How to Put Up a Satellite Dish

Learn how to install a satellite dish.

When you install a satellite dish, you mount the actual dish onto a roof so the dish can receive the appropriate satellite signal. Installing a satellite dish does require precision because a bad job can mean frequent loss of signal during rain or even if it's windy outside. When you learn how to put up a satellite dish, you can enjoy a strong satellite signal without paying a company for professional installation.

Things You'll Need

• Foot
• Six bolts
• Drill
• Socket driver
• J-pole
• Sealant
• Level
• Satellite dish
• Compass with numbers
• Signal meter
• LNB
• Coax cable
• Socket wrench

Instructions

1. Bolt the foot, which is the bracket that connects the satellite dish to the eaves, to the roof using the six enclosed bolts. Use a drill with a socket driver attachment to make the holes. Mount the foot so that the J-pole, which the satellite will mount to, faces up. Add sealant around the bolts to prevent damage from weather.

2. Adjust the top of the J-pole until it's level.

3. Slide the satellite dish onto the J-pole.

4. Point the satellite dish to the appropriate coordinates, using a compass with numbers as your guide. Satellite companies only provide these coordinates to official satellite installers. You'll need to adjust the satellite dish side to side, up and down, and you'll need to rotate the dish around to best obtain your coordinates.

5. Test your signal using a signal meter to make sure the dish points to the proper location. Connect the signal meter to the LNB, which is the hand that comes out of the satellite dish. The LNB has white bulbs on it, and you can attach a coax cable to one of the coax barrels just under the bulbs. The other end of the coax cable attaches to the signal meter so you can test the signal. Adjust your satellite dish as necessary so you can obtain the optimum signal.

6. Tighten the bolts on the back of the satellite dish with a socket wrench to secure its positioning.

References

• Ken Hart; Lead Technician for Allstar AVN; Nixa, Mo.