How to Install Your Satellite Dish
Unless you qualify for 'free' satellite installation from DISH Network®, you might need to have your satellite dish professionally installed. Professional satellite setup can cost you an arm and a leg, and it's not recommended to do it yourself. We strongly recommend signing up with DISH Network to receive free professional installation.
However, if you do decide to do it yourself, here is a guideline for how to choose your dish, select the best location, how to go about the dish installation and eventually tweak your satellite antenna for the finest reception. But remember, before you run out to setup your satellite yourself, you may qualify for free satellite TV installation and other equipment from DISH Network.
How to Select a Satellite TV Antenna
When selecting your satellite dish for installation it is important to devote time before making your choice; there are several types of satellite dish and what you choose in the end will eventually determine the kind of TV programming you will be able to watch. Check out your options and make sure to read through the description to find the one that works best for you. There are several websites currently selling various dishes and offering installation manuals to go with it.You can learn more about the equipment needed for dish satellite installation, if you go to the equipment section of our site.
At the moment DIRECTV® offers eight types of satellite dishes while DISH Network has ten. Dish sizes range between 18-inches to 36-inches x 22-inches butthe most significant detail you should consider when it comes to dishes is the number of LNBs as well as the number of supported outputs. A complete satellite-TV systems includes a satellite dish, as many as five LNBs, coaxial cable, and a receiver. Each LNB receives a signal and then sends it to a satellite-TV receiver that is connected to TV. Consider how many people are going to be using the dish? How many rooms will need to be connected?
The amount of outputs on your dish sat will determine the number of satellite dish receivers that connect to the dish. The number of satellite dish receivers will in turn determine how many different programs on different TVs you will be able to watch simultaneously. If you have many rooms with televisions, you should consider the quad output dish, which supports up to four different receivers for the satellite dish. However, if you need to hook up more receivers than your dish sat can accommodate, then you will need to have a multi-switch to split the satellite feed without compromising the signal quality. To determine the direction your satellite dish will transmit channels you can observe the direction in which your neighbors have pointed their dishes.
DISH Network Satellite Installation
After choosing your satellite dish, you need to get the dish up and working so you can start enjoying all those amazing channels.
The fairly small size of satellite TV antennas means that you can basically install the dish just about anywhere, but it’s better to have one person make fine-tuning adjustments on the dish, while another watch the angles on your satellite-TV receiver . These efficient satellite dishes are especially suitable for city residents, and designed to be easily setup by satellite owners.
You may decide to have your dish installation done by a professional, but the actual satellite installation is not difficult at all. The real difficulty that might arise in while installing your own dish is getting the right aim so you can receive best signal from the satellites. This is a vital step and it is this that may warrant professional assistance. It is important to keep in mind that the dish sat is your main link to those satellites hovering around in space, so it is crucial for it to be aimed accurately to pick up the signals. There are self-installation kits that may be some help in this respect.
Deciding on the Top Location for Satellite TV Antennas
Here are a few issues you must consider when choosing the location for you dish sat:
- If you are North of the equator the satellite dish must point South and vice versa.
- Choose a locale that is accessible, in case you need to adjust the dish or remove debris.
- Your location should be free from any obstructions and be sure that new foliage will not affect the dish in the future.
- Be sure to be far away from power lines
Before you begin your journey of installing your own satellite dish, check with your satellite provider if you can enjoy a totally free dish installation by one of their professionals. Both DISH Network and DIRECTV often times offer free installation. For more details on these two providers, you can check out this article: DIRECTV vs. DISH Network. Your satellite provider can take care of all the details and make sure that the dish will be installed safely and fast, providing you with the best experience. Whether you decide to do it yourself or let the professional to get your satellite TV setup remember it will all be worth it in the end when you're sitting back enjoying the best programming TV has to offer, with the best picture and sound quality.
Disclaimer: Please note that this article was written when the satellite TV provider DISH was branded as DISH Network. As of 2/1/2012 DISH Network has changed their branding name to DISH. Article post date: 08/15/2009.
