DIY satellite dish repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of satellite dishes from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Repair of a satellite convector at home using scrap materials. After a yearly inspection of your satellite dish, you accidentally discovered a defect on one of the convectors. Do not panic and run straight to the store and buy a new convector. The new satellite converter is not always better than the old one. And the LNB converter for several receiver outputs is much more expensive. Why do you need extra cash expenses?

Quite often, a problem occurs when a crack appears on the protective cap of satellite convectors. As a result, moisture gets into the inner part of the LNB. All these factors are constantly influenced by weather conditions - sun, frost, rain, snow.

Most often, the problem is detected when there is no longer a signal or a bad signal from your favorite TV channel. But this does not always indicate a breakdown. Such converters work for a long time and are used for high-quality repairs.
If you find a converter with a cracked protective cap.

First of all, you need to look inside for water, rust, oxidation. If there is, then we remove the convector and remove the defects. In this case, do not touch the receiving pins of the waveguide. To make it easier to remove the protective cap, we lower the converter with a lid for several minutes in hot water. Your main task is to choose a protective cap for the satellite converter instead of the cracked one. Some craftsmen put plastic bags in several layers on the antenna and wrap them with tape, elastic band or electrical tape. I do not think that such a renovation will last for a long time, but nevertheless it has the right to be.

Video (click to play).

The repair will be of better quality if you use an electric soldering iron. For small cracks, it is fine. We solder the crack with a plastic patch. The main thing is that plastic does not reduce the quality of the receiving LNB signal.

Very well, instead of a protective cap, different types of lids from home chemicals (deodorant, shoe polish) are suitable. You can pick up something that fits snugly instead of our protective cap.

Plastic bottles are also great. Cut off the desired length from the bottom, put it on the converter and fill it with epoxy resin or silicone sealant. The quality of such a cap is much higher and it works for a longer time.

Hello, dear readers of the blog Man in the House.Ru. In today's article, as you probably already understood, we will consider the most common causes of a malfunction in the operation of a satellite dish and how to eliminate them.

It is no secret that repairing satellite dishes can be done by hand. Calling a specialist for a tincture can be unreasonably expensive for you. To save the family budget, let's take a look at how to repair a satellite system with our own hands.

Often, after repairs, cable problems arise. The antenna cable, through which the "head" of the satellite dish is connected to the receiver, can simply be interrupted or short-circuited after the next repair. It is also possible that the coaxial cable breaks along the line of the central core. To accurately determine the reason for the failure to receive satellite television, first, check the condition of the cable. Often, a visual inspection is sufficient to detect obvious breaches in the sheath insulation, fractures and pinches in the cable.

You can more accurately determine the condition of the cable using a special device - a digital multimeter.If you don't have such a device at home, then a low-voltage incandescent light bulb from a flashlight and a mobile phone battery will be enough. Such a simple folk device for checking electrical circuits is popularly nicknamed "arkashka". To check with the "arch", you need to connect the tested core to a rupture of the simplest electrical circuit with a battery and a light bulb. If the light comes on, the conductor is intact, and if not, there is an open circuit. Checking a coaxial cable both with the help of a digital device and with the help of a popular notion of the "arkashka" type is simple: we check the central copper core and braid one by one.

A working cable should normally call back between the beginnings and ends of the conductors of the same name, but not between the opposite ones. Simply put, the central core at the beginning and at the end of the wire should normally ring with the device (the "arch" lamp will light up), as well as the beginnings and ends of the braids. It is important to take into account that the device should not ring between the braid and the core (the light will not light up). The resistance between these elements should be high - a few mΩ. A low resistance between the aluminum braid and the copper core of the coaxial cable indicates a short circuit.

Situations are also possible when it is not possible to check the integrity of the conductors of the cable conductors in this way due to the remoteness of the plate and the receiver. It is for this case that the following diagnostic technique can be recommended: firstly, we check if there is a short circuit between the central core and the screen, and secondly, we deliberately short-circuit the core with braided shielding on one side, and on the other, we check with the device. If the device beeps or the "arch" lights up, it means that both the braid line and the core line are completely intact.

The most commonplace option for a short circuit in a cable is improper termination of cables and incorrect connection of f-connectors. It's no secret that novice satellite dish installers strive to install this very dish as soon as possible, not giving a damn about the reliability and quality. Their main goal is to get the coveted 500 rubles as soon as possible.

To prevent a short circuit, which can cause damage to both the receiver and the LNB, it is necessary to carefully check the correctness of the termination of the cable. There is no special trick in this process: you need to carefully strip the top insulation by 1.5-2 cm, remove the silver screen back, strip the central gold vein and screw on the f-connector. Then all that remains is to trim the central copper core so that it protrudes no more than 2-3 mm from the f-connector.

The main mistake newbies make is that they don't pull the hairs of the aluminum braid shield back well enough. These very hairs can eventually come into contact with the central copper core and disable expensive equipment. In fact, a short circuit will occur, which in the worst case will "kill" the receiver. It is also a mistake to cut off the aluminum foil. It is better to simply slide it back so that the f-connector better connects and holds on to the coaxial cable. In any case, it is necessary to carefully check whether there is no short circuit between the center conductor and the "ground" of the shield braid. After energizing the receiver, it will be simply impossible to fix anything.

LNB head failures are also very common. Hit of atmospheric precipitation, short circuit, as well as overvoltage - these are the main reasons for the failure of satellite dish converters. To check the breakdown of a specific LNB, simply unplug the discs (if you, of course, have several converters) and connect the heads one by one directly to the receiver. In this simple way, you can quite accurately determine the faulty converter.

Hello.
This is the second time I have lost my Sirius signal.
After replacing the head, the last time, the signal was about 3 hours, then it disappeared.
I changed the connection port 1, with the Sirius cable to Hotbird. Hotbird works, but Sirius does not. It turns out desex + cable + port 1 of the hotbird signal passes, and port 1 + the same cable + head of the working signal NO. Astra and Hetbird are working. What could it be.
Vladimir

Eh, dear Vladimir! Do you know how many disks were made to me to change. I have ten satellites and normally none of them have a signal. Is there a standing master in Pyatigorsk? Give his number, please. Thank you in advance!

Hello. After filing 360 V, the tuner burned out. We bought another, wanted to invite a tuner. However, they admit that everything burned out. Is it possible to check the performance of the heads and other equipment ourselves?

Hello, I have such a problem. There are plates for two TVs. When I turn on one tuner, a signal appears on another TV and it is on the satellite that I turn on on the first tuner. There is no signal on other satellites And so on each satellite .. when I turn off the first tuner on the second tuner, it shows no signal. . When I change Two disks, everything works fine. But not for long for half a year. And then the same situation is repeated again. Tuner OPENBOX X-820BL. What can it be, please tell me. Thank you

Newbie

Group: Users
Posts: 22
Registration: 12/21/2009
User #: 11955
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Is it in our time?
At a cost of 2 bucks?

p.s. The head is an LNA, a complex microwave device.
Repair requires knowledge, skill and expensive devices.
=============================================

New LNBs are miniature, the body is filled with a compound.
It was possible to repair the old type heads. Everything is on screws, and the board is 3 times larger.
Here is the LNB Cambridge board

LNA_old_head.jpg (205.26 kilobytes) Number of downloads: 62

Everyone knows that satellite television is one of the pinnacles of modern technology. But there is such a principle: everything ingenious is simple. It is not difficult to handle satellite television subscriber devices, and installing a satellite dish with your own hands is quite within the power of a citizen who does not know how to use a soldering iron and who has completely forgotten Ohm's law. But accuracy, ingenuity, an accurate eye and a faithful hand are required, as well as the ability to use a compass and basic knowledge of astronomy.

Do I need to coordinate home satellite TV in some authorities, register, get permission? There is no need. Satellite broadcasting is free. True, when you "catch" a satellite, tune the receiver and see a list of channels, then many will be marked with an asterisk, exclamation mark or some other icon. These are paid channels. To watch them, you need to buy a key card. If you know in advance which of the paid channels you need, you can purchase a card for them together with the receiver, or from a satellite broadcasting company.

However, if you live in an apartment building, you will need permission from the owner or the building operator to install the antenna on a wall or roof. But if the antenna is fixed to the balcony fence, and the supporting structures did not move during its installation, then permission is not needed.

True, in this case, the antenna will sway more in the wind, and in bad weather the reception will be unstable. Therefore, many subscribers order the installation of satellite dishes from specialized companies, and they themselves coordinate all issues with the housing office. In Russia, the largest of these is Tricolor.

Broadcast satellites are located in geostationary orbit, 35 786 km above sea level in the plane of the Earth's equator. The orbital speed at this altitude is equal to the speed of rotation of the Earth, so the satellite hangs over the same point on its surface. The location of a satellite in geostationary orbit is called a stationary point.

In reference manuals, satellite positions are indicated by their geographic longitude: the angular distance from the zero (Greenwich) meridian. This must be taken into account when orienting the antenna and a correction should be made: from a given point, the Greenwich meridian is "visible" at an angle inverse to the longitude of the place. How some stationary satellites are visible from Greenwich is shown in the figure.

Example 1: longitude of the center of Voronezh - 39 degrees 15 minutes east. The position of the satellite Eutelsat II F4 is 7 degrees to the east, i.e. from Greenwich, this satellite is visible 7 degrees to the east. If the Eutelsat II F4 hung exactly over the prime meridian, the antenna would have to be rotated 39 degrees 15 minutes towards Greenwich to receive it, i.e. west. And since Eutelsat II F4 has already been "shifted" by 7 degrees to Voronezh, the antenna must be turned to the west by 32 degrees 15 minutes.

From the Earth, a stationary orbit is "visible" in the sky in the form of the so-called "Clark's belt". It should not be confused with the celestial equator. The angular height of the celestial equator changes throughout the year, and the Clarke belt is "visible" as an arc of a curve that degenerates from a circle at the poles to a straight line at the equator. Clark's belt "rests" on the horizon exactly in the east and west, regardless of location.

At a particular geographic point, the highest point of the Clarke Belt is located exactly to the south, and its angular height is equal to the reciprocal latitude of the place: 0 at the poles and 90 degrees at the equator. Therefore, at high latitudes, the reception of satellite television is difficult or completely impossible: the Clarke belt "falls" on the horizon, and the satellite signal, even if it "shines" here, "stalls" in the atmosphere.

Example 2: the geographical latitude of the center of Voronezh is 51 degrees 20 minutes north. The highest point of the Clarke Belt can be seen from here at 90 degrees minus 51 degrees 20 minutes = 48 degrees 40 minutes exactly in the south.

Satellites do not emit signals in all directions; that would be too wasteful. The transmitting antennas of the satellites are directional and, as a rule, "illuminate" the territory of the owner country, or the region to which the broadcast is being conducted. Therefore, all the satellites visible from a given location cannot be “caught”: it may be visible, but it “shines” in the other direction.

If the satellite "shines" exactly downward, then, in principle, it can broadcast to the entire hemisphere below it, having an antenna with a directional pattern with an aperture of just over 10 degrees. However, at a distance of 36,000 km, this requires a transmitter power of more than 10 kW, solar panels of the appropriate area, and an entire such satellite must be launched into orbit with a heavy carrier. Therefore, there are not so many broadcast satellites.

Let's say right away: manual alignment (i.e. orientation to the desired satellite) of a highly directional antenna is a delicate matter. It is not theoretical knowledge that decides here, but experience, working skills ("muscle memory") and just flair. Therefore, when buying a "dish", at least in the same Tricolor TV, it is better to immediately order an installation with adjustment. With the masters who have filled their hands, this is arguing, so the service is not too expensive.

However, even if you are not a big fan of doing everything, after a storm or heavy snowfall, the antenna may need to be re-aligned. Therefore, the alignment procedure will also be described below. But before aligning, the antenna with the equipment must be selected, purchased and installed.

Reference guides indicate the locations and signal parameters of all fixed broadcast satellites. But in a particular locality, the conditions for their admission can vary significantly. An ordinary hillock, especially in the northern regions, can make the satellite invisible, which actually shines well here.

Therefore, when buying an antenna, consult with the seller which satellites are well received by you, select three (one antenna can receive up to 3-4 satellites), and write down the parameters of their signals:

The choice of the antenna itself is reduced to determining its diameter. For home reception in the southern regions, a "plate" with a diameter of 60 cm is sufficient; in places from St. Petersburg and to the north, for stable reception, you need an antenna mirror with a diameter of 1.2 m.

Many people think that it is easier to “catch” a satellite with a large “saucer”. Just the opposite. A large mirror provides a signal of a higher level and quality, but this is achieved by narrowing the radiation pattern, so it is more difficult to “catch” a satellite with a large “dish”. Large aperture antennas are used most of all as signal sources for terrestrial broadcasting systems and in other cases where further transmission is required.

If you are going to receive several satellites, then you need to purchase a multifit along with the antenna - a mounting plate for installing several converters with the ability to adjust their position separately. As a rule, sellers immediately ask: "One socket or multi-fit?" In any case, you can put one converter in the multifit, and then add another one; multifit is inexpensive. So it is better to immediately buy a "plate" equipped with a multifit.

The next step is choosing a converter. The converter is the very "head" that converts the signal from the satellite, which "pierces" the atmosphere well, into a signal for the receiver, which ordinary electronics can process without much difficulty.

Converters are of three types: circular polarized, switchable H-V and fixed. The former are the least sensitive, but they can receive any signal. The latter are the most sensitive, but to receive signals with different polarizations, they must be rotated 90 degrees. Under normal reception conditions, it is better to use a circular or switchable converter.

The sensitivity, the level of intrinsic noise and the stability of the local oscillator frequency (on which the level and quality of the signal depend significantly), as well as the protection of the converter from weather influences (after all, it is outside) vary greatly from model to model and from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is better to choose a specific model, suitable for the price, according to the recommendations of the antenna seller and the reviews of experienced subscribers.

But the quality and signal level almost do not depend on the model of the receiver in domestic conditions. Here you need to focus on service functions and price. Only one condition: if you are going to watch TV “in digital” with HD quality, the receiver must have an Ethernet output (computer network connector). You don't have to worry about the compatibility of standards: all modern network devices "understand" all commonly used communication protocols without additional explanations.

As for the additional equipment, you need to purchase DiSEqC - a power switch for converters. A household receiver (by the way, in Russian, a receiver is a receiver; tracing paper from English is made so as not to be confused with radio receivers) provides power for one converter; to switch from satellite to satellite, you need to switch the power to the corresponding "head".

What should be the correct installation of a satellite dish, you can see in the figure. An important circumstance: the mounting part ("neck") of the pipe stand (highlighted in green) must be strictly vertical in two planes. Otherwise, aligning the antenna will turn into a long painful work.

The location for installing the antenna must be chosen carefully. There should be nothing in the alignment of the mirror, not even window glass. The side of the mirror does not coincide with its geometric axis: oblique incidence mirrors are used for satellite reception. Where the mirror is actually "looking" is also seen in the figure. The fact that the southern part of the sky should be viewed from the antenna installation site does not require explanation.

If you live in a private house, do not be lazy to raise the antenna higher. Raising the antenna by 10 m reduces the dustiness of the air around it by half, which greatly affects the quality of reception.

First, only one pipe stand is mounted.A set of a mirror, its adjustable mountings, a bracket and a converter is assembled at home - this is more convenient, first of all, to verify the verticality of the tube stand.

Fastening the satellite dish to the wall cannot be done with self-tapping screws in plastic dowels - the antenna will "go away" over time. Collet pins with a length of at least 200 mm and a diameter of at least 8 mm must be used, a base plate is put on them and secured with nuts and locknuts.

The engineering compass makes alignment of the satellite dish very easy, even for a beginner. How it looks can be seen in the figure. The price is low. Its advantages:

You can take the azimuth at a glance without moving the compass.
Rotating the dial with a risk, you can take into account the magnetic declination of the place in advance; it must be found out at the local weather station before adjustment. There is no reference data, because the magnetic declination varies from year to year.
The compass is equipped with a deflector that significantly reduces deviation.

Skillfully using an engineering compass, a competent and accurate person, who for the first time in his life took up the adjustment of the "dish", accurately "catches" the satellite for half an hour. If you use a regular Andrianov's compass or a tourist compass, you don't have to think about the magnetic declination: the azimuth setting error will be greater.

Note: magnetic declination at mid-latitudes does not vary much from place to place. It is enough to find out what it is like in the regional city.

The magnetic declination must be taken into account right away. If it is east, it must be subtracted from the longitude of the place; if western - add to it. At first glance, it may seem that you need to do the opposite, but keep in mind that the satellites are in the south; magnetic declination is given for the north end of the compass needle.

Next, we calculate the true azimuth of the average of the received satellites, as described at the beginning of the article. Then, having turned by an angle corresponding to the longitude of the place, the layout of the satellites (we believe that our latitude is not very different from Greenwich), we roughly determine its elevation angle.

Then, aiming at the converter bracket, like on the barrel of a gun without a front sight, using an engineering compass, corrected for magnetic declination, set the antenna to the desired azimuth. Roughly, by eye, we expose the antenna alignment to the elevation angle.

To align the antenna, we move the TV set with the receiver outside closer to it; powered through an extension cord. We do not connect the power switch yet: the initial adjustment is done according to the middle converter. Then:

Attention! We do the adjustment while standing behind the mirror and holding the converter bracket with our hand. You cannot move behind the mirror - it can bend, and from any object caught in the antenna aperture or in front of the converter head, the signal will disappear.

We connect the following converter to the receiver. In the menu we set its parameters.
DO NOT TOUCH ANTENNAS, smoothly and carefully turn the converter left and right until it "grabs" the satellite.
Make sure to "catch" what you need, as described above.
Moving the converter back and forth (this is the so-called pre-focusing) and rotating (alignment along the polarization plane), we achieve the best signal.
Adjust the third converter in the same way.

After "catching" all the satellites, carefully wrap the connectors with crude rubber, lay and attach the cables. Then we move the equipment into the house to its place, connect the power switch. In the LNB setup menu for each satellite we set DiSEqC, assign them arbitrary user numbers and / or names.

That's it, this completes the installation of the satellite dish. It remains to select and configure the desired programs (channels) in the receiver menu. But this is a separate topic. As well as installing the antenna on a moto suspension, which finds any satellite itself without any efforts of the owner.

Posted by admin in Household appliances 07.06.2018 0 36 ViewsThere are a lot of satellite antennas, they are divided in everyday life into two global types, offset and direct focus. The difference is in the arrangement of the converter feeds.If just in the center, we have a direct focus satellite dish. Beginners are wondering why cymbals are so different from other receiving devices that surround humanity in everyday life. It's about directed properties. Dishes (parabolic antennas) have a large gain and a narrow radiation pattern. Rigid stabilization of the satellite in orbit is required, but the radiation power can be significantly reduced. The spacecraft received from the developers a wide radiation pattern, covering thousands and millions of square kilometers of the territory. 99.99% of energy is wasted. Repairing satellite dishes with your own hands is more about tuning, positioning, and the correct use of converters.The main types of failures relate to converters. The plate can only be damaged on purpose. Indeed, why break a piece of iron. Making a satellite dish is ridiculously simple:

a plate is suspended on a bracket to the wall;

feeds are placed in the focal plane of the paraboloid.

Everything! A signal comes from the satellite, the object is far away, it is believed that the lines are parallel. As a result, according to the laws of optics, the signal is collected in the focal plane. For offset antennas, the dish is not perpendicular to the direction to the satellite, the feed is far from the center. On the contrary, with direct focus antennas, the converter is located on the axis, due to which part of the signal is lost. This is an inevitable flaw. For offset antennas, the feed hangs outside the dish, another factor manifests itself: the catching area of the rays is proportional to the cosine of the deviation from the perpendicular. This is not to say that the first design is better or worse than the second.Offset antennas are useful where there is no chance of tilting the dish so that the axis looks directly at the satellite. These are predominantly equatorial and tropical regions. In practice, offset antennas are not less common than direct focus antennas. It is wrong to call the feed a converter and vice versa. A device hanging near the focal plane of the antenna includes:

Irradiator. Looks like a tapered opening, protected by a plastic removable casing from precipitation.

Depolarizer. A section of a straight waveguide (pipe) where a dielectric plate and a pair of rods are located. Serves for converting circular polarization to linear.

Converter. It represents an electronic unit where the satellite frequency is reduced to 1 or 2 GHz for transmission over the feeder with the lowest loss. An additional low-noise amplifier is located here. The sensitivity formula is dominated by the characteristics of the first active stage. It is important to reduce the noise level here.

The matter is complicated by the broadcasting of satellites in the frequency range. C and Ku bands accepted. In any, its own kind of polarization dominates. On C - circular, in Ku - linear. Newbies are perplexed. We clarify that the C-band used in the Russian Federation has circular polarization for a number of reasons:

The legacy of a difficult past. In the USSR, circular polarization was used on spacecraft for satellite transmission of information, the orbit of the spies was different from the geostationary one. It was not required to take into account the angle of inclination of polarization, as when using the horizontal type.
The polarization vector is deflected by magnetic fields. Solar storms and fluctuations in terrestrial characteristics affect the tilt angle. Moreover, the Faraday effect decreases with increasing frequency. Therefore, in the Ku band it is not too scary.

Such features simplify the setup of the equipment, there is no need to rotate the converter around the axis, which is great - the angle is difficult to catch. If C and Ku are broadcast with linear polarization, the Faraday effect affects in different ways, as a result, the antenna cannot be tuned in the desired way. This is worse than the loss caused by a hybrid converter. It is difficult to estimate, but the closer the subscriber is to the pole, the stronger the distortion. RF lies in the northern territories.

We add that the Ku and C bands are so large that the sections are split additionally, otherwise it is impossible to design local oscillators to obtain intermediate frequencies (see above). Satellites do not capture the entire spectrum, which is taken into account by converters. Keep advice:

Specify the sub-range of the provider in addition to the range. When choosing equipment, make sure that the converter supports the wave.

The converters are similar in appearance: a steel box, a pipe section, opened, the structure is sewn into plastic, covered with a cover from the side of the entrance. From the point of view of geometric dimensions, there is a difference for the ranges, but the filling is more important. In any case, the electronics have their own bandwidth, without a match, the signal will not pass. Let's say more - the manufacturers keep the equipment stuffing a secret, so some converters work outside the standard limits, this is rather an exception to the rule than a constant pleasant surprise for the user. Hybrid converters work at all frequencies (check), there are two receivers inside.

Any converter, regardless of inclination, looks to the center. This will ensure that the maximum energy hits the opening. If it deviates slightly, it will continue to work worse. With the improvement of work, a situation of superposition of fields is possible, when the rule is violated, but in the general case, center the aperture so that you look at the bottom of the plate. Modern equipment performs satisfactorily in many situations, but key points should not be overlooked.

Setting up a satellite dish begins with orientation. An angle calculator is found on the provider's website or in an accessible place. They are aimed at a specific satellite, or the coordinates of the spacecraft will need to be entered. Of course, you need to know your geographic location as accurately as possible. Easier to find with a smartphone with a navigation module. The accuracy is sufficient for calculations. The calculator will give the elevation angle, azimuth, and tilt angle of the converter. It happens that there are several satellites. Then we look at the coordinates of the spacecraft, find the middle one, aim the saucer at the device.

In the latter case, one feed will be in the middle. For an offset dish, the elevation angle is different from that given by the calculator. Or the robot will ask about the type of antenna. As a rule, offset feeds are slightly shifted downwards, it is worth considering when aiming. They differ from direct focus ones, for example, in the F / D ratio (antenna focal length per diameter). It is possible to distinguish approximately the irradiators by their appearance: the offset horns use a stepped horn, the straight focus concentric circles. This is not a rule, but this is the case in reality. Therefore, when using unsuitable illuminators, do not be surprised that the reception quality is below average.

They made it clear what to do when tuning the antenna yourself. We add that targeting can be done using the receiver. In most sets of satellite dishes, built-in programs (means) for capturing waves are given quality, power. If the first person looks at the screen and the second person works on the bracket, the result will be achieved together.

Using the compass, set the azimuth, the elevation is measured with a level and a protractor. After an approximate installation, positioning begins according to the indications of the equipment. After reaching the maximum, experiments with the angle of inclination of the converter begin.

Read also: Volvo 940 DIY repair

Then we proceed to the installation of additional irradiators, if any. For a specific one, the angle of inclination is determined separately. If the satellite broadcasts in two bands, you should take a hybrid satellite dish converter. The tilt angle of the depolarizing plate sets the direction of circular polarization. If the setting is incorrect, there is no reception. Without undertaking repair of satellite dishes, it is recommended to remove the plate, pick up the signal without it, and then put it on. It is a challenging process, but doable.In the absence of a plate, the received power is 3 dB lower, which corresponds to an equivalent decrease in the area of the plate by a factor of 1.4.Notch the brackets before removing the antenna, this will help to quickly put the dish in place. The main causes of breakdowns relate to the directional failure of the paraboloid. By the way, do not forget to put a lightning rod next to it, otherwise the lightning will burn the converters. The electronic part cannot be repaired. The country has not yet learned how to program microcircuits.Having decided to install a satellite dish, each TV viewer wants the satellite equipment to work stably and efficiently, without failures and breakdowns. However, poor assembly of the cymbal can lead to the fact that you need repair of satellite dish... For example, if you assembled the dish yourself, then due to the lack of professionalism and practiced skills, troubles may happen with your satellite dish. For example, if the saucer was not properly secured to the brackets, a strong gust of hurricane wind could dislodge or rip off the saucer.We are often asked to repair the Tricolor dish, which for some reason has stopped receiving the signal. The reasons for the failure of Tricolor dishes are quite standard: any displacement of the satellite dish, even by a few millimeters, leads to a loss of signal, or to a loss of the quality of the transmitted signal, creating interference and freezing of the picture. The Tricolor TV satellite dish can be repaired only if it remains intact and has not lost the ability to receive a signal from the satellite. If the Tricolor TV plate falls, as a result of which it bends, it will be impossible to repair it, and it must be replaced.Repair of the cymbal can be associated with a lightning strike on the cymbal or converter. This can be avoided by grounding the satellite dish during installation. Many specialists in the installation of satellite dishes neglect this, because of this, in bad weather, satellite equipment often suffers. Usually, after several days of rainy days with a thunderstorm, they bring a bunch of receivers to our service center with the same problem - the power supply burned out. A lightning strike can also negatively affect a satellite dish, melting the internal mechanisms of the dish.If the inscription "NO SIGNAL" is lit on the screen of your TV, then with 99% certainty, we can say that it is the satellite dish that needs to be repaired. But this cannot be said with 100% probability, since such a problem may be associated with a failure of the receiver settings, and with any other malfunctions of the satellite receiver, which happens quite rarely, but still happens. Broken cable and bad weather conditions can also cause this inscription to appear. Before calling a specialist, you need to check the condition of the plate outside the window or on the balcony.It happens that when the windshield wipers are cleaning the roof, snow falls from the roof onto the dish, deforming it and disrupting its geometry, as a result of which the satellite dish loses its ability to receive a signal. Such a plate can no longer be repaired, all that remains is to replace it.If you are not sure what exactly your problem is, you should not try to repair the satellite dish yourself, so you can only aggravate the situation and complicate the antenna repair for a specialist. Also, the breakdown of the converter, which often fails due to banal obsolescence, can be attributed to the typical problems that arise during the operation of a satellite dish.In the spring, customers often contact us with one problem at all - the signal from the satellite dish disappeared, despite the fact that the dish worked properly in winter.This may be due to two reasons: either the falling of the icicles damaged the satellite dish or the converter, or, if the foliage has already blossomed, the satellite dish stopped receiving the signal due to an obstacle. The trees are growing fast enough, so if a year ago in summer and spring the satellite dish was functioning, it is not a fact that next year everything will remain the same.Our masters will carry out any work related to the repair and adjustment of the satellite dish. All types of work are guaranteed. Image - DIY satellite dish repair

In the article we will describe how to properly “shoot” a satellite dish equipped with three converters without additional equipment, how to connect and configure the receiver.

In our example, we will work with three standard satellites, which broadcast twenty-four Russian-language channels in total:

Then you can install, connect and tune the antenna to any other selected satellites in the same way.

Its most important advantage is its price. On average, the cost of a set of equipment is $ 160. Taking into account the absence of a monthly fee for watching TV channels, satellite television is much more profitable than cable television. Another important factor is the quality of the resulting picture and sound - it is not inferior to a high-quality DVD.

A set of equipment with three heads (converters) can be configured from 25 to 40 free Russian-language TV channels. However, technologies do not stand still, today new satellites with a huge number of offered channels are constantly being opened. Find out, be interested, choose.

The signal that hits the mirror surface of the antenna is reflected and sent to the converter, from there to the receiver, and then to the TV.

All plates are divided into two main types:

The first ones "look" not exactly at the selected satellite, but below it, since the signal is directed from the dish to the converter at an angle. Offset devices are fixed almost vertically. Due to this, atmospheric precipitation does not accumulate on its surface, which can significantly degrade the quality of signal reception.

If we talk about direct focus models of plates, then here the converter covers a section of the mirror surface. As the diagonal increases, this nuance becomes invisible.

Unfortunately, satellite dishes are quite picky about the terrain. A tree standing in the signal path can partially, if not completely, "hammer" the reception. So check carefully what exactly will be located in the signal path. If there are such obstacles, you should try to remove them, or else increase the diagonal of the mirror (i.e. the plate itself).

For certain satellites, the appropriate direction of the dish is selected (this direction can be found out from a sales consultant or in specialized literature).

In our case, the antenna should be directed to the south. Thus, the south side should be free from tall buildings and other dense obstacles.

The standard set for satellite television is represented by six items:

Plate is intended for receiving (i.e. reflecting) signals from a satellite. Its diagonal can be 60cm or more (the maximum diagonal size is 120cm). The choice of the dimensions of the dish is influenced by the terrain where it has to work, as well as the presence or absence of obstacles in the path of satellite signals.

Converter (head) is intended for converting signals reflected from the dish. The converter also sends the converted signals to the receiver. There are convectors with different numbers of outputs for connecting one or more receivers.

Dissek (DiSEq) is intended for combining several converters.

Cable. The variety of cables is enormous today. Here the choice is yours: length, price, etc.There is also a bracket through which the plate is attached to the wall surface. The choice of bracket is determined by the diagonal of the plate. You will also need anchors to secure the bracket.

Receiver-DVB - This is the most expensive device in the entire set. To receive free channels, ordinary receivers such as Globo are enough. If you plan to watch paid channels, then you will need a receiver with a card reader.

F-connector designed to connect the cable with the rest of the kit's devices. These devices will need eight pieces. Better to take ten in reserve. We also recommend purchasing a heat shrink, which will insulate the connections of the F-connector to the cable.

Since the cymbals come with detailed instructions for assembling them, we will not go into details. Yes, there, and without instructions, everything is pretty clear and intuitive. Let's say we have already assembled the antenna. Now we will screw the bracket to the wall surface, fix the plate on it. Everything is ready to be configured.

Let's leave the antenna for a while and start preparing the cable:

To do this, stock up on a knife and pliers.

Having stripped the top layer of cable insulation, you will see a screen of a number of small wires - this screen must be bent over the cable.

Under the first screen there is a second screen made of foil - it must be cut off.

Then we expose the lower layer of protection, under which the core of the cable will be found.

This core must be stripped from the upper enamel and put on the F-connector. From the edge of the F-ki the core should protrude 2mm-3mm.

We cut off all the extra protruding screen. So, the cable is ready.

Now let's start connecting:

First, we connect the convectors with the disks. Since we have three convectors, we also need three cables.

It is advisable to hide the discs from direct rainfall and moisture. Also, in order not to get the "steam room" effect, do not wrap the connections with electrical tape. Here heat shrinkage is more suitable - due to compression, it will fit much better to the F-ke and to the cable.

The next step is to connect the disc with the receiver. It's not difficult at all - you just need to screw the F-ku that is on the cable to the receiver.

So, our plate is facing south, all the wires are connected. You can start the most difficult stage - tuning (sighting) the antenna. The tuning starts from the central head. In our case, it should be set to Sirius.

We set the receiver speed to 27500, frequency to 11766 and polarization "H". It has two bars, one of which indicates the connection of the dish, as well as the satellite signal (usually this bar is red), and the second indicates the strength of this signal (usually the yellow bar). When the antenna is connected correctly, you will see a signal at about 40%. Now you just need to adjust the signal quality - now we have it at zero. Let's move on to the plate.

We turn the antenna up and to the left until it stops, looking for the highest signal level, then slowly turn it all the way to the right.

If the signal has not yet been found, lower the device along the fastener by 2mm-3mm (the plate fastener is equipped with marks with numbers, which makes it more convenient to “shoot” the device) and turn it all the way to the left.

Then we lower the plate even lower, turn it all the way. We do this until a clear signal appears. The presence of a signal will be signaled by the appearance of a yellow stripe.

If you managed to get into the satellite only approximately, then the signal quality bar will be at the level of 21%. The plate can be fixed in this position.

After that, lower it a little and carefully turn it to the left, observe the changes in the signal quality. If it has decreased, then we return the plate to its original position.

Then we gradually turn it to the right, we look at the signal level. Raise and lower the antenna in the same way.

You managed to catch the signal by 40% - great! However, this is still not enough, because with this percentage, the slightest rain or wind can interrupt your viewing of TV channels.

In order to increase the signal quality, you must first turn the converter clockwise and then counterclockwise.

Observe in which position the signal quality improves.

If the mount allows, we recommend bringing the converter closer to the mirror surface and then moving it away. This also affects the quality of the signal. However, as a rule, the length of the bracket from the central converter is adjusted in length. Good signal quality is 65% -70%.

Due to the fact that the main dish has already been targeted, and the satellites are located next to one another, the side converters are much easier to adjust.

Here the principle of setting is the same - the receiver is exposed:

on Amos (here the speed is 27500, the frequency is 11766 and the polarization is "H"),

on Hotbird (here polarization "V", speed 27500 and frequency 11034).

We proceed to bending the side bracket to which the converter is attached. Do not be afraid to bend it, because with some of their unsuccessful models and in some situations it will not work out differently. Starting from the upper left corner, we slowly move the converter to the right, then lower it a little lower (by 2mm-3mm), turn it to the left. We do this until the signal appears. To improve the signal quality, it is also advisable to perform clockwise and counterclockwise turns.

Important! The signal may be absent due to an incorrectly connected or configured disk. When setting up the converters, pay attention to the contact of the disk to which you connected: A, B, C or D - this is exactly the disk you will need to set on the receiver.

So, knowing the approximate location of the satellite, as well as its frequency, you can tune any satellite dish without outside help. By installing a set of satellite television yourself, you will thereby reduce your costs by 50% -70% of the total cost of equipment.

Video (click to play).

After the dish is tuned and the wires are assembled, reeled up, you can start scanning the channels. To do this, select the SCAN function in the receiver. A list of all channels available for viewing will be created. Now start looking for good TV shows.

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