# Installing the Slimline/AT9 5 LNB



## gmoney (Sep 9, 2006)

I am having an impossible time setting up my slimline 5 lnb dish. It has been so impossible that I put my 3 lnb back on in the mean time. The closest I got was locking onto the 110's 3 transponders all at 100 percent. Also I got only 3 transponders on the 101. I heard that the 101 should be the strongest signal but the 110 reads off the charts on the accutrac 22. When I slide the dish to the left the highest I get is in the 70's??? I thought it might be an obstruction from trees but then why doesn't my 3lnb have a problem linking up to the 101? I have spent a day and a half and I get no where. Any tips or advice would really be helpful.-thx


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

In most cases D* offers free professional installation of AT9. Try calling them.


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## gmoney (Sep 9, 2006)

boba said:


> In most cases D* offers free professional installation of AT9. Try calling them.


Boba,

I would but they won't touch my dish. I wanted it on my full scale roof tripod 6 ft mast but they were afraid to put it up there. So I had to do it myself, if I call D* they will say that shouldn't be up there. I anchored that tripod down for my my 3 lnb so firm a bulldozer couldn't move it. I am sure they wouldn't even touch it.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

First of all, I assume you know to aim the 5-LNB dish at 101 and not 110 where the 3-LNB is aimed.

If you have not done so already, check the installation videos at http://www.solidsignal.com/satellite/at9_install_videos.asp

Carl


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## gmoney (Sep 9, 2006)

carl6 said:


> First of all, I assume you know to aim the 5-LNB dish at 101 and not 110 where the 3-LNB is aimed.
> 
> If you have not done so already, check the installation videos at http://www.solidsignal.com/satellite/at9_install_videos.asp
> 
> Carl


Hey Carl,

I have watched that video no less than 20 times. I know when I had the 3 transponders on the 110 locked in that's what I was aimed at (the 110) which is wrong. However I can't seem to lock in on the 101. The highest reading I get in that direction is 73 on the accutrac. On the 110 I max the accutrac out 99-100. When you are lining it up the azimuth difference between the 3 lnb and the slimline is 8 degrees to the left. My 3 lnb's azimuth was 242 and the slimline is 234. I tried moving the dish slower when I go to the left. I thought maybe I was going over it. When I'm on the 110 and the meter peaks technically it should digress when I move the dish to the left and then start to peak again correct? I just thought I would get a higher reading than in the 70's. You can use the signal meter from the HR20 on your tv as well correct? I figure if I can lock onto the 101 perfectly the rest should be a breeze? I mean it only takes 2 seconds to peak the 3 lnb with the accutrac 22. That's why this thing is driving me nuts!


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## cybrsurfer (Sep 17, 2006)

gmoney said:


> Hey Carl,
> 
> I have watched that video no less than 20 times. I know when I had the 3 transponders on the 110 locked in that's what I was aimed at (the 110) which is wrong. However I can't seem to lock in on the 101. The highest reading I get in that direction is 73 on the accutrac. On the 110 I max the accutrac out 99-100. When you are lining it up the azimuth difference between the 3 lnb and the slimline is 8 degrees to the left. My 3 lnb's azimuth was 242 and the slimline is 234. I tried moving the dish slower when I go to the left. I thought maybe I was going over it. When I'm on the 110 and the meter peaks technically it should digress when I move the dish to the left and then start to peak again correct? I just thought I would get a higher reading than in the 70's. You can use the signal meter from the HR20 on your tv as well correct? I figure if I can lock onto the 101 perfectly the rest should be a breeze? I mean it only takes 2 seconds to peak the 3 lnb with the accutrac 22. That's why this thing is driving me nuts!


A part of standard installation is updating a dish from a series III to AT-9, and getting it aligned to get all 5 satellites. If your finding it impossible to do on your own, call DirecTV and have an installer peak it for you. It appears most of the work has been done, so it won't take much longer to get it aligned.


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## Mike500 (May 10, 2002)

gmoney said:


> Boba,
> 
> I would but they won't touch my dish. I wanted it on my full scale roof tripod 6 ft mast but they were afraid to put it up there. So I had to do it myself, if I call D* they will say that shouldn't be up there. I anchored that tripod down for my my 3 lnb so firm a bulldozer couldn't move it. I am sure they wouldn't even touch it.


I've done installs on poles with little or no access to the adjustment bolts when the dish is in place.

The trick is to install the dish on a known fully plumbed pole at or near the ground. In this way, with the receiver next to the dish, you can get the settings perfectly aligned for the peak signal at each satellite location. You'd lock the adjustment bolts hard and not need to move them again for your location.

When you take the pole up to the roof and set it on the tripod, use a fence pole level that straps to the pole and allows you to easily detect the x-y alignment.

Making sure the pole is perfectly plumb, twist the bottom of the pole around back and forth until the weakest signal level satellite position is peaked. All of the others will be peaked, as you have duplicated the setup that you had on the ground.

It is so much easier to make the adjustments, when all of the bolts are easily accessable and redily verified.


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## gmoney (Sep 9, 2006)

The bigest problem is that I can't tell when I am on the 101. The 110 seems to be easy to figure out. What is the average in azimuth movement to find the 101? What I mean is the movement .5 inch-1 inch to the left to go from the 110 to the 101, or is it more significant?


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## gmoney (Sep 9, 2006)

How much should the rough and fine tune figures differ from the azimuth, elivation and tilt that you pull off of the receiver menu? I know on the multi slat the variation is minimal. However this thing seems to have a larger difference.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

gmoney said:


> The bigest problem is that I can't tell when I am on the 101. The 110 seems to be easy to figure out. What is the average in azimuth movement to find the 101? What I mean is the movement .5 inch-1 inch to the left to go from the 110 to the 101, or is it more significant?


You need to make sure you have the correct elevation and tilt for the 5-LNB dish also. The numbers you get for the three LNB dish will not work with the 5-LNB. I'm on the other side of the country from you, so I can't tell you how far apart 101 and 110 are from your location (while they occupy orbital positions that are 9 degrees apart, the actual difference on the ground varies depending on where you are at). I would not hesitate to try anything from about 15 degrees east of the 110 position up to maybe 7 degrees east of the 110 position - you should find 101 somewhere in that range, but again only if you have set the elevation and tilt correctly for the 5-LNB dish. I would fully expect the elevation for 101 to be different than for 110. In your case, 101 will probably be slightly higher than 110 (in my case 110 is higher than 101).

Ditto the movement of the LNB assembly in inches, I don't know what you should see, but I would expect it to be more than an inch though, probably closer to something between 3 and 5 inches. But that's only a rough guess based on what I would expect to see in Seattle, which is different than where you are.

Carl


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## gmoney (Sep 9, 2006)

Take a look at my situation. As you can see my 3 lnb clears the tree tops on the tripod. Do you think that with the slimline I'm running into the tree when I'm aiming at the 101? I use the same tripod with a pipe adapter. The odd thing is if the tree is an issue, than why do I get full signal from the 101 with the 3 lnb?


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## Claus (Nov 20, 2005)

Look down lnb arm to see if trees can be seen. Lnb arm is pointing a little higher than dish so is good indication of clear sight to satellite. Allow space for trees to grow! With accutrac or other meter that can not announce exact satellite, find most probable for 101 and check with receiver for promo channels. This way you do not wast time peaking entire AT9 on wrong satellite.
Claus


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