Satellite Internet Forum

[Ke]

Is there software to help me re-point xplorenet satellite internet dish? I want to move it. IP in the modem. Location - Canada.
Any help will be appreciated.

[joel]

Not advised. Installers use a proprietary Antenna Pointing Aid (APA) and have web access to password controlled monitoring software. Since it's circular polarization with an elliptical reflector, you'll likely have trouble centering the dish by yourself.

[koelaboe]

Hi.
Get yourself a satellite finder for about $15 - 50 on eBay or other sellers. Don't need a fancy one since you won't be using it every week! Then makes sure you do not disturb any of the angle settings on the dish. Remove cables, noting 'coming and going' then remove dish from post "carefully!!!".
Move post assembly to new spot. Make sure the top end is plumb!
Put dish back on top snug up the bolts so you can still move the dish from left to right.
If you took a reading with a compass from your old heading you can set it very close to that again. Now for the fun:
Hookup a short cable to the receiving post of the LNB.
Satfinder is next (make sure to read up which end goes where), the cable to the modem is the last one to do.
Now you are ready to start moving the dish very, very, very slowly left and right till you hear the finder start whining and see the deflection. (turn the calibration knob 3 quarters to the right).
Since there is only 1 ka sat up there if you got something you are home free.
Now there is the real fine tuning which should really be done with a scope but if you get a go ahead from your modem and a good report from a call to xplornet you may be ok.
CAVEAT!!!
This is ALL theory on my part as I have not done this yet. I am looking to also make a move with my dish. Oh well, the worst thing that can happen is that I screw it up and then have to call my installer again.
Good luck.

[joel]

CAVEAT!!!
This is ALL theory on my part as I have not done this yet. I am looking to also make a move with my dish. Oh well, the worst thing that can happen is that I screw it up and then have to call my installer again.

Strongly concur. So, why not just get it done right the first time? Two way satellite providers certainly don't want untrained and unequipped personnel fooling with the dish. Who knows, a phone call to XplorNet might even get them to send an installer to do it for you. Call the provider, not the installer.

[Ke]

Thanks for the help! I think that I am just going to move the dish. If I get lucky, great, but If not cest la vie! I guess I will call Xplornet.

[nick van helsdingen]

Hi ke, I agree with joel. It may be better if you do get an installer to do the moving. I forgot to tell you about the 'signal to noise' ratio. You need a proper scope for this. It has to be within a certain range. Too low and your performance may be lacking too high and xplornet won't like you much. Sorry for my back tracking.
nick

[Ke]

Are you guys saying that there is a chance that I could end up getting a better performance?
Do they tune the performance with the setting of the dish ?

[joel]

Are you guys saying that there is a chance that I could end up getting a better performance?

If the dish was aligned competently in the first place, odds are you'd end up with worse performance - or none.

Do they tune the performance with the setting of the dish?

They are set up initially with the goal in mind to deliver (up to) advertised performance. There's only one direction to go from there.

[Bent_Willi]

Thanks for the help! I think that I am just going to move the dish. If I get lucky, great, but If not cest la vie! I guess I will call Xplornet.

You'd be best not to fool with it on your own. Granted KA, at least here in Canada, has only been up since the beginning of last year but as you will have the TX line  <transmit> line hooked up to the tria to get a reading on the RX side Anikast may take umbridge and wack your fingers. Don't know, but please let us know what happens if you try a reset on your own...

[CaribouNet]

...besides all the other reasons not to, it's illegal.