Aligning DirecTV HD Antenna for So Fla?

[RustyTools]

I am currently in So Florida (Miami area), using the DirecTV 3-LNB HD Antenna and HD-DVR Receiver, and would like to precisely align my dish.
The ‘guy’ came out to install everything on a tripod last year (and did a good job) but we’ve moved since then, so I did the re-alignment myself. Currently, at the slightest hint of rain I start to lose signal, which tells me I’m not quite lined-up.

I’ve gone thru the Signal Strength menu and found the built-in alignment meter and peaked the 101 satellite (which it came up on first, so I guessed that’s the one I was supposed to use) , but am now wondering if I should be peaking on more/different satellites? I read somewhere here in irv2 that I should be getting and using 99 and 102.8 since that’s where the HD programming is located, but my menu is telling me I have the following: 99c, 99s, 103(s), 103(ca), 103(cb), 101, 110, and 119 available.

So, do I try for an ‘average’ strength based on all of them, or just peak on a single one, or what? And does it make any difference that I have Miami-area local channels too?

Oh yeah, and I forgot to ask if I should be concerned with individual transponders within each satellite?



I’m sure something similar has already been asked, but I'm not sure I'd recognize it.


TIA

[Perry White]

Your not going to get HD on direcTV with a three LNB dish. It has to be a 5LNB slimline. Which if you are getting a signal on 103 or 99 is what you have. You need to have close to at least 85% on 99 and 103.

[Clay L]

Actually you can get Direct TV HD on a Slimline 3 LNB dish. I am using one right now. There was an earlier Direct 3 LNB dish that did not pick up 99 and 103 but the newer SL3 dishes do.

It sounds like the tripod is not as level as it should be. That throws the skew off. Since the skew was okay before you moved, if you didn't move too far it may still be okay if you get the tripod level
There is some info on setting up a SL3 dish HERE that might be helpful.

[FlyingDiver]

The ones you care about are 101, 99c, 103(ca), and 103(cb). Ignore the (s) transponders - those are spot beams and you'll get a lot of zeros. And you don't really care about 110 or 119, but if you can get good signal on both 101 and 119, then all the others should just work.

joe

[RustyTools]

Gotta love this site! By the time I got back from emptying the rain-gauge (over 2.5 inches in the past 24 hours!), I had several helpful replies already!

Clay - excellent link... makes it seem like you're standing right there next to me helping me point the dish.

Joe - Thank you! Now I'm really learning. I'd called DirecTV before to ask them what's on where, and got this vague mumbo-jumbo answer about how they "move programming around ramdomly to keep people from pirating signal, so they can't tell me what to point at". And after several years messing with my Datastorm (I'd met y'all at the Tampa Rally awhile back), I'm beginning to understand more about the satellites in general.

[Perry White]

I'm learning something new too. I just went to solid signal site and the sl3 only picks up three sats. What about the other two? Do you only get the HD channels now and no SD's?

[FlyingDiver]

All the normal SD programming is on 101. All the normal HD programming, and almost all the locals, are on 99 or 103. So the SL3 that picks up 99/101/103 covers almost all users.

110 and 119 used to have locals and HD programming on them, but with the new Ka band sats at 99 and 103, they weren't needed anymore. Now 110 and 119 have foreign programming on them, and maybe some fringe market locals. There are websites that track all this stuff if you're really interested. LyngSat is probably the most up to date.

joe

[Don/Lou]

Perry: SD comes from 101
HD comes from 99 &103
Very little but some locals & internationals on 110 and 119
Hope this helps
Don

[RustyTools]

Hmmm... good question, Perry. Guess I'm learning too. I looked at the SL3 and SL5 and mine is like the SL5. So that must mean that I do in fact have 5 LNB's but in the 3 white domes.

[FlyingDiver]

Yes, the 99/101/103 LNBs are always in one enclosure. They're too close together to be housed separately. If it's a wide oval, it's a 99/101/103 combo. If it's round, it's 101 only.

joe

[Sequim Guy]

Now I am using a roof top dish, 18" round, with 2 cable inputs to MH so I use DVR.
I want to upgrade to HD, can I use a roof top dish to receive HD?
You have mentioned using a ground dish, but can I replace roof top dish and get HD or is it too hard to aim?

[FlyingDiver]

You mean you have a manual rooftop dish, the kind you crank from inside to set up? I don't think anyone makes a manual unit that will skew so you can pick up the HD satellites. So you're going to need to go with an automatic rooftop dish (like the Winegard Trav'ler 3005) or a tripod unit.

joe