Aming Direct TV satlitte Dish

[merleandbabe]

Need some help from you pros out there


Signed up for Direct TV Satellite in Tuson...and are now back in MA.

Need to reposition satellite for new area and do not know how to do it.
Any help out there...any videos or on line instructions available.

We live in the RV, and are often traveling, so help from Direct is not realistic.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thank you

[2oldman]

gatorcq wrote:
How come "merleandbabe" has not come back to respond to everyone questions?

Yeah, that would help. As of now we're just talking amongst ourselves, as usual.

Although a member for almost 2 years, this is this OP's first post. Apparently OP doesn't do a lot of reading either.

[turbojimmy]

The DirecTV D12 SD receiver beeps, too.

[Sandia_Man]

Just changed our service to Dish a few months ago but our HD Directv receiver (don't remember model#) beeped just fine and was just as easy to set-up as indicated by Executive. Heck, using just a cheap keychain compass we could be up and running in 5 minutes utilizing our Slimline 5 dish mounted on homemade stand.

[valhalla360]

Executive wrote:
To aim the dish, follow these simple instructions.

1. Turn on TV and DirecTVs box.
2. Press the menu button on the DTV remote to: Setup/System Setup/Satellite/View signal strength/Signal Meter.
3. You will hear a beep beep beep beep.
4. Go outside to your antenna. It will help if you know the approximate location of the satellites in the southern sky. Either use a phone app like Satellite AR like I do or check a neighbor's setup to make it easier, but this is not necessary.
5. With the bolts holding your antenna in place loose, begin slowly sweeping the general direction of the satellites, SLOWLY moving the dish up and down while turning the dish.
6. When you locate the satellites, the tone on the TV will go from a slow rythmic beep to a very fast beep. The faster the beep the stronger the signal.
7. When you hear the very fast beeping, stop and hold the satellite in that position and tighten the loose bolts to secure the dish.
8. Using the DirecTV remote, press Done/Done/Done. Your system will then automatically complete the setup and receive the signal. Once it reaches 100% your picture will appear.

First time it's a little difficult. After that it's simple. You don't need any fancy gizmos, expensive finders etc. The dish doesn't even have to be level. Everything is free and easy...good luck...Dennis

This is what we do.

[gatorcq]

How come "merleandbabe" has not come back to respond to everyone questions?

[nomad297]

Big Katuna wrote:
HD boxes don't beep. Wish they did.

Not ALL HD boxes beep. The Genie receiver beeps.

Bruce

[hershey]

Two simple suggestions:
1. Walk around the campground and find someone with a DirectTV dish on a tripod. Tell them you are new to the satellite experience and would they mind showing you how to do it? 99 our of a 100 would be happy to show you how smart they are and walk you thru the process.
2. Go to YouTube.com and search DirectTV Dish Setup. You will find plenty of people showing you how smart they are and walk you thru the process.
Either is much better than anything you will read about.

[turbojimmy]

I downloaded Satellite Director to my Andriod phone. I got a cheap ($15 shipped from eBay) signal meter too. Between the app and the signal meter it's very easy to get lined up (I'm using a Winegard MP-1). Satellite Director allows you to save favorites so it will remember the satellite you want to point at and provide aiming guidance based on your current GPS coordinates (provided by your cell phone). I found the elevation to be a little tricky if the dish isn't level, but I learned to trust the azimuth and compass advice from the app and to then mess with the elevation of the dish until the signal meter is screaming. Setup should be 10 minutes or less.

[2oldman]

Executive wrote:
3. You will hear a beep beep beep beep.

As mentioned, not with HD. We still don't know OP's setup.

[Big_Katuna]

HD boxes don't beep. Wish they did.

[Executive45]

To aim the dish, follow these simple instructions.

1. Turn on TV and DirecTVs box.
2. Press the menu button on the DTV remote to: Setup/System Setup/Satellite/View signal strength/Signal Meter.
3. You will hear a beep beep beep beep.
4. Go outside to your antenna. It will help if you know the approximate location of the satellites in the southern sky. Either use a phone app like Satellite AR like I do or check a neighbor's setup to make it easier, but this is not necessary.
5. With the bolts holding your antenna in place loose, begin slowly sweeping the general direction of the satellites, SLOWLY moving the dish up and down while turning the dish.
6. When you locate the satellites, the tone on the TV will go from a slow rythmic beep to a very fast beep. The faster the beep the stronger the signal.
7. When you hear the very fast beeping, stop and hold the satellite in that position and tighten the loose bolts to secure the dish.
8. Using the DirecTV remote, press Done/Done/Done. Your system will then automatically complete the setup and receive the signal. Once it reaches 100% your picture will appear.

First time it's a little difficult. After that it's simple. You don't need any fancy gizmos, expensive finders etc. The dish doesn't even have to be level. Everything is free and easy...good luck...Dennis

[Big_Katuna]

Do you have a tripod and dish yet? TV4rv.com has a great kit.
You need a dish compatible with your sat box. Level the mast, adjust the dish settings per the box settings via zip and tweak the pointing to max your signal in the signal strength meter on the signal meter screen your box has.

[rgatijnet1]

1mtnman wrote:
This site will give you the settings you need dependant upon the ZIP of your location.

Dishpointer

If you combine that website with a hiking compass and an inexpensive Digital Angle Protractor Inclinometer it will get you close enough that you should not need a signal strength meter or have to move the antenna more than a fraction of an inch to receive DirecTV channels. From experience it does not have to be perfectly aimed to pick up the HD channels. When pulling in to park look at the direction that other RV dishes are pointed as a place to start.

[1mtnman]

Tom N wrote:
Lots of help at http://www.dishpointer.com/ including a map centered on your current location.

Great minds think alike!!
1mtnman