How to set up a satellite TV

You can save the cost of hiring a professional for the job by installing satellite TV yourself. This step-by-step guide will help you to learn how.

Level of difficulty

Level 2: Intermediate

What you need

• Satellite dish kit
• Power drill
• Chalk
• Screws
• Screwdriver
• Spirit level
• Mounting bracket
• Bolts

The steps to follow

1. Plan where you'd like to install the TV network.
   
   Note:
   It's best to install the satellite dish preferably 30 m (100 ft) of your TV. In the northern hemisphere, your satellite needs to be south facing.
    
2. Unpack the satellite dish kit and lay out each part.
3. Mark the location where you plan to mount the dish.
4. Mount the base perpendicular to a flat surface outside.
5. Drill holes into the surface to secure the mounting bracket. Make sure that you drill the holes on a sturdy surface, and so that it's plumb with the ground.
6. Fill in the drilled holes with sealant to secure the mount.
7. Follow your manufacturer's installation manual on setting up the elevation and Azimuth so that you position the dish correctly.
8. Once the dish is positioned correctly, drill holes through the wall to run the cables through your house and into your TV.
9. Then, plug the satellite receiver cable into your TV’s cable input.
10. Turn on your TV to see if your satellite dish has been correctly set up.
11. You can ask a helper to turn the satellite dish while you watch the signal strength on the TV screen. Give it a couple of seconds to search for the signal before re-adjusting the satellite dish, by moving it to the right or left.
12. Once you've secured a signal, tighten the satellite dish to the mounting bracket. You can always loosen the bolts on the bracket to adjust the signal strength reading and tighten it once you've secured a stronger signal.

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