How to set up satellite TV yourself. Accurate and simple alignment of the antenna to the satellite without instruments and a receiver. How to set up a satellite dish yourself: installation nuances

It is not at all necessary to call a specialist to set up a regular satellite dish. In this case, you can save money. We will tell you how to independently configure the Tricolor TV antenna to a satellite. With these tips, you can do everything right. It's only a little more complicated than connecting a monitor to a computer.

By the way, you can ask the seller to assemble the antenna and bring it home assembled. This will save some time, but even self-assembly this process won't complicate it. All you need to do at home is drill holes for the bracket (the plate is attached to it), and then follow the recommendations and actions in the instructions. The instructions themselves must be included with the purchase, so check the kit for its availability.

Tools and devices for tuning the "Tricolor TV" antenna

You will need the tools that are available in any home: strong electrical tape (where would you be without it), various screwdrivers (you may only need one screwdriver of a certain type), a hammer drill or drill, pliers, a knife, wrenches 8-13.

It is possible that you may need some additional tools (ladder, stepladder, special drills for a hammer drill, clips for securing the cable, etc.), because installation conditions always differ for different houses. Some have used it and even manage to improve the original design of the bracket and weld additional ribs to it.

The standard purchase package includes the antenna itself, a bracket, a receiver (set-top box), and a converter. Sometimes sellers have promotions and the package may include various bonuses, but this is rare.

Self-tuning of the "Tricolor TV" antenna in theory

The procedure itself looks like this (very generally): one person sits at home and looks at the TV screen, the other tries to point the antenna at the satellite and catch the signal. Using the remote control, you adjust the signal until the picture on the TV becomes clear.

It is worth noting that for different settlements, independent tuning of the Tricolor TV antenna to the satellite will be carried out slightly differently. For example, when setting up an antenna in Samara, you should point it in the direction where the sun is at 12:30. Then it needs to be slightly adjusted depending on how the picture on the TV screen changes. As soon as the adjuster sees that the picture has become clear, he gives a signal to the one who installs the antenna on the roof, and he, in turn, fixes it on the bracket in the desired position. That is, in the position in which the antenna catches the signal.

It is not difficult to catch the signal, because the Eutelsat 4 satellite (it is with its help that Tricolor TV broadcasts) covers a huge part of Russia and gives a strong signal.

Instructions for self-tuning the Tricolor TV antenna to a satellite

As stated above, Tricolor TV operates EUTELSATW4, which is located at 36 degrees east longitude. The installation is carried out in several stages, each of which we will describe sequentially below.

Determining the location for installing the antenna

The main criterion for such a place is a clear view in the direction from which the signal will come. There may be leaves and trees behind the antenna, it doesn’t matter, but the front side of the antenna should be clear. Depending on the city, the visual line connecting the satellite and the antenna is raised from the horizon 27-30 degrees upward. If this visual line abuts any structure (a house, for example), then you should look for another place.

Experts recommend installing the antenna on the roof of the house, on the outside of the balcony, but not on the inside (because of the glass). Also, you cannot install the antenna on sloping roofs, because it will collect snow in winter, and this is an additional load for which the antenna is not designed.

If the store has not yet assembled the antenna for you, then you should assemble it yourself strictly in the order specified in the instructions. At the place you have chosen, we attach the bracket. Depending on the conditions (wall material, etc.), we select the correct fastening elements: drills, anchor bolts, screws, etc. It is important to take into account the possibility of precipitation, in particular snow. The antenna must be installed in a place so that snow cannot get on the converter.

Connecting the F connector

Next, we connect the cable to the converter using a special F-connector (it is included in the kit). Then we use zip ties or simple electrical tape to secure the cable to the envelope holder and be sure to seal the f-connector. The same electrical tape is ideal for sealing. Just wrap the joint in several layers. It is advisable to use silicone sealant in addition, but if you don’t have it, then it’s okay. Some users find another way: they use a regular plastic soda bottle. The bottom is cut off, the joint is placed in it, then both ends are wrapped with electrical tape. The technique, although primitive, works. Although ideally it should be silicone sealant and electrical tape.

The F-connector itself is easy to install: you expose the cable, insert it into the connector, and fix it. Everyone has dealt with a regular cable that connects to the TV. It's the same here. The photo below shows examples.

Now we place the plate itself on the bracket. To begin with, you don’t need to screw it tightly, but it shouldn’t dangle from the wind either. Tighten the adjusting nuts, but not too tightly, because you have to turn the plate left and right and up and down to find the ideal point.

Setting up the Tricolor TV satellite dish

First, sets the antenna rotation angle and azimuth. So far, approximately. Depending on the city, you need to display it differently. For example, the azimuth in Tolyatti is 197.49 degrees, the elevation angle is 27.884 degrees (you need to orient yourself to the south). A compass or city map will help with this.

The antenna must be installed so that it corresponds to an elevation angle of 26.6 degrees. This means that the plate itself should be tilted 3-4 degrees down. Then connect the cable that comes from the converter to the set-top box. It needs to be inserted into the LNB IN socket (the leftmost one in the picture below).

TV connection

The same F-connector is used here, so there should be no problems. Now we connect the TV to the receiver. Everything must be done in the order specified in the instructions. That is, first we connect the cable to the TV (we use the RF OUT socket on the receiver and the only socket for the antenna on the TV), turn off the TV. If the receiver is turned on for the first time, the LNB power supply may be turned off. In some cases this is exactly the case. The power turns on when you follow the start menu instructions. When turned on, the search is activated and must be checked by simply pressing the EXIT button.

Setting up the receiver on TV

1. Antenna - 1;
2. Frequency - 12226;
3. EutelsatW4-EutelsatSesat satellite;
4. FEC - 3/4;
5. Polarization - left;
6. Flow rate 27500.

There will be two indicators on the TV screen. The lower one shows the signal level, the upper one shows the quality. The person on the roof must move the antenna mirror slightly horizontally to find the position that will give the maximum signal strength (lower indicator). Then the plate should be moved up and down to search for the best signal quality (upper indicator). This is how the search for the desired point is carried out and the Tricolor TV antenna is tuned to the satellite. Once the point is found, the plate must be finally and firmly fixed in the desired position.

The influence of weather on tuning and searching for a signal

Signal strength is highly dependent on weather conditions. If there is rain or fog or cloudiness, then it is unlikely that you will be able to adjust the Tricolor TV antenna yourself. It is simply impossible to catch a strong signal level. This must be done on a clear day under ideal weather conditions.

Once all the described actions have been completed, you can search for channels. The instructions for the receiver will definitely tell you how to do this. But this is understandable even intuitively. Here we will not describe the process of searching for channels, but note that first we need to find only an information channel. In theory, only this should be accessible to the user after installing the antenna. Access to others after registering on the Tricolor TV website and activating the card.

Subtleties for self-installation and configuration of the "Tricolor TV" antenna

There are some unspoken rules and subtleties that you need to know about:

1. We look at the neighbors. There are almost always plates in nearby neighbors' houses. To begin with, we install our antenna in approximately the same way.
2. If it was not possible to catch the satellite within the first 20 minutes, then it is better to look for another place for installation.
3. When setting up the receiver, it is better to have a small monitor (TV) nearby so that you can immediately see how the picture changes when the antenna moves. Most often, people, trying to tune the Tricolor TV antenna to a satellite on their own, shout at each other or talk on the phone.
4. It is better not to change your PIN unless absolutely necessary. If you change the code and then forget it, there is no way to restore it. Although it is possible to re-flash the receiver, it is difficult and not accessible to everyone.
5. Once all channels have been found, you need to finally tighten the antenna to the maximum.
6. If suddenly the antenna tunes to another satellite (and this may happen), then there is no need to save the found channels. You will have to again configure the Tricolor TV satellite antenna yourself, rotating it horizontally and vertically in order to find the best signal point.
7. The bolts must be tightened carefully. Often, when tightening bolts, users lose the position and have to do everything again.
8. You need to register on the Tricolor TV website after setup, and not before. First, set up the antenna, and as soon as the info channel is displayed clearly, you can register on the company’s website. After receiving the smart card, all channels will become available after some time.

That's all. We can assume that you have configured the Tricolor TV antenna yourself. There is nothing complicated in the process itself, and any person who knows how to use a drill/hammer and knows how to connect the simplest F-cable to the receiver and converter can handle this. No specialized knowledge is required, so you don’t need to call a specialist if you don’t want to spend extra money.

Of course, this process is not described in as much detail as possible. It is likely that some difficulties may arise during installation that cannot be foreseen when writing the article.

Installing a satellite dish and setting up a satellite dish for 3 satellites
Amos 4.0W
Astra 4A 4.8E
Hot Bird 13.0E

Installing one antenna and configuring it to receive channels from three satellites at the same time is the optimal solution, saving money and space.

Allows you to receive more than 100 Russian and Ukrainian free channel, as well as Italian, Polish and other channels.

To install an antenna on 3 satellites we need:

1 satellite dish
3 converters (heads)
2 side mounts for converters (multifeds)
1 diseqc switch
1 satellite receiver

as well as wire, f-connectors, tools...

Diagram of the location of the converters (heads).

As you can see, the central head of the antenna is aimed at the Astra 4A satellite (formerly Sirius); it is attached directly to the antenna.

Assembling the antenna, connecting the cable to the converter and switch.

THE CABLE MUST BE CONNECTED WITH THE RECEIVER TURNED OFF.
A short circuit in the cable may damage the receiver.

We attach two heads using multifeeds in an approximate position (as in the picture).

We attach the head that will receive Amos to the left of the center head(when viewed from the back of the antenna) at approximately 7 cm and slightly higher, then on the right is the head that will accept the Hot Bird it will be about 3 centimeters from the central head and slightly lower.

Diseqc switch.

We connect the cables from the heads to the diseqc switch. We write down which switch port (the ports are numbered) each satellite corresponds to. For example, we will connect a converter that receives a signal from the Amos satellite to the first port, Sirius to the third, Hot Bird to the fourth.

amos 1/4
sirius 3/4
hot bird 4/4

Receiver setup.

Now we need to configure the receiver according to our configuration. Since we could use a different number of heads and switches in the receiver settings, this data was not preset. We need to indicate that we are using one switch with four inputs; more precisely, we need to indicate to which switch inputs the heads are connected.

We go to the menu - press “MENU” on the remote control. Depending on the receiver model, there may be minor differences in the menu structure. We recommend using an already configured satellite receiver. Go to "MENU" - "INSTALLATION", select satellites one by one and set the parameter "DiSEqC

amos 1/4

sirius 3/4

hot bird 4/4

Signal search and antenna direction.

We configure the central head for the Astra 4A satellite.

When the antenna is installed, the cables are connected, the receiver is turned on - we turn the antenna and find satellite signals.
To make our task easier, we need to determine in advance the elevation angle of the satellite dish and the rotation angle.

On the website http://www.dishpointer.com/ you can find out the direction of the antenna and your geographic coordinates. You just need to enter the country, city, street, house and select the satellite of interest. Select 4.8E SIRIUS 4. We see the direction on the map, under the map you can find the coordinates of the area and the antenna elevation angle.

So first we need to set up the antenna for the satellite Astra 4A (formerly Sirius) - center head.
In the receiver menu, go to the Astra satellite or turn on one of the channels on the Astra satellite, for example “Rada” or “2+2”.

You should see two scales: the first shows the signal level, and the second its quality.

Antennas are adjusted on the lower “quality” scale. We slowly turn the antenna from right to left; if the signal cannot be found, we change the angle of inclination of the antenna a little and repeat the turns again. The signal level should be about 70. We secure the antenna tightly. Half the work is done!

We repeat the operation with the left head (Amos). We configure, for example, the “1+1” or “New Channel” channel. Now we are unable to move the antenna; we change the position of the head using multifeed mounts. We strive to ensure that the signal quality is greater than 70.

At the final stage, we set up the Hot Bird (right head). You can tune to the channels “1TVRUS”, “RTR”... The signal quality on this satellite can be adjusted to more than 70. When the adjustment with the mount has brought the maximum result, we rotate the converter around its axis and achieve the maximum signal from this satellite.

If you have any questions, write on the forum in the topic: Setting up an antenna for 3 Amos Astra HotBird satellites

We will be happy to try to help you.

Everyone knows that satellite television is one of the pinnacles of modern technology. But there is such a principle: everything ingenious is simple. It is not difficult to handle satellite television subscriber devices, and installing a satellite dish with your own hands is quite possible for a citizen who does not know how to use a soldering iron and has completely forgotten Ohm’s law. But accuracy, intelligence, an accurate eye and a faithful hand are required, as well as the ability to use a compass and basic knowledge of astronomy.

Do you need documents for it?

Do I need to get home satellite television approved by some authorities, registered, or get permission? No no need. Satellite broadcasting is free. True, when you “catch” a satellite, set up the receiver and see the list of channels, many will be marked with an asterisk, exclamation point or some other icon. These are paid channels. To watch them, you need to buy a key card. If you know in advance which of the paid channels you need, you can purchase a card for them together with the receiver, or from a satellite broadcasting company.

However, if you live in an apartment building, then installing an antenna on a wall or on the roof will require permission from the owner or organization operating the building. But if the antenna is attached to the balcony fence, and the supporting structures were not touched during its installation, then permission is not needed.

However, in this case the antenna will wobble more in the wind, and in bad weather the reception will be unstable. Therefore, many subscribers order the installation of satellite dishes from specialized companies, and they themselves coordinate all issues with the Housing Office. In Russia, the largest of these is Tricolor.

General information about satellite broadcasting

Broadcasting satellites are located in geostationary orbit, at an altitude of 35,786 km above sea level in the plane of the Earth's equator. The orbital speed at this altitude is equal to the speed of rotation of the Earth, so the satellite hangs over the same point on its surface. The location of the satellite in geostationary orbit is called the station point.

In reference manuals, satellite locations are designated by their geographic longitude: angular distance from the prime (Greenwich) meridian. This must be taken into account when orienting the antenna and a correction must be given: from a given point, the Greenwich meridian is “visible” at an angle opposite to the longitude of the location. How some stationary satellites are visible from Greenwich is shown in the figure.

Example 1: The longitude of the center of Voronezh is 39 degrees 15 minutes east. The position of the Eutelsat II F4 satellite is 7 degrees to the east, i.e. from Greenwich this satellite is visible at 7 degrees to the east. If Eutelsat II F4 hovered exactly above the prime meridian, the antenna would have to be rotated 39 degrees 15 minutes towards Greenwich to receive it, i.e. west. And since Eutelsat II F4 is already “shifted” by 7 degrees towards Voronezh, the antenna needs to be turned west by 32 degrees 15 minutes.

From Earth, the stationary orbit is “visible” in the sky in the form of the so-called “Clark Belt”. It should not be confused with the celestial equator. The angular height of the celestial equator varies throughout the year, and the Clarke Belt is “visible” as an arc of a curve that degenerates from a circle at the poles to a straight line at the equator. The Clark Belt “rests” on the horizon exactly in the east and west, regardless of location.

At a particular geographic location, the highest point of the Clark Belt is located exactly in the south, and its angular altitude is equal to the inverse of the geographic latitude of the place: 0 at the poles and 90 degrees at the equator. Therefore, at high latitudes, reception of satellite television is difficult or completely impossible: the Clark Belt “lies” on the horizon, and the satellite signal, even if it “shines” here, “stalls” in the atmosphere.

Example 2: The geographic latitude of the center of Voronezh is 51 degrees 20 minutes north. The highest point of the Clark Belt is seen from here at 90 degrees minus 51 degrees 20 minutes = 48 degrees 40 minutes due south.

Satellites do not emit signals in all directions; that would be too wasteful. The transmitting antennas of satellites are directional and, as a rule, “illuminate” the territory of the owning country, or the region to which the broadcast is carried out. Therefore, it is impossible to “catch” all the satellites visible from a given place: it may be visible, but it “shines” in the other direction.

If the satellite “shines” directly downwards, then, in principle, it can broadcast to the entire hemisphere below it, having an antenna with a radiation pattern with an aperture of just over 10 degrees. However, at a distance of 36,000 km, this requires a transmitter power of more than 10 kW, solar panels of the appropriate area, and the entire satellite must be launched into orbit by a heavy carrier. Therefore, there are not so many broadcast satellites.

Video: Basic Points of Satellite Dish Direction

Satellite TV - at home

Let's say right away: manual adjustment (i.e., orientation to the desired satellite) of a highly directional antenna is a delicate matter. Here it is not theoretical knowledge that decides the matter, but experience, working skills (“muscle memory”) and simply instinct. Therefore, when purchasing a “dish”, at least from Tricolor TV, it is better to immediately order an installation with adjustment. Experienced craftsmen can do this well, so this service is not overly expensive.

However, even if you're not a big fan of doing everything, after a storm or heavy snowfall, your antenna may need to be re-aligned. Therefore, the adjustment procedure will be described below. But before adjusting, the antenna and equipment must be selected, purchased and installed.

What and how will we watch?

The reference manuals indicate the locations and signal parameters of all stationary broadcast satellites. But in a particular locality, the conditions for their reception may vary significantly. An ordinary hillock, especially in the northern regions, can make a satellite invisible, which actually shines here well.

Therefore, when purchasing an antenna, consult with the seller which satellites are well received, select three (up to 3-4 satellites can be received on one antenna), and write down the parameters of their signals:

• Carrier frequencies of satellite transmitters. For example, for one of the most popular satellites - Sirius - it will be 11.766 GHz; all satellites broadcast in the so-called. Q-band with an average frequency in the region of about 10 GHz. But don’t try to “catch” the satellite’s frequency – it’s not the 20s, or even the 60s.
• Signal polarization planes. At the same frequency, two signals with mutually perpendicularly directed electromagnetic field vectors can be transmitted without mutual interference. The direction of polarization is considered to be the direction of the electric vector. Polarization can be horizontal "H" or vertical "V".
• Data transfer rates. Satellite broadcasting is digital, using SR (Single Root) technology. An example of speed designation: 27,500 SR or simply 27,500. The numbers mean how many frames (packets) per second pass through the communication channel. Just don’t confuse it with a TV frame: here a frame is a package of data organized in a certain way.
• Converter local oscillator frequencies for selected satellites. They lie in the same Q-band, but differ from the carrier by the value of the intermediate frequency that will go to the receiver. For example, with a carrier frequency of 11.766 GHz and a local oscillator frequency of 10,750 kHz (10.750 GHz), the receiver's receiving frequency will be 1016 kHz (1.016 GHz). This is why frequencies are not “caught”, as radio amateurs used to be: the closer we get to the TV, the greater the error in setting the frequency.

Antenna selection

The choice of the antenna itself comes down to determining its diameter. For home reception in the southern regions, a “plate” with a diameter of 60 cm is sufficient; in places from St. Petersburg and further north, stable reception requires an antenna mirror with a diameter of 1.2 m.

Many people think that it is easier to “catch” a satellite with a large “dish”. Just the opposite. A large mirror provides a signal of greater level and quality, but this is achieved by narrowing the radiation pattern, so that it is more difficult to “catch” a satellite with a large “dish”. Large aperture antennas are used most often as signal sources for terrestrial broadcast systems and other applications where further broadcasting is required.

If you are going to receive several satellites, then you need to purchase a multifit along with the antenna - a mounting plate for installing several converters with the ability to adjust their position individually. As a rule, sellers immediately ask: “Single nest or multifit?” In any case, you can put one converter in a multifit, and then add another; The multifit is inexpensive. So it’s better to immediately buy a “plate” equipped with a multifit.

Converter selection

The next step is choosing a converter. The converter is the same “head” that converts the signal from the satellite, which “pierces” the atmosphere well, into a signal for the receiver, which conventional electronics can process without much difficulty.

There are three types of converters: circularly polarized, switched H-V and fixed. The first ones are the least sensitive, but can receive any signal. The latter are the most sensitive, but to receive signals with different polarizations they must be rotated 90 degrees. Under normal reception conditions, it is better to use a circular or switchable converter.

Sensitivity, noise level and stability of the local oscillator frequency (on which the level and quality of the signal significantly depend), as well as the protection of the converter from weather influences (after all, it is outside) vary greatly from model to model and from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is better to choose a specific model that is suitable for the price based on the recommendations of the antenna seller and reviews of experienced subscribers.

Receiver and equipment

But in domestic conditions, the quality and signal level almost do not depend on the model of the receiver. Here you need to focus on service functions and price. There is only one condition: if you are going to watch TV “digitally” with HD quality, the receiver must have an Ethernet output (computer network connector). There is no need to worry about the compatibility of standards: all modern network devices “understand” all commonly used data exchange protocols without additional explanations.

As additional equipment, you need to purchase DiSEqC - a converter power switch. A household receiver (by the way, in Russian, receiver is a receiver; tracing paper is made from English so as not to be confused with radio receivers) provides power to one converter; To move from satellite to satellite, you need to switch the power to the corresponding “head”.

Antenna installation

What should it be correct installation satellite dish, seen in the figure. An important point: the mounting part (“neck”) of the pipe stand (highlighted in green) must be strictly vertical in two planes. Otherwise, aligning the antenna will turn into a long painful task.

The location for installing the antenna must be chosen carefully. There should be nothing in the mirror frame, not even window glass. The mirror alignment does not coincide with its geometric axis: oblique incidence mirrors are used for satellite reception. Where the mirror flap actually “looks” is also visible in the figure. The fact that the southern part of the sky should be visible from the antenna installation site requires no explanation.

If you live in a private house, do not be lazy to raise the antenna higher. Raising the antenna by 10 m reduces the dust content in the air around it by half, which greatly affects the quality of reception.

First, only the pipe stand is installed. The set of the mirror, its adjustable mount, bracket and converter is assembled at home - this makes it more convenient to first check the verticality of the pipe stand.

Attaching a satellite dish to the wall cannot be done with self-tapping screws in plastic dowels - the antenna will “go away” over time. It is necessary to use collet pins with a length of at least 200 mm and a diameter of at least 8 mm, a base plate is put on them and secured with nuts and locknuts.

Video: example of plate installation

Satellite dish alignment

Engineering compass

An engineering compass makes it very easy to adjust a satellite dish even for a beginner. You can see what it looks like in the picture. The price is low. Its advantages:

1. You can take the azimuth with one glance, without moving the compass.
2. By rotating the dial with a notch, you can take into account the magnetic declination of the place in advance; Before adjustment, you need to find it out at the local weather station. There is no reference data, because Magnetic declination varies from year to year.
3. The compass is equipped with a deflector, which significantly reduces deviation.

Skillfully using an engineering compass, a competent and careful person, who for the first time in his life took up the adjustment of a “dish,” accurately “catches” the satellite within half an hour. If you use a regular Andrianov or tourist compass, you don’t have to think about magnetic declination: the error in setting the azimuth will be greater.

Note: Magnetic declination in mid-latitudes does not vary much from place to place. It is enough to find out what it is like in a regional city.

Adjustment procedure

Immediately you need to take into account the magnetic declination. If it is eastern, it must be subtracted from the longitude of the place; if it is Western, add to it. At first glance it may seem that you need to do the opposite, but keep in mind that the satellites are in the south; Magnetic declination is given for the northern end of the compass needle.

Next, we calculate the true azimuth of the average of the received satellites, as described at the beginning of the article. Then, by turning the satellite location diagram by an angle corresponding to the longitude of the location (we assume that our latitude is not very different from Greenwich), we approximately determine its elevation angle.

Then, aiming at the converter bracket, like at the barrel of a gun without a front sight, using an engineering compass corrected for magnetic declination, we set the antenna to the desired azimuth. Roughly, by eye, we adjust the antenna alignment according to the elevation angle.

To adjust the antenna, we take the TV with the receiver outside closer to it; powered through an extension cord. We don’t connect the power switch yet: the initial adjustment is done using the middle converter. Then:

• We connect the TV and converter to the receiver, turn on the equipment, set the necessary signal parameters in the receiver menu (“Antenna installation” -> “Manual search”), according to the instructions for it.
• Turn on the signal search mode.
• Carefully and smoothly swing the antenna up and down until the receiver “grabs” the satellite. At a 60 cm dish and if all corrections are taken into account correctly, azimuth correction is not required.
• If “it’s not caught,” we check the azimuth again and, changing it in steps of 3 degrees to the right and left, repeat the “swinging” procedure. For a 1.2 m mirror, the step is 2 degrees.
• When the signal is caught, very carefully, “without breathing,” slightly turning and swinging the antenna, we achieve the best quality and signal level. The priority is quality. At 60% level and 80% quality, reception stability will be twice as high as vice versa.
• Carefully, in a diagonal pattern, tightly tighten the antenna mounting nuts in several steps. In this case, you need to monitor the signal at all times. If, when tightening a nut, the signal “floats”, leave it for now and tighten the diagonal one.
• From the main menu of the receiver, we check whether the satellite is caught. If all parameters were set manually, failures, as a rule, do not occur. But if “suddenly,” we loosen the plate, and start over.
• We turn on “Level - Quality” again and, by carefully moving back and forth and slightly turning the converter in the socket, we achieve the best possible quality.

Before buying an antenna, you need to know exactly which satellites you want to receive signals from and whether such a technical possibility exists in your area. Decide in advance where you plan to install the plate. Please note that there should be no obstacles in the signal path, such as houses or trees.

If you live in your own home, the roof or wall of the house can serve as the installation location. The main problem with using a satellite dish in low-rise construction is the small height of the buildings, which can lead to the signal being blocked by various obstacles.

Residents of high-rise buildings can install plates on the balcony railing, on the outer wall of the building or on the roof. It should be remembered that when installing an antenna in an apartment building, you may need the consent of a meeting of homeowners. If you want to install an antenna on the roof, you will need to obtain permission from the building maintenance organization.

Installing a satellite dish

Remember - working at height, especially those involving the use of power tools, can be life-threatening. Be sure to follow safety regulations! It is advisable not to carry out installation alone and use a safety harness.

To install the antenna on a concrete or brick surface, you will need a fairly powerful hammer drill and strong anchors to attach the dish to the surface. Usually, antennas come with cheap, poor quality bolts. You should not skimp on fasteners, because the plate is subject to strong wind loads and can be torn off by a gust of wind.

Following the attached instructions, assemble the dish by attaching the bracket to the parabolic reflector. Attach the converter to the holder. If you want to receive signals from several satellites on one antenna, you will need a multifeed - a special bracket on which you can install additional converters. It is usually not included and must be purchased separately.

Having chosen a place for installation, attach the bracket to the surface and mark future holes. After drilling them with a hammer drill, secure the antenna with anchors.

The next step is connecting to the wire converters. To do this, they need to be cleaned, exposing the central core by a few millimeters. You need to put F-connectors on the ends of the cable, screwing them all the way. Route the wires to the hole leading into the apartment. They should be secured with plastic clips or electrical tape, otherwise they may be damaged by the wind. Connect the cables coming from the dish to the receiver.

After installing the antenna, you need to configure it. Most The best way- arm yourself with a receiver and a compact TV. This will allow you to see the result during the setup process and immediately make adjustments. If this is not possible, you will need an assistant who will rotate the antenna while you are at home in front of the TV and control the setup via a walkie-talkie or telephone.

Now the main task is to catch a signal from the satellite. Choosing the exact direction depends on which one you plan to take. The antenna should be moved very carefully, because even a displacement of a few millimeters can lead to signal loss.
The adjustment is made in several planes. With the antenna perpendicular to the ground, begin tuning in the horizontal plane, carefully turning it along the horizon line. If the receiver indicates that a signal has been found, achieve its maximum value by catching the point where it is strongest.

Proceed to the vertical adjustment. To do this, very carefully move the antenna up and down until the best reception quality is achieved. After this, you can make finer adjustments by rotating the converter around its axis. After pointing the antenna at the satellite, tighten all the screws, otherwise the adjustment will be lost and you will have to start all over again.

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After we have decided on the antenna installation location and its approximate direction, the pre-assembled antenna is hung on the bracket. Afterwards, additional multifeeds and converters, cables and other structural elements are installed.

• IMPORTANT: To fine-tune the antenna, it must be moved vertically/horizontally. BUT you should tighten the fastenings just enough so that the antenna itself does not move or change its tilt, but you can still move the antenna in planes, albeit with force. To do this, the left/right screws are not fully tightened.

For example, the free lower left screw on the U-shaped adjustable element of the antenna (see photo) allows you to adjust the antenna according to verticals, and those on the clamp for fixing the antenna to the wall mount, usually there are two of them, - according to horizontal.

What is multifeed and how does it work?

Multifeed- this is a design that allows you to receive several satellites SIMULTANEOUSLY on one satellite dish due to the possibility of installing additional heads (converters). This allows you to save money on purchasing an additional satellite dish.

Multifeed law: angle of incidence = angle of reflection

An antenna is often called a mirror. And in the case of multifeed, the laws of optics and reflection apply (remember physics?) Specifically: The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. That is, if you adjust the antenna to the corresponding satellite so that it is in focus, then the signal from a neighboring satellite located at a different orbital position will be reflected not at the converter that is in focus, but at some other point. This whole thing works according to the same law!

This law is easy to understand:
If a neighboring satellite (Amos 4) in geostationary orbit is located to the right of the focus of the central converter (Sirius 4.8) of the satellite antenna, then the reflection of its signal (yellow arrow in the figure) from the dish mirror will be focused to the left of the place where the central converter is located in the focus of the antenna. (see pic)

If the satellite is higher, the signal will be focused lower. In general, the effect of a mirror.

Tuning an antenna to a satellite with installed multifeeds

Then you need to put 2 mutifeeds on the antenna nose mount, which already has an installed holder for the main converter (the converters are fixed in all holders). Next, everything needs to be tightened securely, but it is possible to rotate the converters in multifeeds in all directions and planes with some effort. The cable system is connected at the very end.

Setup: Steps in a painstaking process

Setting up equipment is quite a troublesome task and requires a lot of time. It all starts with screwing it to the center. F-connector converter with a piece of cable 2 meters long. The other end of this cable is fixed to the receiver.

The receiver itself connects to the television receiver. Be careful: the power (220 V) must be turned on only after connection. Another important point to remember: when you screw on the F-connector, make sure that the shielding film and the thinnest conductors on the cable braid do not short-circuit with the central core. Otherwise, everything may end in a breakdown of the receiver!

Setting up a satellite dish for the main Sirius 4.8E satellite

Turn on the TV and receiver. Go to MENU - INSTALLATION, then to SEARCH CHANNELS. On the left you will see a list of satellites from which reception will occur. Select the desired one, for example, Sirius 2/Ku 4.8E, if the central converter is configured for it, which was previously firmly fixed.

• LNBP- turning on the converter.
• LNBP Type- choose Universal (the type can be found in the documents for the converter).
• LNBP Freq- 10600/9750 (this data is also indicated in the instructions for the converters).
• 22Khz- select the AUTO item (this is the signal that switches the dial).
• DISEqC- leave NONE (if you connected the signal reception directly, without using DISEqC).

Then look for the corresponding button on the remote control: it will take you to the transponder submenu. This is where you will need to look for a satellite signal. TIP: mark in advance a couple of transponders from satellites with different polarizations and any channels (preferably free) that actually WORK (FTA). These are easy to find on the Internet on specialized sites.

• EXAMPLE: let's look at the option with transponder 11766H. It broadcasts at a frequency of 11,766 Mega Hertz (horizontal polarization). To make it more convenient to adjust the quality of the picture and signal, it is better to display all the information in full screen mode. There is an INFO button for this. It will be convenient to navigate the quality using the microscale located below.

Don’t be alarmed if at first the “quality” of the signal is 0. The reason for this failure is quite understandable: at the very beginning we discussed options for directing the antenna and turned it in the right direction using the “scientific poke” method. And now the time has come to tune the antenna in all planes. Get ready immediately for a long and monotonous process that requires accuracy, attentiveness and self-control. Why? A couple of millimeters and the signal will be lost. It won’t even be a matter of its poor quality, but its complete absence!

Tuning the receiver antenna in planes

First you need to find one ideal vertical position. Then slowly and smoothly try to rotate the antenna horizontally. In this case, you need to constantly monitor the signal quality scale. As soon as the number moves from 0, it means you are acting correctly. In this way, you should bring the scale to at least 15. It is possible that all manipulations with horizontal movements will be unsuccessful. Then you will have to return to the vertical position and change it a little. And then start all over again: careful movements left and right until a signal appears, at least a small one. Your task is to achieve the most High Quality reception. Doing this, of course, is not easy, but without this, as they say, there is nowhere.

You can try to slightly rotate the converter in the holder (around the axis). There are even special marks on the case for this. You can also move it a little back and forth along the holder, while achieving maximum readings on the QUALITY scale.

The conclusion is this: to achieve better signal quality, you need to try ALL adjustment options. This is the only way the result will satisfy you completely.

• IMPORTANT: if you have double-checked everything a hundred times, tried to adjust the antenna, changed the receiver settings several times, but still haven’t found a signal, try replacing the converter. There is a possibility that it is simply broken.

Have you achieved the best possible reception quality? Congratulations! It seems like it's time to tighten the screws and enjoy a job well done?! Not everything is so rosy. Remember: the setup was carried out with a transponder broadcasting ONLY in horizontal polarization (mark “H” on the body). It is also necessary to configure the V-transponder, that is, with vertical polarization. Yes, and back into battle!

In each specific case, completely different actions can help. Somewhere, a slight rotation of the converter around its axis clockwise or counterclockwise leads to success. And some have to scan transponders in a manual search. A description of this process can be found in the documents for the purchased receiver. And then visually monitor the reception of certain channels and their correspondence to the desired satellite.

Let's tighten the nuts!

The long-awaited moment has arrived when signals in both polarizations produce the highest possible quality. Now you need to tighten the nuts very tightly and firmly. And here again difficulties can overtake you: by tightening the adjusting nut, you, without meaning to, slightly change the direction of the antenna. As a result, the signal quality again noticeably decreases! Therefore, this must be done extremely carefully, with great caution.

Position of converters on multifeeds

Before you start setting up converters on multifeeds, you need to know their angle of inclination to the horizon and understand how they will be located.

Satellites in the sky in geostationary orbit relative to the territory of Russia are located along an arc that runs closer to the south of the sky. To an observer it will look something like this:

Therefore, the location of the converters on the antenna should be inverted and mirrored. If the antenna is directed to the southern sector, then the neighboring converters will be located conditionally like this:

If the “dish” is tuned to a Western satellite, then the converters on the multifeed should be positioned like this:

And finally, if the satellite antenna is directed towards one of the eastern satellites, then the “heads” in the neighborhood should be positioned as follows:

Let's look at another important point that you should always remember. Since a satellite transmits a signal in most cases in horizontal or vertical polarization, for different satellites vertical polarization will not always be “vertical”, and, accordingly, horizontal polarization will not always be “horizontal”. Vertical and horizontal polarization will remain exclusively for the southern satellites, and for all others the polarization will be somewhat “tilted”, as shown in the figures. Therefore, both the central converter and the converter on the multifeed must be positioned at a certain angle relative to their axis. For this purpose, there are special division marks on the converters.

Calculation of the position of converters on multifeeds relative to the central head

The Rainbow TV: Installer Assistant program, which can be downloaded here, is intended for calculating the installation angles of a satellite dish. It also contains all the information for setting up the multifeed. To calculate the multifeed, you can use the corresponding tab in the program. Converters will need to be placed according to the design diagram presented on the tab as a result of the calculation.

Here is an example of a calculation using the program for our multifeeds with distances relative to the central converter:

Where Hor- distance from the core of the central converter to the center of the head on the multifeed a Ver- distance from the center of the main converter to the center of the head on the multifeed.

Setting up multifeed to satellite

So, the antenna itself and one of the converters are successfully configured. After this, you should turn off the receiver and twist the cable of the central converter to the converter from the multifeed. Then turn everything ON again.

A familiar menu will appear in front of you, only now you should select Hotbird 13E and another valid transponder. As in the case described above, it is necessary to systematically achieve excellent signal reception. However, here it is not the antenna itself that will have to be moved, but the converter on the multifeed. By the way, it is capable of moving in any plane: up/down; right left; back forward.

If you see that the signal is excellent, tighten the nuts. But don't forget to check the polarizations. Scan transponders and check any channel broadcasting without payment, purely visually. Everything is okay?

Multifeed for satellite Amos 4w

Turn off all equipment again and twist the cable, as before, to the last converter. Then the setup process is repeated with some changes: the Amos 4w satellite and its operating frequency are selected in the receiver menu.

Having configured the multifeed, connect all three converters with the disk using the supplied short cables, in accordance with the attached figure.

In the receiver settings, you need to set the port parameters in accordance (set the following numbers in the Diseqc 1,1 menu: Sirius 2/Ku 4.8E - 1, Hotbird 13E - 2, Amos 4w - 3) with connecting the cables to the disk.
Then, automatically search for channels by satellite. If not all channels are found as a result of the search, then you should switch to the manual search mode and search for them by entering the parameters of the missing transponders.

Is it worth covering the disks from rain or moisture?

Of course yes disek too electronic device and runs on electricity, and if water gets in, a short circuit cannot be avoided. You'll be lucky if it's the only one that burns. Just a bag of tape won't help, it will only make the situation worse.

But a plastic bottle with the top cut off is another matter, simple and reliable. You can get creative and find a bottle or box of a suitable shape and seal the cracks with silicone or sealant.

Modern disk drives are already sold with a plastic protective casing included.

The disek must be installed in such a way that water does not reach the connection points through the cable. Therefore, it must be raised above the level of converters.

ANTENNA tuned to 3 satellites INSTALLED SUCCESSFULLY!