How to set up a satellite dish with the best result

To solve the task yourself, you need to know how to set up a satellite dish. To do this, determine which antenna you will install and configure. They are offset and direct focus. The straight-focus antenna should be slightly larger than diameter, this is due to the fact that the converter shadows part of the antenna. If your region belongs to the field of application of antennas with a diameter of 0.9 or 1.2 meters, then choose an offset antenna. When tuning a satellite antenna with a C-band, a C-band converter is used, and when registering and monitoring the signal, the frequency 5150 NHz is indicated in the properties.

Antenna orientation

Before answering the question, how to set up a satellite dish, you need to choose a place for its installation. All antennas should be oriented to the southeast or southwest. If the installation on the wall of the house does not allow you to orient it in this way, then the antenna is installed on the roof. In the path of the signal, there should be no interference in the form of tall buildings or trees.

On the Internet there is a table containing information about the orientation of the antennas on the selected satellite by the sun, you can use it to select a satellite, which then orient the antenna.

How to choose a place for an antenna and how to connect a satellite dish

An antenna mounted on the wall of the house is fixed to a special bracket, which then holds the antenna, from it is carried the cable connecting the converter and the receiver. The cable is usually brought into the house at an angle so that moisture does not get into the hole, which, in turn, is sealed. The cable should not be too long, it should not have any connections. This reduces the quality of the transmitted signal, it will be difficult to figure out how to adjust the satellite dish so that the image is of the best quality if the cable does not pass the signal satisfactorily.

The beginning of the antenna installation is the correct assembly of the C-band converter on the antenna when the Yamal satellite dish is tuned. He is responsible for the strength and quality of the signal, and therefore for how good the image will be. The converter can be either standard or modified, for example, such as "Agliano". The modified converter can give a slightly higher signal level.

Install the converter on the antenna

Before answering the question, how to set up a satellite dish, you need to install a converter, standard or combined. The combined converter slightly reduces the signal level, so the diameter of the dish should be increased. In order to adjust the dish to a Yamal satellite, it is sufficient to install a conventional C-band converter, but you need to remember that broadcasting from it will go in the C-band. There is a sticker on the converter housing showing the noise level (coefficient) for this model. The smaller it is, the better the signal transmission.

The noise level in the converters is measured in Kelvin. The standard value of this indicator is 17 K, more rarely - 13 or 15 K. For converters, such a factor as the gain usually has a value of 65 dB. The irradiator on the antenna is the element that focuses the signal. It differs for offset and direct-focus antennas. It is necessary to install only the irradiator that fits the given antenna, otherwise the signal level will decrease.

The depolarization plate is mounted on the antenna in such a way that the waveguide pins are located on one side of it. Then the converter is installed, its position in relation to the angle of inclination is selected. The zero value marked on the scale should be at the top. The slope of the converter must be zero.

To get the best signal quality, you need to slowly shift the illuminator, keeping track of its level. You can also do this with the converter, rotating it and, thus, tracking the signal. The shift should not exceed several degrees in one direction or the other. When the best score is obtained (at least 60% of the completed indicator on the screen), we can assume that the antenna is tuned.

Directly tuning the satellite dish and the receiver takes a long time. Its step-by-step passage is written in detail in the attached instruction and consists of certain parameters depending on the type of the selected antenna, satellite and your area (signal coverage area).