Finding Your Satellite
Adjusting your receiver dish for best reception of a TV signal can be confusing.
Understanding a little about the satellite system and your location on earth will make it much less intimidating.
You will need to understand elevation, azimuth, and skew - weird words, but not too complicated. We'll explain them more farther down the page.
In order to get a clear signal, you need these things:
- a clear path from your receiver to the satellite - no trees or buildings in the way
- the location of the satellite - a degree number provided by your TV carrier, or satellite name
- your location - a latitude/longitude
Instead of trying to figure it all out yourself, try this great tool from Alan first.
Select your satellite name from the list - the leading number is the longitude degree of the satellite.
Replace Chicago, IL with your zipcode or exact address.
Press 'Enter' on your keyboard.
A line will show up on the map indicating the general direction towards the satellite from your location.
The "Location" area will show your latitude and longitude.
The "Dish" area will list your elevation, azimuth, and skew.
Pointing Your Dish
Now that you have your settings, you can set your dish.
Satellites are in geosynchronous orbit over the equator. They are flying around the earth at the same speed the earth rotates, so they stay in a fixed location above the surface. This means the satellite's latitude and longitude remain fixed. You need to aim your dish at this fixed point.
Elevation is the angle up from the ground your dish needs to point.
Since the satellite is over the equator, the farther from the equator you are (the larger your latitude number), the smaller your angle will be. Your dish will need to point down lower to aim at the satellite.
Imagine the satellite is over the top of South America. Someone in Panama would need to aim their dish nearly straight up while someone in Montana would need to point their dish lower towards the horizon.
Azimuth is the East to West angle you need to point your dish. This seems to cause the most confusion for people.
A satellite will have a longitude degree of something like 77.0West. This means the satellite is above the equator at 77.0 degrees west of the 0 degree longitude line, also called the Prime meridian, which runs North-South through England. This satellite would be over the Pacific Ocean just south of Panama.
Someone in Montana would point their dish farther east to aim at this satellite than someone in Panama. Someone in Massachusetts would need to point their dish to the west since they are farther east than the satellite.
You may have two azimuth numbers. One is true and one is magnetic. If you are using a compass to determine your bearing towards the satellite, use the magnetic number because that is using magnetic north for your area - see Declination info for details. Use the true number if you are using a GPS device to determine the direction to the satellite.
After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes, the geography teacher asked, "Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude?"
After a confused silence, a voice volunteered, "I guess you'd be eating alone."
Sep 23, 2016 - Aiodan Colgan
But, is the USA too far "west" for us in Europe, Ireland in particular, (for us to receive reception from American television broadcasts) ?
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Kupata Satellite Yako Kusahihisha sahani yako ya mpokeaji kwa mapokezi bora ya ishara ya TV inaweza kuwa ya kutatanisha. Kuelewa kidogo kuhusu mfumo wa satelaiti na mahali ulipo duniani kutafanya iwe rahisi zaidi. Unahitaji kuelewa urefu, azimuth, na skew - maneno ya ajabu, lakini si magumu sana. Tutawaeleza zaidi chini ya ukurasa huo. Ili kupata ishara ya wazi, unahitaji vitu hivi: - njia ya wazi kutoka kwa mpokeaji wako hadi kwa satellite - hakuna miti au majengo katika njia - eneo la satellite - nambari ya digrii iliyotolewa na mtoa huduma wako wa TV, au jina la satellite - eneo lako - latitudo au urefu - Badala ya kujaribu kujua yote mwenyewe, jaribu zana hii kubwa kutoka kwa Alan kwanza. Chagua jina la setilaiti yako kutoka orodha - namba inayoongoza ni digrii ya longitudo ya setilaiti. Badilisha Chicago, IL na zip code yako au anwani sahihi. Bonyeza 'Enter' kwenye kibodi yako. Mstari utaonekana kwenye ramani unaoonyesha mwelekeo wa jumla kuelekea setilaiti kutoka mahali ulipo. Eneo la "Mahali" litaonyesha latitudo na longitudo yako. Eneo la "Dish" litaorodhesha mwinuko wako, azimuth, na kupotoka. Kuelekeza sahani yako Sasa kwamba una mipangilio yako, unaweza kuweka sahani yako. Satelaiti ziko katika mzunguko wa geosynchronous juu ya ikweta. Kwa kuwa ndege hizo huzunguka dunia kwa mwendo unaolingana na mwendo wa dunia, hazina nafasi ya kuzunguka dunia. Hilo lamaanisha kwamba latitudo na longitudo za setilaiti hubaki zikiwa zimewekwa. Unahitaji kulenga sahani yako kwenye hatua hii ya kudumu. Urefu ni pembe juu kutoka ardhini sahani yako inahitaji kuelekeza. Kwa kuwa satelaiti iko juu ya ikweta, kadiri ulivyo mbali na ikweta ( kadiri nambari yako ya latitudo ilivyo kubwa), ndivyo pembe yako itakavyokuwa ndogo. Sahani yako itahitaji kuelekeza chini ili kulenga setilaiti. Hebu wazia kwamba satelaiti hiyo iko juu ya Amerika Kusini. Mtu fulani huko Panama angehitaji kuelekeza sahani yake karibu moja kwa moja juu huku mtu fulani huko Montana akihitaji kuelekeza sahani yake chini kuelekea upeo wa macho. Azimuth ni pembe ya Mashariki hadi Magharibi unahitaji kuelekeza sahani yako. Hilo laonekana kusababisha mvurugo mkubwa zaidi kwa watu. Satellite ina longitude ya karibu na 77.0° magharibi. "Hii inamaanisha kwamba satellite iko juu ya ikweta katika 77.0 ° magharibi ya 0 ° longitude line, pia inajulikana kama ""Prime Meridian,"" ambayo inaendesha kaskazini-kusini kupitia Uingereza." Satelaiti hii ingekuwa juu ya Bahari ya Pasifiki kusini tu ya Panama. Mtu fulani huko Montana angeelekeza chombo chake cha kupigia picha mashariki zaidi ili kulenga setilaiti hii kuliko mtu fulani huko Panama. Mtu fulani huko Massachusetts angehitaji kuelekeza sahani yake upande wa magharibi kwa kuwa wako mbali zaidi mashariki kuliko setilaiti. Unaweza kuwa na namba mbili azimuth. Moja ni ya kweli na nyingine ni ya sumaku. Ikiwa unatumia dira kuamua mwelekeo wako kuelekea satelaiti, tumia nambari ya sumaku kwa sababu hiyo ni kutumia kaskazini ya sumaku kwa eneo lako - angalia habari ya kupungua kwa maelezo. Tumia namba halisi ikiwa unatumia kifaa cha GPS kuamua mwelekeo wa satelaiti. "Baada ya kueleza kuhusu latitudo, longitudo, digrii na dakika, mwalimu wa jiografia aliuliza, ""Ikiwa ningekuomba ukutane nami kwa chakula cha mchana kwenye latitudo ya 23° 4' kaskazini na longitudo ya 45° 15' mashariki?""" Baada ya ukimya wenye kuchanganyikiwa, sauti ilijitolea, "Nadhani utakula peke yako". "Au, ""Ni mbali sana magharibi"" kwa sisi huko Ulaya, hasa Ireland, (kwa sisi kupokea mapokezi kutoka matangazo ya televisheni ya Marekani)?" Kuuliza swali Zaidi Ramani na Compass Rasilimali katika CompassDude.com