Aiming a dish with a CNX receiver.

[just_angel]

c/p

The first thing to consider when aiming the dish is first where to put it. You must make sure you have a clear line-of-site to the satellite/satellites you want to hit, so no trees or buildings can be in the way.

When installing a dish, make sure you anchor the dish to a solid base, remember that wind, rain, snow will be constantly battering the dish so it has to be anchored solidly. Next, using a level, make sure the mast of the dish is straight & plum, this will be very important when you go to aim the dish at a satellite later-on.

You will need to go to a satellite pointing site on the web to get the azimuth, elevation, and skew for your location (you will only need to skew the dish if pointing at 2 or more sat’s with one dish). Depending on the website your use, they might also have a line showing which direction you should point from your house, Dishpointer.com has this line. Now remember…..these numbers will only get you in the “ball-park” when aiming the dish, you will still need to use your receiver and move the dish to lock-on to the signal. With these numbers in hand, use a compass (or the line you got off the aiming-site) to set the azimuth, and then use the markings on the side of the dish to set the proper elevation.

The best way I have found to aim a dish is to connect a small TV to your receiver and take it up by the dish. If you don’t have an extra video cable that long then take both the receiver and a TV up to the dish then all you need is power. There are signal meters you can use for aiming but I have found that using the receiver is a much better way to aim the dish.

To aim your dish with the CNX receiver, connect the cable from the LNB straight to the receiver and go to the Channel Search Menu on the receiver. Select the satellite you want to hit at the top of the screen and enter all the other setting on the page. Now slowly start to swing your dish (stopping every few degrees) till you see the Q reading on the right hand side of the screen start to rise, you may need to make adjustment to the elevation till you hit the satellite you’re looking for. Once you see the Q-bar reading start to rise a satellite-name should appear down by the search button on the menu (you might need to change the TP setting for a second to get the name to appear), this name that appears down by the search button is the satellite you’re currently hitting and has to match the name you selected at the top of the page, if it does not match the name you selected at the top then keep searching. Once you have found the satellite you’re looking for, keep adjusting the dish until the Q reading is as high as you can get it, then you can lock-down your dish and you’re done for that LNB. The S reading that’s also on the screen just lets you know how strong the connection is between the LNB and receiver; it has nothing to do with signal reception from a satellite.

If you have a Twin (or more than 1 LNB) on the dish then you need to skew the dish to pick-up the second satellite. Skewing the dish means turning it like you would the steering wheel of your car. Turn your receiver off and then connect the second LNB straight to the receiver (if using a Twin LNB you would use the same cable but just change the Diseqc setting to 2 on the page). If aiming for 110W & 119W it’s best to lock-on to 119W first then skew for 110W. Once you have skewed for the second satellite go back and re-check the first one again to make sure it’s still ok.

Once you have everything aimed properly make sure everything is tightened down then you can add in a switch (if needed) and make the proper changes in the settings menu for the switch.

It’s very important to remember to turn your receiver off with the back switch before unhooking ANYTHING in your system.