Without a doubt on how to set up a satellite meal

This short article was initially posted in Active Residence mag in 2007, and has now been updated for GoneDigital

Lots of people believe that installing a satellite meal is just a task that is tricky then one which has had become kept into the experts, but that is not the truth. If you’re at ease a little bit of DIY, you can purchase a receiver and meal, install them your self, and you’ll have the ability to view Freesat using its fairly wide variety of networks – and when you’ve got a Panasonic television set with Freesat built in, which will also offer you usage of the BBC iPlayer also, that will be enough reason for connecting a dish up for many.

Freesat satellites

It’s well worth mentioning that when you have a meal which was put up for Sky, you need to use it for Freesat anyhow – it points at the exact same satellite, and even the majority of broadcasts are identical for every system. The position that is‘orbital associated with satellite is 28.2 degrees east, that actually ensures that it is 28.2 degrees east of due south.

Freesat even offers some stations, plus some network that is important, regarding the Eurobird satellite, at 28.5 eastern. Having a dish that is normal you’ll receive a sign from both at exactly the same time, because they truly are therefore near together. However if when you make an effort to tune when you look at the receiver, you discover that a Freesat field claims it can’t discover the sign, you may want to nudge the meal a small fraction, once the most most likely cause will undoubtedly be so it’s perhaps not getting the knowledge from Eurobird that is vital for setup, for instance the range of stations together with postcode information that ensure you notice the proper areas.

Choose your receiver

If you are installing a regular set top box, then chances are you simply require an individual cable through the satellite meal into the receiver. Nevertheless, so you can record two channels, or record one while watching another if it’s a recorder you’re installing, most of them have twin tuners. And, unlike with a Freeview system, for satellite, you’ll need one cable per tuner (when it comes to reasons that are technical see this informative article).

If you’re purchasing anything from scratch, We’d advise that you purchase a multi-output LNB – each output feeds an individual tuner – to help you include another receiver or update blackcupid online up to a recorder later, and never having to readjust the dish. The LNB could be the actual receiver bit in the end for the satellite meal supply – the meal simply concentrates the satellite sign in the LNB, which does the real work.

Detail by detail installation

First, select your satellite receiver or recorder – the Humax Foxsat HDR is A freesat that is good recorder and certainly will require two connections into the meal. You are able to select up a meal, LNB and cable from vendors like Maplin or Turbosat.

Satellite F connectors are particularly very easy to fit, but practice makes perfect

Planning the cable

You are going to need certainly to run a fresh cable through the satellite receiver to your meal – that you can use unless you already have a Sky minidish. You need satellite grade cable, as well as the plugs on each final end are known as F connectors. Strip the outer insulation straight right back about 1.5cm, and trim about 1cm off the internal white insulation. Fold the copper braid right back on the insulation that is outer then fix the connector simply by pressing it within the end associated with cable and screwing it on, such that it grips correctly. For the time being, simply place a connector from the final end nearest the receiver – you will need certainly to have the other end outside if your wanting to can place the plug on.

Hook up to the receiver

Ensure that the satellite receiver is switched off before the cable is connected by you. Drive the connector on the LNB in socket ( for a recorder, they might be labelled LNB 1 and LNB 2; some containers have an ‘LNB out’ for a 2nd receiver, which you are able to ignore), and turn the termination from it clockwise to secure it set up.

Dish it

Now, proceed with the guidelines to put together your satellite meal; you are going to need certainly to fit the LNB towards the supply. Generally the connectors will face directly downwards. We have opted for a 80cm meal, and a universal LNB, that will allow us to create the system up to get other satellites too. If you are when you look at the south of England, a 60cm meal is supposed to be okay for the Astra 2 satellite; for additional satellites, or if you’re further north, a more impressive meal may be required. Regional satellite stores can provide you advice.

make certain the bracket is directly on your own wall surface, or dish positioning will be much harder

Hinge and bracket

Now, you’ll want to install the repairing bracket on the wall surface; 28.2 degrees east means the satellite is far eastern of due south, and that means you need to look for a wall surface that will enable you to definitely fix the meal, and go it adequately back and forth. Our plumped for bracket keeps the meal quite near to the wall surface; choose the one that places the meal further out it, or opt for a garden or patio stand – a dish doesn’t have to be high up on the wall; it just needs to be able to see the right part of the sky if you need more space to rotate. Make sure to make certain the bracket is prearranged vertically, otherwise it shall be difficult to find the satellite. You are allowed to install a dish if you live in a conservation area, or rent your home, remember to check whether or not.

After repairing the mounting bracket towards the wall surface, or other things that you’re utilizing, adjust the pole to ensure it is straight check that is a spirit degree on at the very least two edges. If you have the pole directly, make sure any bolts and screws are done up tightly – you do not desire the meal to maneuver in high winds. Now you need certainly to roughly find out exactly what latitude and longitude you will be at. The fastest means would be to head to streetmap.co.uk, and key in your postcode. Click Go and appropriate at the end for the page, check the page within the expression “Click here to transform coordinates.”