Aiming a Direct TV dish January 21, 2009, 09:16:10 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98725Hi all, i've just switched from Dish to Direct TV. I use it at home in San Francisco and take it along when traveling in my 26.5 Mid-bath. The Dish receiver had a menu that would tell me the angle and azimuth when I entered the zip code for whatever region I was in. I just needed to set the LD's satellite using the manual crank. That usually worked quite well. The Direct dish doesn't seem to have the same menu or ability. All I have found is a place to check the signal strength. I know there is an aiming device that will find the proper numbers, but I'm wondering how others who don't use this device set their Direct dishes. Is there something I've missed in the Direct menu's?Thanks,David G
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #1 – January 21, 2009, 10:47:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98727It's probably a little different with each type of receiver, but what you are looking for is called, "Satellite Dish Guided Setup."Dick
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #2 – January 22, 2009, 02:05:55 am Yahoo Message Number: 98731Hi David, We use Direct TV when traveling in our LD as well. Yes, there is a screen in Direct TV's setup menu that allows you to enter the zip code. It returns the elevation and azimuth that you need for that location. The particular screen is buried deep within the set up menu and is laborious to find. What I do instead, prior to leaving on a trip, is select representative zip codes for several cities in each state that I will be traveling through. There is a Direct TV screen on their internet site that you can enter the zip code and get the same dish pointing coordinates that you can get off your receiver. Here is the URL: http://www.directv.com:80/DTVAPP/customer/dishPointer.jspWhen I am ready to set up the dish, I pick a couple of cities from my zip code list that are about equidistant from my present location and just extrapolate to get the coordinates that I will need. I can usually get an 80-90+% signal within a minute or two.Hope that helps!Kathy2006 Red Midbath
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #3 – January 22, 2009, 06:03:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 98732There is a Direct TV Quotescreen on their internet site that you can enter the zip code and get the same dish pointing coordinates that you can get off your receiver. Here is the URL: http://www.directv.com:80/DTVAPP/customer/dishPointer.jsp Or, you can download the free DSLookAngle Calculator at http://www.datastormusers.com/lookangle.cfm. If you want to be able to use Zip Codes rather than GPS coordinates, be sure to also download the zips1.zip file, too, at the same URL as above. This way, you don't need Internet access to get the coordinates.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #4 – January 22, 2009, 10:42:34 am Yahoo Message Number: 98738If you have a Nuvi, you can simply touch your present location on the map and it will give you your current location, including the nearest address with ZIP code. I haven't tried this in the boonies yet, but it would still be easy enough to look up the closest POI's and use their ZIP codes. I also did this with my previous Garmin 2610.all the best,bumper[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #5 – January 22, 2009, 11:00:30 am Yahoo Message Number: 98739Quote If you have a Nuvi, you can simply touch your present location on the map and it will give you your current location, including the nearest address with ZIP code.I get address and street name but no zip on my Nuvi when I do that. Wonder if I have to set something differently. Joe Hamm-San Jose
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #6 – January 22, 2009, 11:41:32 am Yahoo Message Number: 98740I also have DirecTV. A lot of times the setup screen to enter the zip code and find the angle and azimuth doesn't come up when I try to set up
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #7 – January 22, 2009, 01:56:30 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98741I'm not sure if what I do is any different than anyone else, but here's a step by step to the way I was taught. Note that I usually get the longitude and latitude from the GPS, or if we're in a state park, they usually have the zip code on the park map.Turn on the TV and the receiver Hit the menu button on the remote Select System Setup You need to select one of these option 1-Enter Longitude and Latitude (if you have that info) or 2-Repeat Satellite Setup If you have the Longitude and Latitude, enter those and the Azimuth and Elevation info should come up If you have to do the satellite set up, step one is to press the - button (lower left on the remote Then check your dish configuration (the one LD installs on the roof is round) I skip the next step which is for those with more than one dish This brings up the enter zip code window the next window gives you satellite type and Azimuth and Elevation, check that the dish type is correct and hit continue Next is a check list, Continue Now you're at a Signal Strength window, adjust the satellite till you're getting good numbers. On this page is a list of 32 transponders. For some reason we usually get the best signal on Transponder 14, so we go to 14 and adjust from there. YMMV Hit continue, and you'll get a confirmation screen. When the bottom bar is completely blue, you'll get a Confirmed screen Hit continue Now your receiver will download program info Continue and the next screen will ask if you need to set up the remote (or you can bypass this) he next thing will be watch Direct TV.Is this the info you were looking for?If not, feel free to ignore!Kate http://cholulared.blogspot.com &http://www.cholulared.com & http://www.flickr.com/photos/83282349@N00/Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #8 – January 22, 2009, 02:41:43 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98744Kate,re Direct TV: I'm having brain fade on this . . . what sat are you using for the spot beam / local channels (is it 119)? Last time I was out, I aligned it for 110 and all I got was Fox News along with other channels I didn't want (g).bumper who likes mechanical things much more than computer stuff.
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #9 – January 22, 2009, 02:57:17 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98745Quote I'm not sure if what I do is any different than anyone else, but here's a step by step to the way I was taught. Note that I usually get the longitude and latitude from the GPS, or if we're in a state park, they usually have the zip code on the park map. Thanks Kate, and all those who replied. My setup screens are a little different, perhaps because I had the "plus DVR" option. Anyway, I don't seem to have the option of entering Longitude and Latitude in the Select System Setup, but I can do the Repeat Satellite Setup, and enter a zip code here, so the rest of your step by step seems like it will work for me.Note to Bumper: ". . . what sat are you using for the spot beam /local channels (is it 119)? Last time I was out, I aligned it for 110 and all I got was Fox News along with other channels I didn't want" I don't believe your reference is to Direct TV. The spotbeams you refer to are used with DishTV. That is what I just changed from. The local channels were all on 110 (eventhough I rarely used this satellite because I could not get the local stations without an RV waiver)Best,David G
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #10 – January 22, 2009, 03:11:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98746"what sat are you using for the spot beam / local channels (is it 119)"BumperWe don't get the locals on our satellite, we just use the converter box and the antenna for the networks.Kate http://cholulared.blogspot.com &http://www.cholulared.com & http://www.flickr.com/photos/83282349@N00/Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Aiming a Direct TV dish Reply #11 – January 22, 2009, 03:58:12 pm Yahoo Message Number: 98750QuoteI don't believe your reference is to Direct TV. The spotbeams you refer to are used with DishTV. DirecTV's locals are spot beamed, too, with a few exceptions. New York and Los Angeles, for example (which are the cities from which you receive the networks when applying for DNS (Distant Network Service)), are broadcast on a CONUS beam. So if your *locals* are either of these two cities, you will be able to receive them no matter where in the U.S. you are. Since we don't subscribe to locals but, rather, DNS, I have no idea which satellite the DirecTV locals come on, although some cities, I imagine, are available on the main 101 satellite.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
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