3. IS THE DISH ASSEMBLY
LEVEL?
How often is your campsite completely level?
Because of the sensitivity of the satellite
system, if the dish is set-up on even slightly
uneven ground, it can put the dish alignment
out by as much as 7 degrees — enough to
prevent you locking onto the signal.
You must ensure the dish is as level as
possible. Using thin wood chocks to raise the
stand slightly will allow you to make the fine
adjustments necessary. Tripod-style stands
may have a small bubble level in the top of the
pole to assist.
If you have the fixed-frame style of dish, you
will need to use a spirit level on the frame to
achieve the same result.
4. CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT
In most cases when I have struggled to obtain
a good signal, I’ve traced the problem to an
obstructed line of sight to the satellite. You
would be amazed by what can affect the
signal quality. Trees are an obvious obstruction
but even a tree that is 50m away can
significantly reduce the quality of the signal.
If you are on the west coast of the country,
you will find the shallow angle of the dish will
mean other objects closer to the ground will
get in the way.
5. MOVE THE COMPASS
It’s amazing how many times I see owners
standing next to their dish with their compass
trying to align it in the direction of the satellite
only to find they cannot receive a signal.
Most satellite dishes are made of steel, which
is magnetic, and it will cause the compass to
point away from north. It seems like a simple
mistake but it’s one owners frequently make.
If the dish is even slightly off-level, the
elevation will be out by a few degrees.
To overcome this, set your compass to the
direction required and stand in front of your
dish with the north pointer aligned on the
compass dial. Walk away from the dish in the
direction required for at least 5m.
Turn 180 degrees until the south pointer of the
needle is positioned where the north pointer
was. This gives you a back bearing and
should align directly back to the dish.
Mark the spot with a small rock or similar and
go back to the dish. Now ensure the arm of
the dish is aligned perfectly with the marker.
Your dish will now be pointing in the right
direction with a high degree of accuracy.