem.  In the number of years that I have had cable or a cable modem, I have lost service at least for a few minutes at least once every month or so.  Not that big of a deal, but its never happened with my dish.

Combine that with the NFL package on the dish, and its a good decision for me.

The storms that CT is talking about were severe storms.  Do a search and see how cable companies fared.   

Yea, the NFL Sunday ticket would be nice, but I would really love the NHL Center Ice package...  As it is I'm stuck with local coverage and OLN games, although NBC started broadcasting Saturday aftenoon games, but I digress.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I've had excellent service from my cable company, both TV and internet.  I honestly can't remember the last time either were down.  On top of that I love the convienence of having one STB that does cable, HD, and DVR...

[ChadTower]

I go where the Sunday Ticket goes.  I watch an average of about 8 NFL games a week during the season.

[Hoopz]

This is just another reason I have cable!

Nope. In almost 9 years of having my dish, I have never had a problem.  In the number of years that I have had cable or a cable modem, I have lost service at least for a few minutes at least once every month or so.  Not that big of a deal, but its never happened with my dish.

Combine that with the NFL package on the dish, and its a good decision for me.

The storms that CT is talking about were severe storms.  Do a search and see how cable companies fared.   

Yea, the NFL Sunday ticket would be nice, but I would really love the NHL Center Ice package...  As it is I'm stuck with local coverage and OLN games, although NBC started broadcasting Saturday aftenoon games, but I digress.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I've had excellent service from my cable company, both TV and internet.  I honestly can't remember the last time either were down.  On top of that I love the convienence of having one STB that does cable, HD, and DVR...

OLN & NHL = Travesty!  Until the NHL learns to market themselves, they are toast.  Thats too bad. 
Amen Chad.  If one goes to commerical, I flip to the next game and so on.  And now that I have the DVR built in....man, football all week long!

[CCM]

This is just another reason I have cable!

Nope. In almost 9 years of having my dish, I have never had a problem.  In the number of years that I have had cable or a cable modem, I have lost service at least for a few minutes at least once every month or so.  Not that big of a deal, but its never happened with my dish.

Combine that with the NFL package on the dish, and its a good decision for me.

The storms that CT is talking about were severe storms.  Do a search and see how cable companies fared.   

Yea, the NFL Sunday ticket would be nice, but I would really love the NHL Center Ice package...  As it is I'm stuck with local coverage and OLN games, although NBC started broadcasting Saturday aftenoon games, but I digress.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I've had excellent service from my cable company, both TV and internet.  I honestly can't remember the last time either were down.  On top of that I love the convienence of having one STB that does cable, HD, and DVR...

OLN & NHL = Travesty!  Until the NHL learns to market themselves, they are toast.  Thats too bad. 
Amen Chad.  If one goes to commerical, I flip to the next game and so on.  And now that I have the DVR built in....man, football all week long!

I couldn't agree more, the games on OLN are horrible, but unfortunately my only option!   The Flyers/Avalanche game on NBC last Saturday was a little better...

[ChadTower]

Amen Chad.  If one goes to commerical, I flip to the next game and so on.  And now that I have the DVR built in....man, football all week long!

Yep, I have four DVR tuners, and all are grabbing NFL games on sunday.  It may take me all week, but I watch most games in full.

[Hoopz]

The NFL channel did a good job of taking a full game, cutting out all the dead ball time, timeouts, penalties etc and getting the games down to an hour (I think).  They even sync'd the video and audio. 

I watched them all last summer.  Beats watching baseball.

[ChadTower]

I'll check that out.

[ChadTower]

So, I was just up on the roof, and the dish is now very loose on the horizontal.   The main issue is that I can't seem to see any measurement for how to align it this way... I know SW, but where SW?  I guess I need a compass... off to the store since I can't figure out how to use the GPS unit to get that.

[ChadTower]

That was more of a PIA than it had to be, but I got it.  Found a decent compass in my son's desk and it's done.  Now the dish is MARKED on both the elevation and azimuth for easier realignment.  I'm also getting numbers in the 90s for signal strength.

[SirPeale]

I have a GPS... haven't used it in like a year or more.

You should dig it out and go GeoCaching.

[Ed_McCarron]

So, I was just up on the roof, and the dish is now very loose on the horizontal.   The main issue is that I can't seem to see any measurement for how to align it this way... I know SW, but where SW?  I guess I need a compass... off to the store since I can't figure out how to use the GPS unit to get that.

FWIW, most GPS units require you to move to get a heading, so it can compare two points and figure out which way you are moving.

Might be tough to do on a ladder.

[SirPeale]

FWIW, most GPS units require you to move to get a heading, so it can compare two points and figure out which way you are moving.

Might be tough to do on a ladder.

So the obvious thing is to turn it on before he climbs up and get a reading.  Next issue!

[ChadTower]

Dude, I was trying to get a heading to Texas, and it's only accurate within like 50 feet.  I would have had to circle the neighborhood to get that kind of data.

I actually did buy it, two years ago, to go geocaching.  Of course, the kids and life interfered, and I found a grand total of one simple cache. 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Look out Chad! It's windy in our area again. I just chased someone's Christmas tree down the street. It almost caused two accidents.


mrC
P.S. I took this photo out of apartment window, on the third floor and surrounded by a fire escape. It's not a prison. (Drew!)

[SirPeale]

Dude, I was trying to get a heading to Texas, and it's only accurate within like 50 feet.  I would have had to circle the neighborhood to get that kind of data.

You can still get a compass reading off it.

Hey, maybe sometime we could get our families together and Geocache.  We found a bunch over the last year, and even planted a few.

[ChadTower]

Look out Chad! It's windy in our area again. I just chased someone's Christmas tree down the street. It almost caused two accidents.

You're just trying to remove their Christmas decorations, you PC thug.   

[ChadTower]

You can still get a compass reading off it.

Not the sort of reading I needed.  I needed the exact location of 235 degrees SW.  That requires a magnetic compass, which the GPS is not.  In fact, from the manual "This unit is not a magnetic compass and cannot be used as one."

Hey, maybe sometime we could get our families together and Geocache.  We found a bunch over the last year, and even planted a few.

It's certainly a possibility.  I really like the idea, just don't get out in that manner very often at all.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Look out Chad! It's windy in our area again. I just chased someone's Christmas tree down the street. It almost caused two accidents.

You're just trying to remove their Christmas decorations, you PC thug.   

You're right! I meant "Holiday" tree!!


mrC