How to Mount Your Satellite Dish and Get the Best Signal

If you’ve chosen a satellite TV provider over your local cable company, one issue you might be having difficulty with is the installation of the dish itself. The dish provider company will offer to send a service technician out to your house for the initial installation, but they might charge a fee. And what if you have problems with reception afterward and need to make adjustments? Additionally, if you’ve chosen to install your satellite dish yourself, you may have to mount and adjust it a few times before you get it ‘picture perfect’. So, here is some information and tips to help you get the best signal from your satellite dish, including where to mount and how to adjust the dish for the best reception.

Where to Mount the Dish The first step is deciding where to mount the dish. Because the actual satellite that sends the signals to your dish antenna resides in space about 22,300 miles above the equator, you’ll need to install it where you, yourself can see a clear, unobstructed view of the southern sky. This is the guideline for selecting the generalized mounting area so you can then further determine exactly where to put it.

You should try to avoid mounting your satellite dish on the roof of your home because not only can that cause possible leaks, but you will also want to have easy access to it for clearing snow, leaves, etc. from the signal path or repositioning the dish later on. Think back to the old-style, roof-mounted metal ‘tree’ antennas that were used way-back-when, and what an inconvenience it was for someone to have to climb up to the top of the house and adjust it – not fun or safe, especially in bad weather.

How to Mount and Adjust the Dish
• Once you’ve chosen the exact spot, attach the mounting plate to your house so that it is flush and level with the mounting surface.
o Use silicone to fill in any extra space around the drill holes to prevent pests and the elements from getting inside.
• Assemble the antenna/dish and mount it to the plate.
• To determine the best position for the dish, you can use a compass in conjunction with the markings on the antenna mechanism itself. You can also use an electronic satellite locator to help you fine tune the signal reception.
• Attaching the cable to the antenna/dish and drill a hole to insert the cable through and hook that and the coax cable up to your TV and receiver box.
o Note: If you’re running the cable up or down through a wall to reach the TV, using a cable snake will help you maneuver it.
• Turn on both the TV and digital receiver box and check the current reception quality.
• If need be, fine-tune the coordinates of the dish position:
o Adjust the Elevation (up or down) designation of the dish
o Adjust the Azimuth (left or right) signal position of the dish

You may have to go back and forth into the house a few times to check the reception, and it would be helpful to have someone inside alerting you to the reception quality, but following these guidelines will help you to end up with the best signal strength.

You can also:
1. Refer to your user manual;
2. Use the remote you were provided with and follow the built-in ‘set-up’ menu options on the TV screen; and/or
3. Contact the provider’s customer service department for additional questions or assistance.

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for SatelliteOnPCs.com. To learn more about how to watch Satellite TV on the PC, be sure to stop by the site. If you want more do it yourself projects, the visit DIYlessons.com for several video lessons for the do it yourselfer. And for more fun projects you might want to check out this ipod guide.