TV4RV APRIL NEWSLETTER
Vol.1 - No. 1
APRIL NEWSLETTER
This is the very first edition of the TV4RV.com monthly
newsletter that you signed up to receive. Each month we will offer helpful tips and
suggestions to make your mobile satellite TV setups easier and quicker. We will also
be offering a monthly special on the products we sell on our website. We hope you
will find this information helpful and informative.
Steel
vs the Compass
When I first started bringing my TV
satellite dish camping, I had a difficult time aiming it at the satellite. Each time
I would bring the compass close to the dish to point it at the correct azimuth, the
compass needle would move off the setting. I quickly realized that since my dish was
made of steel it was attracting the magnetic needle of the compass. This led to the
development of my first tripod (our Standard Duty model), which is constructed entirely of
aluminum and plastic. By mounting the compass onto the tripod, I could aim the
tripod in the correct direction without any needle deflection. Then I mounted the
dish to a reference point and found I was pointed very close to the exact azimuth bearing.
This system worked fine until we camped at a site that restricted where I could
place the satellite dish. I needed to set it up near my truck due to trees blocking
the signal in other areas. I noticed that the needle of the compass moved as I
positioned the tripod closer to the truck. I ended up solving this problem by moving
the truck until I could set up the tripod. A similar result happened when setting up
near the RV. The closer I got to the RV the more the needle deflected from the true
bearing. I recorded a deflection of as much as 20 degrees. This can make
setting up the dish much more difficult. I now try to avoid setting up the tripod
anywhere near a large, steel structure for this reason. On those occasions where I
have no other option, I make sure I place my body (and anyone else I can round up) between
the compass and the steel structure to minimize the effect of the steel on the compass.
Not the best solution, but sometimes you have no other choice. I am also
aware that I may not be pointing the dish as accurately as I usually do and then will
swing it in a wider arc to find the signal.
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