Mr. Sat

The satellitest place on earth.

How/Where to Mount a Satellite Dish

Installing your own satellite equipment can save money, so many people opt to mount their dish without any professional help. This project isn't a very complicated one, but it does require some basic home improvement skills. Without the proper planning, you may not get a strong signal and in a worst case scenario, you will get no signal at all. It is important to remember that the location of the satellite is just as important as the actual mounting.

The best place for a satellite dish is one that will allow for the dish to be pointed to the southern sky with no obstructions blocking its signal path. Obstructions include trees, buildings, power lines, etc. Southern exposure is important for your satellite reception because the orbiting satellite that your dish is communicating with is in that direction. Anything blocking the transmission will degrade or completely disrupt that communication.

Mounting a dish in a high place is usually best for a clear, reliable signal. This is because it is out of reach of children, tall obstructions, overgrowing foliage and other ground traffic. However, if you are sure you have an open view of the southern sky from the ground that isn't changing any time soon, then a lower mount will suffice. Once you have determined the best place to mount your dish, whether it is high on a wall or on a flat surface in an open area, then you will know whether or not you will be using a wall or tripod mount.

For a wall mount, you will be happy to discover that the dish is much lighter than it appears. Also, the average dish for home use is quite small in diameter, making it less cumbersome to carry up a ladder. Your dish will have brackets attached to make a simple mount, permitting you have the tools to drill into your wall's respective surface. It is best to do your measuring of the holes' distance from each other before you climb the ladder for the mount. Remember, if you are attaching this dish to your house, you need to put it on the side that allows for the best southern view of the sky.

A tripod mount will be easier than a wall mount, as you won't be doing any adjusting on a ladder, which is potentially dangerous. The tripod should be secured on a flat surface, preferably a yard so you can firmly plant the legs into the ground. Make sure this tripod isn't being mounted somewhere in which people or animals may tamper with it. Just a firm nudge on the dish can affect your signal, so placing it near your kids' swing set may not be such a good idea.

Whether you are securing a satellite dish on a wall or in the ground, it is best to have an assistant nearby who is with a television set. That way, when you are fine-tuning the direction of the dish for a signal, you won't be running in and out of the house. Finding a signal, however, is the easy part of installing satellite television. Once your dish is firmly mounted with a southern view of the sky, the hardest part of the project is finished.

Interested in satellite television? Order DIRECTV.

Copyright © 2007 MrSat.com. All rights reserved.
Home | About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Sitemap