How to install satellite dish

Installing a dish antenna yourself is not difficult, select your dish, choose the best location, install, and eventually fine tune your satellite antenna for the best reception.

How Installing a Satellite TV System:

1. Installation of the satellite dish itself,
2.
Installation of an appropriate decoder to receive the television programming from your service provider.

you need to select and purchase a satellite TV kit. This consists of the satellite dish and related mounting kit, high-grade RF coaxial cable, and the satellite TV receiver, or decoder.


Low Noise Block-down Converters LNB) :

Equally important is deciding on the number of LNBs. LNB's/LNBF are low noise 'block' down-converters. An LNBF is an LNB with an integrated feedhorn. Most LNB's in use today are actually LNBF's. The term 'low noise' relates to the quality of the amplification and mixing that takes place inside the LNB.

LNB's sit in front of the actual parabola of the dish, at the end of the arm projecting from the satellite dish. Their purpose is to receive, amplify and down convert the required 'blocks' of microwave frequencies to lower 950MHz to 1.45GHz L-band frequency signals; these are then sent to the satellite TV receiver or IRD (integrated receiver decoder), via RG-6 coax cable.

The number of LNB's determines the number of satellites a satellite dish can 'see' since a separate LNB is required to receive signals from satellites in different orbital positions. Satellite TV service providers use multiple satellites to deliver their content - implying that multiple LNBs are required to receive all television programming supported by a satellite TV service provider.

LNB's use an antenna probe inside the feedhorn to pick up the signal focused by the satellite dish. The probe has to be aligned mechanically in a vertical or horizontal direction (or left and right hand circular polarization for DBS satellites) in line with the polarization of the signal transmitted by the satellite transponders. This dual polarization is used by satellites to avoid interference between adjacent channels, and is achieved by assigning even and odd transponders on the satellite, different polarization.

LNBF's employ a dual antenna probe setup inside the throat of the feedhorn with one aligned vertically and the other horizontally (or left and right). Switching to the correct polarized probe is carried out electronically via a voltage sent up the coaxial cable by the receiver.

For DirecTV Customers, When choosing your satellite dish , do not buy the round dish if you are getting a new DirecTv system - only the slightly larger oval or rectangular antenna dishes will able to pick up all DirecTV standard and HD programming.
These satellite dishes come with 5 LNBs to receive both KU-band (101°, 110°, 119°) and KA-band (99° & 103°) satellite signals simultaneously. For more information on DirecTV dishes, please contact DirecTV or one if its retailers, including Best Buy or Circuit City.

Selecting the best location for your Satellite Dish

Remember that DSS satellites are in a geo-stationary orbit above the equator. Therefore, a satellite dish must point due South when your position is located north of the equator and North if you are located south of the equator.

Choose a location that is easily accessible in case you need to clean snow or debris out of your satellite dish, or to re-adjust the dish in case it has lost its alignment. A suitable location is to attach the dish to a post which has been sunken in the ground.

The chosen location should be unobstructed by trees, branches, buildings, etc. In addition, make sure that the growth of new foliage does not impede your system.

Ideally, the selected location should be such as to allow you to take a route that is as straight and as close to your television set as possible.

Pick a location that is away from power lines and other service utilities.

Finally, refer to the included instructions for any specific details.

Choose a method of installation that allows your system to withstand the elements year-round and still remain perfectly aligned and rigidly mounted. Remember that system movement can reduce signal reception to the point of complete loss.

Always do a trial run on the ground for coax cable installation from the satellite dish to the place where it will enter your house. Make sure it is long enough to reach both points. Attach the cable to the satellite dish and then run it across your yard and into the house through a drilled hole.

Attach the cable to your television set. Seal all outdoor electrical connections with weatherproof sealant, and bury the incoming receiving line below the frost line level.

Ground the unit and the incoming receiving line by following local electrical code standards; this is both a safety consideration as well as a potential code requirement. Place an inexpensive coax grounding block at the point where the antenna cable enters the house; then run a wire from the grounding block to your home's ground rod.

Tuning your satellite dish for best signal:
1. Ensure that your satellite antenna meets three conditions: (i)The line-of-sight view to the particular satellite is free of obstacles and obstructions. (ii)The mast supporting the antenna is rigidly mounted and level. (iii) The reflector part of the satellite antenna (the dish) is not warped.

2. Adjust the antenna reflector azimuth angle to the position given by the manufacturer for that particular satellite. This adjustment is the east-west movement of the reflector on the mount and is given in azimuth degrees.

3. Adjust the elevation-look angle to the position given by the manufacturer of the satellite of interest. This adjustment is from the horizon to the sky and is given as elevation in degrees from that point. These two degrees form the orbit degree slot, or window of the satellite to be received by your satellite dish.

4. Ensure that the antenna signal line is connected to the receiver and the receiver is turned on and positioned on a beacon channel (a beacon channel is a channel being transmitted from the satellite to allow you to peak your antenna to it).

5. Begin tuning by slowly moving the reflector first to the east in one-degree increments for a total of three degrees, then in the opposite direction (west) while monitoring the receiver's signal meter.

6. Peak the signal to the highest scale at this point. Ideally, this should be done using a signal 'strength' meter due to the greater signal sensitivity of the latter.

7. Lock the antenna azimuth adjustment on the mount once the signal level is maximized.

8. Perform the same procedure as in steps 4 through 6, using the elevation adjustment, first up and then down for peaking. Lock the satellite dish elevation at the point of maximum signal reception.

9. Ground the antenna and the signal line entrance into the residence to electrical code standards as detailed above.

The next step is to plug your receiver into a household outlet; then turn your television set on and make any necessary adjustments to the satellite system settings. For more information about Dish Installation Process, please visit the Guide and one of their many retailers, including Best BUY for DirecTV, and VMC Satellite or AllSat for DISH Network

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