revolution.org.za

Update: 02/07/2008 – Don’t ask me how to get your *whatever* working, I won’t respond and your comments will also be deleted.

Update: 25/05/2008 – The pin code used to unlock your decoder will normally be 9949.

The Article:

There aren’t very many comprehensive howtos on installing KU-Band geostationary satellite dishes as used by DSTV users, on the internet. Well hopefully I can help. There seems to be a distinct absences of info on how to DIY install satellite dishes.

This is for a dish connecting to PAS7 /Intelsat 7/10 from South Africa.

I connect to free to air channels, DSTV is just too expensive. I can’t wait for some competition in South Africa, to give multichoice a real kick in the pants. At the moment I have settled on Botswana TV (BTV) which has some nice programs (their news is horrible) but you do get BBC World when they aren’t doing their own programing.

I bought a cheap 60 cm Ellies (ElSat) dish kit at Mica in Cedar Square, Builders Warehouse were R100 more expensive. Mica ripped charged me R430 for the kit.

The dish kit came with “almost” everything you need. It would have been nice if they included a Co-ax cable with F-Connectors for the satellite finder.

My 15 meter cable was also stuffed, which added to my frustration, so I had to get a new one.

I didn’t have to get a decoder, I have two ancient decoders which where given to me. You can pick up a cheap DSTV decoder at Cash Converters or buy a new one for around R400.

The old decoders don’t have very good signal detection, the new ones are better, but I still managed.

The process:

First get a GPS co-ordinate reading of your location.

Then visit this site for the exact settings for your installation

http://www.satsig.net/sf.htm

Get a cheap directional compass and roughly point your dish in the direction indicated.

There are many conflicting bits of info on the degree at which your should be mounted. Mine was 36 degrees vertical, 84 degrees from magnetic north, horizontal. (I’m using lay-mans terms here, cause I is one) The LNB is set to 20 degrees, the bottom of the LNB is at about 4 oclock to the dish.
The El-Sat dish has very poor vertical degree marking, so its a bit of a guess.

Next, rig up you satellite finder device. You’ll have to make up a short co-ax cable with two F-connectors, Ellies don’t supply these. (You’ll need to buy two F-connectors when you get the dish or satellite finder).

I rigged up my TV and the decoder with the best signal detection in close proximity to where I was doing the installation. I had my assistant watch the signal on screen and scream when something changed.

Sitting on the roof, getting a lekker sunburn, I carefully moved the dish around until I got a nice high pitched sound from the finder.

Before you begin this, set your decoder into a know channel, otherwise its signal detection doesn’t seem to work. (I’ll include the BTV channel at the end of this article)

Once I found a nice signal, both in the audio finder and on the decoder , I carefully tightened all the bolts. If you bump anything you’ll have to start again.

You should be able to then saddle all the loose cable and start playing with your channels.

I’m not going to tell you how to set you channels, because every decoder is different. My decoder is ancient. It has “Alexander the Great wuz here”, scratched on the back.

You can find the stuff broadcast on PAS 7 here:

http://www.lyngsat.com/intel68.html

And here:

http://rory.sharp.fm/rites/2006/01/freetoair_tv_channels_on_pas71.html

I found 13 channels of God-TV, including sermons direct from Lagos Nigeria. I didn’t find it so cool. BTV is about the best that you are going to get.

BTV settings on your decoder:

Frequency: 11625

Symbol Rate: 15000

FEC: 3/4

Polarity: Vertical

For the suckers people getting DSTV(they have multiple frequencies by the way):

Frequency: 11594

Symbol Rate: 27500

FEC: 5/6

Polarity: Vertical

So have fun and remember that you can actually do this your self. If you really stuff things up you can always call an installer to do it for you.

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