Do it Yourself Satellite Guide

Satellite televisions systems are tricky and difficult to install, even for the most avid electronics user. Mounting the dish generally requires climbing up to your roof, obtaining a perfect alignment with the satellites in orbit around the earth and drilling permanent holes. You'll have to bring the wires inside, which also requires drilling large holes through your walls. Without experience, users can find themselves with poorly mounted equipment, no television and a damaged home. If inexperienced, most satellite companies will offer you free installation as a new customer just for signing up, and the vast majority of customers take advantage of these offers. However, do-it-yourself installs can be done; just take great patience and planning before beginning.

The Dish

• 1

  Locate a place to install your satellite dish. This should be an area with a clear view of the southern sky, as this is where the satellites are located. Ensure that your view will be unencumbered 12 months of the year.

• 2

  Place your satellite bracket where you wish to install it. There will be four (or more) pre-drilled holes on the bracket for screws. Drill through these holes into your wall or roof, then screw the bracket in place with the provided screws.

• 3

  Insert your mounting pole into the mounting bracket. Then secure this in place by tightening the clamps near the base with your pliers.

• 4

  Thread two RG-6 coaxial cables through the arm of the satellite dish. Connect the two coaxial wires to your LNB, which is the heaviest piece of the dish and has two or more round plastic pieces on the end. The coaxial inputs will be cylindrical ports with pin-sized holes. Insert the pins from your coaxial cables into these holes and secure the wire by tightening them. Insert the LNB into the arm and secure it in place with the provided screw.

• 5

  Connect the arm to the round portion of the dish with the provided screws; screw holes will line up for both holes. Connect the assembled parts to the mounted pole by putting the part on top of the pole and tightening the bolts in place.

The Wiring

• 1

  Connect the two coaxial cables from your dish to the input ports on your satellite splitter.

• 2

  Run cables from your satellite splitter to each of the televisions you wish to connect. This may require drilling holes through walls; if this is required, use a masonry drill bit and fill the hole with caulking when you've completed the entire installation.

• 3

  Connect the coaxial cables you've just run. One end connects to the outputs on your satellite splitter, the other to the satellite input on your satellite receiver.

• 4

  Connect your satellite receiver to your television. Insert one set of ends from your RCA audio/video cables into the audio/video outs on your receiver. These will be three round ports, color-coded yellow, red and white. Insert the other set of ends from these wires into identical inputs on the back of your television. Make sure to match the color-coding in both instances.

• 5

  Repeat for all remaining televisions.

Settings/Dish Alignment

• 1

  Set your television to receive a signal from your satellite box. How this is done varies by television, but you can usually cycle through the video modes by pressing a button on your remote like "source", "input" or "TV/video." Consult your television's manual for information specific to video modes.

• 2

  Enter the main menu of your satellite receiver by pressing the menu button on your satellite receiver's remote. Enter the setup menu, followed by the transponder or dish alignment menu.

• 3

  Check transponders one and two by moving your cursor over the icons on the screen. If either are less than 70, you must adjust your dish alignment.

• 4

  Loosen the two bolts on the back of your satellite dish; one will control the up and down motion of the dish, while the other controls the left and right motion. Adjust the dish in very small increments, no more than a half inch each time. Have an assistant check the transponders each time. When both transponders are above 70, check the remaining ones available. Continue to adjust the dish until all are above 70.

• 5

  Secure the dish back into place and call your satellite system to activate your equipment.