How to properly connect a satellite dish to a TV without a receiver and with it

The key advantage of satellite television is the ability to connect and watch it where other types of television are not available. Other advantages include high-quality image and sound, a large number of television channels for every taste. And many of them can be watched absolutely free.

Today, literally in every city there is a company that will offer a set of services for installing and configuring satellite television. However, with some knowledge and skill, you can do it yourself. The main points of connecting satellite television will be discussed in the article below.

What is included in the satellite TV package

Literally at every thematic forum, the idea will be voiced that a kit for receiving satellite TV can be assembled independently from individual components. But the solution to this problem is not for the average user. He simply does not have enough knowledge for this. Today there is an easier way. It is enough to pay a visit to the nearest salon of a satellite TV provider. At the provider’s office, you can conclude a service agreement, buy a ready-made kit for receiving satellite television and choose the best package of channels for yourself in terms of price and content.

The average set for receiving satellite TV includes (minimum set) the following components.

1. Plate — deflector, satellite RF reflector. Today, the provider offers the optimal characteristics of this element for a particular area. That is, 60 cm dishes for a good coverage area, 80, 90 or 120 cm for places with a weak signal.
2. Converterrequired to convert a high-frequency radio signal into electrical energy.
3. Mounting kit for fixing the antenna.
4. Rod for mounting the converter on the deflector.
5. Basic set of cables.
6. Receiver to convert the signal and connect conventional TVs.

The set of equipment can be expanded or cut down at the request of the user. For example, it will not be difficult to buy only an antenna, its mounting kit and a converter for those whose TVs are immediately equipped with a satellite tuner. Or purchase a more complex receiver instead of the basic version, including the possibility of organizing an intra-house signal distribution network or connecting to the Internet.

How to connect a TV to a satellite dish

There are 2 ways to connect a TV to a satellite dish:

• the cable connects directly to the TV receiver;
• connection is through the receiver.

Direct connection to a TV receiver

As you know, a receiver is required to watch satellite TV. But in modern TVs they began to install digital tuners DVB-S2which make it possible not to use an external receiver, connect a cable to the TV set directly from the “dish”, and catch TV from the satellite.

To find out if the TV supports this function, you can look at the description of the device, which can be found on various websites selling consumer electronics.

But, unfortunately, the TV will only catch free (not encrypted) foreign channels. To watch domestic TV via satellite, you will need to buy a smart access card that connects to the TV via a PCMCIA interface.

The card is purchased together with a suitable satellite TV package, which can be selected from a variety of operators offering this service. The convenience of using such a connection is obvious:

• no need to purchase a separate receiver;
• You only need one remote to change channels.

How to choose a place to install the antenna

In order for the antenna to show good reception, it must be correctly positioned and directed. The easiest way to solve this problem is espionage. That is, you can peep where the antennas are installed at the neighbors, who also use the services of the same provider.

But a more correct course of action is to use the information provided by on the carrier’s website. Here, at least, the satellite from which television channels are broadcast is indicated. Next, the user can:

• use the interactive maps that are offered on the website of the satellite TV provider;
• use applications that can be downloaded from the website of the service operator;
• install the SatFinder program on your mobile device, which has an extensive list of satellites, from which you just need to select the one you need.

The main thing that the user will receive based on such data and services is an understanding of what on which wall of the house to install the deflector. This is the most important step. It is the correct placement of the antenna that will provide a direct line of sight to the satellite.

Important! The height of the future location of the deflector is chosen so that there is no interference in the path of the signal in the form of tree branches, wires, large objects, and other buildings.

Accurate plate orientation

The data that the user will receive from the provider’s services or third-party applications contains horizon and azimuth indicators. They describe the orientation of the antenna in space to create a direct line of sight to the satellite. This will ensure effective signal reception.

How to use this information.

1. Azimuth describes the rotation of the antenna relative to the north direction. That is, using even the phone’s magnetic compass, you can easily turn the deflector correctly in a horizontal plane.
2. indicator horizon describes the angle of inclination of the antenna relative to the vertical. For the correct orientation of the deflector, you will need a plumb line (weight on a thread) and a protractor.

In order to facilitate the work of setting up the antenna, it is worth immediately taking some measures when installing it. So, a rod removed at a great distance from the wall will allow you to rotate the antenna without the danger of blocking it. If the device is installed on a balcony, it is better to mount it on a corner, a vertical fence post or a concrete structure.

How to fix the antenna

The antenna is supplied with a mounting kit in the form of plates or a rotary block. To fix the device, tighten the bolts tightly by tightening the corresponding nuts. This is done after fine-tuning the position of the device. The option offered by the manufacturer is quite reliable.

However, the antenna vibrates during its operation. She has a high windage, she trembles in the wind. Birds land on it. Sometimes the latter arrange long gatherings there. Therefore, over time, the mount offered by the manufacturer may loosen and the antenna will move. To avoid this, it is recommended make amplification.

A simple option looks like this: the clamping nuts are duplicated. On top of the main one, after its final clamping, another one is wound. This is done very tightly. If there is a washer to prevent the connection from unwinding, it can be placed between the two nuts. The price of such strengthening is minimal, and its reliability is very high.

Advice! Welding the antenna tightly is not recommended. Firstly, it cannot be removed, for example, during a move or during a long absence of the owners. Secondly, any reconfiguration is made impossible.

Therefore, the option of duplicating the clamp nuts on a conventional antenna mounting kit is preferred.

Cable preparation

When the installation of the plate is completed, you will need to prepare F-connector and a cable to connect the antenna to the TV. The F-connector is a simple sleeve that is screwed onto the cable, so it is important that it is threaded.

If the output on the TV or receiver is adapted for the F-connector, then it will not be difficult to connect the TV to a satellite dish. In the case when your TV set has a regular antenna output, you will need buy an adapter.

You can, of course, buy a regular antenna plug, but they are often of poor quality. In the case of an F-ki with an adapter, a universal plug is obtained that can be connected both to the F-output and to the antenna.

Before connecting the cable to the TV, do the following.

1. Remove the top layer of insulation from the cable. You will see the primary screen, consisting of interlaced thin wire, which must be bent.
   
2. Under the primary screen, you can see the second one — made of foil. foil screen cropped as shown in the figure below.
   
3. After that, remove the insulation to get to the central (copper) core.
   
4. Before connecting the F-connector (antenna plug), the core must be cleaned with a knife from the enamel applied to it, after which the F-ka is wound onto the cable. Now, it can be connected to the receiver, or, by winding the adapter, to the antenna output. The other end of the cable is connected to the converter located on the antenna.
   

Connection and setup

To prepare for watching TV, you need to do the following:

1. The plug must be connected to the socket of the TV set called “LNB Satellite IN” (the setting is carried out using the LG TV as an example).
   
2. Now, after connecting the antenna to the TV, you can turn on the device, go to the settings and select automatic channel search.
   
3. When asked where to look for broadcasts, you need to select “Satellite” and click “Next”.
   
4. At this step, it becomes possible to select the required satellite for its subsequent scanning. Other settings related to this satellite are also available on this page. After selecting it, click «Next».
   
5. When selecting additional settings, a window with various parameters will appear, where values ​​related to the quality of the received signal, as well as its level, are displayed. In the image below, you can see that the signal level is at maximum value. To add a new satellite, there is a corresponding button located at the top of the window. After closing this menu and clicking “Next”, you need to set the conditions for the search.
   
6. If you do not have a CAM module and want to find free broadcasts, then check the box next to the “Skip encrypted channels” line. After setting the required data, click on “Run”.
   
7. Next, the search for broadcasts will begin. During the search, you can observe the number of TV and radio channels that have been found. If you stop the search prematurely, the channels found before will still be saved.
   
8. After scanning is completed, you can start watching satellite TV. If you go to the TV settings in section “Channels”, then you can see a lot more options. For example, you can sort channels, edit a transponder, set up a satellite, and so on.
   

To switch between different television signal sources, whether it is satellite TV or cable, HDMI signal or another, the INPUT button is pressed on the remote control and the desired one is selected.

Connecting via a receiver

After satellite TV appeared, the receiver has become an indispensable device that connects between the TV and the satellite dish. The receiver acts as a decoder that receives a signal in one format, converts it, and transmits the decoded signal to a TV through a TV cable connection. Read more about choosing this device in the article Digital TV set-top box.

How to properly connect a satellite antenna to the device? In modern television receivers, you can connect the cable to the TV through the receiver through the following connectors.

1. hdmi connector. Connecting to this input gives a high-resolution picture, and this is the most modern and high-quality type of connection. HDMI does not require conversion from digital to analog. In this way, you can connect the tuner to a laptop to use the latter as a TV.
   
2. SCART connector. It is popularly called “Scallop” and is an audio and video connector of the European standard. Provides good picture quality, no worse than a component cable.
   
3. Component jack (Y Pb Pr). It is the highest quality connection with a special component cable that can be used both for high-definition signal transmission (1080i) and to connect a TV antenna through the receiver. It is called a component cable because the components of the video signal are transmitted over several channels. This connector can be used for HDTV transmission.
   
4. RCA — interface, better known as «Tulips». The main advantages of this interface are simplicity and accessibility in connection, and how to connect the TV set to the receiver cannot cause difficulties. Simply insert plugs with a certain color into a socket of the same color. It can be called one of the most ancient ways to connect peripherals to a TV, and it is present in almost all television receivers. The unit connected in this way produces a picture that is not of high quality, but quite acceptable for a TV with a small diagonal.
   
5. Regular antenna plug. Such a connection is also called an RF connection and is familiar to everyone who has connected an indoor antenna. The quality of signal transmission with such a connection wants to be the best.
   

Thus, connecting satellite equipment to a television receiver is a simple matter. The main thing is the correct choice of the direction of the antenna, the connection of the equipment with cables and the adjustment of the reception of television broadcasts. You can learn about setting up the receiver with your own hands by watching this video.