Digital Sat

[Hughes 66]

I want to recieve German Dig Sat on TV in Midlands. Lidl have one for sale next Mon. Astra 1 19 .2 deg E is the position.Does this mean point dish to 19.2 east.Will it be ok here.

[Catso]

No, unfortunately it's a lot more complicated than that.

The 19.2E refers to where the satellite is 'parked' in geostationery orbit. It is above the equator, 22,000 miles up, above the point 19.2E on the equator.

Thus depending upon where you are, the elevation and azimuth of the dish alignment can vary greatly.

The simplest way to align it is to look at next door's, and copy it.

If you don't have a nearby one to copy, you can try to find the satellite by trial and error, but it takes a lot of luck and time, as it is a very precise alignment.

You can buy little satellite dish alignment jigs/tools, which incorporate a compass and protractor gadget. This is your best bet if you don't have any nearby to copy. They help immensely in getting the first, coarse alignment. Then you have to (gently) fine tune it.