View Full Version : Is there a map online that shows exactly where the satellites are over Texas?
blurredvision
08-22-08, 07:26 AM
I'm having DirecTV installed tonight, and I'm afraid I'm going to have line-of-sight issues. Since I'm not good with azimuth and all those other terms, is there a simple map online somewhere with dots indicating the approximate location of the satellites over Texas?
I want to draw a line between my house and those locations with one of these online mapping locations to see if I have a chance :). Thanks.
tcusta00
08-22-08, 07:30 AM
This site was made for you! http://www.dishpointer.com/
Good luck, let us know how it works out. :)
blurredvision
08-22-08, 07:56 AM
Nice site! Can't believe I couldn't find that with my google searches.
I chose the 5LNB DirecTV sat option, is that correct (I'm getting a ton of channels, HD, premiums, ST, the works)? Also, I thought the sats were over Texas, but this map shows the pointer down towards the equator next to South America in the Pacific. Is that correct?
Mertzen
08-22-08, 08:06 AM
Nice site! Can't believe I couldn't find that with my google searches.
I chose the 5LNB DirecTV sat option, is that correct (I'm getting a ton of channels, HD, premiums, ST, the works)? Also, I thought the sats were over Texas, but this map shows the pointer down towards the equator next to South America in the Pacific. Is that correct?
yes, you're getting the 5LNB dish.
From wikipedia: A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator (0° latitude), with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of zero.
Geostationary orbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary)
Yes all geostationary satellites are located approximately 22,300 miles above the Equater. none are over the Lone Star State.
blurredvision
08-22-08, 08:13 AM
Ahhh, didn't know they were in geostationary orbit. So whenever somebody generalizes and says the dish is pointed towards Texas, that is basically wrong for most everyone in the US?
Regardless, it looks like it's 50/50 for me. I wish the satellite imagery used on that site was taken in the summer time for my location so I could see the tree bloomed out.
davring
08-22-08, 08:19 AM
I'm in S Fla and my dish looks as though its pointed towards Panama:)
Mertzen
08-22-08, 08:31 AM
Ahhh, didn't know they were in geostationary orbit. So whenever somebody generalizes and says the dish is pointed towards Texas, that is basically wrong for most everyone in the US?
Yes, and here in NYC they say point it towards Staten Island. It's just a little trick for a general bearing.
rahlquist
08-22-08, 08:53 AM
Wow that map is oddly inaccurate, google maps can nail my address within 10 feet, this is half a mile off! The Red A is my real house. The green is where the Sat finder thinks my adress is.
gregjones
08-22-08, 08:54 AM
Yes all geostationary satellites are located approximately 22,300 miles above the Equater. none are over the Lone Star State.
Texas is big, but not that big.
gregjones
08-22-08, 08:55 AM
Wow that map is oddly inaccurate, google maps can nail my address within 10 feet, this is half a mile off! The Red A is my real house. The green is where the Sat finder thinks my adress is.
And that half a mile will have absolutely no bearing on where you point the dish.
Great site, tcusta. Thanks for the link, but using the multi-LNB option,
I cannot get the site to return more than one line in the result. Is there
a way to configure for 3 birds (61.5,110,119) so the result shows 3 azimuth (azimi?).
rahlquist
08-22-08, 09:03 AM
And that half a mile will have absolutely no bearing on where you point the dish.
Though it may have bearing on the obstacle function on that site. Was just pointing out what is a huge surprise is all.
Great site, tcusta. Thanks for the link, but I'm having difficulty getting the
site to return more than one line in the result. Is there a way to configure
for 3 birds (61.5,110,119) so the result shows 3 azimuth (azimi?).
tcusta00
08-22-08, 09:15 AM
Great site, tcusta. Thanks for the link, but I'm having difficulty getting the
site to return more than one line in the result. Is there a way to configure
for 3 birds (61.5,110,119) so the result shows 3 azimuth (azimi?).
I'm not sure I know what you're asking - you have three different dishes you want to point? Dish Network doesn't have that array of orbital slots viewable with one dish... that I'm aware of.
tonyd79
08-22-08, 09:25 AM
Wow that map is oddly inaccurate, google maps can nail my address within 10 feet, this is half a mile off! The Red A is my real house. The green is where the Sat finder thinks my adress is.
Oddly, I think that site uses Google Earth (there is a logo below the map).
I'm not sure I know what you're asking - you have three different dishes you want to point? Dish Network doesn't have that array of orbital slots viewable with one dish... that I'm aware of.Doesn't matter about one dish. I'm currently looking at 61.5 & 110 with two Dish 300s. All I'm interested in is LOS to 61.5,110,119 from the back yard of my soon to be new house. I know I can catch 110,119 with a Dish 500 and 61.5 with a single, but it's the tangential spread of the three azimuths (azimi?) that I am seeking.
tcusta00
08-22-08, 09:38 AM
Doesn't matter about one dish. I'm currently looking at 61.5 & 110 with two Dish 300s. All i'm interested in is LOS to 61.5,110,119 from the back yard of my soon to be new house. I know I can catch 110,119 with a Dish 500 and 61.5 with a single.
So you want to see two lines for pointing two different dishes on one map? I don't believe that's possible with this website's software.
rahlquist
08-22-08, 10:29 AM
Oddly, I think that site uses Google Earth (there is a logo below the map).
Yes clearly it does that's why I am so thrown off by the oddity. Whats even weirder is if I enter just my zip code it puts it in a town 40 miles form the county I live in.
No, it uses the google maps API (for devs).
The google earth is a button to open it in google earth (which is also based on google maps)
So you want to see two lines for pointing two different dishes on one map? I don't believe that's possible with this website's software.
No, three lines. Why does the site offer multi-LNB solutions
if it won't show the spread for multiple orbital slots? What if
one had a tall tree -- wouldn't one want to know the precise
angles so the pole's location could have LOS to the birds?
Doesn't make much sense to me... :shrug:
Its shows the way the dish actually points (LNB arm). This is more helpful for aiming since the others come in at angles and you have no reference.
If you want to see each separate one as far as the satellite LOS, just select them above one by one.
Wow that map is oddly inaccurate, google maps can nail my address within 10 feet, this is half a mile off! The Red A is my real house. The green is where the Sat finder thinks my adress is.Note that the Google address conversions are not always very good. My sister's house in the SF Bay Area is 300' off according to the NavTeq database but it is right on the money with the Tele Atlas database that Google is using now for that region. My location is much improved with the Tele Atlas database too. The pointers in the Tele Atlas database seem to be located right in the middle of the property.
Why does the site offer multi-LNB solutions if it won't show the spread for multiple orbital slots?The primary goal is to assist the user in aiming their dish. Establishing LOS is the responsibility of the installer. The maps don't identify obstructions.
rahlquist
08-22-08, 11:45 AM
Note that the Google address conversions are not always very good. My sister's house in the SF Bay Area is 300' off according to the NavTeq database but it is right on the money with the Tele Atlas database that Google is using now for that region. My location is much improved with the Tele Atlas database too. The pointers in the Tele Atlas database seem to be located right in the middle of the property.
Oh I understand that, but the Red A is where going to maps.google.com places my house and the other site shows it as the green spot, thats what was weird. :)
tonyd79
08-22-08, 12:11 PM
No, it uses the google maps API (for devs).
The google earth is a button to open it in google earth (which is also based on google maps)
Still odd that someone can use one Google mapping application and get one location and another location from another application.
rudeney
08-22-08, 12:19 PM
Note that you can “grab” the green teardrop and move it to the proper location on the map.
tcusta00
08-22-08, 12:31 PM
No, three lines. Why does the site offer multi-LNB solutions
if it won't show the spread for multiple orbital slots? What if
one had a tall tree -- wouldn't one want to know the precise
angles so the pole's location could have LOS to the birds?
Doesn't make much sense to me... :shrug:
I don't think they assume people will be using multiple dishes, just multiple LNB dishes that only require you point the LNB arm in one direction. If you do use multiple dishes, as someone already suggested, you just have to run a new query. Hey, it's better than nothin', and you can't beat the price. :)
....................The maps don't identify obstructions.
Well, not exactly as you wrote that, but almost....
Just select the box for 'show obstacle (line of sight checker)' and that gives the max. height plus the distance away from the dish mount that an obstacle can be before it interferes.
If you have trees/buildings nearby, you should easily be able to estimate how tall they are and how far away they are, and if they will therefore fall within that obstacle zone.
gregjones
08-22-08, 02:26 PM
Still odd that someone can use one Google mapping application and get one location and another location from another application.
If the application does a poor job of sending the information to Google Map, it can have very inaccurate results.
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