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dish pointing tips
General Site Survey To get a signal, the satellite dish must be pointed directly at the satellite, with NO obstructions between the two. This means NO trees and NO buildings. Take into consideration future tree growth, house remodeling or additions and new construction in your area.The satellite signal WILL NOT PASS through leaves or branches.Use our Satellite Look Angle calculator to determine the proper dish angles.
Finding a Clear Line of Sight Get yourself a good compass, the best you can afford. Check the "Azimuth" and "Elevation" for your location here! Locate at least one site on your property that has a clear view to the satellite. Do you have at least one clear view to the satellite? Remember, no trees, leaves, or buildings can be between the dish and the satellite. If the answer is NO, your site may not be suitable for installing the satellite system.If the answer is MAYBE, you may want to contact a local digital satellite dealer for information about having a professional installer conduct a thorough site survey.If the answer is YES, your site should be suitable for installing the system.
Go ahead to the next section of these instructions.Where Is Intelsat Americas 5 Satellite?The satellite is always located south of Texas. That means if you live in Florida, you must have a clear line of sight to the southwest; if you live in California, you must have a clear line to the southeast.Depending on where you live, the satellite will be at an elevation angle between 30 and 60 degrees. Southern states point more toward 60 degrees; northern states point more toward 30 degrees. Use our Satellite Look Angle calculator to determine your dish elevation and azimuth.
LNBF Polarization Tilt (skew):Your LNB is marked with a label indicating the polarization tilt. Your local LNB polarity offset information varies by location. If you are in Houston, TX your LNB polarization is to be set at 0 degrees. But if you are on the California coast your LNB polarization could be as much as minus 30 degrees (clockwise rotation). And if you are in Maine your LNB polarization could be as much as plus 30 degree (counter-clockwise rotation.
Peaking the dish and adjusting the polarity of the LNB will greatly improve your Signal Quality reading. When adjusting your LNBF, be sure you don't leave that LNBF holding bracket loose. The LNBF won't pick up the satellite if the bracket is loose, and it's slightly off. Finally, when thinking about degrees, remember that 30 degrees is about 5 minutes on a clock. Don't turn the LNB too much! Make certain that the pole or tri-mast assembly is vertically plumb. Check it with an Angle Finder or a level. If the pole or tri-mast is not plumb, your azimuth and elevation will not be accurate and will cause difficulty when pointing the dish. Also, if you are using a pole mount, make certain you pour a sufficient footing that will provide proper ballast. A pole that does not have sufficient ballast will lean over time, causing you to lose the signal. Your mount must be very strong and can not wobble. You must use at least 4 lag screws (correct size for your installation) in the base mount one on each corner.
When pointing the satellite dish, allow 5-10 seconds between any movements of the dish. This allows the receiver to complete a signal scan, and lock indicating that you have located the signal.
A reasonable signal strength is between 50 and 80. If it is lower than that range, you are either pointing into an object (e.g. trees, shrubs, or structures) or pointing above or below the satellite. Your antenna installation position must have a clear view angle of the satellite you are trying to receive. There are other satellites within 2 degrees to the left or right that may use the same frequency. This will provide a strong signal strength reading but no signal quality or signal lock. If you have a high strength reading but are not able to lock on, try adjusting the dish slightly to the right or left.
When you are attempting to set up a satellite dish in a heavily wooded area or one with lots of man made obstructions, it helps to understand how the dish really works. One common misconception is that the dish points 'directly' at the satellite. This isn't the case for most dish designs. The apparent elevation of the dish is 15 or more degrees lower than it's actual receiving window. Have a look at this diagram.... it's easier to see it than it is to explain it.....
If you complete the above steps properly, your chance of a successful installation is 99.9% and you are trying to aim your dish that the receiver waits about 3-5 seconds after it locks on to the correct signal before it registers on the receiver's signal meter on the antenna aiming screen on your TV. Move your dish in very small increments (2 deg East or West each instance until you find the signal then 1 deg to peak signal). If you move the dish too fast and do not pause between moves you might go thru the signal before the receiver can tell you that you are on the signal.
General Site Survey To get a signal, the satellite dish must be pointed directly at the satellite, with NO obstructions between the two. This means NO trees and NO buildings. Take into consideration future tree growth, house remodeling or additions and new construction in your area.The satellite signal WILL NOT PASS through leaves or branches.Use our Satellite Look Angle calculator to determine the proper dish angles.
Finding a Clear Line of Sight Get yourself a good compass, the best you can afford. Check the "Azimuth" and "Elevation" for your location here! Locate at least one site on your property that has a clear view to the satellite. Do you have at least one clear view to the satellite? Remember, no trees, leaves, or buildings can be between the dish and the satellite. If the answer is NO, your site may not be suitable for installing the satellite system.If the answer is MAYBE, you may want to contact a local digital satellite dealer for information about having a professional installer conduct a thorough site survey.If the answer is YES, your site should be suitable for installing the system.
Go ahead to the next section of these instructions.Where Is Intelsat Americas 5 Satellite?The satellite is always located south of Texas. That means if you live in Florida, you must have a clear line of sight to the southwest; if you live in California, you must have a clear line to the southeast.Depending on where you live, the satellite will be at an elevation angle between 30 and 60 degrees. Southern states point more toward 60 degrees; northern states point more toward 30 degrees. Use our Satellite Look Angle calculator to determine your dish elevation and azimuth.
LNBF Polarization Tilt (skew):Your LNB is marked with a label indicating the polarization tilt. Your local LNB polarity offset information varies by location. If you are in Houston, TX your LNB polarization is to be set at 0 degrees. But if you are on the California coast your LNB polarization could be as much as minus 30 degrees (clockwise rotation). And if you are in Maine your LNB polarization could be as much as plus 30 degree (counter-clockwise rotation.
Peaking the dish and adjusting the polarity of the LNB will greatly improve your Signal Quality reading. When adjusting your LNBF, be sure you don't leave that LNBF holding bracket loose. The LNBF won't pick up the satellite if the bracket is loose, and it's slightly off. Finally, when thinking about degrees, remember that 30 degrees is about 5 minutes on a clock. Don't turn the LNB too much! Make certain that the pole or tri-mast assembly is vertically plumb. Check it with an Angle Finder or a level. If the pole or tri-mast is not plumb, your azimuth and elevation will not be accurate and will cause difficulty when pointing the dish. Also, if you are using a pole mount, make certain you pour a sufficient footing that will provide proper ballast. A pole that does not have sufficient ballast will lean over time, causing you to lose the signal. Your mount must be very strong and can not wobble. You must use at least 4 lag screws (correct size for your installation) in the base mount one on each corner.
When pointing the satellite dish, allow 5-10 seconds between any movements of the dish. This allows the receiver to complete a signal scan, and lock indicating that you have located the signal.
A reasonable signal strength is between 50 and 80. If it is lower than that range, you are either pointing into an object (e.g. trees, shrubs, or structures) or pointing above or below the satellite. Your antenna installation position must have a clear view angle of the satellite you are trying to receive. There are other satellites within 2 degrees to the left or right that may use the same frequency. This will provide a strong signal strength reading but no signal quality or signal lock. If you have a high strength reading but are not able to lock on, try adjusting the dish slightly to the right or left.
When you are attempting to set up a satellite dish in a heavily wooded area or one with lots of man made obstructions, it helps to understand how the dish really works. One common misconception is that the dish points 'directly' at the satellite. This isn't the case for most dish designs. The apparent elevation of the dish is 15 or more degrees lower than it's actual receiving window. Have a look at this diagram.... it's easier to see it than it is to explain it.....
If you complete the above steps properly, your chance of a successful installation is 99.9% and you are trying to aim your dish that the receiver waits about 3-5 seconds after it locks on to the correct signal before it registers on the receiver's signal meter on the antenna aiming screen on your TV. Move your dish in very small increments (2 deg East or West each instance until you find the signal then 1 deg to peak signal). If you move the dish too fast and do not pause between moves you might go thru the signal before the receiver can tell you that you are on the signal.
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