How to Install and Set Up a Free Satellite TV System

This wikiHow teaches you how to set up a free satellite TV system for your TV.

Table of Contents

Prepare

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Select the satellite network. To check the compatibility of the television waves with the current location, you need to know the name of the satellite.

You can visit the American Digital Satellite website and scroll down to see a list of the various available satellites at http://www.americandigitalsatellite.com/all_free_to_air_satellite_channels.html.

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You need to make sure that the current location can receive satellite signals. Before proceeding to install a free TV system, we need to know if we can receive satellite waves. Go to http://www.dishpointer.com/ and check by:

Enter the city and state name (for example, “Palo Alto, California”) in the “Your location” text box on the left side of the page.
Select the satellite name from the drop-down menu on the right side of the page.
Click Search! (Search).
The green line represents the satellite’s direct transmission. If the line is red, the satellite cannot operate in this area.

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Pay attention to the direction of the network. In the viewport on the map, look at the “Elevation” and “Azimuth (true)” numbers. We’ll use these (angled) metrics to align the satellite dish later.

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You must have sufficient appropriate hardware. We will need the following equipment to install the satellite dish: ^{[1] X Research Source}

Satellite dish — Used to receive satellite signals. You will need a 2.4 m diameter dish for C-band or 89 cm for Ku-band reception.
Satellite receiver — Used to receive satellite dish input and translate to a TV channel.
Satellite tuner — Used to fine-tune the position of the satellite dish.
HDTV — Essential with most free-to-air TV equipment as the receiver usually requires the HDMI input found on the TV.
Coax cable — Usually packaged with the satellite dish, but you may need to purchase a longer or shorter fiber depending on where the device is installed.

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Determine the optimal location for mounting the satellite dish. The base of the dish should be facing the satellite to be received, so choose an elevated position (e.g. a terrace or balcony) so that the antenna is properly oriented and receives a stable signal.

You need to try to choose a position so that the satellite dish is not obstructed by trees, buildings or other obstacles.

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Find the optimal wiring from the satellite dish to the TV. Since we need to connect the coax cable from the disc to the receiver in the house, you need to find a way to minimize the contact of the wire with obstacles, while keeping the cable length as short as possible.

Many people use satellite dishes to guide cables along the side of the house and through the wall at the required location, but depending on the location of your home, that can be changed accordingly.
If necessary, purchase a new coax cable sufficient to connect the receiver to the satellite dish before continuing.

Install satellite dish

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Fix the disc to the position of your choice. Place the antenna pole and dish on a flat surface, then secure the device in place with bolts or pins.

It is extremely important that the antenna rig be fixed as tightly as possible so that the dish does not loosen in the wind.
If the disc is mounted on a wooden roof, you can seal around the base to prevent water.

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Point the disk toward the satellite. Take the “Elevation” and “Azimuth” parameters as a reference to align the disc to the direction of the satellite you want to use. This ensures that the dish will always face the satellite and receive a stable signal.

You don’t necessarily need a compass for this step.

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Connect to the satellite tuner. Connect the 1.8 m coaxial cable from the dish to the satellite tuner.

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Use the satellite tuner to fine-tune the horizontal axis of the dish antenna. Turn on the satellite finder, enter a name or select a satellite from the list and then enter the frequency. You will hear a continuous “beep” sound to assist in the orientation of the antenna:

Rotate the disc left or right.
A quick “beep” sound indicates that you are rotating the disc in the right direction.
Turn the disc in the other direction if the “beep” sound slows down.

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Fix the horizontal direction of the disc. Tighten the screw to completely fix the antenna to this angle.

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Vertical adjustment. Proceed in the same way as when you adjusted the horizontal; as soon as a quick “beep” sounds, tighten the screw to fix the antenna vertically.

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Connect the satellite dish to the receiver. We will use coax cable to connect. The coaxial cable end needs to be plugged into the back of the satellite dish receiver.

You can use a staple gun to secure the coax cable along the side of the house so it doesn’t hang.
Depending on the location of the house, you may need to drill holes in the wall to put the cable in with the receiver inside. In this case, you need to make sure you don’t hit the water pipes or electrical wires.

Set up receiver

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Connect the receiver to the power source and the TV. After connecting the coax cable to the receiver, you can use the receiver’s HDMI cable to plug it into the TV’s HDMI port.

You also need to plug the receiver’s power cord into an electrical outlet.

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Turn on the receiver if necessary. The receiver will turn on as soon as it is plugged in, but an On/Off switch may also be located on the side or back of the unit. Please check and turn the switch to the “On” position before continuing.

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Switch to the receiver’s channel. Turn on the TV, then switch the input to the HDMI port the receiver connects to.

For example, if the receiver is plugged into the “HDMI 1” port, you need to switch the input to the “HDMI 1” channel using the TV’s Input or Video menu.

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Allow the receiver to proceed with the installation if necessary. Some receivers need to perform automatic setup the first time they are turned on; then, you need to let the device complete the process before continuing.

If prompted to take any action during setup, follow the on-screen instructions.

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Open the receiver’s menu. On the receiver’s remote, you need to find and press the Menu button. A menu will pop up on the screen.

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Find the dish antenna setup menu. We need to use the arrow keys on the remote to find the “Install” or “Dish” option, but you can look through the receiver’s manual if you can’t find the setup. this on the menu.

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Select satellite. In the “Satellite” section of the menu, use the arrow keys to scroll left or right until you find the satellite name.

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Select the LNB frequency. At the “LNB” section of the menu, use the arrow keys to select 10750 as the LNB frequency. This is the most used LNB frequency for satellite networks. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If using a C-band network, you can choose the 5150 instead.

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Channel Tuning. Find the “Scan” or “Single Satellite Scan” section on the menu, set “FTA Only” to Yes if possible and then start scanning by select Yes , OK or Start . The dish antenna will start scanning for available satellite TV channels; Once it’s done, you’ll be able to watch TV as usual using the channels the disc detects.

Steps

Prepare

Install satellite dish

Set up receiver

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