Sky/Freesat Satellite Dish

Index

• How to assemble a Sky/Freesat satellite dish
• How to mount a Sky/Freesat satellite dish
• How to align a Sky/Freesat satellite dish
• Running the cables & attaching connectors
• Installing the satellite receiver

1.  How to Assemble a Sky / Freesat Satellite Dish

List of Sky dish components

• Sky Satellite Dish
• Wall Bracket
• Wall Tube (Arm)
• Elevation Bracket
• Dish Bracket
• Fixing Kit
• Feed Arm

Tools needed to assemble sky dish

• 10mm, 13mm socket and ratchet
• Philips screwdriver

Steps to assemble the satellite dish

• Open fixing kit and select U-bolts (qty: 2), nuts (qty: 4)
• Insert the U bolts through the wall bracket
• Thread on the nuts
• Insert the arm and tighten the nuts using 10mm socket and ratchet
• The wall bracket & arm assembly is complete
• Next insert U-bolts (qty: 2) through the elevation bracket
• Loosely tighten nuts
• Attach the Elevation bracket to the dish bracket
• using bolts and washers (qty: 4) and tighten with 13mm socket and ratchet
• Use the bolts and nuts (qty:4) and the philips screw driver to attach the dish bracket to the dish.
• Use the long threaded bolt and small nut to attach the Feed arm to the back base of the dish bracket so the arm protrudes in front of the dish
• Finally insert the LNB (and plastic insert) into the end of the arm and secure with a tie wrap

2. How to Mount a Satellite Dish

Equipment needed to mount a satellite dish on a wall

• Sky satellite dish, complete with wall bracket and arm
• Coach bolt M8 x 50mm & 10mm plastic plugs (qty: 4)

Tools needed to mount on a wall

• Cordless drill - ideally a 24-36v SDS Drill
• 8mm, 10mm drill bits
• 10mm, 13mm socket and rachet
• Satellite meter

Criteria on where to mount the satellite dish?

• Dish must face South East (141 degrees i.e. direction of sun 11am BST)
• Wall must be a solid surface capable of carrying weight of satellite dish
• Signal must not be blocked by houses or trees (signal is coming in at 21 degrees to the horizontal)
• Place at back or gable end of house to minimise visual intrusion
• Place as close at possible to room / wire box to which the satellite cables are to connect so as to minimise cable run

Steps

• Place the wall bracket and arm in the correct location
• Use the cordless drill and 8mm drill bit to drill 4 guide holes
• Use 10mm drill bit to drill holes to a depth of 60mm
• Insert the 4 plastic plugs in the holes and mount the wall bracket using the 4 Coach bolts.
• Tighten the coach bolts using the 13mm socket and rachet
• Attach the satellite dish to the arm of the wall plate
• Use 10mm socket to lightly tighten the dish 'U'-bolts so they are fixed to arm but the dish can still rotated
• Follow steps in the How to Align a satellite dish guide above 

3. How to Align a Sky / Freesat Satellite Dish

• Having already mounted the satellite dish on
• Attach your satellite meter to the dish LNB
• Align the dish so that it is (1) perfectly vertical, (2) pointing South East (141 degrees).
• Rotate the dish slowly over and back
• Repeat adjusting the tilt angle by 1 or 2 degrees to until a signal is found.
• Tightend the U-bolts and side bolts using the 10mm & 13mm sockets
• Disconnect the satellite meter
• Connect a cable with an 'F-type' connector from the Dish to the satellite box
• Check that the signal is working

4. How to Run the Cabling & Attach Connectors

The next step is to run satellite cable to the satellite receiver

Tools Needed

• Hammer
• Snips
• Drill
• SDS Drill Bit 10X450

Equipment

• Satellite Installation Kit 

Prior to Begining you must decide

• Decide how to run cable
  • connect into existing cables in the attic
    • Normally neater but requires additional connectors
    • May need a multi-meter to be able to identify the correct cable
    • May result in longer cable runs
  • Run a cable directly from the satellite dish to the satellite receiver
    • Fastest and eastiest way to run a cable
    • Cable runs are normally shorter
    • Requires the drill of a hole through a wall
    

STEPS

• If the satellite reciever is to be located next to the external wall of a room
  • use a drill and an SDS Drill Bit 10X450 to drill a hole through the wall
  • ensuring to drill from the inside out
• To conceal broken plaster use either:
  • Hole tidy (insert inside and out before the cable is run)
  • Cable Cover  nailed onto the outside wall after the cable has been run
• Feed the end of the satellite cable through the wall leaving enough cable to reach the front of the satellite box
  Now start tacking the cable using 7mm clips and a Hammer
• Ensuring that the cable runs down from the hole that been drilled in the wall
• This will stop water following the cable into the house
• Continue tacking the cable
  • Run cable vertically or horizontally but NEVER diagonally
  • If possible hide cable under the plint or behind drain pipes (using 300mm cable ties)
• Cut the cable leaving enough lenght to reach the LNB of the dish
• Put on an F Connector on the each end of the satellite cable
• Screw the F connector on the LNB
• Seal the connection using Insulation tape or ideally waterproof Self Amalgamating tape 
• Secure the cable to the dish feed arm using either 300mm cable ties or Insulation tape
• Final Step is to put on an F Connector on the satellite cable next to the satellite receiver

How to put on an F-Connector

5. How to Install your Satellite Receiver

• Unpack the box
  • Satellite Receiver
  • Remote control
• Screw the lead from the satellite dish into the LNB in connection
• Connect scart lead from TV to 'TV' out connection on bo
• Plug in the power lead
• Turn on the power switch on the back on the box
• After 5-6 seconds the box will come on and should automatically switch TV to AV channel 
• You may need to switch AV channel on TV if it does not automatically switch over