Winegard Portable Satellite Dish

[dspa4398]

What a frustrating weekend trying to get a signal in our 2007 Fleetwood Pace Arrow. We know our receiver works with the automatic satellite finder in our coach, but want the ability to watch TV when trees might affect the automatic dish's ability to find a signal. Tried using the outside hookup at the rear of the coach, tried connecting directly to the receiver through an open window, and even tried the system with our home TV--no luck. Finally drove to Campers World and bought a Winegard Satellite Signal Finder after the first unsuccessful day; still no luck. The meter says we have a signal, but the TV says we don't. Besides trying again with lots of patience--any suggestions from users of this product?

[whodo]

What satellite service are you using Dish or Directv?

Being you bought the portable winegard system, I am going to assume that you are using Directv, if this is the correct then you need to hit the 101 degree satellite. Remember Directv has a satellite at 99 and 103 degrees as well. The satellite signal finder that you bought will pickup any satellite that the dish is aimed at, so if you are off a couple of degrees one way or the other it will say you are receiving a satellite signal but it will be from the wrong satellite.

The easiest method that I have found is to set the dish up and adjust the elevation then set the azimuth slightly east of the satellite that I am trying to pick up. Once this is done hook up satellite signal meter and start turning the dish very slowly to the west until the meter peaks, once you have the strongest signal on meter check and make sure you have a TV picture indicating that you are on the correct satellite, if not keep moving the dish very slowly to the west until you pickup the next satellite, peak the meter and check TV again. You will find after a couple of tries you will hit the correct satellite and after a little practice you will be able to hit the correct satellite on the first try.


ON Edit: Just for what it is worth, here is a list of just a few of the satellites that are up there in the sky that your satellite signal finder will lock onto.
PAS 9 -------------------58.0° ECHOSTAR3----------61.5°
INTELSAT 901--------67.5°
BRASILSAT B1-------70.0°
NAHUEL 1A-----------72.0°
AMC 6-------------------72.0°
GALAXY 6-------------74.0°
SBS 6--------------------74.0°
BRASILSAT B2-------75.0°
SBS 4--------------------77.0°
SATCOM C1-----------79.0°
AMC 5-------------------79.0°
SATCOM K2-----------81.0°
AMC 9-------------------83.0°
BRASILNET B3-------84.0°
AMC 2-------------------85.0°
XMROLL---------------85.0°
AMC 3-------------------87.0°
TELSTAR 4-------------89.0°
GALAXY 11------------91.0°
MIMIQ 1-----------------91.0° Express Vue
TELSTAR 6-------------93.0°
GALAXY 3R (3C?)----95.0°
GALAXY 81------------95.0°
TELSTAR 5-------------97.0°
GALAXY 4R Directv------------99.0°
AMC 4--------------------101.0°
DIRECTV 1R 2/3-------101.0°
AMC 1 Directv--------------------103.0°
G-STAR 4----------------105.0°
ANIK F1------------------107.3° Star Choice (A4)
DIRECTV 1--------------110.0°
ECHOSTAR 5-----------110.0°
ANIK E2------------------111.1°
SOLIDARIDAD 2-------113.0°
XMROCK-----------------115.0°
SATMEX 5---------------116.8°
ANIK E1------------------118.7°
DIRECTV 6--------------119.0°
ECHOSTAR 4-----------119.0°
ECHOSTAR 6-----------119.0°
GALAXY 10R-----------123.0°
GALAXY 5--------------125.0°
GALAXY 9--------------127.0°
HORIZONS 1------------127.0°
TELSTAR 7------------127.0°
INTELSAT 7-----------129.0°
SATCOM 3-------------131.0°
GALAXY 1R-----------133.0°
SATCOM C4-----------135.0°
AMC 7-------------------137.0°
AMC 8-------------------139.0°
ECHOSTAR 1----------148.0°

[clayl]

I can suggest a few things.

First if you are using the coax from the receiver to the TV , the Winegard amplifier must be be turned off. That's the wall plate with the little pushbutton switch you push to turn on the batwing antenna. When the LED is lit the amp is on.
Of course the TV must be set to channel 3 (if that's what you have set up in the sat receiver).

Second there are a bunch of satellites up there and the Sat finder will show any of them. not just the one you are looking for. The primary DirectTv satellite will be to the left of the one used by Dish.

Third, the Winegard dish must be level for the settings to work. You can use a fence post level to set the level of the pole supporting the dish..

Fourth the satellite is actually about 25 degrees higher than the elevation specified for your location, so the sky must be clear above the aiming point you are using. (The dish is a section of a parabola with the capture point higher than center so the arm won't cast a signal shadow on the dish.)

As a side note, the azimuth for your location is referenced to magnetic north and does not require declination correction as some people think. I have an Email from DirectTv stating so.

Lastly I have set mine up all over the U.S. Once you have a little practice it rarely takes more than a couple of minutes, so don't give up.
I only need to use my external dish once a year or so but since I do need it on occasion I carry it with me.
I did replace all the nuts and bolts with stainless steel bolts, wing nuts, and thrumbscrews for no rust and easy adjustment. I disassemble the arm from the dish for easier storage.

[dspa4398]

Here is an update. While it is not mentioned in the directions, there are several dish "shapes." The receiver must be set for "round" for the portable dish to work, whereby the home dish to which the receiver was set was for an "oval 3." When you change the dish type, you get an entirely different elevation and azimuth setting. Bingo--we got a signal! :o

[whodo]

dspa4398

Sorry I forget about the fact that some people still use DTV sat. location off the Receiver.
The best program that I have found for obtaining the correct AZ, EL, & Skew regardless of dish shape can be found here for FREE...
http://www.datastormusers.com/lookangle.cfm

You do not need to be connected to the internet to use this program once it is installed on your computer.

You can use a GPS cord. or a Zip Code to locate the needed settings and it will give you the settings for all the most used Satellites, American or Canadian.