advise on satelite insulation

[over-the-ord]

has anyone ever had problems getting a signal in the watten area ? just installed a new dish which we done in a previous house before without problems, even with the satellite finder can get signal

any suggestions ?

[chordie]

has anyone ever had problems getting a signal in the watten area ? just installed a new dish which we done in a previous house before without problems, even with the satellite finder can get signal

any suggestions ?

Try taking the insulation off your satellite dish.

[mi16]

has anyone ever had problems getting a signal in the watten area ? just installed a new dish which we done in a previous house before without problems, even with the satellite finder can get signal

any suggestions ?

perhaps the "insulation" you have fitted is causing the issues!!

[theone]

Try taking the insulation off your satellite dish.


perhaps the "insulation" you have fitted is causing the issues!!

Dammit, beaten to it again.

Anyway, on a more serious note..............

Unless you've got trees etc blocking your view the fact that you're in Watten shouldn't make much difference.

Where have you installed a dish before? Was it in Caithness? This far north the dish has to be angled with the top further forward than the bottom, "chin ticked in" if that makes sense.

When I installed mine I took a compass bearing off a neighbours dish to get me started, now working fine with signals from 2 satellites on separate LNB's.

[George Brims]

When they installed the dish, did they adjust it to point at the satellite and then tighten a couple of clamps, or did they do the job right and also drill holes and put in good sized screws? We got our dish installed last year and it shifted in the first snowstorm. The repair guy had a few choice words about the installers (his hands nearly froze to his ladder going up to fix it). Oh and don't forget to spray some cooking oil (on the dish part only) at the start of each winter. It makes the snow slip off.
(At this point some regulars here are asking themselves "Doesn't George live in Southern California?". Yes I do. The house is at 5100 feet of altitude.)

[oldmarine]

When they installed the dish, did they adjust it to point at the satellite and then tighten a couple of clamps, or did they do the job right and also drill holes and put in good sized screws? We got our dish installed last year and it shifted in the first snowstorm. The repair guy had a few choice words about the installers (his hands nearly froze to his ladder going up to fix it). Oh and don't forget to spray some cooking oil (on the dish part only) at the start of each winter. It makes the snow slip off.
(At this point some regulars here are asking themselves "Doesn't George live in Southern California?". Yes I do. The house is at 5100 feet of altitude.)

George: I never thought about this before but you probably have been to San Diego. I was stationed in San Diego during WW2 and have been there since then. But then it got too large and I no longer wanted to move there. I have been in Tucson for about 12 years and it is now getting too large to enjoy. I have a brother living in Poway and that appears to be a nice place to live but can't get the wife to move out of Tucson.

[Moonboots]

has anyone ever had problems getting a signal in the watten area ? just installed a new dish which we done in a previous house before without problems, even with the satellite finder can get signal

any suggestions ?

As what theone suggests... If you were living in another part of the country then your elevation will have to be re-adjusted for up here in Caithness. (Sky is 18 degrees)

If you lived in Caithness before then just make sure there is no obstructions in the way of the line of sight.

If its a new dish, is the LNB new. As maybe the fault could be with the LNB too.

For watten the dish should be pointing roughly 144 degrees tho with a compass.

[jimbews]

As what theone suggests... If you were living in another part of the country then your elevation will have to be re-adjusted for up here in Caithness. (Sky is 18 degrees)

If you lived in Caithness before then just make sure there is no obstructions in the way of the line of sight.

If its a new dish, is the LNB new. As maybe the fault could be with the LNB too.

For watten the dish should be pointing roughly 144 degrees tho with a compass.

Are you convinced that all the comonents (receiver, cable and LNB) are OK?
Using the website:
http://www.satsig.net/maps/satellite-tv-dish-pointing-uk-ireland.htm
confirms that the elevation is 18 degrees. If you use this site make sure you specify the satellite 28.2 East Astra2 first.
Which might surprise you, because I assume (although I have no experience of Sky dishes) that your dish elevation will be calibrated in longitude, so you may not appreciate how low the satellite is in the sky.

If you don't have the professional equipment (like I assume Moonboots has) to do a site survey and align the dish a quick test would be to set a spirit level at 18degrees from the horizontal and point it in the right direction.
Get someone to hold the bubble level and see if you can actually see clear sky.
BUT
Maybe best to invest in someone who has the professional gear, carries spares (like LNBs), test gear (to check for cable shorts or open circuit) and will connect a proper (self-powered) satellite meter directly to the LNB so that you don't have to insert one of the cheap indicators between the receiver and the LNB. That will also allow them to set the Skew accurately.