Good Morning, Smoky:
>> I assume you have a roof top mount.
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Yes, I have the same mount that Ron has. Actually, Ron and I have paralleled mounts and setup techniques from square one. I had scheduled my training just after QZ 4 years ago -- and Ron scheduled his 2 weeks later. However, he and Sam decided to drive over to Gila Bend and sit in on my training. It worked out well because some fellow kept bugging our trainer w/questions -- and Ron ran him off whereas I was reluctant to say anything.
At that point in time, there was no OPI nor was there a BD, nor was there a roof mount, nor was there a tripod mount. We simply bolted the mast to a 2x4' piece of plywood weighted to the ground with a concrete block -- and leveled with a torpedo level and shims. Our equipment consisted of the CW analog meter, cheap compass, and a wrench. Set up time was about 45 minutes.
I go thru this because even as archaic as this sounds, we only made one trip to the dish for set up. Ron only had to make one trip because Sam could tell him if the screen meter was green and on the correct bird. We knew which satellite we trying to hit and its position relative to the 3 satellites to right of the one we wanted. So we just moved the dish to the right past ALL the satellites and then brought it back to the 4th one that registered on the meter. Once we knew we had the right one, we peaked the signal using the 4 quadrant test. If you tug each of the 4 sides to the dish - and the CW meters reclines on each side, there is no other meter that will get you more dead center. I do the same thing now with the OPI as a final test prior to leaving the roof.
BTW, I was able to tell if on the right sat way back then because I purchased a set of $9.95 walki talki's from RS. I left one by the computer turned on and took the other with me to the dish. There are three levels of beeps when when finding the bird. When the highest pitch of the tree is heard, that's the right bird.
>> One question on that. ?How do you retrieve your OPI without an additional trip? ?Or do you leave it installed?
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When I arrive at a new location, I first turn on the computer and modem. My main machine is a desktop. I go thru the setup screens up to the signal strength dialog -- having checked that I am using the OPI. The signal strength bar at that juncture is showing black bars -- and beeping very slowly. Along the way up to the signal bar screen, I note the three readings based on new location that I am going to need when I do the roof thing. ?I then grab my ditty bag of tools that consists of one ratchet wrench, a piece of paper containing the 3 readings, the OPI, and a cheapo compass -- and do my trip to the roof.
I set up the the dish and point it roughly toward Texas which where my bird is. After getting level, and setting the skew and elevation, ?I place the OPI in the line. At this point it is usually registering under 30. I then skirt the sky over Texas until the numbers begin moving up indicating I have found my bird. Using the 4 quadrant test, I peak the signal. I then take the OPI out of the line and put it back into my ditty back and return to the computer. I usually just click exit and restart (of the modem reboot) and let it do its thing on CrossPol and such -- whereas other times I continue all the way thru the DW setup.
My dish is still the original so the OPI does require a filter. Either way, it does not have to stay in line so I bring it back down with me after pointing. If it did stay in the line - I would retrieve it when I broke down the dish.
>> Please be clear, I am not saying the BD is BETTER than the OPI.? For your situation, the OPI is certainly more appropriate than the BD.
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Actually, the BD is "far" better than the OPI. I got a call from an RV park in OR yesterday that was looking to downsize their software. The package they were using would run a mega park, whereas mine is not designed for all the bells and whistles accounting stuff needed in such a park. The point is, the BD does all kinds of things that I don't need and would never use. Finding the TV sat is such a piece of cake, I wouldn't even use it for that. The OPI does 2 things for me -- mainly gives me the digital readings of SS that I got previously from my analog CW meter. It will also allow me to see if I pass XPol from the roof -- which I have never had to do anyway.
So bottom line here is that all one really needs while on the roof is to know when SS is peaked. The CW meter did that just fine -- and that is all I need from the OPI. If the CW meter would tell me if on the right bird, I wouldn't even need the OPI. The OPI let's me know that I am on the right bird plus gives digital read out and that's all I need and worth the $75. I paid for it.
>> I am just saying that I find climbing up to the roof, for me, to be a task I do not look forward to.? One time to set the dish is fine, as it also gives me time to clean the roof and check on other maintenance issues.? I can do that all in one trip.? When I have to go up a second time to retrieve my OPI, and sometimes a third time because of a necessary reboot... well that just makes me yearn for a BD.? ?
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Oh -- I agree, for sure. That's one thing I checked out the day I bought the roof mount. Ron and I discussed this that day -- as that was the same day he bought his. If I have to make a second trip up that ladder with my less that perfect hip problems, the words I mutter are not acceptable on this forum. ?
? Not sure why you need to go back up to retrieve the OPI? ?Once the SS is peaked, I put it away. If needed in the line, I would leave it there. Of course, you DO have to go back up to break down the dish for travel -- but this discussion is about set up vs. break down.
>> It is a matter of personal preference, not that one is better than the other.? In fact, when Ron installed my dish he gave me the option of getting a BD.? I turned it down because at that time I did not think the benefit warranted the additional cost.? I have since changed my mind based on first hand experience.? Also keep in mind that my experience DOES differ from others, as I explain below.
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Again, the BD "is" better than the OPI. ?It's just that those extra features are not needed to set up a Direcway dish. And being able to set up w/o connection to the modem, to me, is far from worth the incremental cost.
>> And no, going back to a previous software page does not eliminate the need to reboot.? The dealers all acknowledge that some systems need regular reboots, and no one is sure why.
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Then something is wrong -- it's a simple as that. If my system did that I would be on the horn to Direcway tech support in a heartbeat and would have them sending me new dishes, modems, or whatever until one worked correctly.
>> I might add I never get a signal level above a 63 and currently I am at 57. Ron witnessed the 63 when he aimed my dish, yet I regularly read about people who get 70s and even 80s readings.
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I read that others have chimed in on that issue. Mine is 92 right now. If you know what you get most of the time, I would be content. As Ned mentioned, it should be high enough that a rain storm will not cause it to degrade below acceptable. Over the years as I watch the SS it does very weird fluctuations that I now just ignore. Once you peak properly on set up, you know you are getting best it has to "at that juncture" - so if you know it's dead center, just let it do it's thing from there. If it's raining at the NOC location and the sun is shining over your rig, the SS will go down.
>> At any rate, I concur with your closing statement that despite the hassles it sure is nice to have unlimited high speed access wherever I go, even when boon docking in remote areas.
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Good -- and that's the bottom line. When you get to QZ you will find many dealers selling DW setups - and all will be selling OPI's as part of the package and none will be selling BD's. The StarBand dealers are using and selling the BD because they are not fortunate enough to have an OPI equivalent. ?Also you will find many of us at the QZ site that you can compare setup and other notes with. You will find us all very happy to share with you.