How to Install and Set Up Free to Air Satellite TV Program Receiver System

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This wikiHow teaches you how to set up a Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite system for your TV.

Things You Should Know

When setting up a FTA satellite system, you'll need a compatible satellite network.
Place your satellite dish in an optimal position to properly receive signals.
Keep your wires organized by threading wires through walls or carefully pinning them in place.

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing to Install

You can check the American Digital Satellite website for different satellites by going to https://www.americandigitalsatellite.com/all_free_to_air_satellite_channels.html and scrolling down to the list of available satellites.

Type your city and state (e.g., "Palo Alto, California") into the "Your location" text box on the left side of the page.
Select your satellite's name from the drop-down box on the right side of the page.
Click Search!
Make sure that there is a green line indicating line-of-sight for your satellite. If this line is red, the satellite won't work properly in your area.

Note the network's bearings. In the pop-up box on the map, look at both the "Elevation" number and the "Azimuth (true)" number. You'll use these numbers (in degrees) to adjust your dish later.

Satellite dish — Used to receive the satellite's signal. You'll need an 8-foot dish for C-band channels or a 35-inch dish for KU-band channels.
Satellite receiver — Used to receive the satellite dish's input and translate it into channels for your TV.
Satellite tuner — Used to fine-tune the satellite dish's position.
HDTV — Necessary for most FTA systems, as the receiver will generally require an HDMI input on the TV itself.
Coaxial cable — Usually packaged with the satellite dish, but you may need to buy a longer or shorter cable depending on your satellite dish's location.

You'll also need to ensure that your satellite dish isn't obstructed by trees, buildings, or other obstacles.

Many dish users route the cable along the side of the house and through a wall where necessary, but your cable setup may vary.
If necessary, buy a new coaxial cable that will reach your dish from the receiver before proceeding.

Advertisement Part 2 of 3:

Installing the Receiver Dish

It's incredibly important to make sure that the dish is secured as tightly as possible so that it doesn't become loose during a windstorm.
If the dish is mounted on a wood roof, you can caulk around the base to make it waterproof.

You'll most likely need a compass for this step.

Connect the satellite tuner. Using the 6 foot (1.8 m)-long coaxial cable on your satellite, plug in the satellite tuner.

Rotate the dish left or right.
Listen for quicker beeping to ensure that you're rotating the dish in the correct direction.
Rotate the dish the other way if the spaces between beeps get longer.

Secure your dish's horizontal axis. Tighten the rotation control screw completely to fix this angle.

Adjust the vertical axis. You'll do this in the same way as you adjusted the horizontal axis; once the beeping is as quick as you can manage to achieve, you can tighten the vertical axis screw.

You can use a staple gun to staple the coaxial cable to your house's siding in order to prevent it from hanging freely.
Depending on your house's layout, you may need to drill a hole in the wall in order to thread your coaxial cable through to the receiver. If so, make sure not to drill through any pipes or wires.

Advertisement Part 3 of 3:

Setting up the Receiver

You'll also need to use the receiver's power cable to connect to an electrical outlet.

Turn on the receiver if necessary. Your receiver should turn on when plugged in, but there may be an On/Off switch on the side or the back of the receiver. If so, flip the switch to the "On" position before proceeding.

For example, if you plugged your receiver into the "HDMI 1" slot, you'll switch the input to the "HDMI 1" channel using your TV's Input or Video menu.

If prompted to perform any actions during the setup, follow the on-screen instructions.

Open the receiver's menu. On your receiver's remote, find and press the Menu button. You should see a pop-up menu appear on-screen.

Find your dish's antenna setup menu. You'll usually have to use your remote's arrow buttons to find the "Install" or "Dish" option, but consult your receiver's manual if you can't find the setup section of the menu.

Select a satellite. In the "Satellite" section of the menu, use the arrows to scroll left or right until you find your satellite's name. [5] X Research source

If you're using a C-band network, you'll select 5150 here instead.

Scan for channels. Find the "Scan" or "Single Satellite Scan" section of the menu, set the "FTA Only" section to Yes if possible, and start the scan by selecting Yes, OK, or Start. Your dish will begin searching for available satellite TV channels; once it finishes, you'll be able to watch TV like usual on your dish's channel.

Community Q&A

How do I determine which direction to aim my satellite dish? Community Answer

Find a satellite dish-pointing app for your smartphone. Or search for a satellite-pointing website online that can help you with elevation and azimuth numbers for your specific location. (Make sure you have a compass on hand for this method).

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What are the settings for satellite info. for free to air in Nigeria? Community Answer If you go to an FTA site, such as Lyngsat, you'll see the settings for NTA international on 97W.

Can I watch channels from India? Community Answer

Yes, if you are in Asia, you can watch them on Satellite Asia sat 7@105°. But most Indian channels are FTA.