Pointing an ExpressVu dish...

[Deelow]

Hey Satellite people I need a little help.
My folks have an older Driectv dish that is still pointed at the DTV bird installed on the house. I am wondering how hard it would be to point this dish at BEV bird so I can activate a spare receiver that I have laying around?
From what I understand all the equipment is compatible and it's just a matter of changing the coordinates. Is this something I can do easily without a satellite finder?
Thanks

[Cliche]

http://www.satsig.net/ssazelm.htm

If you know where you are, and what the approximate lat/long of the bird, you can just punch that in and with a leveler and a compass, point that dish correctly.

[Vulcan]

I like this one. Just bring up 91.0W Galaxy and type in your postal code.

http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/200...calculator-v2/

[ken0042]

Are you sure the DirectTV LNB is compatable with Bell? I know Dish Network stuff is exactly the same, but I was under the impression that DTV used a slightly different technology.

[Deelow]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I like this one. Just bring up 91.0W Galaxy and type in your postal code.

http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/200...calculator-v2/

So I am able to do this, but I have no cluse how I use the information it gives me.
Address: CALGARY
Latitude: 51.083°
Longitude: -114.083°
Satellite: 91.0W Nimiq 1
Elevation: 27.6°
Azimuth (true): 151.3°
Azimuth (magn.): 134.7°
LNB skew: -17.6°

This is all Greek to me. Can anyone help with this?

[ken0042]

Address: CALGARY Ignore
Latitude: 51.083° Ignore
Longitude: -114.083° Ignore
Satellite: 91.0W Nimiq 1 Ignore
Elevation: 27.6°- This is the angle you need to point the dish up. Should be a degree adjustment on the back of it.
Azimuth (true): 151.3° This is how many degrees from true north you will find the satellite
Azimuth (magn.): 134.7° This is how many degrees from magnetic north you will find the satellite
LNB skew: -17.6° Ignore

The magnetic north pole; ie where our compases point; isn't true north. That's why there's those two values.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

It's not that hard.

Elevation is how far up or down the dish is pointing. Azimuth is the direction, based upon a compass, that you point the dish and LNB skew is how far to turn the dish itself, like a steering wheel.

[FlamesKickAss]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Are you sure the DirectTV LNB is compatable with Bell? I know Dish Network stuff is exactly the same, but I was under the impression that DTV used a slightly different technology.

Nope my buddy uses DTV dish and lnb for dishnet and bell

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

Nope my buddy uses DTV dish and lnb for dishnet and bell

I've heard some are compatible with certain Bell receivers but not all. The LNB may have to be changed.
Another thing to take into consideration is that the different dishes are set up differently as far as their LNB arms are concerned. I'm using a Starchoice as one of my two dishes for Bell and it looks weird pointing more to the ground than to the sky, but it still works. I think the LNB was changed before I got it. My advice is to point it using a compass first and than adjust the elevation.