Increase your entertainment options.
Satellite television services like DirecTV bring more than 100 news, entertainment and educational programming channels into homes without cable service. Satellite programming is particularly convenient for rural residents who may have trouble receiving standard broadcast signals from urban areas. The time it takes to install DirecTV in your home depends on your familiarity with basic tools.
Site Requirements
The first requirement for DirecTV reception is a clear view of the southern sky. In the United States, your dish antenna receives a signal from a satellite hovering above the equator. Trees, power lines and buildings between your dish and the satellite interfere with reception. You need to locate a spot on your property, rooftop or house where the dish has a clear path to the broadcast source.
Dish Mounting
The dish antenna can be mounted on your rooftop, on the side of a building or on a pole anchored in the ground. Regardless of which method you use, the antenna's mounting pole must be rigid and stationary. Once you mount the antenna, any movement due to wind or other environmental factors allows the dish to move and reduces signal reception. When mounting the antenna on a tall mast, for example, the mast should be secured to a structure or stabilized with guy wires.
Dish Orientation
Once you select a site and install the mounting hardware, you need to aim the dish. Aiming the dish at an invisible target more than a thousand miles distant may seem like quite a trick. Fortunately, you can enter your zip code into the DirecTV receiver to get the correct altitude and azimuth settings for your location. Check your receiver's owner's manual for specific directions for your receiver model. Markings on the dish's mounting hardware help you set the altitude elevation. You'll need a compass to determine the azimuth setting.
Cable
Pull your signal cables in single runs. Splicing a cable reduces its ability to carry signal and may introduce interference in your television reception. Placing too much strain on the cable while pulling it into position or kinking the cable will affect its efficiency as well. Once in place, the cable should last for years.
Receiver Placement
Most of your receiver's everyday functions are performed with the remote control. The remote control operates your receiver with a line-of-site infrared signal. For proper, consistent operation, place your receiver where the front panel can be clearly seen from anywhere in the normal television viewing area. You will not be able to control the receiver if you place it behind a closed door or drawer in an entertainment center.
