(Use these tips for other satellites too!  Get the transponder information you need at http://www.lyngsat.com/america.shtml )

 1.  From your computer, download the satellite finder program from the Q&A page of our site at http://www.americansatellitedistributors.com/main/qa.html .  Look for ‘Satellite Finder Program Download’.

2.  Open the program after installing, and enter your zip code and then click COMPUTE.  Your coordinates for the major US satellites will appear on the right of the page.  NOTE:  AMC-4 is located at 101W and Galaxy 10R is located where Galaxy 9 is.  “Azimuth” refers to the compass setting or direction the satellite dish needs to face to receive programming from the satellite listed.  “Elevation” is the angle the dish needs to be pointed toward the sky.  The elevation reading is on the side of the satellite dish mount.  Move the dish mount to the elevation required and then tighten.  Do this before placing the satellite dish on the satellite mast.

3.  Unpack your receiver and place near the television. Connect the cable from the satellite dish to the connection on the satellite receiver that says “LNB in” or “Satellite In” or “Digital In”.  The cable from the receiver to the TV or VCR should come from the port marked “TV Out”, or “Out to TV”.

Select either channel 3 or 4 on the back of the receiver.  Turn your TV to the channel you selected.  You should have an on-screen menu, and you may address it with your remote control.

4.  Go to DISH SETUP.  The same category may be called ANTENNA SETTING in some receiver menus.  For the LNB type,  most of the LNBFs we send out are not UNIVERSAL.  (NOTICE!!! This is where most self-installers drop the ball. Your LNBF may be a standard LNBF.  Look at the label to be sure!  If the LO frequency says 10.75 GHz, then your LNBF is a standard LNBF, not universal!  Make sure that your menu reflects the settings below:

Satellite                  AMC-4

Dish Type              'Fixed'  (If you are installing a motor, change this to DISEQC later.)

LNB Type              'STANDARD' or 'NORMAL' if the LNBF label lists an upper limit of 12.2                                        'UNIVERSAL' if your LNBF has an upper limit other than 12.2

LO Freq                '10750'  (5150 if you are looking for C-Band signals)

22Khz                     OFF

DiSeqC                  OFF

0/12V                     '0'   or  'none'

LNB POWER        'ON' or set to 14/18

FTA Only               'NO'       

 5.  Go to TRANSPONDER SETUP (might say TRANSPONDER SETTING or EDIT TRANSPONDER).  Make sure you are looking at AMC-4.  If AMC-4 is not loaded into the receiver, you will have to load it.   There should be one transponder with the following settings:

FREQUENCY-         11983

SYMBOL RATE-        5900

POLARITY-             Horizontal

*Scroll through the list of transponders.  If you don't see one with the settings listed above, add it manually.

After you have the transponder loaded, look for a signal meter (it may say 0% at this point) on the screen.  This is the meter you should use while aiming for the signal.  If you don’t have a signal meter, you can call on the telephone from the dish to someone who is sitting in front of the TV watching the signal quality meter.

 6.  Back to the dish!  Make sure your dish is level.  The only way your dish will be level (plum) is to install the dish mast without the dish on it and make sure it is level.

Hold a level vertically against the up-and-down portion of the mast (the little bubble in the level should be in the middle between the lines).  If you don't have a level, you will have a tough time.

7.  Set the elevation adjustment on the side of the dish to the elevation you need for your area.  Now drop the dish on the mast that you just leveled.  Hook up the cable line to the LNBF on the end of the dish and run it directly to the receiver LNB IN (might say FROM LNB).  Eliminate all signal splitters and splices in the line for now.  Run the cable through a window for now if you must, but get your signal first.  After you acquire the signal, then you can hook it to the existing cable in your house.  If your signal goes away, you know not to use your existing cable, but don't waste hours and hours only to find out that you ran your line through some old washed out cable or a splitter that was under the floor.

8.  Where are you aiming?  Is your azimuth 180?  220?  Do you know what the numbers mean?  Do you have a compass?  If you do, try this method:

Put your compass on the ground.  Wait until the arrow stops.  See the point on the arrow?  It’s pointing at ZERO, or true North.  Now if true North is ZERO, it only makes sense that true South is 180 degrees.  It then follows that true East is 90 degrees and true West is 270.  So draw a visual line from the middle of the compass to the azimuth you have figured for the satellite you are aiming for.  That is your aiming vector.   Simple, huh?  
Now, one last adjustment:  If your azimuth is around 180, your LNB should be set straight up and down.  If your azimuth is a number higher than 180, your LNB should be tilted slightly counterclockwise in the collar (looking at the front of the dish).  Only slightly, unless your azimuth is more to the west.  If so, you might turn your LNB to 11 o’clock or even 10 o’clock to get better signal quality.  (Why are there two meters on the on-screen menu?)  One is for signal strength and one is for signal quality.  Strength may be high, but if your quality reading is less than 55 or so, you will not scan any channels into memory when you search.  If you have a high signal strength number, you may still be aiming at another satellite.  Only when you see the quality reading rise, do you know when you are aiming at the satellite that you are looking for.)

Conversely, if your azimuth is less than 180, the LNB should be tilted clockwise.  See the diagrams below.

9.  Move the dish slowly from far left to right.  SLOWLY!  Either use a satellite finder or use a cell phone to call a buddy who is patiently sitting in your living room looking at the transponder signal screen.  (If you never get ANY signal quality, adjust your elevation up or down a degree or two and try again.  Remember, SLOWLY!)

10.  When you get high signal strength AND quality readings, scan the transponder.  You will need to do it twice to get the receiver to recognize ALL of the transponders (channel bunches).  The second time around, change the scan mode from 'SCAN 1 TP'  to 'SCAN 1 SAT'  or  'ALL SAT'.  If you think you are missing one, go to http://www.lyngsat.com/america.shtml  and click on AMC-4 and scroll down to see if all of the transponders loaded for you automatically.  If not, manually add the ones that were missed.  At lyngsat.com, the transponder frequency is located in the first column, along with the polarization.  A little ‘V’ underneath the frequency means Vertical.  A little ‘H’ stands for Horizontal.  The symbol rate is located in the sixth column.  The symbol rate is always given in the top row of each transponder listing.  It’s usually 5 digits, but sometimes it’s only 4.

11. If you don't get signal, here are the problems in order of popularity:

a.  Dish is not level (no amount of faking it will work here)

b.  Cabling is compromised somehow by a splice, signal splitter or bad connector

c.  Aiming at wrong place because of lack of compass (should have purchased an install kit)

d.  A tree or roof overhang is blocking the path (the dish receives signal from a higher angle than you think)

e.  Satellite receiver on-screen menu settings are incorrect (see above hints)

f.   No voltage from the receiver through the cable leading to the dish (may be checked, see below)

g.  LNBF is bad (may have been dropped creating shock-loss)

h.  Dish is assembled incorrectly

*-Checking voltage- A voltmeter is $6-$10 for a low-end unit at Home Depot or Lowes.  Unscrew the cable from the LNB.  Take one lead (black) and hold it against the outside of the cable connector.  Take the other lead (red) and touch it against the center wire of the cable.  Make sure these leads do not touch each other, as it will ground out your circuit.  (Make sure the voltmeter is turned two clicks to the left from the off position.  There should be a reading of 13V or 18V.  If so, the receiver is sending voltage and the unit is probably OK.  If you can't find the voltage, try all of the voltmeter settings before giving up.  Your voltmeter may be set up differently.  If you ever see 13V or 18V, your voltage is OK.

 After checking all of these items, you might need to consider a professional installer.  *Suggestion- Finish the installation of your satellite system.  Tidy up before the installer comes, as he is likely to charge you only for a service call if he thinks that most of the work has been done.  We can refer you to an installer in your area should you need one.  E-mail us at technical@americansatellitedistributors.com to make a request for a local installer.

If at any time, the installer or yourself determines that the receiver or LNBF is faulty, send an e-mail to technical support and tell them you would like a replacement and detail your findings.  You will be issued an RMA (return merchandise authorization).  All returned items must have the RMA number inside the box and written on the outside of the box.

Send the item to us in its original box.  Make sure to track it, either with UPS, FEDEX or US Post Office.  Send another e-mail to technical@americansatellitedistributors.com stating the cost of the shipping.  If our bench test determines that the unit is faulty, you will not be charged for shipping of the replacement.  Should our bench test determine that the unit is functional, your shipping charges will not be eligible for refund.  A charge of $15 plus shipping costs will be assessed for all items that are found functional and then returned to the customer 

If you return an item that is not faulty you will possibly be charged a restocking fee if the item is not in perfect condition. 

Thanks for your patronage.  Happy channel surfing!

DirecTV for Business, MDU DirecTV, Commercial Satellite from American Satellite Distributors