Installing and configuring a satellite dish

Satellite television is a good solution in country and low-rise buildings. Wherever cable TV and Internet TV operators do not work. Satellite sets, including all the necessary equipment, can now be purchased even in supermarkets selling appliances and electronics. As soon as you have decided on the operator, the tariff and purchased the equipment, you must configure the satellite antenna yourself or with the help of a technical specialist of the operator.

The essence of satellite TV technology is as follows:

  • The signal is transmitted from a satellite above the Earth, moving in an orbit, but not changing its position relative to the Earth.
  • A satellite dish is sent directly to the broadcasting satellite.
  • A focused antenna signal from the satellite is transmitted to the converter, which turns it into an electric one and transmits it to the receiver.
  • The receiver can be external or built into the TV. All modern TVs are capable of receiving a signal from the converter without additional equipment.

By itself, a satellite dish is universal and suitable for any operator with sufficient diameter. The difference is only in the equipment and its configuration. The leading providers of satellite TV services in Russia are Tricolor and NTV +. They both broadcast from the same satellite, so the setup and installation will be the same for them.

Tricolor and NTV + are paid and to access the channels found you need a special card, registration and payment for one of the types of subscriptions. But there are many satellites broadcasting free channels, including in Russian. You can select and adjust the antenna to one of them, or purchase several satellite dishes, or use the rotary mechanism for convenient reorientation.

Installation and setup of a satellite dish on Tricolor and NTV +

Since Tricolor and NTV + are broadcast from the same satellite, the algorithm for installing, tuning and connecting the antenna to the TV will be the same:

  • To get started, get a satellite dish of sufficient diameter.
  • Buy equipment for receiving a signal from a plate:
  1. receiver and access card (for NTV +), from 5, 000 rubles.
  2. if you have a TV with a CL + connector, then you can purchase a special module and a card (for NTV +), from 3000 rubles.
  3. a digital two-tuner receiver (for Tricolor, from 7800 rubles) or a ready-made set together with a Tricolor plate with a TV module (8300 rubles) or a receiver, which allows you to connect 2 TV sets (17, 800 rubles) in the future.
  4. You can purchase any receiver yourself by first specifying its compatibility with the operator’s signal on the website or in the technical support service.
  • When all the equipment is ready, you can proceed to installation. For the European part of Russia, the satellite is located in the south, so the installation of the antenna should be made in the southern part of the building.
  • On the line of reception of a signal there should not be barriers. Try to mount the plate higher.
  • Fasten the bracket to the wall with anchor bolts. It should be tightly bolted and not loose.
  • Assemble the plate according to its instructions and fix it on the bracket.
  • Mount the converter on the special holder and attach the cable to it. Install the converter better connector down to avoid precipitation.
  • Now you need to connect the receiver to the converter and TV. If you are using a module, insert it into a special connector, and connect the cable from the antenna to the TV.
  • Turn on the TV and receiver. Antenna installation is complete. Further, it is necessary to set it up exactly on the satellite and search channels.

In the case of NTV + and Tricolor, which broadcast from one satellite, no additional equipment is required for tuning. After the installation in a southerly direction, make fine adjustments:

  1. Go to the "Search Channels" menu on the receiver (or TV, if you connected it directly). For Tricolor and NTV +, the satellite name must be Eutelsat 36B or 36C.

    Main menu Tricolor TV

  2. Press the “i” button on the receiver's remote control or a similar one on the TV remote control (according to the model instructions) to see the signal level and signal quality. Or go to the “Settings” menu, “System”, “Signal Information” section.
  3. On the screen you will see two scales, strength and quality. It is necessary to achieve the highest values, from 70 to 100%. To do this, slowly rotate the antenna, about 3-5 mm, fixing each position for 1-2 seconds so that the receiver has time to react to a change in position.
  4. Remember that you can rotate in azimuth (in the horizontal plane) and in the corner (in the vertical plane).
  5. After you get the best signal, turn on automatic channel search on the receiver. If you purchased the receiver from a satellite TV provider, then, most likely, it is already programmed into the necessary channels.
  6. You will need to insert the operator’s access card, you may have to register and activate and enter a password. Follow the instructions for connecting your operator.

You can also use special tables, which show the approximate location of the plate in angle and azimuth for different cities of Russia. Such tables are easy to find for Tricolor, NTV +, and, if desired, for other satellites.

Free satellite channels

In addition to Tricolor and NTV +, you can tune the antenna to other satellites that broadcast channels for free. To do this, you will need any receiver or TV with a built-in receiver. The access card and, accordingly, the module for the card are not needed, since you will be tuned to unencrypted channels.

In Russia, you can connect the antenna to the following satellites:

  • Astra 4a 4.8 ° E;
  • AMOS 2/3 4 ° W;
  • HotBird 13 ° E;
  • ABS 1 / 1A / 1B, 75 ° E;
  • Intelsat 15 85.2 ° E;
  • Yamal 201 90 ° E.

The procedure for installing, configuring and connecting is similar to that used with NTV + and Tricolor. But in order to properly direct the antenna to the satellite, it is better to use a special program, for example, Satellite Antenna Alignment.

Satellite Antenna Alignment can be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use from the official website //www.al-soft.com/saa/satinfo.shtml. The main characteristics and rules of using the program:

  1. Run the program and enter your location in the Site Location window. You can find these coordinates on any smartphone or tablet with GPS or on special sites on the Internet.
  2. The list of satellites with coordinates in azimuth and tilt will be displayed on the left.
  3. If the angle values ​​are negative, then the satellite is below the horizon and communication with it is impossible.
  4. Using the data of the program is easy to set the position of the antenna and without a compass. For this purpose, the function "setting by the sun":
  • Select the satellite to which you want to send a plate.
  • Go to the Sun's Azimuth tab.
  • On the right in the window you will see the current position of the sun. Here, the program also calculates what day and time the position of the sun will coincide with the position of the satellite.
  • At a specified time, just point the antenna at the sun.

By entering the data of your satellite dish in the tab Offset antenna, you can accurately determine the level of the desired tilt.

Satellite Antenna Alignment - program window

Once you have directed the antenna to the desired satellite, you need to connect it to the TV and perform the setup as above. For easier adjustment to a strong signal, you can use such a device as a satfinder. You can buy a simple switch in the region of 400-500 rubles, and you can be more expensive with a display and various functions, their price starts from 2000 rubles. To use the satfinder:

  1. Connect the satfinder between the converter and receiver approximately 1–1.5 meters from the converter. The LNB connector connects the cable from the converter, and the REC that goes to the receiver.
  2. Go to the receiver's menu "Signal level".
  3. Proceed to fine-tuning, watching the movements of the arrow on the satfinder. With the right direction, the arrow will move to higher values.

These are the basic rules that you need to follow in order to successfully install, connect and configure a satellite dish yourself. The procedure is simple, but it will save you money that you would pay for leaving the wizard. The main thing is to handle the antenna carefully, securely fasten it in the correct position and follow all the steps of the installation instructions. Share your ideas in the comments, how else can you simplify the process of installing and configuring a satellite dish in an apartment or house.