Dish Antenna Alignment

The first and foremost thing that you have to remember about dish antenna is that its working is totally dependent on its alignment. If you are not able to adjust it at proper angles, then the entire system will falter. Read on for instructions regarding dish antenna alignment.

This article is for any person, who wants to take on the DIY task of dish antenna alignment. The location of antenna requires good view of satellites, hence it may require that the person performing the task to climb on dangerous places. You have to be prepared for tackling the electrical anomalies that come your way. It must have already been clear from the previous discussion that adjusting dish antenna to the dish network requires risk taking.

Tools Required for Dish Antenna Alignment

• Nut Driver
• Screw Driver
• Adjustable Wrench
• Electric Drill
• Coaxial Cables
• Mast Hardware

Steps Involved in Alignment

Step 1: Co-ordinate Calculation
There are basically three types of co-ordinates that need to be calculated; azimuth, elevation and tilt. A receiver box is provided with the dish antenna kit. Once you connect the receiver box with the TV screen, the instructions to calculate these co-ordinates will prompt on the screen. They will vary according to the zip code of the place. You will be asked to enter the zip code. The three co-ordinates will be displayed on screen menu on merely entering the zip code. You will receive further instructions on how to fine tune dish antenna.

Step 2: Determining Antenna Site
Elevation angle clearance of antenna must be at least 19º. This provides an unobstructed view of all three satellites. Mind you, these satellites are placed in southern skies, hence your antenna should be in that direction. Northern border states should have an elevation angle clearance of 30º and for southern border states, it should be 60º. So an antenna site must be selected so that it takes care of the above conditions and you can have the dish antenna pointing in the required direction. Keep in mind that dish antenna gain increases as the frequency increases.

Step 3: Installation of the Mast
This step is important because there might be some cases where the antenna is compatible with receiving signals of multiple satellites. Mount the base firmly such that it does not shift its position. Causes such as wind or antenna's own weight should not force it to tilt.
Also there is a bubble level given with the mast. It is absolutely imperative that you keep the bubble centered. If you are not able to center the bubble, loosen the screws of the base and adjust the position of the mast again, so that the bubble is always centered.

Step 4: Attaching the Mast
On top of the mast, slide the antenna assembly till it meets the pivot. Azimuth clamp bolts should be tightened, so that the antenna has a side to side pivot movement.

Step 5: Cable Routing
Properly inspect the wiring for any kind of deformities. You will be provided with receiver grounding block in the kit provided along with the dish antenna. Mount this receiver grounding block close to the receiver. While inserting the cable into the grounding block make sure that you keep a loop of wire aside. This is to let the rain water drip away. You will need another cable to connect the block from inside.

Step 6: Antenna and Cable Grounding
It is highly recommended that you ground, both antenna and grounding block. The grounding point can be the entry of a cold water pipe into your house. The wire which comes from dish antenna must go through the grounding block first and then to the grounding point. A wire for grounding should also be dedicated to the block.

Step 7: Attaching LNB
LNB stands for Low Noise Blocks. It is attached to the rod of an antenna. An interesting thing about LNB is that it comes with the compatibility of four different outputs. So it makes sense to run down four wires to grounding block. You can use different wires for different output .

Step 8: Fine Tuning
First you'll have to adjust azimuth, elevation and then, tilt. Plug in the cable. Here you will receive instructions on TV screen to fine tune to a satellite. There are three satellites and your dish antenna needs to fine tune with each of them. Once you fine tune your dish antenna with one satellite, your receiver will automatically fine tune itself with the other two. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions that are displayed on TV screen.

Without properly aligning and installing dish antenna, your satellite-TV experience will surely be hampered. Understanding dish antenna design before implementing the above steps is crucial. Hope through the above article on dish antenna alignment, I have been able to provide you enough information on dish antenna installation.