Satellite Dish Elevation angle

It depends on the dish type. Most dishes have an offset so they are set virtually vertical but the focal point is compensated by the position of the LNB. The offset is usually available for the dish so you can measure the angle of the front of the dish and take away the offset to get the elevation angle.

To be honest you are overthinking it. If you are anywhere down to the middle of france then a 65cm dish will get decent reception. Get a compass that shows the position of the sat, get your tripod as level as you can, set the angle by using the stampings in the mounting and just sweep the range on the compass, you will hit. You can then set the skew and improve the signal strength by just tweaking it.  

I have an old tin thing on a small tripod, took me a while with trial and effort but once you get used to it then you can get it sorted in minutes.

Important:

Get a good quality LNB

Use high spec cable (WF100 or better) and quality cable joints

As said there is nothing physically about the dish you can rely on as a datum for the elevation.

That's unfortunate as setting at the right elevation for where you want to use the kit is an important factor.

But there is a method to find a reference point, or indeed several.

That is if you are getting a good picture on our satellites, then the dish will be at the specific angle of elevation for where it is in use.

Knowing where you are, look up on the website for "dishpointer" that location's satellite elevation, clearly for our satellite cluster.

In my case then that would be 25 degrees, so giving a datum.

I would repeat this when there is the chance to set up at a higher or lower latitude location, thus getting some additional datums.

I suggest you Google "aiming a dish at astra 2" find rs.maszyna.pl which gives all the angles needed to set your dish around europe. I found it very accurate in France, but be careful, I use a meter recommended by a fellow member last year for setting up a hybrid LNB for Sky.Q but there are 2 signals very close together that give a reading for Astra 2 so if you do not get a reception, try a little swing to the next Astra reading. Take a look at the Satlink WS 6933 meter which has its own power supply via a battery and is programmed very easily for the Astra 2 satellite, saves a lot of messing about.

My method is very simple. 

1 erect the tripod and point one of the legs in the compass direction of the satellite from the above chart (rs.maszyna.pl to level the pole.

2  place a spirit level on top of the tripod to ensure the pole is pretty near vertical

3  Fit the dish and LNB pointing along the compass pointed leg and connect the meter. Use the scale on the dish bracket to set roughly the elevation. It doesn't seem to need great accuracy. 

Best tip. Nail the tripod down as a good wind might dent your car or van if it topples.

Hope this helps.

Yes bluetooth scenario would work if your tuner has an audible tuner output tone.

If you tune to Astra then when you get good you can then tune Hotbird as well by just rotating the dish a smidgen. Store both Astra and Hotbird in your saved channels. Hotbird is mainly foreign language programs but  does have some films in English and English football FTA.

The satlink meter has two bars showing signal strength and signal quality so you would not need the bluetooth transmitter or the OH hollering from inside. Saves you hollering back which is much more embarrassing. Not sure of your budget, but meter is about £35 and upwards. makes setting up so much easier. 

There are a couple on e-bay at or near £35 one with free postage at £37

Looks like they are from china, but having bought mine this way, probably not a problem.

Sorry, not tech savvy enough to provide links. Google "topone321" £37.75 with free postage from Schenzen China.

I used one of these previously, but for Sky Q, I was advised by a fellow member that I need a meter that has its own power supply in conjunction with a hybrid LNB standard LNB is fine for non, sky Q applications, so had to change to this type of meter.

However with the analog, it needs to be connected to the decoder/TV

The Satlink only needs to be connected to the dish and once programmed (very simple) is by far easier to use and so much less frustrating to use. Having used both types, I have no hesitation in opting for the Satlink for any application.

 I bit more research indicates that £37.93 item from China jumps up to £53.52 by the time you get it as it incures both UK VAT at 20% plus an admin cost from the courier for collecting that VAT.

In this case as it is international mail, the Royal Mail will be responsible for the VAT collection and presently they charge a fixed £8.

So it is not yours for £38, unless it is misdescribed on the customs declaration and valued at £15 or less.

So pick a UK or EU seller, and buy before the end of the year if the latter, if you want it at the advertised price.

Most posts have information that others also find useful, so I covered all the versions that I have used following advice from others that proved useful. All correct at the time but options changed as my home satellite system updated.

The analogue meter gives a signal strength indication only, whereas the Satlink meter also allows the preferred satellite to be selected on the meter showing strength and quality signal ensuring you are not wasting time setting up on the wrong signal.

To give an example of a cheap set up, last year a chap pitched next to us came back from a day out, with a tripod dish cable and LNB he had purchased at a car boot sale for £10 as it looked like the one we had set up ( a bit tattier). He asked about how he could test it and what he would need to set up. 

I could only advise on the use of either Sky Q or Sky HD, which fortunately he would be using and the LNB was also for Sky.

We assembled the dish and tripod and connected the Satlink meter. after about 10 minutes from starting we were able to get a good signal from Astra 2. I also explained how he would need to connect the analogue meter to the receiver in order to set up.

So he had the choice of total of £25 with an analogue or £50 with a meter set up.  

Hope you get sorted.

The one thing missed so far is a free Android app called Satellite Director. Set it going, select Astra2, and it will give you a bearing. Then hold it vertical and the screen (the camera will already be on) will show crossed hairs whence you move your phone until a small circle sits on the crossing - that is where the satellite cluster is in the sky so you can see if any trees are in the way. Remember the further south you go - in the UK let alone France - the higher the satellite will be in the sky. 

Once the app has shown you where the satellite is just point the dish slightly east of the position and swing the dish slightly to the south. If you don't find a signal, tilt the dish up a tiny bit and swing it back. Keep doing this until you find a signal. Note, don't try to do this using a Sky+HD box (can't speak for Sky Q) as they are notoriously deaf. You are much better to use a meter of some sort - even a £5 in line from Aldi or Lidl will do. If you find a sat with a strong signal but no programme you have found Astra19 (a.k.a. Astra1) which is nearer south than Astra28 (a.k.a. Astra2): you will need to go left (dish viewed from behind) and tip down a bit.

If any reader wants to see the footprint of Astra 2F (or is it 2G yet?) go to www.lyngsat.com and find the maps which show the footprint. The 'tongue' shape shows that you can get a signal well down into eastern France - Beaune/Macon area, and it extends into southern Germany, Belgium, and part of the Netherlands, but go down the west side and the Vendee is about your limit and the south coast and Spain are no-go areas! (There are a few places in Spain that - due to an anomaly - with a 1m dish the sat can be received quite well.)

As for kit, you are better off with Freesat-from-Sky than with Freesat.  Sky show channels that are not available on Freesat such as Ch4HD and Euronews.