How to Install an FTA Dish
Free-to-air (FTA) is a good source of television programming if you're interested in news feeds, foreign-language news or U.S. religious programming. FTA dish installation is made simpler if there's just one channel you want, like ABC News Doha Qatar, for example, because you won't need a motorized dish.
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Things You'll Need
- 30-inch (75 cm) Ku band satellite dish antenna kit
- Coax
- Concrete
- Signal meter
Instructions
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1
Check a satellite listing to choose your programming. Every satellite has its own slot in the orbit. Choose the satellite you want to receive based on the programming that satellite provides. ABC News Doha Qatar is on Galaxy 11, which is at 89° West. Obtain the azimuth and elevation settings for your location using a web-based calculator. Don't forget delineation.
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2
Survey your property with a compass to determine the best location for your dish. The azimuth is the compass heading. You are looking for an unobstructed view of the satellite you want to receive. It's possible that you will only be able to receive some, not all, satellites because of topographic or obstruction issues.
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3
Mount the pole. Dig a hole and secure the pole in a concrete base and make sure it's plumb. Allow the concrete to harden before mounting any hardware. This could take a few days.
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4
Bury coaxial cable from the television to the pole. Allow enough extra cable to go up the pole.
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5
Assemble the dish and low noise block converter (LNBF) and set the azimuth and elevation on the dish.
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6
Mount the dish to the pole using the supplied brackets. Point it roughly. Connect the LNBF to the coaxial cable and set the dish polarization by rotating the LNBF as marked.
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7
Connect the other end of the coaxial cable to the free-to-air receiver in the house and connect the FTA receiver to the television. Switch it all off when you have finished setting up the inside connections.
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8
Align the satellite dish. Connect the signal finder to the dish and set the meter to the halfway mark. Move the dish to the right until you pick up a signal. Adjust the sensitivity of the signal finder to get optimum positioning.
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9
Check that you are pointing at the correct satellite by checking the programming on the television. Run the "Channel Add" program on the receiver and check the television for your programming.
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10
Fine tune the signal. Loosen the elevation bolts and move the dish until you get optimum signal. Fine tune the polarization by rotating the LNBF.
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11
Permanently secure the installation.
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