Installing a Satellite Dish
The first international satellite broadcasting was in 1967 where 19 nations joined hands and were represented by the best entertainer of that time. The UK was represented by The Beatles where they sang a new composition entitled "All You Need is Love" as a gentle and soulful way to protest the Vietnam War. Our World was the first live international satellite television broadcast. TV was never the same again.Today satellite television is taken for granted. It is as natural as going to the grocery and purchasing food. Satellite television is "effortless". You can subscribe to a local service provider and choose the Plan that would best suit you. You can opt to PPV or pay per view and only pay when you use such services. However, just what is satellite television?
Satellite television is "television" brought to you by means of communication satellite that is received by a satellite dish the unto a device connected to the television which in turn converts the signal into information that could be displayed on the TV monitor.
Years ago, anyone could basically put up his own satellite dish in his yard and catch all free-to-air and even paid TV programs by a satellite dish. This has changed so as to protect distributors of satellite TV and cable TV providers. There are three basic satellite television usages: reception by the local TV affiliates, reception direct to the viewer and reception by cable television facility to be distributed to its local cable subscribers.
Reception direct to viewer is free if the owner is viewing "free-to-air" shows. But for cable programs, there is no way for the owner to easily get the signals as they are encrypted. If you are such an owner, then you need to subscribe to a Pay -TV in order for you to have the reception equipment. However, this mini satellite dish has the capacity to get TV signals of free-to-air shows from other countries.
Why a Satellite Dish?
There are actually satellite TV providers that are offering free mini dishes and free set ups if you subscribe to them. Satellite TV offers more programs compared to cable TV. Satellite TV also offers high definition TV and gives you the option to store 100 hours of program. Dish network is also portable because you can install a dish and a TV on an RV and enjoy the same benefits you have when at home. Innovations in technology have afforded the interaction between your satellite TV and your computer for a new wave of digital satellite TV has emerged.
What size of Satellite Dish to Use?
A mini dish is about 53 cm in diameter. It is a rule of thumb that the wider the dish, the less interference it will get from neighbouring dishes. In Northern England and Scotland, a dish with a diameter of 55 cm is advisable because of lowered signal strength than in Southern England. Satellite signals come from the Astra satellites at 28.2 ° east of true South.
There is a group of Astra satellites that are clustered in space within a kilometre from each other at about 23, 0000 miles from Earth's surface. Each satellite has some transmitters which emit different signals that result in different footprints on Earth. These satellites are well-received in the UK.
How to Install a Satellite Dish
When installing a satellite dish you have to take note to mount the satellite dish securely and at the right position to get the best possible signal. The first step that you should know before you mount a satellite dish is to find out the azimuth and elevation. Since computation of the azimuth might probably stumped you there are sites online where all you need to do is type your location as in complete address and choose the satellite that you are keen on hooking up. If you are in the UK, the best satellite is the 28.2E Astra 2A-B-D. After you've typed the input, the dish set-up data will be displayed - elevation, Azimuth(true), Azimuth (magnitude), and LNB skew. If the marker is a few miles off, drag the marker to your exact location for a more accurate data.
Now that the azimuth and elevation are known, see that the path has no obstructions. If the dish is to be set up on a flat roof, see to it that base of the dish is paralleled to the mounting surface. If the roof is slanted, make the necessary adjustments for the dish to be at the correct angle to the roofline.
Fix the base of the satellite dish making sure its level by using a carpenter's level. Next set the dish at its proper elevation by moving the dish upward and downwards until you get the right reading. Make sure the elevation indicator is lined up with the tick mark corresponding to the elevation number that you initially "computed". Loosen the bolts that hold the dish so you can move it upwards and downwards. Once the elevation is set, tighten the bolts again.
Set the azimuth. Loosen the azimuth nuts on the LNB arm so you can rotate the dish without much trouble. Move the dish left or right to find the azimuth that you have in the data. Use a compass to set the azimuth. Note that the dish must point to the general direction of the southern hemisphere for that is the general direction of all the satellites up in the sky. If your dish is pointing off north, then you know that your set up is wrong.
Connect the digital receiver to the television making sure that the LNB antenna is connected to the receiver cables. Turn on the television and the receiver to check if the signals are coming in strong and without interference. Troubleshoot if signal is not as expected. At worst, you have to loosen the bolts again and move the dish to set the azimuth at a maximum of 15° to the left or to the right.
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