Tree versus 3m mesh dish.

**David071** · 04-05-13, 11:22 PM

Hi everybody,
I have just installed a 3m mesh dish with the hope of getting Intelsat 19. I have clear view to 166E for the dish and LNB. I have installed the dish near a 10m tree because I have limited space. I have signal level of 73% but no signal quality.
My question is parking the dish near a tree a couple of meters away could this cut the signal quality. I read on another forum that I think MTV said that adjacent trees cause havoc for larger mesh dishes.
Thanks everybody.

**mtv** · 04-05-13, 11:33 PM

Where is the tree in relation to the dish.... in front a bit, to the side, behind?

Have you adjusted the LNB skew? (incorrect LNB skew is a common cause of good signal strength but poor signal quality)

**David071** · 04-05-13, 11:59 PM

Hi MTV and thanks for the reply. The LNB appears to be ok and have adjusted the skew to various points.
The tree is to the side of the dish. The tree is not obstructing the dish and there is clear view to the satellite Intelsat 19 at 166E and if I twist the dish around to the West it is clear view to Intelsat 17and 20 at 66E and 68.5E. It is a bit of a pain in the neck to have to move the dish.
Once my brother-in-law has had a break and get's over putting the dish maybe in a wrong spot I might see if he can help me move the dish away from the tree.

**mtv** · 05-05-13, 12:16 AM

So the tree is on the eastern side of the dish then? (considering you have a clear view to 66 deg E)

Unless the tree is very close to the dish and it (the tree) is large, I doubt it is causing a problem, especially if you have a clear view to IS19.

Large walls directly behind a mesh dish can have a greater effect than a tree outside the signal path.

How are you measuring the signals?

Another indication of strong signal strength and poor signal quality (apart from incorrect LNB skew) is being aligned to the wrong satellite.

If you are aligning the dish with a decoder displaying the signals, what settings are you using in the decoder?

**David071** · 05-05-13, 12:27 AM

Thanks MTV.
The tree is actually on the North side of the dish - on the right of the tree is Intelsat 19 and if I swing the dish right around to the West I get a clear view to 66E Intelsat 17.
I am trieng for NHK 4060 H 26590 and MTV 3740 H 27500 for the Intelsat 19. I think both these transponders are still SD on a Humax 5410. I have checked the settings on the hummer and everything appears to be ok.
I have tried the Digital satellite Finder as well Prof SF-500 but no cigar!

**mtv** · 05-05-13, 12:48 AM

Hmmm... your figures don't make sense, if you have a clear view from 166E (IS19) to 66E (IS17) and the tree is to the north of your dish, then it would be blocking signal path towards approx 116E (from Perth WA).

IS19 is going to be approx E/NE from Perth, which is nowhere near north.

Perhaps if you can post some pics of your dish and tree, it might be easier to determine.

**David071** · 05-05-13, 09:18 AM

Hi MTV,
No the tree is on the North. I have a clear view of both 166E and 66E. BUT between those measurements it is not clear. I want to have the choice to fix the dish to 166E or 66E. When I said clear view to....I meant at those settings.
I will move the dish away from the tree at some stage.
Thanks.

**carjackma** · 05-05-13, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by mtv

Hmmm... your figures don't make sense, if you have a clear view from 166E (IS19) to 66E (IS17) and the tree is to the north of your dish, then it would be blocking signal path towards approx 116E (from Perth WA).

IS19 is going to be approx E/NE from Perth, which is nowhere near north.

Perhaps if you can post some pics of your dish and tree, it might be easier to determine.

I agree with you as I am in Perth, north is basically in the middle of my dishes tracking arc (couldn't think of what its called)
so all I can assume is he has a fixed dish that he manually swings around past the tree in the middle ?

**mtv** · 05-05-13, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by David071

Hi MTV,
No the tree is on the North. I have a clear view of both 166E and 66E. BUT between those measurements it is not clear. I want to have the choice to fix the dish to 166E or 66E. When I said clear view to....I meant at those settings.
I will move the dish away from the tree at some stage.
Thanks.

Understood, but as I mentioned, if the tree is north of where your dish is, it shouldn't interfere with either 166E or 66E, because north would be looking at sats around 116E, so you're basically looking at 50 deg either side of the tree for those two sats and as you say, you have a clear view to both of those sat positions, so I doubt the tree is your problem and I suspect it's more of a dish alignment issue, based on the info you've provided.

**tristen** · 05-05-13, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by David071

Hi MTV,
No the tree is on the North. I have a clear view of both 166E and 66E. BUT between those measurements it is not clear. I want to have the choice to fix the dish to 166E or 66E. When I said clear view to....I meant at those settings.
I will move the dish away from the tree at some stage.
Thanks.

Let's deal with one satellite at a time!

If the tree is located to the north of your dish, it is definitely NOT obstructing your view of Intelsat 19.

Have you set the dish elevation angle correctly? How? (And do you have clear line of sight from the dish to Intelsat 19 at that elevation?).

The elevation angle should be almost spot on 25 degrees.

See the azimuth and elevation figures for Intelsat 19 (Intelsat 8 in the image) from Perth in the screen grab below. (Left click on the image to enlarge it).

**David071** · 05-05-13, 05:48 PM

Hi Everybody,
I really appreciate the support and replies. Spot on I manually turn the dish - either 166E on the North East (which I will fix it to or 66-68E to the North West.
I have attached a pic of the dish aimed at 66E. You will see what I am talking about-the tree! Unfortunately we are surrounded with trees. I was really living in hope that somehow the closeness to the tree would not null the signal!?. Unfortunately I can only move the dish around 1 -1.5m to the right if I have to because neighbours down the back have planted a Jacaranda and I have to allow growing room for the damn thing blocking the Clarke Belt from my location.
Thanks everybody.

**mtv** · 05-05-13, 06:04 PM

You said you had a clear view to 66E.... the pic suggests the tree, the bricks and a mound of earth/vines are directly in the signal path.

If that dish is pointing at 66E, then 166E (for IS19) will be pointing into the colourbond fence and buildings.

**David071** · 05-05-13, 06:17 PM

Thanks MTV.
On the other direction -side of things which is the direction 166E which is where I want to point the dish there is no brick, vine and unfortunately the pic makes matters look worse than it actually is.
25 degrees in height on the other side does clear the colourbond.
Thanks.

**mtv** · 05-05-13, 06:26 PM

Can you take a pic from behind the dish, when it's pointing at IS19?

eg: camera angle from behind the dish with the LNB in the centre of the pic, so the camera angle is close to matching the dish angle.

**David071** · 05-05-13, 07:51 PM

Thanks MTV,
Yup I wish I had taken a photo of the back of the mesh dish pointed at Intelsat 19 earlier. I had no idea because of the size of the dish that there was interfering objects apart from maybe a branch on the upper left. I never even considered the colourbond fence at the back of the property would be a problem. I could see the LNB was clear and what I thought most of the dish. The 3m dishes are huge to mount and certainly take up a heck of a lot of room which unfortunately I don't have.
It looks as though I am going to have to trim more of the tree upper left and mount the dish on a higher pole or give up on Intelsat 19 and put the larger 3m mesh in mothballs and replace one of the 2.3m dishes eventually.
Thanks. David.

**mtv** · 05-05-13, 08:20 PM

The entire surface area of the dish (plus a bit more) needs to be completely clear of any obstructions.

The bigger the dish, the greater the clearance needed.

25 deg elevation makes this more difficult.

Although the pic doesn't show clearance above the top of the dish, it's obvious some of the tree branches/leaves are blocking the signal path, together with the fence and building to the left.

Clearing the tree above and raising the height of the pole will probably do the trick.

Once again, it's really difficult to get an accurate perspective without being there, but that's what it looks like to me from your pic.

Let's know how you get on.

**David071** · 05-05-13, 08:33 PM

Thanks MTV for all your help again.
The last photo I took did not really show the true accurate elevation of the dish LNB point. The roof you can see is a tad under 15 degrees. The photo is not totally accurate.
Yes I really messed up with the mesh clearance. Anyway, it is all a learning game and interesting.
I will work on things and see what happens. I am not totally set on Intelsat 19, if it is too much hassle I won't bother. I don't really want to make an eyesore for the neighbours with having the dish too high either. I just want to be considerate to the neighbours!
Thanks MTV.

**beer4life** · 16-06-13, 10:22 AM

There is only one SD Transponder channel on IS 19, 4060 H.
May be easier with another TP 'til you've got it peaked.

**gordon_s1942** · 16-06-13, 04:04 PM

David, remember a centre fed 'C' band dish is just like a huge searchlight unlike an 'Off Set' Ku band dish and looks directly at the satellite you want so that anything in the 'beam' will affect the reception of the incoming signal.