Self-installation and configuration of a satellite dish

Correct setting of a satellite dish has a key impact on the quality of satellite signal reception. Many people are afraid to install a satellite dish on their own, but after reading this manual, this procedure will no longer seem so difficult. Let’s figure out how to position a satellite dish and connect it yourself.

Materials and tools required to install a satellite dish

You will need:

1. Satellite dish with signal converter .
2. Antenna mast or wall bracket (sold separately), depending on technical capabilities and installation location.
3. External antenna cable for satellite installation (75 Ohm impedance). You will need two cables to assemble a Full HD set-top box with a recorder. In the case of installing a multiroom system, a correspondingly long coaxial cable will be required.
4. F-type connectors to match the diameter of the coaxial cable, wrenches and tools required to secure the mast.
5. Compass, protractor, ruler or corresponding app on your smartphone .
6. Cable ties or glue, electrical tape, dowels, lightning protection connectors . If it is not possible to make a hole in a window or wall for cable routing, use a special flat cable with F-type connectors.

Set of equipment for satellite TV [/ caption]

Installing a satellite dish and laying cables

In satellite TV and satellite dish equipment stores, you can buy various types of antenna holders that attach with brackets to a wall or antenna mast.

1. Select the bracket that suits your installation location.
2. Attach it as tightly as possible to a rigid base. Installing a satellite dish using brackets [/ caption]
3. Purchase a quality cable of the correct length. It is best to take a section with a margin of at least 3 meters (a cable longer than 30 meters requires a signal amplifier), which will connect the antenna set to the HD decoder. Cable for satellite antenna [/ caption]
4. Route and secure the cable so that there is no risk of tripping over it or accidentally damaging it (avoid sharp bends).
5. Cut the cable after routing. …
6. If the converter is equipped with a protection to prevent the ingress of water, put it on the cable before inserting (converters with a sliding housing do not require protection).
7. F-type connectors should be screwed tightly to the coaxial cable, using wire cutters if necessary (a special wrench is better). It is important to carefully prepare the cable and make sure that the metal braid of the coaxial cable does not touch the center wire.

Important: in houses equipped with a lightning protection system, the mast must be connected to it with a 50 mm² or 80 mm² copper cable, and the external wires must be connected to the mast with a 40 mm² cable. But these requirements are not necessary if the antenna is located less than 2 meters above the roof and closer than 1.5 meters to the wall from the house, that is, on the balcony.

Choosing the right place for installing a satellite dish is the first task [/ caption]

Installation instructions: location selection, calculation of elevation, azimuth

Russian
satellite TV operators are divided into two categories – southern (which includes NTV-plus and Tricolor TV) and eastern (Telekarta,
MTS ). In this case, we will give an example of installing a southern antenna. For more details on
setting up a satellite signal from MTS, see our material.
Map of satellites – you can start from it when setting up a satellite dish for the first time [/ caption] Correct installation of a satellite dish depends on the correct setting of four parameters:

• azimuth is the angle between north and the desired direction;
• tilt angle / elevation – the angle of orientation of the plate in the vertical plane;
• elevation angle – the horizontal angle corresponding to the rotation of the dish left-right;
• LNB rotation – the angle at which the antenna looks in a given direction of the world.

Setting the azimuth angle using the compass [/ caption]
Azimuth for different cities [/ caption] Tilt adjustment: If the converter has a scale or you have a protractor, turn the converter under the value shown in the table above for your city.
The azimuth is set by the compass and is counted clockwise. The antenna direction angle (azimuth – 180º) is counted from the south in a clockwise direction.

• use the mounting bolts to fix the converter in the bracket;
• fix the antenna to the mast and adjust the angle;
• screw the wires to the converter and to the receiver;
• connect the set-top box to the TV according to the instructions and start.

Installation, connection and self-tuning of a satellite dish – video instruction: https://youtu.be/rjr8tuz2DB4 You can fine-tune the position of the satellite dish based on the measurement of the received signal. You don’t need a special counter for this. Modern decoders have sufficient functionality to measure the signal received from a satellite.
Calculation of the elevation and azimuth when installing a satellite dish [/ caption]

Signal setting

Signal quality is critical. When positioning the antenna, you should be guided by the maximum value of the quality parameter, even at the cost of reducing the signal strength. If you find an antenna position with maximum signal strength and zero quality, it means that the antenna is pointing towards a different satellite. In this case, you should continue your search, first of all by changing the direction of the antenna. Once you have found the satellite you want, adjust the converter setting for the best quality. Setting up a satellite dish:

1. After connecting the device, the start screen will appear on the TV screen indicating the signal levels (if not, you can open it by pressing F1 or I on the remote control on the keyboard). Usually these are two parameters: signal strength / power and quality (these parameters are also displayed on the displays of some STBs). Signal quality [/ caption]
2. The force parameter must be greater than zero. For example, it can be 50%, depending on the type of transducer and the length of the antenna cable, which confirms the correct connection. The quality parameter for the first time will most likely be at zero, because “hitting” the satellite in the initial settings is unlikely.
3. To fine-tune the signal, you need to manually turn the antenna 2-3 degrees in the horizontal plane, monitoring the signal level, and then move the converter closer and away from the antenna, observing the signal quality indicator. After that, it is necessary to tighten the screws for fastening the antenna to the mast (they must be screwed in one by one, controlling the signal parameters so that the deformations of the antenna fasteners do not change its position). Antennas are attached to the mast with two screws and may require additional tilt correction after tightening
4. The process can take a certain time, so it is better that two people are engaged in this – one turns, the other watches the change in the signal level. The optimal signal level for normal video playback is from 70%. Then start the automatic TV channel search and save the settings. Even if the antenna is broken, you do not need to repeat the procedure again.

An important point: in the factory state, many decoders will automatically activate the boot procedure after starting. If there is no signal reception from the satellite, the first start-up process will stop at the settings screen with the signal measurement results, or it will be preceded by the antenna installation selection screen. If the decoder has already been launched earlier (for example, in the sales office to check its functionality), the launch procedure will stop at the already mentioned screen with the strength and quality parameters.

Software and programs for PCs and smartphones for setting up satellite television

Satellite Antenna Alignment With this free PC program, you can easily calculate the azimuth and elevation angle for installing a satellite dish with no effort and at hand. It is very easy to work with the program. After launching the program, simply enter the latitude and longitude of your home in the section “Coordinates of the antenna installation site” (you can find out by opening google maps and typing in your address). The azimuth and elevation angles for all possible satellites are displayed on the left side of the screen. Find the satellite you need and use the obtained coordinates. The program can be downloaded for free here: https://satellite-antenna-alignment.ru.uptodown.com/windows. Benefits:

• many settings;
• completely Russian-speaking;
• works in all parts of the world.

Disadvantages: outdated interface.

SatFinder A similar free smartphone application is called SatFinder. It allows you to tune a satellite dish using GPS navigation and works in two modes:

• In camera mode.
• In the “sight” mode.

In the first case, the location of the satellites is automatically displayed on the phone screen in the form of a special arc. All that is required of you is to align the antenna correctly. In aiming mode, the app will guide you using coordinates and arrows that will change as you move the antenna. If it is directed exactly to the satellite, the arrows in the application will turn green. The application can be installed for free from the Google Play store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esys.satfinder&hl=ru&gl=US.
SatFinder program interface [/ caption] Advantages:

• two modes of searching for satellites;
• instant location determination via GPS;
• user-friendly interface.

Disadvantages: not found.
Dishpointer Pro Good alternative smartphone app. It is paid, but it is considered one of the best applications for tuning satellite dishes in the world. It can be purchased for Android from the Google Play store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=satellite.finder.comptech&hl=ru&gl=US. Benefits:

• high-precision determination of satellites;
• finding the user even in conditions with a poor GPS signal (using the data of the mobile operator).

Disadvantages:

• paid application;
• menu in English.

https://youtu.be/lRLpKZMCRHo

How to tune a satellite dish to 75 degrees

Let’s take as an example the process of tuning the dish to the ABS 75E satellite. Initially, we need to determine the azimuth (direction of the antenna):

1. We open Yandex-maps, enter the name of the settlement in which the installation is performed. We take coordinates from there and copy.
2. Turn on the receiver and enter the coordinates in the “Satellite guide” tab and click “Calculate”
3. Now we know the azimuth and tilt of the antenna. We determine the direction using a compass and fix the plate on the bracket.

Now you need to configure the signal:

1. We turn on the tuner and in the “Installation” section we find the ABS 75E satellite.
2. We return to the antenna and begin to slowly move it up and down until we catch the signal from the ABS 75E. Then we scan the channels.

Installing and configuring satellite dishes on ABS 75E, not Russian, but everything is intuitive: https://youtu.be/rkBsqsKXkgc Once the signal is caught and channels are found, you can fasten all the screws and connect the dish to the tuner.

Setting up a satellite dish for 3 satellites Amos, Astra, Sirius Hotbird

Installation of satellite television from three satellites will allow you to view many free Russian-language TV channels (over 90) and a huge number of foreign (over 2 thousand). Standard equipment:

• satellite antenna,
• three converters for Ku-band;
• two plastic mounts for side converters;
• antenna masts or brackets;
• DiSEqС (Disseka) – converter commutator;
• F-type connectors;
• coaxial cables 75 Ohm.

Astra

Transponders for satellites Astra, Amos, Hot Bird [/ caption] Use a satellite tuner (receiver), for example Openbox X800. In the tuner menu, open the “Antenna installation” item and set the frequency for the Astra satellite yourself, which will become the central one in our three-satellite connection:

• H – horizontal polarization;
• V – vertical polarization;
• position – 4.80 E;
• frequency – 11.766 GHz;
• symbol rate (S / R) – 27500;
• error correction (FEC) – ¾.

The antenna must be oriented to the location of the satellite. In doing so, you must make sure that the antenna is pointing towards the correct satellite. To check, you must enter the
transponders listed in the table and turn on any channel. If the channels did not appear as a result of the scan, then the antenna is incorrectly tuned and the tuning must be done again.

Amos

Setting up the Hotbird and Amos satellite is that you need to find the correct position of the converter relative to the center. To do this, you have to move it horizontally and vertically until you find an acceptable signal level.

• position – 13E;
• frequency – 10.815 GHz;
• symbol rate (S / R) – 30,000.

Hotbird

Connect the cable to the converter, then open the tuner menu and set the following parameters:

• position – 4W;
• frequency – 11.139 GHz;
• symbol rate (S / R) – 27500.

Then connect DiSEqC to the corresponding converter and set the port numbers for each satellite in the tuner. For example, in our particular case:

• the first port is the Astra satellite;
• the second port is Amos;
• the third port is Hot Bird;
• the fourth port is free.

The
so-called dragon-satellite dish tuned to the three popular satellites Amos, Astra and Hotbird [/ caption]

Tips & Tricks

Select a location to install the antenna – it should provide a view of the sky in a southerly direction. Check if any of your neighbors are using satellite TV. If so, point the antenna in the same direction as him. It should be directed to the Eutelsat 36B and / or Express-AMU1 satellite. It is important that there are no obstacles blocking the signal (wires, trees, buildings) on the way from the antenna installation site to the satellite.
The procedure for installing a satellite dish will be easier if you:

• take a second person as an assistant.
• the antenna installation site is within walking distance;
• the premises are your property, or you have permission to install the antenna system from the building manager;
• the distance from the antenna to the decoder is short (no more than 30 m) and there are not many obstacles in the way, such as walls or windows.