Moved slimline. Need help with fine tuning please.

1551 Views 20 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Soulweeper, Jul 9, 2008

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · Jul 7, 2008

Well, I finally moved my slimline off my roof, and onto my new "J" undereave mount, in preparation for my roofing project. After many messages to Tiger62, and the fact that I'm about as anal as they make em, I got the mast plumb both directions, rerouted my cables, and then moved the dish, figuring I'd probably be able to get a picture at least, and then have a tech fine tune it. Anyway, I knew the dish mounting clamp bolts were straight east, so when I put the dish on the new mast, I pointed them straight east, figuring that was a good starting point, before attemping any rotation of the dish. I might add that when I took the dish off the old mast and checked it for plumb, it was out of plumb north and south, pretty good east and west. I was told I should basically be able to rotate the dish horizontally and get back in business, at least. Well, I feel pretty lucky, because my "starting point" got me these numbers

101
88 94 85 99 84 97 86 97
88 95 86 98 88 97 88 98
88 0 86 100 89 98 88 97
89 0 88 0 90 97 86 97

110
na na na na na na na 96
na 94 na 96 na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na

119
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na 94 73 90
92 94 95 93 95 95 60 95

99(s)
85 0 82 0 79 0 na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na

103(s)
0 0 0 0 0 0 na na
na na na na na na 94 0
73 84 0 0 0 0 88 77
na na na na na na na na

103(c)
80 66 78 60 77 60 76 53
77 57 76 51 76 56 na na
74 na na na na 60 na na
na na na na na na na na

Obviously it's not peaked, especially the 103c, but not bad for eyeballing it and dropping it on the mast. Anyway, based on these numbers, should I try anything else without a meter, or call a tech or??? Thanks in advance!

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1 - 20 of 21 Posts

NYCEGUY01

· #2 · Jul 7, 2008

It could be a little better but it could definatel be worse.

With those #'s you should be getting everything. To fine tune the 103 it is alot better to have a meter.

If Dtv wont charge you Id have them come out. If they want $80 Id throw up a wanted on craigslist etc.. and youll probably get the same tech to come over for $20

Either way it aint gonna take hardly anything to get it perfect from where you allready are.

Tiger62

· #3 · Jul 7, 2008

ACILLATEM said:
Obviously it's not peaked, especially the 103c, but not bad for eyeballing it and dropping it on the mast. Anyway, based on these numbers, should I try anything else without a meter, or call a tech or??? Thanks in advance!

You're almost there!

Techs?? We don't need no steenkin' techs! ($1 to Blazing Saddles) Finish it up!

NYCEGUY01

· #4 · Jul 7, 2008

The sad thing is that youve probably got a better sig now than alot of other customers have. lol

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 7, 2008

Tiger62 said:
You're almost there! Techs?? We don't need no steenkin' techs! ($1 to Blazing Saddles) Finish it up!

Yeah, I ain't giving up now!

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 8, 2008

Well, like I told Tiger62, I was a little intimidated by trying to fine tune it, afraid I'd make a pretty good thing bad( it's my personality

) . I was just going to call the local tech with his meter, and he'd do it 15 minutes, and then said screw it, I'll give it a try. Well, without touching the fine tuning at all, and just peaking it as much as I could that way, I ended up with this in about 15 minutes......moving things ever so slightly while my wife updated the numbers at the window........the oldschool way! Oh yeah, I'm 2 hours north of San Francisco, for whatever it's worth.

101
95 96 92 100 92 99 95 98
95 96 94 100 95 99 92 100
95 0 89 100 90 99 93 98
95 0 95 0 95 99 91 100

110
na na na na na na na 97
na 95 na 97 na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na

119
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na 95 72 92
92 95 95 95 95 95 60 96

103c
91 94 92 89 89 92 92 90
91 92 94 93 95 95 na na
95 na na na na 95 na na
na na na na na na na na

99s and 103s don't matter, that's why I didn't post them. So, obviously I should walk away and call it a day, right? The anal retentive part of me now thinks I could peak it higher with the fine tuning, but I've also watched tv without a hitch for a looooong time with numbers very similar to these. In fact, my 103 numbers are slightly higher now than before I moved the dish.

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litzdog911

· #7 · Jul 8, 2008

ACILLATEM said:
Well, like I told Tiger62, I was a little intimidated by trying to fine tune it, afraid I'd make a pretty good thing bad( it's my personality ) . I was just going to call the local tech with his meter, and he'd do it 15 minutes, and then said screw it, I'll give it a try. Well, without touching the fine tuning at all, and just peaking it as much as I could that way, I ended up with this in about 15 minutes......moving things ever so slightly while my wife updated the numbers at the window........the oldschool way! Oh yeah, I'm 2 hours north of San Francisco, for whatever it's worth.

101
95 96 92 100 92 99 95 98
95 96 94 100 95 99 92 100
95 0 89 100 90 99 93 98
95 0 95 0 95 99 91 100

110
na na na na na na na 97
na 95 na 97 na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na

119
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na na na na
na na na na na 95 72 92
92 95 95 95 95 95 60 96

103c
91 94 92 89 89 92 92 90
91 92 94 93 95 95 na na
95 na na na na 95 na na
na na na na na na na na

99s and 103s don't matter, that's why I didn't post them. So, obviously I should walk away and call it a day, right? The anal retentive part of me now thinks I could peak it higher with the fine tuning, but I've also watched tv without a hitch for a looooong time with numbers very similar to these. In fact, my 103 numbers are slightly higher now than before I moved the dish.

Stop fiddling. Those readings are great.

cforrest

· #8 · Jul 8, 2008

I agree, those readings look damn good. Go sit down and enjoy some Directv now

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jul 8, 2008

Ha-ha, I had a feeling I'd get those kinds of responses

Saved my self a service call,and got a little more hands on experience, which is always cool to me. Got pretty lucky getting those numbers that quickly, but hey, I'll take it! Now, I have to tear the roof off my house

Tiger62

· #10 · Jul 8, 2008

ACILLATEM said:
Now, I have to tear the roof off my house

Good job, and good luck with the roof!

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 8, 2008

Tiger62 said:
Good job, and good luck with the roof!

Thanks! We are in the triple digits this week:grin: , and I'm starting to take it off this evening.

BattleZone

· #12 · Jul 8, 2008

Glad to see it worked out for you.

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jul 8, 2008

IIP said:
Glad to see it worked out for you.

Thanks! And thanks for the link to those mounts.......nice strong monopoles!

RobertE

· #14 · Jul 8, 2008

What, no after pics?

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 8, 2008

RobertE said:
What, no after pics?

I'm on it

I'll put a few up later.

NYCEGUY01

· #16 · Jul 8, 2008

Now is when if it were me Id be throwing shingles off the roof and smack the dish right back into the 50's. lol

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jul 8, 2008

NYCEGUY01 said:
Now is when if it were me Id be throwing shingles off the roof and smack the dish right back into the 50's. lol

:lol: :lol:
But at least If I do that, now I know how to bring it back:grin:

EricJRW

· #18 · Jul 9, 2008

NYCEGUY01 said:
Now is when if it were me Id be throwing shingles off the roof and smack the dish right back into the 50's. lol

He he he... That was my thought... Thanks for the post ACILLATEM... Very educational.

Soulweeper

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jul 9, 2008

Here are a few pictures. Thanks again to all of you that gave feedback on the different mounts, tuning the dish, etc. etc.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0381.jpg

Yes, that's 6 lags in that mounting plate...........people that know me would not be the least bit surprised:lol:
That's a stainless muffler clamp minus the u bolt with two 1/4" lags going into the fascia to give additional support to the horizontal part of that mount.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0357.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0358.jpg

It wants to rotate left, by design,especially with any downward pressure on the top of the mast(like the dish), so thanks to Tiger62 for suggesting supporting that. It went out of plumb from the weight of the dish, and I simply tightened the lags "up" to put it back to plumb. It could still use another clamp on top with a spacer behind it to take up any play between it and the bottom of the fascia, but I'm going to play that by ear. It doesn't want rotate up too easy,and I doubt the wind will ever move it that way. After the roof is done I may put one more monopole to the top of the truss through the roof, and that will end that once and for all, but even that may not be necessary. Winegard makes a 2" clamp that will do what the muffler clamp does, but I needed something sunday, and I'm o.k. with it.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0394.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0393.jpg
You see how another monopole straight right would solve any movement problem if I have any.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0386.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/metalliholic06/DSCF0391.jpg

For a mount I was a little skeptical about being solid,I'm happy with it, and I got good readings. The east/west isn't as stout as north/south, but north/south is where it's needed most, with such a big surface for wind to hit. To a lot of you experienced people, this is no big deal, but it's cool for me, because it's not secondhand for me, and moving the dish, taking the time to make a solid mount, and aim it and get good numbers is just really cool. Like I said, thanks to those of you that helped me a lot with this!

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kevinm34232

· #20 · Jul 9, 2008

Where do the monopoles get bolted to the fascia? Inside the gutter or do they go through it?

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