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Knowledge Is Key
For Intelligent Decisions
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As one of the two major suppliers of satellite TV services, Dish Network
guarantees a highly professional and reliable satellite installation. In
fact, as a new subscriber you will get the installation service for free.
But what includes the installation process? Before you get started you'll
have to understand the dish parts:
* Mast - Arm that is mounted to a solid surface for the satellite dish
* Reflector - Large round or oval part of the dish that reflects the signal
from the satellite
* Arm - Extension from the reflector that holds the LNB
* LNB/LNBF - Stands for Low Noise Block converter or LNB with an
integrated Feed horn. This is the "eye" that connects to the arm of the
dish
* Switch - allows more receivers (than what is allowed by the LNB by
itself), to connect to the system.
If you're doing it by yourself, the first step to installing a dish system is
to do a site survey.
Make sure that you have a clear line of site to the South where you will
be mounting the dish, and find something solid to mount it to. Ideal
locations would include the corner or side of the house where you can
mount the mast into a wall stud, a solid immovable post, or as a last
resort, the roof. It is ok to mount the dish to a roof, however keep in
mind that you will be penetrating it with lag bolts that will need to be
weatherproofed with silicone or roofing sealant.
Keep in mind where the receivers are located in the house so that you
can plan your cable routing accordingly and where you can ground your
dish. Make sure that your view to the Southern sky is unobstructed at
the elevation angle you will be setting your dish at. If the setting for your
zip code is 45 degrees, check the sky at a 45 degree angle to make sure
the sky is clear.
Next, mount the mast to your solid surface using lag bolts. Use six lag
bolts to mount the mast. 2 inch lags for the corners and 3 inch lags for
the center holes into a wall stud. Failure to comply with this step could
allow wind weathering to pull and wear on the mast allowing it to strip
the hold on the bolts and your dish will eventually move out of alignment.
Use a level to make sure that the end of your mast is plumb or (perfectly
vertical at every angle). If you don't, it will make it more difficult to point
the dish and get a good signal. Once your mast is plumb, tighten all the
nuts and bolts but take care not to strip them.
Mount the dish to the mast. Tighten all the bolts and nuts just enough
to take all the loose "play" out of the movement of the dish. Get the
coordinates from the receiver setup process for your zip code and adjust
your azimuth, elevation, and skew accordingly. Use a compass to get a
"best guess" for the azimuth. Do not tighten the bolts yet; keep them
loose so that you can easily adjust them when you fine tune your signal.
Connect your signal meter to the LNB and line coming from the receiver.
If you don't have a signal meter you can pick one up from Radio Shack,
other electronics supply or the internet for about $20 for a cheap one.
You can use your receiver and TV as a signal meter by viewing the
installation screen. Press MENU, then option 6, option 1, option 1 on
your remote. You will need someone to assist you as you adjust your
dish with this method.
If you have a meter turn the db level until you barely get an audible
tone and sweep the southern sky to get a good idea of where the
satellite locations are. You should pick up 5 or so locations during your
sweep. If you do not get any or only get 1 or 2 satellites, adjust your
elevation until you pickup more. Start from the West and zero in on the
119° satellite location. It should be the 2nd one from the West. The first
one should be the 129° orbital location which should be slight and
fainter if you elevation is tuned correctly. Adjust your db level down to
allow you to fine tune the signal.
Once you have the best signal possible by adjusting the azimuth, tighten
down the bolts just enough to keep the dish from turning. Again turn
your db level down on the meter (if necessary) and fine tune the
elevation for the best possible signal. If you have a skew setting for your
dish type, you do not need to adjust it in this process. Before you tighten
all your bolts completely you may want to check the receiver signal to
make sure you have your dish set correctly.
If your dish is peaked, tighten all the bolts with your meter still on to
make sure you don't lose your adjustments during the process.
Connect your receiver to the LNB. Remove your meter and connect your
receiver line directly to the LNB. If you are using a multiswitch you will
need to connect at least 2 lines from the switch to the LNB depending
on which dish you have. Once your connected you should be able to
complete the setup process on the receiver and complete your activation
(if it's a new receiver).
Make sure all of your connections are tight and weatherproof. Water
does get into fittings and rusts out the center conductor so make sure
your f-connectors are tight and all wall penetrations are sealed with
silicone. Keep cabling and fittings off the ground where dirt and water
can corrode and animals can chew or pull on the cable.
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