Installing Sky Digital Tv Freesat Member
Installing Sky Digital Tv Freesat Membership
Disclaimer: This is a review from someone who had never previously set up a satellite system, and with a brand new new sat box to set up.
First off, the instructions are vague at best. You are directed to a youtube video of an elderly chap setting up a satellite on a camp site with the vertical alignment already set. Not overly helpful!
But, to be fair, it's pretty easy to assemble and didn't take long to work it out.
I was fairly dismayed to see that the plugs for the cable needed fitting, I don't have a lot of luck with co-ax type cables but after watching some youtube vids it's actually very, very easy and even I managed 4 perfect connection first time.
The real hassle was getting the thing aligned. Yes, it comes with a satellite finder but what I didn't know was that there are lots of satellites out there, very close together and it detects all of them. I'm just waiting for the space defence program guys to kick my door in any day now..
Anyhow, after a long, frustrating spell wobbling around up a ladder, and giving up on it, I decided on one last try before calling somebody in.
I used a satellite finder app on my phone (I used satellite director, but there's loads out there) but on the augmented reality screen to point the dish in roughly the right direction. There's no point using the compass screen and laying it along the arm of the dish because, of course, all the metal and electronics throws the compass straight out.
Anyway, did that, then used the satellite detector to fine tune it as per the youtube videos (again, loads out there on how to do it) And, success!
This was where the slight flimsiness in the bracket showed up though, I could get it aligned to the strongest signal, tighten the bolt, then it would sag slightly and the signal would fade but this was easily worked around by tightening it a little too high so that it sagged into the correct position.
Also worth noting that most youtube videos advise you to set the correct elevation first using the scale on the bracket.. well, this doesn't have one. I also couldn't make any sense of the gauge on the LNB skew clamp (yup, I learned lots of fancy new terms!) but it doesn't actually seem to make any difference on my dish anyway.
I think my job was made far harder by setting up a new sat box too, so couldn't rely on getting a picture to help align the dish (as it wasn't tuned in,) and having never done it before, not appreciating just how accurate you need to be with the alignment. A couple of inches is the difference between full signal and absolutely nothing.
Still, all said and done, as a self-confirmed hopeless DIYer and very impatient person, I got it installed and working perfectly in approximately 2-3 hours. And, we have high winds today with no variation on picture quality so the dish seems sturdy enough.
An elevation gauge, a couple more screws and a bit more detail in the instructions would have seen me leave a 5 star review..but I don't give those out lightly!
First off, the instructions are vague at best. You are directed to a youtube video of an elderly chap setting up a satellite on a camp site with the vertical alignment already set. Not overly helpful!
But, to be fair, it's pretty easy to assemble and didn't take long to work it out.
I was fairly dismayed to see that the plugs for the cable needed fitting, I don't have a lot of luck with co-ax type cables but after watching some youtube vids it's actually very, very easy and even I managed 4 perfect connection first time.
The real hassle was getting the thing aligned. Yes, it comes with a satellite finder but what I didn't know was that there are lots of satellites out there, very close together and it detects all of them. I'm just waiting for the space defence program guys to kick my door in any day now..
Anyhow, after a long, frustrating spell wobbling around up a ladder, and giving up on it, I decided on one last try before calling somebody in.
I used a satellite finder app on my phone (I used satellite director, but there's loads out there) but on the augmented reality screen to point the dish in roughly the right direction. There's no point using the compass screen and laying it along the arm of the dish because, of course, all the metal and electronics throws the compass straight out.
Anyway, did that, then used the satellite detector to fine tune it as per the youtube videos (again, loads out there on how to do it) And, success!
This was where the slight flimsiness in the bracket showed up though, I could get it aligned to the strongest signal, tighten the bolt, then it would sag slightly and the signal would fade but this was easily worked around by tightening it a little too high so that it sagged into the correct position.
Also worth noting that most youtube videos advise you to set the correct elevation first using the scale on the bracket.. well, this doesn't have one. I also couldn't make any sense of the gauge on the LNB skew clamp (yup, I learned lots of fancy new terms!) but it doesn't actually seem to make any difference on my dish anyway.
I think my job was made far harder by setting up a new sat box too, so couldn't rely on getting a picture to help align the dish (as it wasn't tuned in,) and having never done it before, not appreciating just how accurate you need to be with the alignment. A couple of inches is the difference between full signal and absolutely nothing.
Still, all said and done, as a self-confirmed hopeless DIYer and very impatient person, I got it installed and working perfectly in approximately 2-3 hours. And, we have high winds today with no variation on picture quality so the dish seems sturdy enough.
An elevation gauge, a couple more screws and a bit more detail in the instructions would have seen me leave a 5 star review..but I don't give those out lightly!
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