Shaw Direct Satellite Signal and Dish Alignment questions

[Jimmy49ERS]

no idea
i call them and they offer me 1 @ $50

[Installer]

anything required at your "home away from home" is on your dime.

[fatkev78]

I've been able to get decent ecb numbers through my HD channels, ranging from 6.0 to 7.5, but I can't get over 4.5 for Sportsnet One (classic channel 267). Any ideas as to why?
Thanks!

[Jimsathome]

Originally Posted by fatkev78

I've been able to get decent ecb numbers through my HD channels, ranging from 6.0 to 7.5, but I can't get over 4.5 for Sportsnet One (classic channel 267). Any ideas as to why?
Thanks!

IMHO F2T31 (The Transponder for Classic Channel 267) is the poorest performing Transponder on Anik 2; and F1RT10 (see Channel 264) is the worst on Anik 1. I know one Transponder has to have the poorest signal on each, but these 2 are significantly lower than most.

If you are into tuning your dish, use one of these when tuning and try to max out your Ecn/no values.

[fatkev78]

Thanks Jim - I was worried it was just me!
Cheers,

[Chaseme]

I'm moving to a new house in a couple of weeks and worried about getting signal. The house is more or less surround by trees. If facing the place trees cover from 11:00 to 9:00. I haven't visited with a compass yet.

What I am optimistic about is there is a Bell dish working now. I believe Bell is a few degrees off Shaw Direct though right? In general if someone can hit Bell can they hit Shaw satellites?

[Moose57]

Shaw is close to 20 degrees to your right when South facing.
As you are in Easter Canada Shaw may be lower on the horizon than Bell for you.
Tall trees may factor more.

Use a compass and inclinometer or if you have an iPhone or Android, apps like those at dishpointer dot com and other augmented reallty apps with a camera, and gps can actually show you where in the sky the bird is.

This way you can walk the property to find a clear view.
Also the sat's are higher in the sky than the disk would suggest as they have a significant offset in the feed arm that creates an optical illusion.
I have seen sites on both that you can hit 1 but not both, especially Bell due to the wider seperation of there sats. Clear opening on 1 and a tree blocking the other.

Good luck on the move.

[Chaseme]

Awesome info, thanks Moose!

[jeffey23]

Hey guys

I just got Shaw installed yesterday and I have been looking through the forums here, I wanted to get your opinion on the quality of my signal that the install guy left me. The reason I am asking is because I am worried about watching sports on the nets (ie football, hockey) and blocking in the picture quality. The installer said the signal was good but I want to get your opinions.

ch 252
Signal 95
ECB/NO 8.0

ch 700
Signal 90
ECB/NO 6.6

however on the HD channels i do get, I have readings like this:

CBCEHD
Signal 76
ECB/NO 3.7

CTVEHD
Signal 77
ECB/NO 4.1

GlobalEHD
Signal 75
ECB/NO 3.7

NBCEHD/CBSEHD/FOXEHD/ABCEHD
Signal 76
ECB/NO 3.7

These were taken on a clear sunny day in brantford southern ontario.

are these something to worry about? and can I call shaw and get them to come out a re adjust if they are for free? or am i better to try and adjust myself? (tips?)

Thanks for any input

jeff

[Jimsathome]

Jeffey,

The typical installer's standard is no lower than 70 Signal Strength & 6.5 Ecb/no on any channel. (Some go to 6.0 Ecb/no).

Your Ecb/no numbers are way below these standards. Call Shaw and ask for a different Installer.

[Danny001]

So I'm heading to Boston Mass in a few days to catch a football game, got myself a tripod and brand new 60E for tailgating. I plan on using the Dishpointer ap for Iphone to help me align, BUT using an elliptical dish, I have no idea how to get both HD and SD channels. I ASSUME I point at F1 and then adjust the skew to tune in F2, and then adjust azimuth accordingly to peak numbers?? I live up north and use 2 round dishes, so no skew setting necessary.

[jeffey23]

Thanks for the advice Jimsathome

I did contact SD and they agreed that these values are terrible. They are sending another person out this sunday to correct the problem.

I was quite impressed, I submitted my complaint online on their website and received a call back with 2 hours.

pretty good!

jeff

[classicsat]

Danny01, you basically set the dish to aim to F2, which is what the "middle" LNBF aims to. By virtue of those settings, if correct, F1r happens to come in.

[waldo617211]

We are snowbirds & at times we set up our dish daily while travelling. We have done hundreds of setups. Get yourself a magnetic 2 way level ( like for installing metal fenceposts ). We paid a couple of bucks for one at a Black & Decker factory outlet somewhere?. Get the settings you are supposed to have for the location you want to set up at. Make sure your azimuth setting is the magnetic one! Pre-set your elevation & skew. Make sure your post is PLUMB!! Install dish on post & SLOWLY swing it around the rough magnetic setting you need. If your dish is PLUMB, you should find the sat quickly. We look for 2 things when setting it up - a picture on your tv & a green light on the sat. icon light on the receiver. Use channel 299 for setup & then switch to FOX HD to make sure you're tweaked right. We have found those channels are the touchiest to tune & if those come in, the rest will too. Did I mention - MAKE SURE YOUR POST IS PLUMB. In another post earlier this year, I mentioned the experiments I did with a directv dish. This setup has made tweaking a lot easier as I can use my cordless drill to move the azimuth & elevation a little bit at a time.

[Jimsathome]

Danny,

Here's my method to setup a Shaw Direct Dish with a Quad LNB on a single elyptical dish => Like I think you have. Unless already functioning, I don't think you can use channel 299 for tuning with the new Xku - Triple - Lnb on the 600 Receivers. (At the moment I forget what channel is used - need another cup of coffee...)

It's really just like paint by numbers.

Setting up /Tuning a Dish should take less than an hour if you've got good gear, a clear line of sight to the Birds, and:

1 :Got reasonable access to the Dish for adjusting / tighening
2: You've got a reciever and TV close by for tuning - with power
3: Your mast is vertical in both planes (plumb) and solidly mounted


According to Dishpointer your settings in at the Gillette Stadium, 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, Massachusetts are:
Elevation: 27.0°
Azimuth (true): 231.2°
Azimuth (magn.): 246.1°
LNB Skew [CW]: 35.3°

Then set your Elevation to 27.0° and Skew @ 90° (to start).(Tighten them down.) Mount the Dish onto the mast but don't clamp it too tight. (You want to be able to easily rotate it on the mast.) Connect your cables & turn on the TV and set the Reciever to 299. Take a compass reading and aim the dish 20° east of what you think is the right direction. Turn the Reciever onto channel 299 and put it onto the signal strength meter in Options.

Then pan westward in 2° increments stopping for 15 seconds between adjustments to let the Reciever advise if you are seeing the Bird. If you get 20 degrees past where you thought the Bird was then adjust the elevation up 1° and pan eastward using the same methodolgy above. If you get 20 degrees past where you thought the Bird was then adjust the elevation down 2 degrees, and pan westward using the same methodolgy above.

If you've got good gear (cables, connectors, LNB, Dish, TV and the Reciever) and you've followed the above (paying particular attention to the mast and skew at 90° initially) you cannot fail to find F1R. Once F1R is found then try to find the sweet spot be moving 1/2° increments in one direction until the signal strength no longer is gaining but is starting to drop off. Then go the other way until you find the maximum signal obtainable with the present elevation and skew @ 90°. Then lock the dish down for Azimuth.

Then Tune the Receiver to Channel 700 (which is on F2) and I'll bet you'll have a decent signal. If not, now you can adjust the Skew to max out the signal. Again do it in 1° increments allowing 15 seconds between adjustments to let the Reciever advise if you are seeing the Bird, and what signal strength it's giving you. Once F2 is found then try to find the sweet spot be moving 1/2° increments in one direction until the signal strength no longer is gaining but is starting to drop off. Then go the other way until you find the maximum signal obtainable.

Now you switch back to channel 299 and see what impact your Skew adjustments did. The rest is just fine tuning and compromises so both Birds are strong.

Once you've got both Birds strong you can try to find out which transponders are poorest for you and use those to tweak your dish. By then you'll be into Ecb/no values for tuning or just drink Beer and watch the Pre-Game!