The Right Dish



Naturally, before you consider the ideal position for your satellite dish, you must make sure you've also purchased the best satellite dish for your system. There are several factors to consider when shopping for a satellite dish.

A larger dish receives stronger signals, but it has its own cons as well. For one thing, larger satellite dishes means you stand to lose more because bigger dishes are always more expensive than smaller ones. Naturally, a bigger dish would need bigger space for installation as well; the question is whether you have enough space for it. Wind disturbance is also a factor you should consider when installing a large dish.

Larger dishes often make use of C signal while smaller dishes make use of KU signal.

Surveying Your Location

Before determining the ideal position for your satellite dish, you must find out a few pertinent things about your location. The first thing you need to determine is the corresponding coordinates (longitude and latitude) of your location. With it, you'll know the requirements you have to comply with in order to achieve the ideal setup for your satellite dish. There are websites that can help you determine your location's coordinates. GPS can also help.

Basically, your satellite dish must be pointing towards the southern sky. If you are in the southern hemisphere, you need to point north and vice versa. If you live along the equator, you only have to point your satellite dish upward. The distance of your satellite dish from the ground will also matter and is dependent on your distance from the equator.

Choosing the Right Position or Site

Here are a number of factors you should consider when searching for the ideal position of your satellite dish.

Simply put, the higher the better because greater altitude will mean a shorter path for signal to traverse from satellites in space all the way to your satellite dish. Make sure you also keep your satellite dish out of reach from children and small animals. Satellite dishes are quite breakable and while they may not be as expensive before, why shoulder extra expense when you don't have to?

Obstacles

It's extremely important that no obstacle should block the path of your satellite dish to the southern skies. Tall trees, buildings, and other edifices could make reception for your satellite TV poor and fuzzy. In most cases, you'll have an easier time finding an obstacle-free path to the southern skies if you don't live in the city.

Surface and Support

Do not install your satellite dish on any flimsy surface. Even roofs are not always ideal, especially if they're not made of concrete or something equally tough and heavy.

Wind Direction

Wind disturbance could cause problems for your satellite TV. To avoid such complications, consider install your satellite dish on a south-facing wall. That way, the wall could serve as a wind buffer for your dish.

Now that you know how to choose the ideal position of your satellite dish, the only thing left to do is to ensure that you've installed it properly and securely to outlast even the worst hurricanes in your area.