The ManikM motorised dish USALS challenge !!!

[ManikM]

so you think you have your USALS spot on? do you? really.

you might think you have a pretty good signal on all your sats, but do you ever come across a channel which is low on signal, and think "i know, i'll try a few Diseq nudges to see if i can squeeze more signal out of it - and most of the time you can!" - well, thats what i used to think and do anyway.

....some of of you may have already read my posts this week re Signal, USALs, the ARC etc, i've pretty much spent any spare hours ive had this week tweaking my setup to get the best possible signal i can ON all the Sats i can physically pick up using USALS to locate the sat, and then by using DISEQ "nudges" to see what the best possible signal acheivable is - without having to go OUTSIDE - BRRRRRRRRRR!

i used to think my USALs was ok, but it used to annoy me when i found out that there was still more signal to gain with a few Diseq nudges left or right (east or west)

without blowing my own trumpet - i have ended up being "spot on" with my signal and USALS setting now. I can now go to 1w and not be able to squeeze a drop of signal using DISEQ nudges (and storing), and after much fiddling the same is true for 45w, and the same on 53.1e.

:respect-050:

the transponders im using are

1w - Visjon Norge - 10872 V 24500
45w - SVC_3 Service (some french news channel) 11674 V 1239
53.1e - Al Hurrya - 11630 V 2893

i would start off on 1w and see what the best signal is you can get using USALS to arrive there, and then by using DISEQ movements to go east or west see what the best signal you can get is, then compare THAT signal reading with what your USALS reading is, then goto 5e and repeat the test on 5w, then whiz your dishes right over to 45w (or furthest west u can go), and then right over to 53.1e (or furthest east u can go)

you might think your bang on when your 45w USALS reading is the same as your DISEQ, but then watch what happens when you goto 53.1e !!!! (or 39e)

you will find yourself doing a lot of USALS setting changes....with lots of tinkering, you will be able to get max signal on the FULL ARC - or if you're very lucky, you might get it right first time (Google, or mapping websites do give you a rough position to enter, but you will not MAX your signal - there is lots of trial and error beleive me)

its a game!!! good luck!!!

:respect-059:

[crabber]

As I have said many times before the correct way to set usals is to drive the dish to a satellite then adjust the dish and motor ON THE POLE WITH A SPANNER for the strongest signal.
Once this is correct there will be a maximum signal on all satellites, there is NEVER any need for nudging, tweaking or anything else. The only possible reason for a need to "tweak" is that the dish is not set mechanically in the right position in the first place.
I wont bother to reply to the expected response I will get by saying this, other than to repeat that I have fitted many dishes and they all work.

[ManikM]

Crabber, i appreciate the input, but you are missing the point. This thread is to MAXIMISE your signal throughout the ARC.

Lets take a dish which you just setup, it may work - but if you put the wrong USALS location in, then its not going to be that great is it.

My point is that you cannot rely on Google or any mapping software for the LAT LON information alone to enter into your STB.

It DOES need tweaking IF you want \ or if you're fussy about the level of signal you're getting across the entire ARC.

It takes time and lots of faffing about comparing the signal levels throughout the ARC.