Setup your Satellite Dish - Basic Guide - Technology - Communication

Are planning to buy a satellite dish? Here's a basic guide on installation of your satellite dish and this has been created through research of the various brands of satellite dishes available.

Step 1: Familiarization with your satellite dish equipment: This is not a soft toy, it is a technologically advanced piece of equipment or machinery and hence knowing the various parts will help you to set it up without any problems. The various parts that you need to identify include:

* The dish or reflector* LNB* Mounting hardware like screws and bolts

Step 2: Determining the type of satellite dish. The second step is to determine whether you are setting up an elliptical multi satellite TV dish or the standard satellite dish. The elliptical satellite dish measures 18x24 inches while the standard dish has a diameter of 18 inches.

Step 3: Settings of your satellite dish. Here's how to calculate the angle. You need to write them down so that the settings can be made accordingly

Azimuth: ____________

Elevation: ____________

Tilt: ____________ (Skew)

Step 4: Mounting of the satellite dish. Don't just go ahead and mount the satellite dish; consult the product manual first. The manual has step-by-step instructions of assembling the dish.

Note: The LNB arm needs a special mention here. It has a clamp that will slide down over a mast in order to set it in place. Once this is achieved, you can mount the mast as well as the foot assembly as specified in the manual. In order to keep the mast horizontally and vertically straight, you need to use a plumb bob or a level.

Step 5: Alignment of the Dish: Use a compass and a pencil for aligning your satellite dish in such a way so that it can locate the satellite signal. Now slowly mount the satellite dish assembled by you by sliding the clamp down over the mast arm. Now tighten the bolts to hold it secure and remember not to tighten it so hard that it becomes impossible to turn it later on. Now use the skew or tilt coordinates to set the tilt of your satellite dish to the specific location. Once this is done, set the satellite dish elevation using the angle calculator.

Step 6: Locating the Signal. Now you need to run the cables from your receiver to the satellite dish. Once that is in place, turn on your satellite receiver. Remember to put your receiver in the dish pointing or signal pointing mode once you enter the setup menu. Consult the manual. The next step will be to stand behind the satellite dish so that it can be moved 3 degrees to the right. Check for signal. If the signal is not there then move your dish by three more degrees towards the right and check again for a signal. Continue this process till you are able to get optimal signal quality, which should be between 75 and 100 on the receivers signal strength meter.

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