Motorized setup with usals

[safinn]

Im setting up a motorised system with the vu solo and a usals motor which I have just ordered.

I'm just wondering if the satellite needs to be pointing in a certain direction or if it will sort it self out when I insert the longitude and latitude values.

[basilyoung]

the motor needs to be set to your NORTH setting, ie, liverpool is approx 53.000 so the motor setting is 53 ( latitude )
if you are in the uk, the motor/dish needs to be aligned to .08 west ( thor ) best channel is BBC World on 1 west

once done, yes USALs will find the other sats, provided its set up correctly

[safinn]

Yes I am in the uk. In south Yorkshire, Doncaster. So I align it to Thor 0.8 west and then that's it for setting up the sattelite. Rest is all on the box right?

[Stanman]

You point the dish to your true south, which you can get from here


http://www.dishpointer.com/ Once done, send the dish to 0,8W and align it to get the best signal, than try sending it to the other sats, as long as its plum, you will be fine.

[safinn]

So I would set it to -1.0684 because that is my location also.

[basilyoung]

no...thats your west setting
it the north setting you need for the motor

[safinn]

Would I not use the south because I am north of the equator?

[basilyoung]

where are you based?? ( approx )

[safinn]

In Doncaster, UK.
Sorry for meing a noob. It's my first attempt at this.

[basilyoung]

in that case, you defo need the nort setting...one mo..i will check out the approx settings for you

[basilyoung]

53.522 is the required setting on the motor ( latitude ) when you get the motor, on the side of it, you will see the graduants, set it to "just past" 53

[safinn]

Ahh thanks a lot for the help. Let's see what happens when it arrives.

[safinn]

Ok, so i set the motor up on the dish and am having some problems.
When i move to a different satellite it counts down showing that the dish is moving in the top left (vu+ solo) but it carrys on in the minuses but the dish has stopped.
Also when it set my longitude and latitude in the tuner config im not sure how to get the minus on the control.

Any help please.

[The Lambton Worm]

You don't need to enter - as west & south are minus. So the settings for Doncaster would look like this:

Longitude 1.130 West
Latitude 53.520 North

[safinn]

Ahh ok. Got that.
Now where do I face the whole unit? True south? Is that 182 degrees for Doncaster on a compass?

[basilyoung]

Ahh ok. Got that.
Now where do I face the whole unit? True south? Is that 182 degrees for Doncaster on a compass?

yes that sounds about right

[johndigital]

187 for true south. Or put motor at 1west then align on the free bbc channel

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[safinn]

Would i have the motor at 0 and align it on 187 degrees with the while unit. Then turn the motor to 1 west and align for bbc world?

Is that right?
Thanks for the help guys.

[basilyoung]

yes the motor needs to be at zero,
I would also have the coax lead connected ( bypass the motor ) direct to the lnb at first
get bbc world working ( should be near on 100% sig )
the dish arm should be in a straight line to the motor body
make sure the motor elivation is set to your north status ( see usal settings )
adjust the dish elivation, if you need to move left / right, move the whole assembly ( motor/dish )

once done..power done the reciever,..move coax to motor, attatch fly lead from moter to lnb, power back up

then try a fta channel on 28 east

[safinn]

Ahh that makes it very clear to me now.
I think the mount on my satellite does not have a scale to adjust the elevation which should be 7.6 for me. So I align the whole thing to 1 west.
Also how would I align to 1 west. Is there a compass reading for it i can find for the doncaster area.

Thanks a lot!!

EDIT: Cant get outside to make adjustments now as it's dark but I have gone to bbc world on 1 west, the motor turned (the time in the top left carried on into the minuses) and had no video. I went onto sat finder and it is on manual transponder and for satellite i went onto 1 west and it had 60% snr, 65% AGC and 0 BER. Lock is ticked. Does this not mean i have some signal and should get something?

[basilyoung]

the motor bracket should have degree scales on it

but if not from where you are, the moter leg should be more or less parralel ( spelt wrong ) with your wall, body pionting true south, dish about the same

[safinn]

The motor bracket has scales but the bracket for the satellite dish does not (I don't think) which fixes onto the motor leg.

[basilyoung]

oh thats normal

just go with my method, and i am sure you will be ok...and help is always on hand here if you need it

[safinn]

Thanks alot basilyoung.
Will give it a go and will report back. Hope it works!

[safinn]

Not had a chance to move the dish yet but on sat finder in the set up menu I get a lock on Thor with 59 snr and 65 agc. Does that not mean I should be getting some channels?

Did a scan and found some 28 services. A few foreign channels and some radio. That must be because of the poor signal. So i have to adjust the alignment slightly and should be ok... hopefully.

[basilyoung]

on 1 west ( thor ) bbc world, is the channel to set up on..and you should be getting near 100% sig, you must achieve this first, if then, on 28 east, you have weak signals, return to 1 west bbc world, and try dropping the dish slightly, and raise the motor until strong signal is again acheived, lock up every thing..re test on 28 east, if worse, then back to 1 west, and do the opposite to the previous adjustments,..lock up, retest

[safinn]

Thanks for the continued help.
Will be trying this tomorrow. Will get back to you with results.
Harder than I originally thought. :/

[basilyoung]

golden rule in uk setups is always set up on 1 west
general golden rules, make sure the mount pole ( wall bracket pole ) is true plumb

sent the wife out for the the day, and get a good mate round, ( unless you can do your own cooking )

[wiz569]

If using Usals then you can setup on 28.2e as this will be a stronger satellite in the UK,

So to recap what's already been said,

Drive motor to 0,
Point dish/motor towards your due south ( your longitude ),
Then drive motor to either 0.8w or 28.2e and then tweak dish up/down/left/right to peak the signal :)

Sent from my X10i using Tapatalk 2

[safinn]

Got it going.. had the help of a sky installer.
Get a 71% SNR on BBC World but successfully goes to astra satellite as well as 13 east and 39 east. There is a tree in my way which does not allow me to get to some satellites. I know 7 east i cannot get because of the tree.
Any way, thanks a lot guys for the help!

[basilyoung]

good to hear you are sorted, with uncle ruppie,s help as well, was it a freebie ?? :eek:

seriously, you did well, its not easy setting up a motorized dish for the first time

[safinn]

Haha.. gave him a £20 for his efforts.
He was there for a couple of hours. Had to move the dish into a different position on the wall to make the tree less of an obstruction as well as a new bracket to move the dish further out so it had more space to turn.

Finally up though and very happy!

[jonmarkwright]

Hi all. I have been reading this post in regards to setting up my motorised dish can someone please point me in the right direction to where i can find my motor latitude setting for my location im assuming its roughly 53?

[Huevos]

20 quid? I doubt he's going to come back in a hurry.