[jmferraiolo]

I had an installer come out on Oct 30 and upgrade me to the HR20 and 3 LNB dish (it was determined the 5 LNB wouldn't work for me). It was discovered that I could only get the 101 satellite from my location and couldn't get 110 or 119, and thus no HD programming. As you would expect, this was a real bummer.

The installer tried to move the bucket mount around in the little 2 foot space between the apartment wall and the white wooden corner post but still couldn't pick anything up. I speculated that perhaps if the dish were extended out from the porch beyond this wooden corner post that I might be able to pick them up -- he responded with a "maybe".

Here are some pictures of the install site:

http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/5615/dishpic1mt3.jpg
http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/7046/dishpic2jz9.jpg
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/508/dishpic3xw6.jpg
http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/820/dishpic4ud2.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/2059/dishpic5fg3.jpg

I was thinking that perhaps I could get a block of wood and secure it to the corner of the porch and then mount the mast and dish into that block of wood and hopefully clear it. I just don't know if I'd even have line of sight to the 110 and 119 there either.

If any experts can divine the likelihood of this succeeding purely from looking at the attached pictures, that'd be great. Remember, I can see no other satellite than 101 from the current setup. It's about 2 feet from the LNBs to the building's vinyl siding on the right. I will obtain any other information needed in order to provide a clearer idea.

Thanks in advance.

 

[LameLefty]

Any chance of moving to an apartment with a south-facing balcony?

 

[bobojay]

I'm kinda surprised he even did the install under those circumstances. However, any possibility you could move the dish over to the left side of the post, (as you look at back of dish)? That would maybe give you a view of 119. If you can get 119, that would let you see 99, 101,103 & 110 as well.
Thing is though, it doesn't look like that post would be a good location for a heavyweight dish like the AT-9.
Our son and daughter in law stationed at Ft. Carson, Co. just tried to get a D* movers connection install and the guy wouldn't do it because he could only get sig. on the 101 at that time. They don't take any movie channels or sports etc. Just total choice w/locals, so I think it would have worked. But who am I to say???

 

[bobojay]

Whoops, just noticed you were in VA. You might have to move the dish down to the corner of the bldg. like you said to get 110 or 119........:grin:

 

[jmferraiolo]

Yeah, I am 2 floors up from the ground level though, third floor out of four. I don't think the complex people would allow me to just plant a dish in their common property, so moving the dish to the ground is out. If there were only some easy way to move the dish to the left side of that corner post... taking it off the bucket mount and hand holding it probably is an exercise in futility...

Could I pick UP the bucket mount and turn it on its side, reorient the dish so that its properly set up for a horizontal mount and try that? Sounds painful to get any signal that way, but resting the concrete bucket on a table parallel with the porch level and then bracing that against the corner pole might give me enough stability to just conduct a TEST... ?

For those of you getting a good laugh out of this, please bear in mind that I am a desperate man.

 

[LameLefty]

Desperate enough to move to an apartment with a south-facing patio?

(Not that I would beat a dead horse or anything . . . )

 

[paulman182]

Could I pick UP the bucket mount and turn it on its side, reorient the dish so that its properly set up for a horizontal mount and try that? Sounds painful to get any signal that way, but resting the concrete bucket on a table parallel with the porch level and then bracing that against the corner pole might give me enough stability to just conduct a TEST... ?

Sounds like something I'd try! Trouble is, without a satellite meter, you pretty much have to have the dish in a solid position for a few seconds to get any kind of a signal reading.

You might be able to do this with luck and perseverance. You have a better chance if there is a properly-aimed dish nearby that you can compare with.

And try to figure out some way to put it back where it is if results are negative.

 

[jmferraiolo]

There are people on the other side of the building with 5 LNB setups and properly aimed dishes, but they have Dish network. To the naked eye though, they appear to be pointing in roughly the same area of sky as my dish, its just that their field of vision is blocked in the opposite direction (picture my patio with the apartment siding on the left instead of the right). But luckily for them, it works out perfectly.

I went down to the ground level and eyeballed it and it looks pretty hopeless; I'd be extending the dish beyond the porch a maximum of 3 feet or so, but it looks like I need more than that. I think I need a compass. What azimuths do I need to pick up the 110 and 119?

My info for 101:

Elevation: 40
Azimuth: 223
Tilt: 63