Aligning your satellite dish - alternative way

[troyboy]

I have taken this from another post, as I think it make interesting discussion on aligning your dish to true north. Here is what B4L has said in the other post:

G'Day again Cobber,
I've given this some more thought and checked the figures on

The figures will of course be different for other locations.
First of all, set up your dish with Zero on the motor for True North.
Forget the Optus Satellites for the moment and get your tracking correct for the other Sats.
Tighten up all bolts and do not move the adjustments from here on.
Find PAS8 and note what the Azimuth reading on the motor is.
It should be around 25 Degrees, but not exactly the 25.3 that Dish Pointer shows.
This is due to the effect of the offset of the dish.
At this point, with the buttons on the motor, move it to about 8 Degrees.
Dish Pointer gives 8.6, but should be slightly less due to the offset.
Then adjust your second LNB for C1/D3, but do not touch you dish settings.
I'm sure that if you follow this procedure, that you should have fewer problems than if you were to try and do them together.

Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

Now using dishpointer website, has anybody tried aligning their dish by using the Azimuth setting as stated on dishpointer website.....For example, rather than stuffing around finding true north....move your motor, via the manual buttons to the Azimuth number for the sat and then continuing from there to get the other sats.....

How accurate do you think you could get it ?

[beer4life]

G'Day Cobber,
I have in fact used that method with my second dish and also setting up a mate's dish not far from me.
Also I have previously suggested using the Satellite nearest to True North, with the Motor adjusted to suit. The inherent error caused by the offset would be infinitesimally small.
It is far more accurate than you could possibly set up using a Magnetic compass and local Variation.
Carefully done, possible to a fraction of one degree.

Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

[troyboy]

B4L.....So you think starting closest to TRUE NORTH is the way to go ?

So probably @ D2 ..... I might try it at AsiaSat 4 and see how I go the other way....

[beer4life]

AsiaSat 4 is at 122E, so if that is close to your Longitude, (WA), that would be fine.

[jrmargi]

Interesting........i was playing doing this manually just sweeping across

[astro_boy]

Troyboy, This is how i setup my motor.
Set the dish on d2(whorish is 1degree for me)
Offset the motor a little
then started moving and it worked well.
I little fine adjustment down on the dish and its tracking everything i can see.