SAT EDUCATION

Quick Start Guide

Selecting a site to install your dish

Find a Clear Line of Sight
To ensure you have trouble free reception from the satellite the first step to a successful installation is to perform a site survey.
Before you do this you need to understand a few satellite basics.

1. Go outside and locate at least one site on your property that has a clear view to the Satellite/s.
   
2. Do you have at least one clear view to the Satellite/s?
   Remember, no trees, leaves, buildings or any obstruction can be between the Dish and the Satellite/s
   
3. Imagine an arc 30 to 60 degrees above the horizon.
   

Obtain Dish Pointing Coordinates – Use our program to obtain your pointing direction and angles to your desired satellite. This will give you the exact coordinates (azimuth and elevation) for pointing the dish. You will need your site longitude and latitude which can be obtained from a GPS device or from the map in our program.
Select the Precise Mounting Site – Use the dish pointing coordinates to
conduct a precise site survey to determine the exact mounting site.

Begin Dish Assembly – Attach the reflector to the support arm so that you can preset the correct elevation.
Set the Elevation on Dish – This is an important step. Making sure that your
elevation setting is correct will help you to more easily obtain the signal later
on.
Mounting the Mast

Mount the Mast – Depending on your type of mounting, permanent or portable, the mount should be secure, as the slightest movement of the dish can affect the signal.
Completing the Final Installation

Level the Mast – The mast must be perfectly vertical to enable the elevation co-ordinates to be accurate.
If the mast is not vertical you may have terrible trouble aligning the dish as the elevation and azimuth will be affected.
Complete the Dish Assembly – Place the dish on the mast and connect the
RG-6 coaxial cable to the LNB, and attach the LNB to the support arm.
Run the Cables from the Satellite Dish into the House – Run the RG-6 cable
to the receiver, using a wall plate outlet and fly lead if required.
Make the Final Connections to the Receiver – Connect the RG-6 to the
satellite input on the receiver and connect receiver to your TV.
Acquire and Fine-Tune the Satellite Signal – Use Sat Finder tool or Satellite meter
to check for a signal. Once the signal is obtained, adjust dish pointing to
achieve maximum signal strength for your location.
Adjust the Skew of the LNB – Use Sat Finder tool or Satellite meter or chart to adjust the Skew angle of the Lnb to get the correct polarity and best signal.
Time to watch TV.

Satellite Dish Installation Guide for a C Band Dish

Selecting a site to install your dish

Surveying the site is the first step in a good installation. This is the same as for the KU band dish but may encompass a wider arc of view depending on the amount of Satellites to see.

1. Is there an unobstructed view to all of the satellite positions?
   
2. Will seasonal foliage cause problems?
   
3. Is the area that the dish is to be anchored into solid?
   
4. Are there sources of terrestrial interference that need to be considered?
   

Make sure that there is nothing that will obstruct the dish as it moves the full span of the sky. You must verify that there are no transmissions in the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz frequency band that will cause problems with reception. An easy way to verify this is to use a good LNB connected to a signal strength meter. Move the LNB around the target area in a full circle. If you notice any spikes of signal it is safe to assume those same spikes may cause interference after the installation is finished.
Planting The Dish

A properly installed dish requires a perfectly plumb pole and a well-anchored solid base. It is a good idea to fill the pole with concrete as well as pouring a concrete base; this will strengthen the installation and allow for more accurate reception of C Band signals.
A good "rule of thumb" is to use one bag of concrete for each full foot of dish size. A seven and one half-foot dish needs a minimum of seven bags of concrete as an anchor. If you are in a region where strong storms are common, then more concrete is recommended.

• Check for plumb in three directions.
  
• Allow the concrete to harden for at least 24 hours before dish mounting.
  
• Use braces that are welded or drilled through the pole to prevent turning in the concrete under load conditions.
  

Dish Assembly

Every dish sold comes with directions for assembly. Make sure you read the instructions before attempting to assemble the dish! Some important things to remember:

• The dish needs to be perfectly shaped. Use a measuring tape and measure across the diameter of the dish in three directions. All measurements should be identical.
  
• Tie a piece of string across the diameter of the dish in two directions. The strings should just barely touch at the centre of the dish. If the strings are pushed hard against each other or fail to touch, then the dish is not properly assembled.
  
• Don't over tighten the dish-mounting hardware. You do not want the ribs to be deformed by pressure, as this will prevent proper alignment. Allow the lock washers to perform the job of securing the bolts.
  

Mounting the Feedhorn

The dish is a reflector that focuses the energy into a small golf-ball sized orb at the mouth of the feedhorn. Inside the feedhorn are two small antennas that are selected by voltage from the receiver for vertical or horizontal polarity. Knowing this will allow you to see how important it is to properly mount the feedhorn.
Do not assume that because all the supports holding the scalar ring are the same length that centering is automatic. Make sure that all the supports are the same distance from the edge of the dish to the scalar ring. Each measurement should be within 1/32 of each other. You need to assure that the scalar ring (the supporting ring for the feedhorn) is parallel to the bottom of the dish and that it is perfectly centered in the dish. If all this isn’t done, then you will have imperfect reception. Having the focal point off by as little as one-half of one inch can cause a fifty percent loss in signal strength!
A Word About Focal Depth

The f/D ratio is the focal distance of the dish (f), divided by the diameter (D). When dealing with most prime focus antennas, the number should come out between .28 and .42. If you notice, most of those numbers are also on scale on the side of the feedhorn. You simply set the top edge of the scalar ring even with the line that corresponds to your correct f/D setting. What this adjustment actually does is determines how wide of an angle the feedhorn can "see".
To calculate the focal distance, you need to measure the diameter (D) and the depth (d) of the dish. Measurements should be in like units (you can't use feet for the diameter and inches for depth). For this example, let's say we have a dish that is 120 inches in diameter (D) and 18 inches deep (d). Focal distance (f) equals the diameter squared (D x D) divided by 16 times the depth (16 x d) or:
D x D = 120 x 120 = 14400
16 x d = 16 x 18 = 288
D x D/16 x d = 14400/288 = 50
Therefore focal distance f = 50 inches
After you have calculated the focal distance (f), you can use that figure to calculate the f/D ratio of your dish. In this case, using the same diameter of (D) = 120; and the calculated focal distance (f) = 50
f / D = 50 / 120 = .416
f /D = .416
And round up to give a setting of .42
All of this information will be provided in the dish manufacturer’s instructions. It is important to read the directions and understand the type of equipment you are working with. Often times you will be working on a system that was previously installed.
Feedhorn Issues

Moisture is the enemy of microwave reception. Making sure the feedhorn and LNB's are protected and properly installed is very important to long-term, service-free performance of a C-Band TV system.
Make sure that all coaxial cable connections are crimped with a proper tool and treated to prevent moisture from entering the cable. Make sure you use the gaskets supplied with the LNB's to prevent moisture from entering the throat of the feedhorn. Also, check to be sure the plastic covering for the throat of the feedhorn is attached firmly to prevent both moisture and pests from entering the waveguide.
Low Noise Block Amplifiers - The LNB

The LNB is the electronic device that mounts on the feedhorn and converts that golf-ball-sized globe of RF energy into an electrical signal the IRD (receiver) can understand and use. There are several kinds of LNB. There are LNBF’s that use voltage on the coaxial cable to switch from vertical to horizontal polarity. There are consumer grade LNB's that use an external servo motor to turn the probe and select polarity. And finally there are Digital or PLL (Phase Locked Loop) LNB's that are normally used on commercial installations. It is highly recommended that a PLL LNB be used on any high-quality TVRO installation, whether consumer or commercial.
The biggest difference between a normal LNB and a PLL LNB is the amount of frequency drift. No matter the type of LNB, don't get caught up in a numbers war. Many beginning installers think that a lower temperature LNB will always be better than a higher temperature LNB. This is not necessarily true. A PLL 25 degree LNB will almost always outperform a 17 degree consumer (standard grade) LNB.
Also, you cannot make up for poor dish alignment or installation with a better LNB or line amplifier. The dish needs to collect the signal and send it cleanly to the throat of the feedhorn. All the electronics in the world cannot help the picture if you are losing half your signal and sending loads of noise into the feedhorn. Use a good LNB, preferably a PLL LNB If it is to be commercial standard- but spend your time making sure the mechanics of the dish are up to snuff first

Satellite Dish Installation Guide for a C Band Dish (Continued)

The Actuator Arm (The Dish Mover)

Rear view of a typical Linear Actuator Arm. This arm is set up for Linear East / West Use
Now that we have the proper LNB mounted on the feedhorn, the feedhorn mounted on the dish and centered exactly, and the dish mounted on a plumb and properly secured pole, we are ready to connect the actuator arm. Make sure you use an actuator that is properly rated for the dish it is attached to. You should never use an 18" actuator arm to try and move a solid 12-foot dish! It may work for a while but the chances are good that you will be replacing it in short order. Try to get the best heavy-duty actuator arm you can - it will pay for itself many times over in years of trouble free service.
Aligning The Dish

Now we come to the hardest part of the installation. If you pay close attention to the following procedures it will pay off in the long run with better reception on weaker C-Band satellites.
Three adjustments are required to ensure proper tracking of the arc: Azimuth (east/west heading), declination offset angle and polar axis angle (inclination angle). These parameters should be set while the dish is aimed toward its highest position, namely towards the Northern most satellite.
Setting the Polar Axis Angle - The polar axis angle is set by placing an inclinometer on the polar bar and then raising or lowering the dish to that angle.
The azimuth must be set right in order to detect all the satellites in the viewable arc. Most dishes have a flat plate on the mount that can be used as a sighting reference. A hand-held compass is the most effective type for lining up the mount. Remember that a correction for magnetic variation is necessary. Add magnetic variation to the compass heading for west magnetic variation; subtract for east.
The polar axis angle or inclination angle is within fractions of the site latitude. Most mounts have one or two long threaded rods that are used to adjust the polar axis angle. An inclinometer resting on the axis bar or back part of the mount is used to set this angle.
The declination offset adjustment lowers the sight of a dish to the arc of the satellites. Declination is greater in locations farther away from the equator. Just like the offset angle, it is measured with an inclinometer. The difference between the two readings, one on the main bar, and one on a flat spot on the back of the dish, should be equal to the declination offset.

The easiest way to set the declination offset is with an inclinometer placed on the back surface that is parallel with the face of the dish. Or via a flat board placed in a vertical direction spanning the rims. This reading should be equal to the sum of the polar axis and declination angles.
Setting the Declination Angle - The declination angle is set by placing an inclinometer on a flat service of the dish that is parallel to the line between the rims and adjusting the declination bolts until the reading equals the sum of the polar axis and destination angles. Using the Dish Face to Set A Declination Angle - If a flat surface cannot be found on the rear of the dish or on the hardware that supports the declination adjustment, the declination angle can be set by placing an inclinometer on a flat board that rests on the face of the dish. Determine the latitude & Longitude of your installation by using our program.
When the declination is properly set, the procedure is to set the dish to true North (not magnetic North. You need to compensate and use the polar axis adjustment to capture the northernmost satellite visible from your location. This is called the zenith satellite. Once you are peaked at the northernmost satellite you can use the actuator control on your receiver to move the dish to the lowest satellite off the horizon you can see. This is called the extreme satellite.
Once you have located the extreme satellite, gently push up and down on the edge of the dish to see which direction helps clear up the picture. If pushing down on the lip of the dish clears up the picture, then you need to rotate the polar mount counter clockwise. If pushing up on the lip of the dish clears up the picture, then you need to rotate the polar mount clockwise on the pole.
After you have made the azimuth adjustment, return the dish to the northern most satellite and use the elevation adjustment to clear the picture up. Keep moving back and forth between the extreme satellite and the zenith satellite using the polar adjustment and the elevation adjustment respectively until the dish tracks the arc.
You are now ready to run your cabling as in the KU setup and install the decoder and start viewing!