How to install a satellite dish yourself - 7 connection errors.

In order to assemble and install a satellite television set at home on your own, without any practical knowledge, you need to follow a certain step-by-step sequence of work.
Let's look at the main points that you should pay special attention to when assembling the plate, wiring diagrams, and also focus on common mistakes that inexperienced installers make.

Installation materials

Let's start with the necessary materials. For assembly you will need:

• the plate itself

• multifeeds – fasteners for heads

Without them, if you have several heads, you will end up with a tree like this.

• mounting bracket - “leg”

• TV tuner or receiver

• RF coaxial cable with a characteristic impedance of at least 75 Ohms (RK 75 or Western analogue RG and SAT) + F connectors for it

• converters or heads - usually from one to 3 pieces (when assembling the so-called “Gorynych”)

• Diseqc switch – it switches the signal from one head to another when there are several of them

• multiswitch

You will need it if you want to simultaneously connect several TVs from one dish.

Multiswitch connection diagrams

The multiswitch itself must be selected depending on the number of cables and TVs in your home. The wiring diagrams for the most popular satellites are as follows:

• For the Amos 2/3 4.0w satellite, one SAT cable is enough. The connectors are connected to the ports as shown in the picture below:

• Astra 5.0E will require two cables. Connection ports:

• for Eutelsat 36.0E, where the NTV+ channels are located, two cables are also needed. Their connection diagram:

• for Eutelsat 36.0E, but with channels from Tricolor you can get by with one cable. It connects to the H, Hi input.

If you also have a regular television antenna, then the multiswitch must have a TerrTV input.

Connection diagram for the ABS-2A satellite via a multiswitch to receive a package of channels from MTS:

Keep in mind that when using a multiswitch, Daisik=Diseqc is no longer needed.

How to adjust the Tricolor TV dish?

The better and more accurately the plate is adjusted, the better the image on the TV will be. The adjustment feature depends on the angle and azimuth of the place where the antenna is installed. These quantities are measured in degrees.

The difficulty in choosing azimuth and angle is that it varies in some regions. To find out what values ​​are needed for a particular region, you need to go to the Tricolor website.

If for some reason the channels are lost, or the display is poor, it is necessary to adjust the azimuth and angle again.

After setting the required values ​​on the plate, you need to connect the cable from the antenna to the television connector. When you turn on the TV, you don’t need to immediately tune in to the channels, you just need to check for a signal from the satellite.

Satellite dish assembly

The assembly tool usually requires a pair of open-end wrenches for 10 and 13, plus a Phillips screwdriver. To mount it to the wall you will need a hammer drill and anchor bolts.

When you have decided on the package, first of all you need to correctly assemble the plate itself. There are several nuances here.

For example, when assembling the traverse, pay attention that the transverse bar, which is attached to the mirror of the plate itself, should be placed on top of it.

If you screw it on the other side, and this is physically possible, then:

• first, you will have poor hole alignment

• secondly, the opposite end of the traverse, where the heads cling, will go out of focus

As a result, it will initially be difficult to catch at least some signal. In addition, the mount that goes to the bracket, when setting up satellites above the horizon (relative to your geographic residence), must cling with the adjustable part down.

And for satellites located below the horizon - on the contrary, with the adjustable part up.

Since in this case, you will no longer need to raise, but lower the mirror.

How to assemble the Tricolor TV dish and install the main elements?

Contrary to the popular belief that assembling and installing a satellite dish yourself is difficult, and in general, almost impossible, this is not so. If you know the exact algorithm of operation and follow the instructions described below, you can cope with the task yourself without spending a lot of time.

So, are you ready to surprise your family and friends with your skills? Then let's go!

1. The first step is to install the massive bracket that is included in the Tricolor TV kit. The types of fasteners and tools depend on the type of wall - it is load-bearing or permanent.
2. When fixing the bracket, you need to take into account that the converter located on it must be installed downwards in order to protect the plate from falling asleep with precipitation.
3. Next, you need to securely secure the converter and cable together using the F-connector. To do this, you will need to free the cable from the top insulation by no more than 10 mm. Next, you need to wrap the cable tightly with braided shielding and foil. The inner insulating layer also needs to be removed by 10 mm and the connector must be tightened as much as possible.
4. You need to prepare stitches and electrical tape in advance to install the cable in the arc of the converter holder.
5. Sealing is a necessary procedure and cannot be avoided. It should extend along the entire length of the cable. In some cases, silicone sealant may be needed.
6. Then you need to fix the antenna to the bracket. It must be installed so that at any time it is possible to rotate the plate in different directions.
7. The last stage of assembly: you will again need insulating tape and zip ties, since on the bracket, in addition to the antenna, the cable itself must be fixed. If you secure the cable with a small margin, this will subsequently facilitate installation and repair of the device, if necessary.

The most difficult stage on the path to satellite television has been overcome! We suggest moving on to installing the television connector.

How to collect a multifeed

Assembling a multifeed also involves some special features. The collapsible kit initially comes with two unequal “ears”. One is more, the other is less.

The small one is put on a tube assembled with plastic.

The large one is attached to the central crossbeam. In this case, both ears can be positioned relative to each other in two different ways.

At the same level or in different planes. Most installers place them exactly in one plane.

Although if you do the opposite, this will make it easier to perform the very initial setup of the satellite dish and will save time when searching for additional side satellites.

The assembled heads will be at different levels, one higher, the other lower.

Actually, the satellites themselves fly across the horizon.

But this is of course true if your converters pick up three different satellites. When two heads are picking up the same satellite, for example Eutelsat 36E, but with different software packages, then place them in the same plane.

But mount the third head as described above. The spacing between the converters also depends on the diameter of the mirror. The smaller its size, the closer the heads will be located relative to each other.

After the bar is screwed on, try, at least by eye, to position the head so that the central axis of the plastic (where the two halves of the casting meet), and this very attachment to the traverse, are at an angle of 90 degrees. Further, everything will be regulated relative to this initial position.

The order in which multifeeds are interleaved also matters. The first and closest to the dish should be the multifeed whose satellite position is closer to your place of residence.

For example, if you live beyond 40 degrees, then Eutelsat 36.0E should appear on your dish first, then Hotbird 13E, and lastly Astra 5.0E. The same is true for other satellites.

After fixing the dish to the wall or roof, lay coaxial cables from this place to the tuner or switch.

Label each end with which head it comes from.

If you have a Dysec, there will be one output cable.

Satellite dish design

The operating principle of satellite antennas is limited to the conversion of air waves into electrical vibrations of the receiving probes of the converter. The signal is amplified, removed from the carrier, and transmitted to the receiver or television set. The satellite is far away. Flies in an orbit located exactly above the equator at a speed that allows it to remain motionless in the sky. It makes a full revolution around the Earth every day. One satellite covers a large area. Thousands, millions of square kilometers. It is clear that the area leaves no choice: the signal level is negligibly low, otherwise the power consumed in orbit would increase, and broadcasting would become impossible.

Typical antennas are unable to receive such a low signal level. Plates are used. The scientific name of the structures is parabolic antennas. The shape of the dish follows a paraboloid, the key feature of which is the optical law: rays of one direction are collected by the focal plane. Everyone knows a lens that is built on this basis is capable of collecting solar rays. The dish similarly concentrates the satellite signal to one point, where the strength is much greater than the average broadcast.

The gain of parabolic antennas is rarely below 20 dB. You will find specimens that provide 40 dB or more. At the same time, interference is cut off, because reception is carried out from a narrow direction.

Let's discuss the actions of the master in a YouTube video. I didn't use an ordinary bucket lid! – I found a curved one, similar in shape to a paraboloid. What's left to do next? Find the focal plane, position the converter as needed so that it fits into the place where the rays are collected by the point. It is unknown how much time was spent on preliminary adjustment, we will describe the experiment so that readers understand:

1. Frost, snow lay in drifts. The master found a tall stick, deposits of a sparkling heavenly gift, where the horizon in the direction of the satellite is clear. It is clear that the location of the spacecraft was calculated in advance, perhaps by an online calculator, or known, informed by the experience of previous installations.
2. The converter was wrapped with wire and bent to the shape of an offset satellite dish holder. To open it to find the focal plane. How it was done, only God knows, we believe, many experiments were carried out. Otherwise called the method of scientific poking.

3. The stick was stuck into the snow, strictly vertical, then a wire with a converter at the end was put on it. The master placed the lid of the bucket on top - an improvised reflector - by the eye, which we grab with our hand, opening the container.
4. As a result, everything was aimed, the master moved the converter, began to rotate the stick with the reflector along the axis, catching the signal. The professional device simply allowed us to do what we had planned, showing a picture of one Tricolor TV program. A simple satellite antenna device gave excellent results.

Experience explains two things:

1. You can only construct a plate with your own hands. Not a converter. The point is to find a position where the signal will be stable, the problem is: at the slightest deviation of the antenna shape from the paraboloid, the gain drops sharply.
2. Setting up a homemade satellite dish is done in a natural manner. It is necessary to find the correct azimuth and elevation angles. In the case of Tricolor TV, you don’t have to turn the converter, the polarization is circular. Reception of foreign channels is carried out - make sure that a converter with linear polarization is selected. We find out the angle of inclination using the online calculator of the provider, the owner of the spacecraft.

There is a known case where satellite dishes came from a military assembly line onto the shelves... of a children's store. There was a defect, the deviations were negligible, the bigwigs of the then progress could not come up with anything else but to hand over the best plates to ordinary people in the form of children's sleighs. It is clear that the fact of sale became known to local radio amateurs, and the products were crushed. We believe that today those plates will give a hundred points head start to any Chinese paraboloids. Instead of a bucket, it is more advisable to attach such a “sled”; reception is guaranteed in bad weather and calm.

When designing a homemade satellite dish, immediately find out what type of converter you will need. Two features are important:

• type of polarization;
• bands C, Ku.

Parameters are used in different combinations. One satellite has several bands, polarization varies. Multifeed is used. A guide on which several converters are installed, each to its own companion. It is difficult to aim two or three at one spacecraft. The signal quality will certainly decrease. It is important to know: there are hybrid converters in the store; none will provide reliable reception in all cases. Surely one range suffers. Avoid being surprised by this fact; it’s better to read the forums, where the problem is fully explained in simple terms.

F connector connection

To connect coaxial cables, you need to strip them and put F-connectors on them. There are two ways to do this.

Method 1 – cut off only the outer sheath of the cable with a knife at a distance of 20-25mm. The screen must not be damaged.

Carefully bend all the wires onto the shell.

Now you need to remove the insulation from the central core. It should protrude from the screen by a maximum of 2mm.

After this, screw on the F connector.

Shorten the excess stock of the central core, leaving no more than 5mm from the plane of the connector.

Method 2 is easier. Take the utility knife again. Step back approximately 1cm from the edge of the cable and cut off all the insulation. Including external and internal, up to the central core.

Then, retreating 3mm, cut off only the outer braid.

Make sure that no lint or wires get between the braid and the central core.

There is no need to remove any more insulation or bend anything. Just insert and screw on the f connector from above.

Next, you lay out cables throughout the apartment in all the rooms where you have TVs. You sign them all too.

At the same time, it is much safer to run the cable directly into the device rather than connect it through a satellite TV outlet. This may be associated with either a loss of quality or a complete loss of signal.

The wiring diagram when using a multiswitch may look like this:

Installation of a television connector

Preparing a television connector for installing satellite television is easy if you follow the following instructions:

• in order not to damage the shielding braid, you need to remove the cable from the top insulation by about 15 mm;
• shielding braid and foil must be located along the entire length of the cable;
• Next, you need to remove 10 mm of the inner insulation layer from the cable;
• the next stage is to screw in the connector as much as possible and use wire cutters to disconnect the conductor, which should extend beyond the edges no more than 3 mm.

The video broadcast to the TV using the installed Tricolor dish directly depends on the quality of the work carried out by the installer. You should follow the order of the instructions very carefully. You need to put all your strength and work into setting up Tricolor TV!

Diseqc connection

If you only have a dashcam, connecting and configuring satellites is carried out in the following sequence.

Remember that any self-respecting store of satellite equipment and similar systems always sells tuners already programmed for certain channels and satellites. Otherwise, competitors will simply drive him out of the market.

At the same time, when purchasing, be sure to ask the seller to write you the Diseqc ports of the switch, since they were set by him during the settings. It is through these ports that you will have to make all cable connections.

When installing, you first connect the cables to the heads, and then run them to the dashik. Just on it, it is advisable to connect everything initially with the “factory” tuner settings.

If you have any satellite in the receiver configured to the first port, then accordingly it should not go to port No. 1. If it is on the second one, then port No. 2 is also used in the switch, etc.

All input ports are always signed. The central single connector is the output to the tuner itself.

Search for satellite and channels

Setting up and searching for a satellite can be done without fancy devices using the receiver itself.

True, you will have to drag the tuner itself + some small TV onto the roof.

Unless, of course, you install a motorcycle suspension.

This setup can also be done by two people. One person on the roof moves a plate, another uses a cell phone to control the house's TV signal.

If you are not satisfied with either one or the second option, you can buy a cheap portable device from the Chinese for setting up and analyzing the satellite signal - here or here.

Then setting up will not be difficult at all. By the way, it will be useful in the future if after a strong wind your signal deteriorates or you want to add a satellite over time, or maybe even change the heads. Configure satellites with MTS and Tricolor, instead of Amos, Astra, etc.

Start setting from the central head. Initially, place the plate with a slight rise towards the horizon. To find your bearings, look at your closest neighbors.

Nowadays, you will clearly no longer be a pioneer, and finding a couple of tuned cymbals will not be difficult. Sometimes there are so many of them that they interfere with each other.

As a last resort, you can use programs on smartphones - Satellite Director or SatFinder.

You install the program, launch it and start turning your smartphone in different directions in search of the desired satellite. The coordinates of most of them are already entered into the program and there is no need to search for anything.

An icon marked with a circle or cross will indicate the correct direction for the satellite dish. Refer to it.

Turn on the tuner, select a satellite from the central converter and look for at least some signal from this head. The search is performed by raising, lowering and rotating the antenna itself.

The signal quality is indicated as a percentage scale and is located at the bottom of the screen. You want to achieve the highest possible value.

To do this, very, very slowly begin to turn the plate in different directions. The mirror itself cannot be covered.

If there is no signal, or it is of very poor quality, the dish drops slightly. Then the process of turning around is repeated. As soon as a good quality signal is found in height, the dish is preliminarily fixed vertically.

After which, you can again turn it left and right to find the highest possible quality. There will never be 100%, just look for the highest possible figure - 68-75%, etc.

Having found the best position, finally clamp the rotating mechanism to the right and left. Just don’t fully tighten one bolt at a time, otherwise the plate will move to the side a couple of degrees. Tighten the nuts evenly, like on car wheels or an engine head.

When the corners are all set, it is necessary to again adjust the entire structure in height. Having loosened the fasteners, you begin to raise or lower it vertically, all the time monitoring the signal.

Remember that the maximum is always found using the downward method.

If you found it and went further, in the direction of decrease, raise the plate back a little higher and reach the point where the maximum signal is just beginning.

Why is this needed and what does it give? During long-term operation under the weight of snow, wind, and rain, the dish will still go down a little, worsening the signal.

You need to put it on a stretch, as it were. This will preserve the signal quality for a long time.

Keep in mind that the plate must initially be fixed level to the wall or roof.

If this is not observed, then having found the horizontal maximum of the signal, you will begin to look for the vertical maximum. And in the process of this, the horizontal position will go away. You will have to adjust the horizontal-vertical several times.

Next, proceed to the next stage of setup - scrolling around its axis of the central converter clockwise or counterclockwise. Here you can also achieve a signal improvement of several percent.

This way you have adjusted the plate itself and the central head. Let's move on to setting up side converters from other satellites.

Switch the tuner to the next satellite and call up its information line. Thanks to the multifeed, the converter of this satellite can also be rotated up and down, brought closer or further away from the dish.

Just like with the middle head, first look for the maximum on the vertical, and then move the side converter closer or farther towards the central one. At the end of the settings, rotate it around the axis.

When setting up satellites from the side converters, pay special attention to where you stand relative to the dish. On the side heads, the signal from the satellite arrives at the center of the mirror and, reflected like in a billiard, hits the converter.

So, in order not to block this signal with your body, you should be located on the nearest side of the tuning head, and not on the opposite side.

After searching and setting up a satellite from all three converters, the process can be considered complete. Hide and seal the cable from rain and precipitation, and securely secure the satellite cables with clamps to prevent them from being blown around by the wind.

How to set up a satellite dish yourself inside and out

Among ordinary, untrained users, there is an opinion that it is almost impossible to independently install and configure a satellite system. In fact, this is not true at all. Below are simple instructions for dummies on how to independently install and configure a satellite dish without calculations, satellite finders and other attributes of professionals. If you are a professional installer, then the material below is unlikely to be of interest to you.

Although any information can now be found on the Internet, I still tried to collect all the basic information I received on one page - for convenience.
I’ll just try to tell you in my own words and with pictures how I installed and configured the satellite system. I’ll say right away that the installation of ONLY an offset fixed antenna is being considered, and not a direct focus or motorized one. And yet, it is possible that no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to install and configure the antenna yourself. Then you will have to invite a professional installer. It’s hard for me to imagine how this could be, but I’ve seen people on the forums struggling for a couple of days in useless attempts to set up the antenna. In other cases, by independently selecting components and installing it yourself, you can save some, sometimes considerable, amount. Besides everything else, I personally was just interested in installing everything myself. What is the difference between installing and configuring the system “by eye” and professional installation? Almost nothing. With the exception of a more accurate initial calculation (which allows significant time savings), the mounting system and the principle of antenna tuning are the same. Warning: all work related to heights and electricity is life-threatening!!!
If at least something causes the slightest concern, do not take risks, trust the professionals!!! You perform independent installation at your own peril and risk!!! In any case, remember about safety precautions and that all dangerous work at height is carried out only by professionals with proven safety equipment!!! A television satellite is a spacecraft located in the geostationary orbit of the Earth and sending a television signal to a certain territory of the Earth via a transponder. All satellites are located in the equatorial plane, so they are at the same latitude, but differ in longitude. In addition to the name, they also have a longitude designation. For example, Amos 4W means that the satellite is called Amos and is located at 4 degrees west longitude (W is West). Hotbird 13E is a satellite of Hotbird, located at 13 degrees east longitude (E is East). Based on the fact that satellites are “fixed” at certain points in orbit, they also have certain coverage areas of the Earth.

A transponder is a transceiver located on a satellite. It is characterized by the width and direction of the sent beam and the broadcast frequency. Broadcasting is carried out in two main bands - C-Band and Ku-Band. Mostly American and Russian satellites broadcast in the C band (4 GHz), and European satellites broadcast in the Ku band (10.700-12.750 GHz). Broadcasting is carried out in linear or circular polarization. Which in turn differ into vertical (V) and horizontal (H) for linear polarization and left (L) and right (R) for circular polarization. When they say “signal from transponder 11766H,” they mean a transponder broadcasting at a frequency of 11766 MHz with horizontal polarization. There are from several to dozens of transponders on a satellite.

A satellite dish is the main element of a subscriber’s satellite system for receiving a signal from a satellite. To put it in simple words, the antenna “collects” the weak reflected satellite signal over its entire surface and focuses it to a specific point where the converter is installed. The most common antennas are direct focus and offset. Direct focus ones are a parabolic mirror with a focus at the geometric center, while offset ones have a shifted focus (below the geometric center of the antenna). Accordingly, the converter for a direct-focus antenna is installed in the center, while for an offset antenna it is shifted to the bottom. Offset antennas are the most popular among ordinary users. They are cheap, easy to install and configure. Antennas are produced in various diameters and from various materials. The material is usually either aluminum alloy or steel. There are non-rotating antennas (rigidly fixed) and antennas with an actuator (motor suspension). The motorized suspension rotates the antenna at specified angles and allows you to receive signals from a huge number of satellites in the field of view. Setting up the latter is not very easy for a beginner. The antenna size is selected individually, depending on the signal strength needed to view the satellite. The antenna diameter must be selected with some margin, since precipitation (heavy rain, snow) creates significant interference with the satellite signal. This is especially true for the Ku-band. But there is no need to go to extremes - if an antenna with a diameter of 0.9 m is enough, it is not at all necessary to buy a 1.5 m antenna - it weighs more and its area is more exposed to wind.

Converter is a device designed to receive a satellite signal reflected from an antenna and installed on a corresponding holder at the antenna focus. The main purpose of the converter is to convert the frequency of the received satellite signal (for example, for the Ku-band it is from 10.7 to 12.75 GHz) to an intermediate one (900 - 2150 MHz), at which the attenuation of the signal transmitted in the cable will be less. Since the power of the received satellite signal is very low, the second important task of the converter is to amplify it to an acceptable level for the receiving path of the receiver. Since any converter introduces its own level of noise into the signal, but is also low-noise, it is also called LNB (Low Noise Block). Converters can be designed to operate in linear or circular polarization and are selected depending on which polarization the satellite is broadcasting in (for example, popular NTV+ packages are broadcast in circular polarization and a universal linear polarization converter, despite the name “universal”, is not suitable for reception). If the converter is universal, it switches to the specified polarization with a voltage of 13/18 V supplied by the receiver. 13 V - vertical polarization, 18 V - horizontal. One more nuance: converters come with 1 output, 2 outputs, 4 outputs, 8 outputs. Based on how many independent viewing points will be installed, a converter with the appropriate number of outputs must be installed, since all converter outputs are independent.

Multifeed – holder for an additional converter. Since the satellites are located in geostationary orbit relatively close to each other (by certain standards), it is possible to simultaneously receive a signal on one antenna using a multifeed from several nearby satellites. A classic example is 3 satellites (Hotbird 13E, Sisius 4.8E, Amos 4W) received on 1 fixed antenna. As a rule, a converter is installed on the main (focal) antenna holder, configured for Sisius 4.8E, on the 1st multifeed converter for Hotbird 13E, and on the 2nd multifeed converter for Amos 4W.

Disek (DiseqC) is a device that switches a signal from several converters to 1 cable. Since the receiver can only receive a signal from one satellite at a time, the converter corresponding to this satellite must be connected to the receiver. This is exactly what the disek does - it connects the currently needed converter to the receiver. There are different discs, designed to work according to a specific protocol. The DiseqC 1.0 protocol is unidirectional and is used when the number of converters is no more than 4. DiseqC 2.0 is the same, only bidirectional and compatible with 1.0. DiseqC 1.1 is used to connect more converters. Protocol 1.2 is used to control the positioner.

A coaxial cable is connected to the inputs and output of the disk via F-connectors. I think there is no need to talk about connectors and cables - everything is clear here. However, the cable must have a characteristic impedance of 75 Ohms, be made of high-quality materials that can withstand severe temperature changes and have a good shielding braid. The material of the core is steel, copper, copper-plated steel - it’s clear that it’s unlikely to work out better.

An antenna bracket is a simple metal holder that is attached to the wall (usually) and to which the antenna is attached. It must be made as securely as possible so that the wind does not tear off the antenna.

A satellite receiver is a device that receives a satellite signal from a converter and outputs it to the TV in the form of a familiar picture with sound Smile Choosing a receiver is the most difficult task when choosing a satellite system. Receivers come in both open unencoded channels (FTA) and encoded ones, with card readers, with slots for additional decoding modules, with an emulator, with various video outputs, with a hard drive and other useful and not so useful functions. Here, as they say, there is something for every preference and every budget. There is one important point: today satellite broadcasting in HD format (high-definition video) and MPEG4 is being actively put into operation. Receivers that support these formats usually cost much more than regular ones. Therefore, before purchasing a satellite system, you need to decide what content you will watch and what kind of receiver you need for this. Cheap receivers, as a rule, do not have high image and sound quality, great functionality and fast channel switching. Although there are exceptions. A separate nuance is the emulator in the receiver. As its name suggests, the emulator is designed to software emulate the operation of a smart card. What is it for ? A huge number of channels from different satellites are protected by encodings. There are different encodings - Viaccess, Seca, Irdeto, Nagravision, Biss, etc. For example, some package of channels in Biss encoding is broadcast and you want to watch it (the antenna is tuned to the desired satellite), but you do not have a smart card. Then look for a software emulator in your receiver (usually this is listed in undocumented capabilities) and turn it on. Enter the channel's access keys, and if everything is in order, watch it. As a rule, emulators in modern receivers support several encodings. Another application of the emulator is a phenomenon popularly called “sharing” or “card sharing”. Yes, and one more thing: when choosing a receiver, you should pay attention to the availability and regularity of released software. In other words, firmware. New firmware, as a rule, removes errors that occur, adds parameters for satellites, transponders, new codes for the emulator, etc.

To begin with, for some time I studied the Internet to familiarize myself with the issue (since I was a complete ignoramus and the concept of what a disc or transponder was was very illusory, but I still wanted to watch satellite TV). I decided what content and from which satellites I want to watch (at the end of this article you can look at the lists of the most popular channels in our area and some links), what is received in my region and what antenna diameter, and also got acquainted with the advice of experienced , among which Vladbel provided me with great help, for which special thanks to him Smile As a result, the satellites Amos 4W, Sirius 4.8E, Hotbird 13E for one antenna 0.95m and Eutelsat W4 36E for 0.85m were chosen for viewing. I chose https://www.agsat.com.ua/ as a Kyiv store - everything is in one place and, among other things, they are one of the sellers of original equipment of the same brand recommended by the Openbox manufacturer, and my soul was in Openbox Smile By the way, both receivers I bought at Agsat and receivers for my friends bought there were ALREADY flashed with lists of satellites and lists of favorite channels from popular satellites 4W+5E(4.8E)+13E, and this applied not only to Openboxes. Convenient for those who don’t want to bother too much with filling in favorites.

What was purchased and what were the selection criteria:

• Offset antenna 0.95m, produced in Kharkov. Painted steel. For receiving signals from Amos 4W, Sirius 4.8E, Hotbird 13E.
• Offset antenna 0.85m, produced in Kharkov. Painted steel. To receive a signal from Eutelsat W4 36E.
• Receiver Openbox X-810. Firstly, Openbox has the most powerful technical support (new firmware comes out almost every couple of weeks), secondly, excellent picture quality, thirdly, a built-in emulator, fourthly, LanComBox support (for fans of “sharing”Smile.
• Three universal linear polarization converters SINGLE TITANIUM TSX 0.2dB. Declared low noise level.
• One circular polarization converter SINGLE Circular INVERTO IDLP-40SCIRCL for Eutelsat W4 36E (NTV+).
• Two multifeeds.
• Two antenna brackets.
• Disc signal switch from 4 converters into 1 cable connected to the receiver.
• Coaxial antenna cable, characteristic impedance 75 Ohm, coil 100m.
• 10 antenna screw-on F-connectors.
• 6 anchor bolts "under the nut" 8x72, washers, nuts and lock washers.
• Plastic self-tightening ties.
• A steel cable with clamps for securing the antenna cable to it and lowering it from the roof.
• Plastic box for disc.
• Lanсombox is a device for sharing (anyone who wants can search for the term “card sharing” with any search engine)Smile.

The budget for all this stuff was 1346 hryvnia or ~$270.

The antenna must be installed in the line of sight to the south. Direct means that there should be no obstacles in front of the antenna in the form of houses, trees, etc. It is for this reason that the most optimal places to install antennas are balconies and roofs. Since my windows are on the ground floor and are not directed to the south, it was decided to install the antennas on the roof. Fortunately, the roof of my typical panel 9-story building is flat, which makes installation easier (if there is no free access to the antenna with more than 1 converter after installing it on the bracket, see below *). What did I need on the roof besides the antennas and their mounts:

• Hammer with drills with pobedit tips. The diameter of the drill is chosen slightly smaller than the diameter of the anchor bolt. Much less is not possible - the anchor will not fit into the wall. Any more - it will “lobble” and it won’t really be possible to tighten it.
• Phillips screwdriver.
• Socket wrench 10.
• Socket wrench 13.
• Adjustable wrench.
• Hammer.
• Paper cutter (for stripping cables for connectors).
• Wire cutters.
• Receiver with remote control.
• Small TV.
• 220V with extension cord for 3 sockets.

The most interesting questions are where to point the antennas? How to determine the direction? How to set up antennas without a satellite finder (a device for setting up satellite dishes costs from $400)? Since in my case it was decided to make the adjustment “by eye”, I decided to determine the direction logically simply - I just looked at where the antennas on the neighboring roof were pointing and decided to turn mine in the same direction /

An antenna with 3 converters - definitely Sirius, Hotbird, Amos - we have a lot of these and installers mainly install them. Looking at the neighboring houses, you can find many of them and they are all directed in the same direction. That is why I had no doubts. To the left of it with one converter - probably NTVshnaya - we also have enough of those. If you don’t have such guidelines, then the situation is worse. You need to determine the south direction and try to point the antenna there. Once again, an indispensable condition is that in front of the antenna there should under no circumstances be any visible obstacles in the direction of the satellite!!! Among other things, in a situation where the antenna is installed under someone’s balconies or canopies, make sure that streams of water or snow from the top canopy do not fall directly on your antenna. This does not bode well for the reception.

It is to this elevator shaft that I decided to attach my antennas:

It’s unprepossessing, of course, on the roof, but this is not a European-quality renovation in an apartment. Smile I determined the installation location, marked the holes for the brackets, drilled them with a hammer drill, hammered anchors inside and secured the brackets (I didn’t photograph the further steps, so almost all photos will be from already installed systems ). I won’t go into detail about fixing the brackets; I think that everything is clear about this, the work is mechanical. Still, if someone doesn’t know what an anchor bolt is, I’ll show you what it looks like:

It consists of a glass and a bolt located inside it. The bolt has a thread for a nut on one side and a thickening cone on the other. Exactly as in the figure, from left to right, carefully, so as not to damage the thread under the nut, it is driven into the drilled hole.

I recommend loosening the nut, but not unscrewing it completely, otherwise the bolt risks completely falling inside the hole, and then you won’t be able to get it out. The same applies to putting the bracket on the bolts (the nuts will still have to be removed) - make sure that the bolts do not fall inside the glass, I recommend that before putting the bracket on, pull them towards you as much as possible or tighten them a little with a nut - so that the cone fits a little into the glass and the bolts do not wobble . The glass should be flush with the wall, and the thread with the nut, respectively, should be outside the hole.

The principle of operation of an anchor bolt is as follows: when the nut begins to be tightened with a wrench, it pulls the bolt inside the glass outward due to the thread. The cone located at the end of the bolt enters the glass and expands it as much as possible inside the hole. As a result, tearing such a bolt out of the wall is far from a trivial task. That is why it is recommended to hang the bracket on self-wedging anchor bolts, and not on screws with plastic dowels.

However, the choice of fastening is a personal matter for everyone. The only thing is, if you still choose anchors, look at their quality, in particular the material and thickness of the glass. Because the anchors are made too flimsily and will hold accordingly.

When installing on a balcony, you can even drill through the wall and thread threaded rods of the appropriate length through it (these are sold in stores). They are secured on both sides with nuts.

Back to the installation.

The first was to set up an antenna with 3 converters for Sirius, Hotbird, Amos, the second was for Eutelsat 36E. At first the brackets were screwed to screw anchor bolts, later I changed them to nut ones. The screw ones turned out to be unreliable. The photo shows the first unsuccessful attempts in the form of remaining holes. By that time, the brackets were also repainted to enhance the original paint:

Next, the antennas were “put on” the brackets, here is the mount for one of them (they are identical):

In the photo above, the antenna is already assembled, with converters, cable, etc. Initially, the antenna was simply assembled, hung on a bracket, and the converters and cable were attached only later. A thin metal cable - I just had extra one and I threaded it through the antenna mount and screwed it to the elevator shaft post in case the wind would tear out the anchors, so that the antenna would not dive from the roof Smile In fact, this is almost impossible, but so be it - That's what I thought. To adjust the antenna in the vertical and horizontal planes, you need to tighten the mount so that the antenna does not change its tilt on its own, but at the same time it can be moved in the planes with some effort. These nuts are not tightened much until final adjustment:

An unclamped left screw allows you to adjust the antenna in a vertical plane, 2 unclamped right screws allow you to rotate the antenna relative to the bracket in a horizontal plane.

Next, both multifeeds are put on the central holder of the antenna converter, converters are inserted into all holders, and everything is tightened so that the converters in the multifeeds can be rotated with some effort in all planes (the cables to the converters are connected later). The photo below shows what multifeeds are and how they are attached:

After this, the setup process begins. A piece of cable a couple of meters long is screwed to the central converter using an F-connector, the second end of the cable is screwed to the receiver. From some site I have pictures of what an F-connector is and how to screw it onto a cable correctly.

Here they are:

The receiver is connected to the TV, only after that the 220V power is turned on. An important point - when screwing the F-connector onto the cable, you must carefully ensure that the thin conductors of the cable shielding do not short-circuit with the central core, otherwise you can damage the receiver!!!

I turn on the TV, receiver, go to the Installation-Search for channels menu. In the list of satellites on the left, I select Sirius 2/Ku 4.8E - it is to this satellite that the rigidly fixed central converter will be configured. From the menu on the right I select:

• LNBP: On (turn on converter power)
• LNBP Type: Universal (universal type of converter, according to the ones I purchased)
• LNBP Freq: 10600/9750 (indicated on converters)
• 22Khz: Auto (signal to switch the disk, I leave it like that)
• DISEqC : None (I leave it this way, since the signal is connected directly for now, and not through a disk)

Next, using the yellow button on the remote control, I go to the Transponder submenu and select the transponder on which I will search for a signal (I advise you to write out in advance several transponders selected from satellites with different polarizations and REALLY WORKING free-to-air channels (FTA). The list can be found at the links below.

For example, in my case, to begin with, it will be a 11766H transponder, broadcasting at a frequency of 11766 MHz with horizontal polarization. For convenience, the signal quality can be displayed on full screen using the Info button. I will be guided by the lower “Quality” scale:

What do we see in this photo? A bleak picture, signal quality - 0%! Actually, what should you expect? The antenna is still “looking” towards the satellite very approximately.

Next comes the most difficult moment, which requires a lot of endurance - this is adjusting the antenna in planes. Why is a shutter speed necessary - literally a few millimeters, and there will be no signal. It’s not that it will be bad, but it won’t exist at all! The setup is as follows - you need to install the antenna in some vertical position, in my position it was approximately like this:

After this, you need to very, very smoothly rotate the antenna in the horizontal direction and at the same time carefully look at the quality scale, first in one direction, and if the scale does not change from 0, then in the other. When it is discovered that the quality scale has increased to at least 10-15, this is already the first success, you can stop and take a breath. If it is not possible to find a signal in the entire horizontal plane, you need to slightly change the vertical angle of the antenna and begin moving again in the horizontal plane until the signal appears. When at least some signal is found: now you need to try to move the antenna even more smoothly left and right and achieve the maximum level of signal quality. Having achieved this, you need to try to achieve an even larger signal by very smoothly moving the antenna up and down. After this, you can try to slightly rotate the converter around its axis in the holder (there are marks on the converter for this purpose):

The maximum signal can be achieved ONLY by combining all these adjustments. Another nuance - if you cannot find a signal under any conditions, and you have double-checked everything, including the receiver settings, 100 times, it makes sense to try another converter; perhaps this one is faulty. I get the maximum signal level that I can get:

It would seem that you can calm down and tighten all the adjustment screws? No matter how it is! After all, the adjustment was made for a transponder broadcasting in horizontal polarization (there is a letter H in the picture at the end of the 2nd term), but you also need to configure some transponder in vertical (V) polarization:

In my case, turning the converter in the holder counterclockwise helped to achieve better signal quality in vertical polarization.

After this, you can scan the transponders (look in the documentation with your receiver for how to do this) and visually see whether the channels are received and whether they correspond to the selected satellite:

When the signals in horizontal and vertical polarization are at their maximum that can be pulled out, it is necessary to tighten all the adjusting nuts that are not fully tightened. And there is one unpleasant moment - when you tighten the nut, the antenna slightly changes its direction, and the signal quality can noticeably decrease! So you also need to tighten it very carefully. Everything, the antenna and the first converter are configured. I turn off the receiver from the socket, wind the cable from the central converter to the converter on the left (to the one on the multifeed, if you look at the antenna from the front), turn everything on, select Hotbird 13E in the menu, the same menu settings on the right as for Sirius, select the working one transponder and trying to set the maximum signal quality. Only this time I’m not adjusting the antenna, but the converter itself on the multifeed. It can move in all planes relative to the antenna focus - left, right, up, down, forward, backward:

All nuts are tightened when the signal is maximum. I don’t forget to check in both polarizations. I scan Hotbird's transponders and visually check some free channels.

I turn everything off again, twist the cable to the 3rd converter, turn everything on, select Amos 4w and configure it. Everything is the same. After this, the setup of the first antenna can be considered complete.

Second antenna. Which I am going to configure on Eutelsat W4 36E (NTV+). It’s simpler here - there’s only one converter. Moreover, since it is circularly polarized, it is not very important how it will be deployed inside the holder. It is best to have the cable facing down so that sediment does not accumulate on it:

Accordingly, you need to adjust the antenna in the horizontal and vertical planes. I turn everything off and reconnect the cable to this converter. The settings according to the purchased converter are as follows:

I set up the second antenna, check the antenna in both polarizations on different transponders. Since the converter is designed for circular polarization, they are checked not for H and V, but for L and R (left and right).

That's all. You can turn everything off. Now you need to switch the signal through the disk.

DiSeqC

My disc has 1 output to the receiver, designated REC, and 4 inputs for converters, called 1,2,3,4. I connect the converters like this:

1. Sirius
2. Hotbird
3. Amos
4. Eutelsat

The connection is simple - a piece of cable is connected to each converter and connected to the corresponding input of the disk. If you install one antenna with 1 converter, then you don’t need a disc. If there is one antenna for 2 converters and the disk has 2 free ports, it’s okay. The disk is installed not far from the antennas and, preferably, is placed in a waterproof box (I bought it at an electrical goods store) so that precipitation does not fall on it:

Holes for ventilation are desirable in the bottom of the disc box. Sharp angles of cable bends are not allowed! The F-connectors on the converters are closed either with the included caps or with heat-shrinkable tubing:

By the way, in the above photo you can see the distances between the converters and their angles of inclination. On the right is the antenna aimed at Eutelsat W4.

I configure the disk drive protocol (in my case 1.0) and the distribution of converters according to the inputs (ports) of the disk drive in the receiver menu:

The pictures show which converters are assigned to which inputs (ports) of the disk (to which satellite). 0/12V : On only for LanComBox. If you don’t have it, then you don’t need to turn on 12V. I save the changes and check if all the disk inputs are working (that is, all configured satellites have a signal).

Someone may have a question: “why not immediately connect all the converters to the disk, register all the inputs and configure the antennas?” The answer is simple - if the disk is really not working, you will waste a LOT of time and nerves trying to create a signal that cannot be found by definition. Among other things, without a disc you can quickly determine whether the converter you bought is working.

I tighten the cables with ties so that nothing dangles. All that remains is to loosely attach the cable to the cable, lower the cable down and tighten it. Install cable in the apartment, connect the receiver, TV and watch satellite TV Smile

Here's what I ended up with on the roof:

*- If there is no access to the antenna after installing it on the bracket:

when there is only one converter on the antenna, everything is clear, nothing complicated - it is fixed rigidly on the antenna, the antenna is hung outside the window (or somewhere else) on a bracket, and is adjusted in the vertical and horizontal planes all from the same window (return to the warning in beginning of the instructions!!!). What should you do if you need to configure 1 additional converter (or more) on the multifeed? At the dacha, I did this: I screwed the bracket to an old high cabinet, put the assembled antenna on it, placed the whole structure in front of a wide open window and set it up that way. By the way, a curious moment - with the very first turn on, with approximate antenna tilts, without additional settings, I received a quality level on Sirius of more than 70%! I couldn’t believe my eyes. In a word, I set up all 3 converters in this form, carefully clamped everything, hung the bracket outside the window and hung the antenna with the already configured converters on it. All that remains is to adjust it in planes.

An important point when installing satellite antennas at high altitude: in addition to safety precautions and insuring yourself, first of all, when hanging the antenna on a bracket or mast, always protect the antenna. Just imagine what an antenna from above can do to the head of a random passer-by or to the body of an expensive BMW.

Many people also recommend grounding antennas installed on the roof, but some installers are ardent opponents of this. I'm inclined to conclude that grounding the antenna still won't hurt.

Link to the original source: https://www.agsat.com.ua/info/ustanovka-i-nastrojka-sputnikovoj-antenny-samostojatelno