Introducing SatHunter

 

Calculate angles of satellite dishes.

SatHunter is a program for calculating the orientation of a satellite antenna.

SatHunter contains all the necessary information for adjusting the satellite antenna to the selected satellite. The adjustment is made with the help of available tools (a compass or a protractor, a plumb, a tape measure) and requires neither expensive equipment nor deep knowledge about satellite television.

SatHunter – An easy-to-use tool that will help you to align a satellite system and easily find the signal from a satellite. The program has many features, such as: Sat azimuth, Sat elevation, Transponder list, DVB Tuner and more.

SatHunter - Find TV satellites in the sky.

 

 

 

 

Features

Main features:

- Calculates the azimuth and elevation angle.

- Provides a list of satellite transponders for setting up the receiver.

- Calculates the solar azimuth angle.

- Calculates the time when the satellite and solar azimuth angles coincide.

- Calculates the antenna offset angle and tilt.

- Points the antenna using the azimuth with the help of the sun and a protractor.

- Points the antenna using the azimuth with the help of a compass.

- Adjusts the elevation angle with the help of a tape measure and a plumb.

- Detects coordinates by IP or by using a list of cities.

- Detects time using an exact time server.

- Scans transponders with a SkyStar DVB card.

- View signal level and quality with sound signalization.

- Free for private home use.

 

 

How-To Guide

 

How to point the antenna to the satellite with SatHunter

 

Follow these step-by-step instructions:

 

1. Preparatory Operations

 

Assemble the satellite antenna according to the manual. Select the place for the antenna. Mount it facing south (for the Northern hemisphere).

There must not be any obstacles (buildings, trees, etc.) between the antenna and the selected satellite.

 

 

 

The bracket the antenna is mounted on must be strictly vertical (use a level):

 

Mount the antenna on the bracket, but do not tighten the adjusting bolts too much, because the antenna must move in two planes.

 

 

 

To point the antenna to the satellite, you should position it according to the azimuth and the elevation angle.

 

 

 

2. Software Configuration

 

Before you start working with SatHunter, you should configure it:

 

 

Time and date are automatically adjusted when you start the program.

At any moment, you can set the software time to the local computer time (using the Get local time button) or get it from an exact time server (using the Get SNTP Time button).

 

Enter your local geographic coordinates.

If you do not know your coordinates, select the nearest city from the city list or click the "Autodetect" button, and SatHunter will try to detect your location automatically.

 

From the list provided, select the satellite to which you want to point the antenna:

 

 

 

Elevation

 

 

3. Adjusting the Antenna Elevation Angle

 

3.1 If Your Antenna Has a Scale

 

Find the elevation angle of your satellite in the table:

 

 

 

Adjust the angle on the antenna:

 

3.2 Using a Plumb

 

 

Specify the width (W) and height (H) of the antenna.

Use the plumb and a ruler to specify the X length.

 

Fasten the antenna vertically.

 

 

Azimuth

 

 

4 Pointing the Antenna by the Azimuth

 

4.1 With the Help of a Compass

 

Remove the antenna from the bracket. Mount the compass on the bracket and position it southwards by rotating it (180). Mark the necessary azimuth (122 in this example) on the bracket with an indelible marker.

 

 

Mount the antenna on the bracket and orient it towards the necessary azimuth.

 

Note that you have to take into account your local magnetic declination in this case.

 

 

4.2 With the Help of the Sun

 

Use the table below to see the time when the satellite azimuth and the solar azimuth coincide:

 

 

Orient the antenna towards the sun at that exact time (you can use a matchstick shadow):

 

 

Match the shadow and the line along the LNB bracket.

 

 

4.3 With the Help of the Sun and a Protractor

 

Find the difference between the solar azimuth and the satellite azimuth for the desired time.

The shadow from the sun will point to this angle in case of exact orientation towards the satellite.

 

 

Print the protractor. (You can use the compass dial as a protractor.)

 

 

 

Attach the protractor to the LNB bracket (180 forward), push a match or a toothpick through its center:

 

 

 

Match the shadow with the previously detected corner by revolving the antenna on its axis.

 

You can see the table of solar azimuths for the current day. You can print the table and use its data during the mounting process.

 

 

5 LNB Rotation

 

Rotate the LNB in its housing to the correct angle and direction:

 

 

 

6 Tuning

 

6.1 Setting the Tuner

 

Connect the antenna LNB to the receiver and the receiver to the TV set according to the receiver manual.

 

Enter the transponder properties into the receiver (frequency, symbol rate, polarization, forward error correction):

 

 

You can find the list of transponders for the selected satellite and their properties in the Tuner section of SatHunter:

 

 

To get more detailed information about transponders, click the “View…” by the corresponding satellite.

 

 

6.2 Tuning with a SêóStar DVB card:

If there is a DVB-S card installed on your computer, you can set up antenna precisely using the Tuner section.

Use the list to select the necessary transponder or enter its properties manually, then click the "Set Tuner" button.

 

 

7. Fine-Tuning

 

If you have done everything correctly and accurately to this point, you should see a quality bar on the connected receiver or in SatHunter:

 

 

If this is not the case, try moving the antenna slowly vertically or horizontally in search of the satellite beam.

 

 

Make sure you try to get the maximum quality level.

 

Set up the receiver according to its manual.

 

Working with SatHunter

 

SatHunter contains all the necessary information for adjusting the satellite antenna to the selected satellite. The adjustment is made with the help of available tools (a compass or a protractor, a plumb, a tape measure) and requires neither expensive equipment nor deep knowledge about satellite television.

 

To start working with SatHunter:

 

1. Enter your coordinates.

2. Select the satellite you want to point the antenna to in the list.

 

You will see all the necessary calculations in the lower pane of the program window.

 

 

 

 

 

Quick start

 

1. Enter your geographic coordinates, date, and time.

 

 

2. Select the satellite you need.

 

 

3. Enter the size of your antenna.

 

 

4. Find the calculation results in SatHunter’s lower pane.

 

Sat azimuth: Orientation towards the satellite.

X: The offset of the antenna edge from the plumb.

R: LNB rotation in its housing.

 

 

 

The Site Tab

 

Time and date are automatically adjusted when you start SatHunter.

At any moment you can get the local computer time (using the Get local time button) or get it from an exact time server (using the Get SNTP Time button).

 

Enter your local geographic coordinates.

If you do not know your coordinates, select the nearest city from the city list or click the "Autodetect" button, and SatHunter will try to detect your location automatically.

 

 

 

The Satellites Tab

 

From the list provided, select the satellite to which you want to point the antenna:

 

 

 

 

You will see the necessary data for the antenna setup in the lower pane:

Sat azimuth – Orientation towards the satellite

Sun azimuth – Orientation towards the sun

Sat-Sun – The difference between the solar and satellite azimuth for orientation with the help of a protractor

L – Angle relative to the plumb

X – Offset (in millimeters) from the plumb

R – LNB rotation

 

 

 

The Sun Tab

 

Find the difference between the solar azimuth and the satellite azimuth for the desired time.

The shadow from the sun will point to this angle in case of exact orientation towards the satellite.

 

Print the protractor and attach it to the antenna (180 forward).

Match the shadow with the selected angle by rotating the antenna.

 

 

The Multifeed Tab

 

It is possible to receive a signal from several satellites with one antenna.

To do so, position the LNBs according to the calculated scheme.

 

Focus – Focal length (in millimeters). This is the length between the LNB and the point on the satellite dish to which it is directed.

Center – Central satellite.

Feed – Side satellite.

Converter – LNB diameter (in millimeters).

 

 

 

Enter the parameters, then click "Calculate", and SatHunter will calculate the LNB position.

Mount the second LNB and connect it to the receiver via the DiSEqC switch.

 

The Tuner Tab

 

If there is a SkyStar tuner installed on your computer, you can use this section to fine-tune the antenna.