So, thinking about buying a Freesat box and wondered about a DIY dish install.

There are Dish kits on eBay for +/- £25.

Anyone installed thier own dish? Easy enough to do?

Is it just a case of fitting it, cable through the wall and pointing it in the same direction as all the other houses in the terrace?

Edited 23 June, 201016 yr by Jonny5ive

Good info on it here: http://www.xtendedplay.co.uk/howto-installing-freesat.html

Steps for Aligning a Satellite Dish

Below are some simple steps that should help make it easier to align a satellite dish:

Step 1

Ensure the satellite feed cable is connected to the satellite receiver at one end and connected to the LNB on your mounted dish at the other end - you may want to connect a satellite meter inline on the cable to assist with location and fine tuning of the best signal (a short patch lead with F connectors at each end will be handy for connecting up a satellite meter inline to the satellite feed cable in this way).

Important Note: Don't turn on the satellite receiver until you have connected up the coaxial cable. Satellite receivers supply a small voltage (18V) up the satellite feed cable for controlling the LNB, so make sure you connect everything up before turning the satellite receiver on, otherwise you could damage your receiver.

Step 2

Turn on the Freesat receiver, press Menu on the remote control and choose the Information option. You will see values for Network ID, Transport Stream, Signal Strength and Signal Quality. We are initially interested in Network ID and Transport Stream as these will help identify what satellite we are receiving a signal from - we are looking for Network ID 003b and Transport Stream 090b. Before the dish is aligned these values will be zero.

Step 3

Go back to the dish with a compass and point the dish so that it is aimed directly South. If you are in the UK and it's a standard FreeSat/Sky mini-dish ensure the rim of the dish is vertical, i.e. the rim is standing upright (see the diagram below). Next VERY slowly move the dish to the East until your satellite meter indicates a strong signal and the Network ID on the TV shows 003b and the Transport Stream is reading 090b. It's likely you will find a number of strong signals with other values before you get to the 28.2º East group of satellites.

This step is easiest with the help of someone indoors who can confirm the Network ID and Transport Stream values, but can be accomplished by finding a strong signal with a satellite finding meter and then going to check the values on the TV yourself.

Step 4

Once you have the receiver locked on to the correct satellite the final step is to fine tune the position of the dish to obtain the best signal strength. Move the dish on the mount in very small increments first left and right horizontally and then up and down vertically to get the best possible signal strength.

This is where the satellite meter becomes especially useful as you can fine tune to your heart's content. Otherwise you will need to rely on the Signal Strength and Signal Quality values displayed on the TV screen, which obviously requires two people.

Troubleshooting Dish Alignment

If you are not able to locate a signal with Network ID 003b and Transport Stream 090b then it's likely you are pointing the dish in the wrong direction, either horizontally or vertically. You may also be moving the dish too fast and moving it straight past the signal before the satellite receiver gets chance to lock on.

An alternative method of finding the correct Astra 2D signal is to start the swing of the dish from as far East as the dish will point. Sweep the dish towards the South until you find the first strong satellite signal. The Astra satellite group at 28.2º East is currently the first signal you should find. This may be easier than starting the sweep from due South.

A satellite meter is especially useful if you are working alone as you can first find a signal, make small adjustments to get a good signal and then go and check on the TV screen to see if the satellite receiver is locked onto the correct satellite.

Seen a dish alignment kit somewhere ( think it was Currys) -consisted of a sig strength meter ( line of LEDs) and a compass .

Also Maplin -http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?MenuNo=13049

Anyone installed thier own dish? Easy enough to do?

Is it just a case of fitting it, cable through the wall and pointing it in the same direction as all the other houses in the terrace?

I've installed 2 dishes at home and set up a mobile dish everytime we go away in the weekend pikey wagon

Only ever use a sat meter and have always got a great signal/picture and yes pointing your dish roughly in the same direction as your neighbours is a good starting point before fine tuning with the sat meter.

I've got an SLX meter but most kits now come with a meter and everything else required to set up

Edited 23 June, 201016 yr by alexandjen

Easy enough to do?

Is it just a case of fitting it, cable through the wall and pointing it in the same direction as all the other houses in the terrace?

Yes it's easy enough to do but you'll be a lot better off pointing the dish in the direction of the satellite as opposed to the other terraced houses as I'm sure they don't transmit much stuff lol!

Yes it's easy enough to do but you'll be a lot better off pointing the dish in the direction of the satellite as opposed to the other terraced houses as I'm sure they don't transmit much stuff lol!

WHEEEEEEZE!!

Two other points - check out the minimum bend radius of the coax as it don't like too much of a sharp bend .

Two - entry to house - route cable below hole, then bring it back up ( bend ??) ---so that you form a drip loop - rain runs down cable and drips off loop ,instead of entering house .If you want to be really neat - use a plastic grommet to enter the cable .( hides any nasty splintering of the brick (caused by excess force on the drill) .( and you can seal it with mastic,for a pro looking job .Try using things like drain pipes to bring cable down wall -hides the cable a little -as it's sometimes hard for even a pro to get the cable straight .

Edited 30 June, 201016 yr by VWD

Two other points - check out the minimum bend radius of the coax as it don't like too much of a sharp bend .

Two - entry to house - route cable below hole, then bring it back up ( bend ??) ---so that you form a drip loop - rain runs down cable and drips off loop ,instead of entering house .If you want to be really neat - use a plastic grommet to enter the cable .( hides any nasty splintering of the brick (caused by excess force on the drill) .( and you can seal it with mastic,for a pro looking job .Try using things like drain pipes to bring cable down wall -hides the cable a little -as it's sometimes hard for even a pro to get the cable straight .

Thanks for the pointers. I was always tuaght to drill the hole from the outside in, and angle upwards to again deter water ingress

Thanks for the pointers. I was always tuaght to drill the hole from the outside in, and angle upwards to again deter water ingress

Does work - ,but I tend to go inside out - no plaster( or worse ,like mains cables) to damage ( and you'll find that there's a tendency to drill at a slight downward angle anyway from inside .Main thing as I said is drip loop -you could always fill around cable to make it look good ,and if you plan to use "natural cover" -you can hide the effects of a cable on the wall nicely .