How to Set Up a Ten Foot Dish Antenna
It's disappointing when you're sitting down to watch your favorite show and the signal drops out due to poor satellite reception. Elevating your satellite dish with a 10 foot mast will greatly increase the satellite's line as well as getting it above any obstructions. Once the dish is in place, it's a straight forward process to set the azimuth (east and west direction) and the elevation (north and south). Once you've done this, you're well on your way to a better signal.
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Things You'll Need
- Antenna mast mounting bracket kit
- Pencil
- Drill
- 1/4 inch drill bit
- Screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Antenna mast, 10 foot
- Level
- Ladder (if needed)
- Satellite dish mounting bracket kit
- Satellite dish
- Compass
- Protractor
Instructions
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1
Locate a spot on the eave of the house that is adjacent to where the cable enters the house. Hold the mast mounting bracket against the eave and mark the location of the holes on the bracket to the eave.
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2
Drill a 1/4 inch pilot hole through each marked location. Insert a screw from the mounting kit through each hole in the bracket, and screw them into the pilot holes in the eave of the house. Tighten them down securing the bracket in place.
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3
Place one end of the mast on the ground and raise the other end of vertically so that it rests against the bracket. Use the level to position the mast so that it is perfectly straight up and down.
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4
Attach the mast to the end of the mounting bracket using the included nuts and bolts from the kit and tighten them down.
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5
Position the ladder next to the mast, if needed, to gain access to the top of the mast. Attach the satellite mounting bracket to the top end of the mast. Insert a U-bolt around the top of the mast and through the holes in the bracket and thread a nut onto each end of the U bolt. Tighten the nuts down with the adjustable wrench.
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6
Attach the bottom of the dish to the mounting bracket. Insert a bolt through each hole in bracket and the corresponding holes in the bottom of the dish. Thread a nut on each one and tighten them down.
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7
Aim the dish at the satellite using the calculations obtained from the resource link. Example: For a zip code of 32202 the calculations for aiming the dish will be: Elevation= 43.1, Azimuth= 231.3, and Polarisation= 39.1
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8
Position the dish for the elevation, which is the north and south or up and down movement. Using the wrench, slightly loosen the nut on the rear of the dish to adjusts the indicator marked elevation. Slide the dish up or down until the indicator points at the the correct setting for you location. Example: 43.1. Tighten the nuts back down to lock it in place.
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9
Position the dish for the azimuth, which is the east and west or left and right movement. Using the wrench, slightly loosen the nut on the rear of the dish that adjusts the indicator marked azimuth. Rotate the dish left or right until the indicator points at the correct setting for you location. Example: 231.3. Tighten the nuts back back down to lock it in place.
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10
Set the polarization which is located on the receiving head of the dish or the Low Noise Block downcoverter (LNB). Face the dish head on and locate the adjustment screw on the bottom of the LNB. Loosen the screw and slowly slide the LNB either left or right until the arrow lines up with the proper setting for your location. Example: 39.1. Tighten the screw back down.
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11
Screw the connector on the end of the coaxial cable running into the house, to the connector on the back of the LNB. Turn the TV on and test for reception.
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Tips & Warnings
Never mount or erect a satellite dish or antenna next to a power line. Accidental contact with the power line could result in serious electrical shock.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit satellite dish image by steveinnz from Fotolia.com
