How to Set Up a Dish 500 FTA

You can use your existing Dish 500 satellite dish to collect free-to-air or FTA programming that does not require any subscription fees. Connect a FTA receiver to one of the LNB ports on the Dish 500 to set up your FTA system and start watching free satellite television. FTA equipment installs in the same manner and with the same cables as your standard satellite devices.

Things You'll Need

• FTA receiver
• Coaxial cables
• Component cable

Instructions

1. Connect the coaxial cable to one of the LNB ports on the Dish 500. The LNBs or low-noise blocks are the part of the satellite dish that acquires the signal and sends it to your receiver.

2. Fasten the other end of the coaxial cable to the "LNB In" jack on the rear of the FTA receiver.

3. Run the component cables from the outputs on the rear of the receiver to the input panel on your TV. Turn on your TV and press the "Input" button until the picture from the receiver appears on the screen.

4. Press the "Menu" button on the FTA receiver's remote to access the Main Menu. Use the "Installation" menu of the receiver to a select a satellite. Each satellite carries a specific set of available channels.

5. Navigate to the "Auto Search" or "Scan" option to acquire the signal and search for the channels. Once the dish locates the channels, press "Exit" and press "Guide" to to select a channel to watch from the programming guide.

References

• Sadoun: Dish 500 Installation
• FTA Fever: Getting Started With Free-to-Air