Which transponder should I start with?

[wesnew1]

I am still trying for a signal. What is a good transponder (New York City) to start looking for a signal on?

For DirecTV's 101 degree, core satellite, transponders 4, 12, and 20 will be the strongest, since they are spot beams targeted at New York City, so they should be the easiest to find when you rough-tune the dish. Final peaking should then be done to maximize the signal strength numbers of the weakest transponders, rather than to maximize the strongest.

[OwnersEdge]

GREAT! Which transponders for initial tune in 95126 San Jose-San Francisco?

Where is this data repository for future users?

It looks like 4, 12, and 20 for your locality also. Those transponders will contain different programming content than do the 4, 12, and 20 that are beamed at New York.

For the rest of you, you can look at this map: http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/dtv.html to see which spot beams are directed at your location and then set you satellite receiver's antenna strength indicator to measure one of them for your own rough aiming.