Satellite dish alignment / satellite tv equipment

[dave8858]

Does anyone who uses satellite tv think it would have been good to be able to get instruction on how to set the dish / satellite receiver up or had face to face independant advice available as to the most cost effective set top boxes / satellite finder equipment to buy to get the best results?

Regards

Dave

 

[bopeep]

I have just bought a 60 centimetre dish and took it to southern spain, spent ages trying to set it up with a little box full of lights and buzzers, about to give up and bingo I got a signal, more luck than judgment.
I feel there should be more on the market to help us with alignment. On my previous motorhomes I had an auto but they cost thousands and usually there are trees in the way

 

[Philspadders]

all you need is a compass, the postion of the satellite and you are away.
Astra (sky) is at 28.2 degrees east of south

Set your dish angle at 0 degrees then rotate so its at 28.2e, this should give you signal strength ( most receivers will have a set up menu showing signal strength and intensity)
Once you get the strength to around 70% you can fine tune the intensity to about 70% by very small, mm at a time movement both radially( horizontal) and on the vertical axis.
In the uk sky type mini dish needs the front face to be vertical to the ground as a good starting point and the furter north you go the dish may have to p0int slighty down. This is because the satellites are in a fixed orbit over the equator.
Practice at home, i can set up my mini dish in around 4 minutes. All i use is cheap compass .

But it can be frustrating at first. Sometimes the dish needs elevating off the ground . have fun and dont be put off.

 

[Lutz]

15 years ago, when we first started with a satellite system, we had to rely on a compass for a rough aim and then I used a signal strength indicator for the fine adjustment. Nowadays, it is unusual to turn up at a campsite and not find someone else who has already set up their satellite dish. By taking a look at how their dish is adjusted, I copy their setup and this saves having to use a compass. It's then relatively easy to sweep the sky from east to south (or vice versa) until you get the best signal. The biggest problem, especially if you are going far north or far south in Europe is to get the elevation (the up/down setting) right, but that's usually just a matter of fine adjustment once you've got an optimal azimuth (East/South) setting.

 

[Len_Cuff]

Maybe I've missed the point here but I use a 'Satfinder' - about a tenner off Ebay. Connects inline between the box and the dish, turn the dish slowly and the sound/buzz increases as you get near the sat beam. Usually get my sat set up in less than 5 minutes

 

[JohnGriffiths]

Try it at home a few times first. It is frustrating initially but somehow it becomes easier each time. I don't use an in line sat finder. Just start at approx South East or where others are pointing. There is a strength and quality meter built in to the receiver for fine tuning but I just turn the volume on the TV up so I can hear it outside (not too load as to upset any neighbour though) and scan slowly until you get a picture on one of the main channels like BBC1. (Of course the receiver has to have already downloaded and saved the channels during tests at home). I don't believe professional advice or instruction is necessary but I probably did spend several hours on the drive on the first day so if you want to save that time and know of a training course for example then maybe it's a good idea.

 

[Len_Cuff]

Satfinder is SO much easier, you don't even need the sky box on, just in standby so the LNB is getting the voltage it needs, no need to try to watch the signal strength etc on the TV - in my case almost impossible unless I can site the dish by a window

Anyone else tried the 'cheap' way of mounting the dish? Rotary clothes line, line removed, turn upside down and hey presto! a solid tripod to mount the dish on!! All for about £12.

 

[johno1]

line up your watch so 12 o'clock faces south then line up the dish with 11 o'clock and bar a bit of fine tuning you are there

 

[TD42]

Hi Dave try this website for all the info you may need http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

 

[brightmore]

Its all been said by others who ar all quite right in what they say.....I would only add the following

PATIENCE, PATIENCE AND PATIENCE
WHEN ALIGNING THE DISH, DO IT SLOWLY, BUT SLOWLY
AND, AS BEEN SAID ALREADY, TRY IT OUT AT HOME FIRST
Sorry for the caps but these are important points.

 

[Surfer]

Or you could have a read here http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

 

[dave8858]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

Dave