How to Point a Satellite Dish
What you need to know: A Quick Overview
1) Azimuth refers to the horizontal measurement of a direction. In terms of your satellite dish, it tells you how far left or right your dish should point.
2) Your elevation gives your satellite dish its heading, or how far above the horizon it needs to point (up and down).
3) Polarization also known as "skew", refers to the adjustment needed for the curvature of the Earth. This rotational adjustment compensates for the Earth’s curvature between the dish and the beam of the satellite.
Your satellite TV provider can usually provide the information you need. DISH Network for example features a Point Dish/Signal option in their on-screen menu to help you in the alignment of your satellite dish. Using your zip code, you can find the azimuth, elevation and skew.
With your azimuth and elevation numbers in hand, get a compass. Standing close to your satellite dish, rotate your compass until the needle points North, or zero degrees. Starting from this point, locate the azimuth number on the compass and turn to face that point without moving the compass itself. East is 90 degrees, South is 180 degrees and West is 270 degrees. If your azimuth number is 240 for example, you would face a direction between South and West on your compass.
Now that you’ve found your direction (left/right), estimate the angle of elevation (up/down). With the ground representing zero, calculate the distance going upwards using the elevation number. Straight up would be 90 degrees, so if your elevation number was 45, your elevation would be halfway between the ground and looking straight up into the sky.
It is important to note, your dish antenna must be installed correctly before you can attempt to align your dish to the correct satellite to receive satellite TV signals. Some things to keep in mind:
- If you just bought a new satellite TV system, free installation was
probably included and therefore you do not need to align your dish
yourself as this will be done by the installer.
- Two-way (send and receive) Internet requires professional
installation IAW FCC rules.
- There are many satellites in the sky. It's easy to think you are
pointing at the right one when you are really pointing at another.
Satellites are often shared by multiple companies though some have their
own for their own customers. DirecTV®, DISH®, and DirecWay® use
different satellites, different frequencies and sometimes even multiple
satellites.
- If you've purchased a DIRECTV Multi-Satellite System, it is highly recommend that you have it professionally installed. This system features an 18x24-inch oval dish, which allows reception from all three DIRECTV orbital locations — 101, 110 and 119 degrees West Longitude (WL). To receive signals from all of these locations, your DIRECTV Multi-Satellite dish must be aligned by tilt as well as elevation and azimuth. This technical requirement makes the installation more complex.
Pointing your satellite dish antenna to the correct spot in the sky
to receive satellite TV signals is a task which can be accomplished by
anyone with the knowledge and desire to do so. However, depending on
your particular setup, you may need some additional help.
Aligning a satellite antenna (dish) to a broadcast satellite for the
purpose of receiving a signal.
We live in a three dimensional
world. You can think of the three dimensions as height, width and depth.
For purposes of aligning your dish antenna, we will call height,
elevation and we will call width, azimuth. Azimuth is just a fancy word
for direction. The depth would be the distance from your dish to the
satellite or about 23,748 miles. To receive your satellite TV signal
from the correct satellite you must point your dish to a specific spot
in the sky which will give you the best possible signal strength. This
spot is the location of your satellite in space. The question is, how do
you determine exactly where to point your dish?
-
Elevation
Elevation
Azimuth - Compass direction the antenna is pointed towards,
relative to a magnetic north. This is also referred to as the left or
right movement (position) of the satellite antenna. The angle of
rotation (horizontal) that a dish antenna must be rotated through to
point to a specific satellite in orbit. The angle is a north to south
line through the antenna’s location, measured in degrees clockwise.
Azimuth
Polarization - Correction between where the antenna is
relative to the curvature of the Earth and the satellite’s signal beam.
The satellite signal is either Horizontal or Vertical polarized, but due
to the longitude of the antenna location, the antenna’s feed horn must
be rotated to correctly match the beam's polarization.
Determining the Elevation and Azimuth
The
satellite appears to be fixed in space approximately 23,748 miles above
the equator. In reality, the satellites travel from west to east, but to
us on Earth they appear stationary because they match the exact speed of
the Earth's rotation. (This is a geostationary orbit.) If you stand up
now, turn towards the southern sky, and tilt your head up to the
heavens, you'll be looking in the general direction of the DBS
satellites.
To aim your satellite dish antenna at the satellite,
you need to know your azimuth and elevation coordinates. Azimuth is
defined as the horizontal direction expressed as the angular distance
between the direction of your dish and the direction of the DBS
satellites. More simply, azimuth relates to the
left-to-right positioning of your dish. Elevation is the angular
distance of the satellite above the horizon in relation to your dish. In
other words, elevation concerns the up-and-down positioning of
your dish.
Further explanation: A geo-stationary satellite
in orbit around the Earth remains above the same location on Earth since
it's orbit is in synch with the Earth's rotation. The satellite
transmits it's signal to Earth after receiving it from an Earth ground
station. Your dish antenna captures the signal and focuses it on the LNB
which feeds it down a cable to your receiver which decodes it and sends
it to your television. The dish antenna has to be aligned properly so
that it can capture the signal. It has to be pointed towards the signal
and fine tuned for maximum signal strength.
For each location on
the Earth's surface which can capture a particular satellite signal, you
have to align the dish at different angles to receive the best signal.
Everyone in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth (includes the United
States) has to point their dish towards the southern sky since the
satellite you require is positioned over the equator. A dish in North
Dakota has to be pointed lower than a dish in Texas. A dish in Florida
has to be pointed differently than a dish in California.
Now that you have your azimuth and elevation coordinates, what do you do with them?
Set up your dish antenna to ensure an unobstructed line of sight to the satellites. To receive satellite broadcast signals, your dish needs to be positioned correctly. Mount your dish so that the base fits flush with the mounting surface (level if mounted on a flat beam or roof, or on an angle to match the pitch of your roofline). When you have securely mounted your dish, adjust it so the dish mast is plumb, that is, exactly perpendicular to level — this is best achieved using a carpenter's bubble level. With your dish now mounted and properly set, you are ready to aim your dish toward the proper satellites.
To set the dish to point up to the satellite, you'll first need to set the elevation. Then you'll point the dish in the proper left-to-right position to set the azimuth.
For anyone in the U.S., begin by pointing your dish to the South. If you do not know where South is you can use a general purpose compass to determine North and South.
Setting the Elevation (UP), (DOWN)
You can set the proper elevation after the dish is securely mounted. First, loosen the nuts securing the two elevation bolts so that the dish easily moves up and down. Line up the elevation indicator with the tick mark corresponding to your elevation number. Then tighten the bolts.
Setting the Azimuth (LEFT), (RIGHT)
Loosen the azimuth nuts on the LNB arm enough that the dish can be turned smoothly with little pressure. Set the azimuth by moving the dish left and right. Point the dish in the general direction of the satellite, in the southern sky. By using a compass you can better pinpoint the direction with your azimuth number to correspond with the degrees on your compass.
Acquiring the Signal
Now your dish will be in position to lock in on the satellite signal. You'll need to
1) have your satellite receiver connected to your television, with both turned on, and
2) have your antenna to receiver cables connected, and
3) be viewing your Setup Antenna/Signal Strength display from your on-screen menu to measure the signal strength accurately.
Ask someone to watch the Signal Strength screen for indications you are receiving the signal. Stand behind the dish, and holding its outer edges, slowly turn it a little to the right to adjust the azimuth. Pause a few seconds, giving the receiver enough time to lock in on the satellite signal. Continue turning the dish in this way until you have acquired the signal or until you have rotated the dish approximately 15 degrees from the starting point.
If you haven't detected a signal yet, return to the starting point and move the dish to the left again. If you don't acquire the signal after rotating the dish approximately 15 degrees to either side of the calculated azimuth angle, loosen the elevation bolts and tilt the dish upward so the elevation indicator moves halfway from the current tick mark to the next mark. Then tighten the elevation bolts. Repeat the azimuth adjustments again to lock in on the signal.
If the signal still eludes you, check:
- that nothing — a tree, for example — obstructs the signal
- that the cables are connected properly to the receiver
- that you have the correct azimuth and elevation coordinates
Fine Tuning
When you have received the satellite signal, it is important to fine-tune the dish pointing to make sure you have the maximum possible signal strength. Maximizing the signal is important in that it reduces "rain fade" during inclement weather. Loosen the elevation bolts, then gently continue turning the dish a little in the same direction you were turning it when you began to receive the satellite signal. Pause for a few seconds each time after moving the dish. Turn the dish in this way until the signal strength reaches its highest reading and then begins to fall. Then slowly turn the dish the opposite way until you again receive the highest reading on the Signal Strength screen.
Important: The Signal Strength reading does not need to be "100." Lock in on the highest possible signal which is usually 70 to 85.
Tighten the azimuth bolts. Loosen the elevation bolts. Slowly tilt the dish up and down to improve the Signal Strength reading. When you are satisfied that you have the strongest signal, tighten the elevation bolts.
http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer
will give you your exact
latitude and longitude based on your entered ZIPCODE
Another website
to look at for azimuth & elevation calculation:
http://www.satcruiser.com/azel.htm
You may need to adjust your azimuth angle to account for
magnetic declination.
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