new dish advice please.

[butchyboy]

hi i have a 1.2 metre prime focus dish which is motorised and tracks from 42.e to 45.west.

i am replacing the 1.2 metre prime focus with a 1.85cm offset dish,but i,m using the same polarmount which is currently on the 1.2 metre prime focus,(don,t worry the polarmount is very strong and robust and will handle the 1.85cm offset dish.

i will not be moving the polarmount from its pole,as i will be opening the nuts and bolts that are connected to the back of the 1.2 metre and taking off the dish with out removing the polarmount from its pole.

i will be connecting the polarmount on to the round circular plate on the back of the 1.85 metre dish,my question is how do i align the offset dish to correctly track the arc fron east to west?,do i just adjust the elevation on the dish?

i persume i do not adjust the polarmount as its current settings are spot on for the 1.2 metre prime focus.is it just dish elevation i need to mess with on the 1.85cm dish to get it tracking the arc?.

[chorleycat]

hi
will your prime focus polar mount - be capable of the large amount of adjustment needed to get the offset dish almost vertical ?
you may need to modify the mount to get it nearer to the correct elevation first

regards c.c.

[butchyboy]

not sure yet m8 as i probaly won,t find out till i fit the 1.85cm on to the polarmount.

but what adjustments do i need to make to get the 1.85cm dish tracking perfect from east to west? just adjust the dish declination and not go near my polarmount setting?.

hi
will your prime focus polar mount - be capable of the large amount of adjustment needed to get the offset dish almost vertical ?
you may need to modify the mount to get it nearer to the correct elevation first

regards c.c.

[bigglesk]

When you make the adjustment to the dish declination, make sure that the dish is pointed at due south (Best satellite is Thor @ 1W. a FTA chan with good signal strength is "BBC World News" 11.325H 24500). Best of luck.

Don't fall off the ladder though

[satwyn]

I once tried to fit a channel master 1.8m off set dish to a precision prime focus polar mount not a good idea never got it to track properly but hope you have better luck with your setup keep us informed

[butchyboy]

hi lads thanks for the replys,fully appreciated.i might just buy a new polarmount that was made for my dish rather than feck around with it.

would hate to attach the polarmount to the 1.85cm and then discover that it won,t track properly because its not the correct polarmount.

think i,ll just go and buy the new polarmount for it guys.hey i will upload sum photos my my 1.85cm dish when i have it set up properly.

[chorleycat]

not sure yet m8 as i probaly won,t find out till i fit the 1.85cm on to the polarmount.

but what adjustments do i need to make to get the 1.85cm dish tracking perfect from east to west? just adjust the dish declination and not go near my polarmount setting?.

yes i think so - just adjust the declination
and leave the polar mount as it is if it was ok before- for the prime focus

depending how far north or south you are --
your prime focus dish is say roughly 35 degrees tilted back from vertical --when on 1 west

problem is
your offset only needs to tilt back say roughly 5 deegrees when on 1 west
so i wouldnt think your present mount would have that amount of adjustment without being modified
a 1.8 dish is very sensitve to small adjutments when setting up ---took me ages to get mine to track the arc properly-- so double check that the pole is 100 percent plumb in both directions -- or that will realy throw a 1.8 out of track
--please let us know how you get on -- as -"-satwyn" said good luck

regards c.c.

[chorleycat]

hi lads thanks for the replys,fully appreciated.i might just buy a new polarmount that was made for my dish rather than feck around with it.

would hate to attach the polarmount to the 1.85cm and then discover that it won,t track properly because its not the correct polarmount.

think i,ll just go and buy the new polarmount for it guys.hey i will upload sum photos my my 1.85cm dish when i have it set up properly.

oops did,nt see you reply

a wise move i think
it will save a lot of time and fustration

regards c.c.

[satwyn]

setting up my 1.8m precision pf dish was no problem but when I decided to fix an andrews 1.8m off set dish face to the precision polar mount I came unstuck when getting it to track properly i'm not saying it would not have worked but I gave up on it