I’ve installed a few Satellite Dishes for friends, family, and myself — I really hate it. Most of the installs I have done involved setting the Dish up on a roof or far from the receiver, thus rendering the tone and display generated from the Dish Setup screen useless. I have bought all the standard setup tools… the digital compass and inline satellite signal meter, but those tools still don’t make it a 15-minute setup job. ![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="267px" width="200px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Solution, use an old Realistic PocketVision 22. I think my pocket TV is circa 1989, but any pocket TV with miniplug antenna port will work — I’ve seen these things as cheap as $10 used. Most, if not all, Satellite installs these days require at least a dual LNB, for multiple tuners or multiroom installs. When I built my house I ran six RG-6 cables to the roof, so if you don’t have the the extra cables, you’ll need to use the cable that is meant for the second tuner (the one connected to the second connector on the dual LNB). Plug that cable into the satellite receiver output labeled, “Out To TV”. Be sure to slide the toggle to Channel 3 and also make sure the other end of the cable is not connected to the LNB (wouldn’t want to fry something). The “Out To TV” cable will be what you’ll plug into the Pocket TV via a F-Connector to Miniplug adaptor. The other cable remains plugged into the “Input From Satellite”. Once everything is connected, turn on your regular watching display via S-Video or Composite and set the receiver into Setup Mode (On Dish Networks it’s Menu,6,1,1 via the remote). Select the satellite you want to lock on, this screen will give you the tone and the signal strength (the same picture is being output from the modulated Channel 3 output). Now, you can go to Satellite Dish, plug your Pocket TV to the cable from the “Out To TV” output of the receiver, set it to Channel 3 and BAM! You get both setup tone and visual signal strength, right next to you… exact signal the receiver is getting. Now all you do is adjust the dish until you get locked and tighten up all the bolts, plug the second cable back to the second LNB output, plug the output from the second LNB to the second tuner and grab a beer.
Here is a photo from the back of my satellite box, you can see the connections I’m refering too. Post a comment if you have any questions.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="211px" width="390px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
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1 2 3 Next »Dude. Realistic = Radio Shack - The fact that you, Mavro of all people, ever (to say nothing of still) owns something from Radio Shack is miraculous. Additionally, you're high-tech/low-tech solution to this problem runs in direct conflict with your roots. Our solution to this problem in 4 easy steps:
1. Open the windows in your house
2. Bolt Dish to the Roof
3. Keep yelling "How about now?", rotating the dish 2 degrees at a time.
4. Call an installer.
Dude. Realistic = Radio Shack - The fact that you, Mavro of all people, ever (to say nothing of still) owns something from Radio Shack is miraculous. Additionally, you're high-tech/low-tech solution to this problem runs in direct conflict with your roots. Our solution to this problem in 4 easy steps:
1. Open the windows in your house
2. Bolt Dish to the Roof
3. Keep yelling "How about now?", rotating the dish 2 degrees at a time.
4. Call an installer.
Hi,
I are not electrified due to electricity when we adjust the dish by our hand? Do we use a hand protection or it is just ok to touch it to our barehand?
Thanks this helps me a lot...
Hi,
I are not electrified due to electricity when we adjust the dish by our hand? Do we use a hand protection or it is just ok to touch it to our barehand?
Thanks this helps me a lot...
you could also use one of those baby monitors clipped to your belt.
you could also use one of those baby monitors clipped to your belt.
I been tried to set up my dish for a week but I still can not get enough signal to lock on ( I can lock in to 119, but I can not get on to 110). Is there anyone that you know, I can hire him to come to my house to set up for me. Thanks.
I been tried to set up my dish for a week but I still can not get enough signal to lock on ( I can lock in to 119, but I can not get on to 110). Is there anyone that you know, I can hire him to come to my house to set up for me. Thanks.
i am having a problem attaching motor to the dish seems i am missing a bracket or something is they anything I can use or do you know where I can get this bracket/bolts
i am having a problem attaching motor to the dish seems i am missing a bracket or something is they anything I can use or do you know where I can get this bracket/bolts