# new to FTA



## studog (Jan 26, 2005)

Hi 
I have a fortec ultra I'm going to try to use a KU lnb on an old primestar elliptical dish what would be the best sat to find from zip 64658. I thought about just using a couple dishes to pick up the more Sat's so i don't have to invest in a motorized set up anyhelp would be appreciated


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

First, the satellite you choose depends on whether you have any obstacles in any particular direction. You'll need a compass and a way of determining exactly where to point the dish. My favorite dish pointing site is Sadoun's: http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Satellite-Heading-Calculator.htm . The good news is you don't have to worry much about magnetic adjustments from where you are; you should be within one degree or so of true north.

Next, you might consider pointing at the satellite you'll want to use for viewing. Galaxy 10R has the most English-language content, but Intelsat Americas 5 (formerly known as Telstar 5) has the most total channels. Take a look around at www.lyngsat.com or www.ftalist.com to see what bird has the channel(s) you want most.

The most important factor for finding satellites is to get your mounting pole perfectly plumb. When you're certain that the pole is straight up in every direction, honing in on a satellite is as easy as left-right for direction and up-down for inclination. Make small adjustments until you get a reading on the Fortec, then make even smaller left-right, then up-down movements to maximize the signal _quality_. (You can pretty much ignore the signal strength reading; quality is everything.)


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