Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Signal

Final Installation

Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Signal

Now that you have installed the DIRECTV PLUS™ satellite antenna and routed all of the cable, it’s time to acquire and fine tune the signal. Before you begin, you may want to go outside and double-check the azimuth, elevation, and tilt settings on the dish to make sure they correspond to the on-screen coordinates given.

•Make sure that the elevation indicator is aligned with the edge of metal, not the washer or the bolt.

•Make sure the antenna’s mast clamp is “tilted” to the degree markers indicated.

•Use a compass to verify that the azimuth setting on the dish is correct.

When you are confident that the settings are correct, bring up the “Dish Pointing” menu again and use the on-screen signal meter to see if you are getting a signal. However, once you have acquired a signal, you must fine tune it to insure you have the strongest settings possible.

Maximum Signal Strength

While the maximum signal meter value is 100, the signal strength you achieve will most probably be less. Although there is no difference in picture quality between signal strengths of 60 and 85 percent, the higher the signal, the less likely you are to experience signal outages during adverse weather.

Refer to your digital satellite receiver, HDTV, or HD set-top converter manual for on- screen menu information.

If you are not receiving a signal, you need to incrementally adjust the azimuth setting on the dish. After you receive a signal, you will want to continue to adjust your settings to get the best possible signal.

Tip

You can adjust your TV’s volume to hear the signal meter from the dish location, or you may want a friend to watch the signal meter and relay the strength reading to you.

Step-By-Step Instruction for Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Signal

1.Read the instruction manual that came with your digital satellite receiver, HDTV, or HD set-top converter to determine how to access the on-screen signal meter.

The signal meter shows you when you have locked onto a satellite’s broadcast signal, and gives you the signal strength. It is easiest to use the signal meter with the help of another person to relay signal strength values to you, or by moving the TV displaying the signal meter so that is easily viewed at the point of installation.

2.Make sure that you select the correct type of dish (round or oval). The signal meter will give you the pointing coordinates for your antenna, and values will depend on the type of antenna you have selected. Failure to select the correct dish will result in wrong pointing angles as well the inability to receive certain programming.

3.Access the signal meter. Set signal meter to the 101° satellite (this might also be represented on-screen as “Satellite 1” or “Satellite A”). At this point you will probably not have a signal.

Chapter 3