posted
Ok, I am sure this is on here some where, but I can't find it. So as a new user, I must ask. How large an angle of clear view does the F1 need to get on. In other words, if my target is 160 deg what is the plus and minus that must be clear of obstruction.
Also, when the D3 starts of searching it is obviously looking for your assigned sat. Does it usually find that or does it first find another sat then go to your assigned.
Lastly, when I set the trigger at 4,it seems to stop on every leaf. If I set it on 5, it seems to be very insensitve
Thanks
-------------------- Jim Posts: 87 | From: Full Time RVer | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Jimmy, In theory that's all the opening you need but of course nothings perfect. If the satellite is there in the opening you should get it. The D3 does a very poor job of locating anything in the trees so you are going to have to be absolutely certain that you have the right clearing. The only azimuth reading that is given on the D3 screen is a true compass reading and not magnetic. I believe that Don's DSLookAngle will give you the proper compass heading. As to the signal trigger, if it stops everywhere then 4 is too low. You are going to have to move to 5 and hope for the best in finding that gap. If your coach is perfectly level and the antenna is mounted so that it is perfectly level then the first satellite the D3 should find would be yours. Usually that's not the case but if you are close it will find a satellite just to one side or the other and then move to your satellite. Good luck in the trees, that's one tough situation for a D3. If you are sure that's the right whole and your antenna will line up with it properly you can also experiment with using the Manual Motor Control (or even better, Don's D2Admin) to sweep that area, raise the dish and sweep back, lower the dish and sweep again, etc.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15699 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Thanks for the reply. I have downloaded D2Admin but have not yet installed it. Another question, it would seem that there should be some way (and that it would be fairly easy to implement) to restrict its search to only certain areas of the sky. In other words, there is no reason for the dish to spend its time looking at the trees. I can read a compass and tell it not to spend its time in a certain area. I hope I am being clear about what I am asking. For example I know that my coach is now pointing east. So, I should be able to tell the search routine not to spend its time on what it sees as less than 180 degrees.
Just a thought.
-------------------- Jim Posts: 87 | From: Full Time RVer | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Since the Hughes net uses only one bird, you don't need much "Clear view" angle, If you have a hole in the sky the trees the size of the dish that should be enough to do the job IF, and I stress IF
1: It is in exactly the right spot and
2: If it does not move in the breeze
That first one is possible, odds are small but possible. the second one, with trees, is not
posted
Jim, We have all had that thought since the previous D2 controller did have this ability. The D2 used a compass to determine the direction your coach was pointed and searched only a small window based on that information. The compass was often a problem and many applications could not properly calibrate the compass for their installation making the search routine useless unless a manual compass heading was entered for every new location. The D3 solves all of these kinds of problems but did create the problem you describe.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15699 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Jim wrote: it would seem that there should be some way ... to restrict its search
There is no way to restrict the search in the D3 controller. The D2 was more efficient in that matter but using a magnetic compass generated other problems. You could however use the D3 in manual mode and search a small sector of sky manually.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3378 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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Thanks for the responses. I think that the problem that I was having in my current location was: 1) I did not take into account the declination with the info on the D3 being reported in true and not magnetic. 2) There are a lot of trees around so it had trouble finding the other sats 3) I am still learning about the sensitivity settings.
I probably should have done a manual search and would have found it faster. I was watching my TV signal monitor and it swept very close to the target but did not start a lock on process.
It is unfortunate that the D3 will not let you put in your compas heading for the coach. Sees like that could really speed up the process.
-------------------- Jim Posts: 87 | From: Full Time RVer | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Seems like that could really speed up the process
Actually if the coach is level and the sensitivity is set correctly the D3 is a bit faster finding the satellite then the older D2. The signal trigger sensitivity is VERY important in getting a short Search time. If the D3 passes the satellite group on the first pass then generally the D2 would have a better acquire time.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3378 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
The entire search routine has changed between the D2 and the D3 so even if the D3 "found" a satellite first it is likely the D2 would still complete the Sig. ID peak, ID Satellite and peaking much faster than the D3 currently does. In the real world, with coaches almost never perfectly level, I would put the D2 and a working compass up against a D3 anytime. With all of that being said, I LOVE not having to deal with the problems encountered due to compass problems and failures and would not suggest that the D3 is not a great controller.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15699 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
When I set the trigger at 4, it looks at a lot of leaves and trees. When I set it at 5 it seems to miss a lot. The manual that I got says the default value is 9. It seems like at that setting it would miss most everything.
I have only had my system for a week and only deployed the dish about 10 times, but it has never found the satellite on the first try. I am pretty careful about leveling the coach. I can see it go past my satellite but it doesn't pick it up.
Question: if you change the sensitivity does it start searching at the place where the sensitivity was changed or does it do some sort of restart?
-------------------- Jim Posts: 87 | From: Full Time RVer | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Jim, The 9 ST was for an older version of software and would not apply here. Anytime you stop a search and start again the antenna will return to 0 azimuth and before beginning a new search and will eliminate any satellites it may have found from memory. If the sensitivity is set right and you have a clear view of the Southern sky the Datastorm should find the satellite on the first trip around or on it's return. It's important to let it totally finish it's search routine as this will adjust the target elevation and dish elevation to match making the next search a little faster if you were level during each search.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15699 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Jim wrote: I was watching my TV signal monitor and it swept very close to the target but did not start a lock on process.
This would indicate the signal trigger is not sensitive enough. Reduce the number by one and save settings, try again.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3378 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Don, there in lies the problem. When I set the trigger at 4 it stopped on every leaf in the northern sky. So it seems like the sensitivity should be between 4 and 5. I think I recall reading elsewhere on the forum that others felt the same way.
A question: when I look at the D3 info I see that the Signal Quality reads 67 and the signal strength reads 105. I don't think I really understand the difference between sig qual and strength. Which of these is the D3 using in finding signals? Both? I do not see these numbers change that much as the D3 sweeps looking for the sat.
By the way, the internet connection sees to be good with good download speeds.
-------------------- Jim Posts: 87 | From: Full Time RVer | Registered: Dec 2007
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The D3 uses the signal strength to sniff out and find the satellite. The signal Quality number comes directly from the modem and is not generated by the D3.
I would tend to agree with you somewhat on a wider Trigger being needed. However, I also must say that I have not seen a case just like yours. I have found that a trigger of either 4 or 5 will work as I want, using either one or the other 50% of the time. I think once I used a trigger of 3.
I do not see these numbers change that much as the D3 sweeps looking for the sat. This may be a clue if I understand you correctly! These numbers should change radically when on satellite or just searching. Please elaborate.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3378 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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Thanks for the reply and for the explanation of the difference between sig strength and quality. I will be moving today and setting up the satellite again. I will watch the signal strenth monitor more closely. I will then report back.
Thanks again
-------------------- Jim Posts: 87 | From: Full Time RVer | Registered: Dec 2007
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