RCA DIRECTV, Installer'S Manual

Page 1: ...DIRECTV Multi Satellite Dish Antenna Installer s Guide Changing Entertainment Again ...

Page 2: ... of the National Electrical Code NEC especially Articles 250 810 and 820 These codes require proper grounding of the metal structure of the outdoor dish antenna and grounding of the connecting cable at a point where it enters the house or other building If you are having a professional installer make the installation the installer must observe installation codes in making the installation The Sate...

Page 3: ...Dish Hardware 11 Chapter 2 Mounting the Mast Choose Where to Mount 14 Solid Wood or Lap Siding 14 Brick or Poured Concrete Surface 14 Hollow or Cinder Block Wall 14 Pole 14 Mounting The Mast on Solid Wood or Lap Siding 15 Important Considerations 15 Mounting Instructions 16 Installing a Spacer 17 Mounting the Mast on Brick or Poured Concrete 18 Important Considerations 18 Mounting Instructions 18 ...

Page 4: ...Cables through the LNB Arm 29 Step 6 Attach the Cable s to the LNB Attach the LNB to the Antenna 30 Step 7 Attach Grounding Block s to Your House 30 Step 8 Connect Cables and Ground Wire to the Grounding Block 31 Step 9 Route and Ground to the Central Building Ground 31 Step 10 Route Cables Into Your House 31 Final DIRECTV Connections 33 Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Signal 34 Step By Step Instruc...

Page 5: ...llation Chapter Overview Installation Overview Choose Where to Mount Conduct a Site Survey Find Dish Pointing Coordinates Confirm Your Site Selection Estimate Cable Requirements 3 3 Chapter 1 Changing Entertainment Again ...

Page 6: ...preset the correct elevation and tilt Set the Antenna s Elevation and Azimuth Coordinates These are important steps Making sure that your elevation azimuth and tilt settings are correct will help you to more easily obtain the signals later on Complete the Dish Assembly Secure the antenna on the mast connect the RG 6 coaxial cables to the LNBs and attach the LNBs to the antenna Route the Cables to ...

Page 7: ...ind that your DIRECTV Multi Satellite dish requires more fine tuning than a single satellite antenna possibly making it more difficult to obtain signal s Consider contacting your local authorized retailer to recommend a professional installer Step 1 Conduct a Site Survey Your DIRECTV satellite dish is capable of receiving signals from multiple satellites from one mounted position Not only can ther...

Page 8: ...evation angle between 30 and 60 degrees Southern states point more upward toward 60 degrees northern states point more downward toward 30 degrees Finding a Clear Line of Sight 1 Go outside and locate at least one site on your property that has a clear view to the satellite You should be reasonably certain you are pointing toward Texas unless you re in Texas in which case you should be looking due ...

Page 9: ...receiver HDTV or HD set top converter for more information about finding the dish pointing coordinates Record the Coordinates When you ve obtained the dish pointing coordinates from the satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter s menu system record the elevation azimuth and tilt numbers below You must complete this step before proceeding with the installation Elevation________________ Azimut...

Page 10: ...it s a good idea to follow the procedures outlined in this step in order to make sure that your site selection is a good one 1 Go outside to your mounting site and hold a compass flat in the palm of your hand Hold your hand still until the needle stops moving Note that the dark or colored half of the compass needle always points north Read the instructions that came with the compass for details 2 ...

Page 11: ...may have an alternative solution consider contacting your DIRECTV System dealer to find the name of an authorized DIRECTV System installer I m Not Sure If I Have a Clear View If you re not certain whether you have a clear view to the satellite you have two choices Continue with the installation and determine whether you have a clear view to the satellite by testing the system Contact your satellit...

Page 12: ...al Code NEC 2 Choose a location to mount the grounding block The block should be as close as possible to the point where the cable s will enter the house 3 Decide where inside the house you plan to put the digital satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter 4 Measure and record your cable requirements in the spaces provided below A Few Words About Grounding the System Grounding the DIRECTV Sys...

Page 13: ...multiswitch to the SATELLITE IN jack on the digital satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter Other types of coaxial cable such as that used for cable TV RG 59 will not work for your system DIRECTV Multi Satellite Dish Hardware Use this page as a parts list for your DIRECTV satellite dish but do not assemble the dish yet Note For access to all High Definition programming a DIRECTV High Defin...

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Page 15: ... to Mount Mounting The Mast on Solid Wood or Lap Siding Mounting the Mast on Brick or Poured Concrete Mounting the Mast on a Hollow or Cinder Block Wall Mounting the DIRECTV Multi Satellite Dish on a Pole 13 13 Chapter 2 Changing Entertainment Again ...

Page 16: ...red Concrete Surface Important Considerations The wall anchors used must have a strength of at least 300 pounds of pullout pressure The use of B4015 or equivalent double expansion anchors is recommended Do NOT mount the DIRECTV satellite dish under an eave or overhang that may block or partially shadow the DIRECTV satellite dish Hollow or Cinder Block Wall Important Consideration Do NOT mount the ...

Page 17: ...Do NOT mount the DIRECTV satellite dish on any type of composite paneling such as fiber board particle board or strand board Do NOT mount the DIRECTV satellite dish under an eave or overhang that may block or partially shadow the DIRECTV satellite dish Make sure the wooden surface is structurally sound and can support the weight of the DIRECTV satellite dish DANGER AVOID Power Lines When following...

Page 18: ...s securing the panel to the wall The nails usually align with the center of the stud and provide an easy guide Step 2 Center the foot on the stud Mounting Instructions 1 Locate the center of a stud where you want to secure the mounting foot Make sure you locate and secure the mounting foot to the center of a wall stud Do not mount the DIRECTV Multi Satellite dish near the edge of a stud 2 Hold the...

Page 19: ...n the 5 16 x 2 lag screws insert the screws into the four outside holes and securely tighten them 10 Go to the next section Final Installation to complete the installation process Installing a Spacer When the mounting foot spans two pieces of siding it should be positioned so most of the foot is on the top board A spacer should be installed to help hold the bottom of mounting foot in place The spa...

Page 20: ...Step 2 Make sure the mounting foot is level Important Considerations The wall anchors used must have a strength of at least 300 pounds of pullout pressure The use of B4015 or equivalent double expansion anchors is recommended Do not mount the DIRECTV Multi Satellite dish under an eave or overhang that may block or partially shadow the DIRECTV satellite dish Mounting Instructions 1 Hold the mountin...

Page 21: ...pansion anchors 6 Use a wrench to loosen the nuts on the mounting foot so you can rotate the mast to access both of the center mounting holes 7 Hold the mounting foot over the holes so the top part of the mast will rotate and point straight up see Chapter 3 for more information on how to use the mast to make sure the mast is plumb and level 8 Insert and tighten the machine screws 9 Go to the next ...

Page 22: ...screws Eight 5 16 washers Mounting the Mast on a Hollow or Cinder Block Wall Important Consideration Do not mount the DIRECTV Multi Satellite dish under an eave or overhang that may block or partially shadow the DIRECTV satellite dish Mounting Instructions 1 When installing togglers in cinder blocks it is important to position them in the core of the block To position the mounting foot on the wall...

Page 23: ...astic cap along the straps until the cap is flush with the wall c Push the straps side to side to snap them off flush with the wall d Repeat for all eight holes 7 Use a 7 16 wrench to loosen the nuts on the mounting foot so you can rotate the mast to access both of the center mounting holes 8 Hold the mounting foot over the holes so the top part of the mast will rotate and point straight up For th...

Page 24: ...CTV Multi Satellite Dish on a Pole Important Considerations Do not install the pole in wet or marshy areas The pole must go at least three feet below the surface If the length of pipe above ground is too long guy wires may be needed to increase the stability of the mount in windy conditions You will need to ground the pole in addition to the antenna and coaxial cable The pole that has been secured...

Page 25: ...mended for this task it will tell you if the mast is plumb and level from all angles with just a single reading Level the pole at two different locations that are at right angles to each other It is essential that the pole be plumb Important Tip Taking the time to properly level the pole now will save time adjusting it later Step 2 Cut a 45 degree angle at the bottom of the pole 45 cut 5 Fill the ...

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Page 27: ...w Leveling the Mast Final DIRECTV Multi Satellite Dish Assembly Routing and Grounding the Cables Running Cable into the House Making the Final Connections Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Signal 25 25 Chapter 3 Changing Entertainment Again ...

Page 28: ...g Side to Side 1 If you mounted the mast on a vertical surface such as a wall you leveled the mast side to side when you mounted the mast foot Skip to the next section Leveling Front to Back 2 To check whether the mast is level side to side place a carpenter s level on the mast as shown below 3 Is the bubble centered in the level s window If the answer is yes go to the next section Leveling Front ...

Page 29: ...own in the diagram below Important Tip Taking the time to properly align the pole now will save time adjusting it later 3 Keep holding the mast in place with the bubble centered in the level Tighten the bolts on the sides of the mast base with a 7 16 nut driver You can also use an adjustable wrench if you don t have a 7 16 nut driver Make sure the bolts are secure Using a Carpenter s Level 1 Loose...

Page 30: ...on and azimuth coordinates the tilt should remain the same throughout the fine tuning process do not fine tune the tilt For some of the Eastern Seaboard states however there may be an exception See step 5 on page 36 Step 3 Set the Elevation Adjustment a Loosen the two elevation nuts one on each side and pivot bolt b Use the elevation dish pointing coordinate you obtained from the satellite receive...

Page 31: ... 5 Run the Cables through the LNB Arm a Push one end of the RG 6 coaxial cable s you plan to run to your satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter up through the LNB Arm The triple head LNB multi switch with your antenna has four identical outputs each supporting one independently operating receiver To simplify future installation of additional receivers you might want to route more than one...

Page 32: ...ot sure you should contact a qualified electrician a Attach the grounding block s to the side of your house close to the point you have chosen as the coaxial cable entry point b You may have to use anchors togglers or wood screws depending on the surface on which you are mounting the grounding block IMPORTANT The United States National Electrical Code NEC specifies that coaxial cable that is expos...

Page 33: ... sections 250 and 810 of the National Electrical Code NEC b Locate the grounding wire 10 copper or 8 aluminum that will extend from the grounding block to the central building ground c Attach the grounding wire to the grounding block by placing it through the wire hole in the grounding block and tightening the screw d Route the grounding wire from the grounding block to the central building ground...

Page 34: ...icone sealant to seal all outside connections and the hole you drilled for the coaxial cable to enter your house CAUTION Before drilling make sure there are no wires or pipes behind the wall in the area of the hole Step 10c Make a drip loop Step 10b Connect the RG 6 cable to the grounding block Grounding wire going from the grounding block to the ground rod Coaxial cable going from the LNB multi s...

Page 35: ... HDTV or HD set top converter to a phone jack SATELLITE IN PHONE JACK Step 1 Connect the RG 6 cable to the IN jack for satellite reception on the back of the digital satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter Steps 2 and 3 Take the phone off the hook before you connect a phone cord from an outlet to the back of the digital satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter About the Phone Connec...

Page 36: ... setting on the dish After you receive a signal you will want to continue to adjust your settings to get the best possible signal Step By Step Instruction for Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Signal 1 Read the instruction manual that came with your digital satellite receiver HDTV or HD set top converter to determine how to access the on screen signal meter The signal meter shows you when you have loc...

Page 37: ...f the signal is found and signal meter is locked go to step 4 Point the center of the dish to the exact azimuth direction according to your compass c If after sweeping the antenna completely to the west the satellite signal is not found adjust the elevation 2 degrees and sweep the azimuth again d If the signal is still not found adjust the elevation 2 degrees from the original value 4 degrees from...

Page 38: ...ing procedures are recommended a Follow the alignment procedures above tighten the Elevation and Mast clamp bolts b Fine tune the Tilt Adjustment first by 3 degrees and then 3 degrees Tilt is optimized when you see the 101 signal reading essentially unchanged and the 119 signal strength improved by several points Set Tilt to the optimized point and tighten the Tilt nuts 6 Once again sweep the azim...

Page 39: ...Additional Information Chapter Overview Troubleshooting Toll Free Telephone Product Help Limited Warranty Index 37 37 Chapter 4 Changing Entertainment Again ...

Page 40: ...fying that The DIRECTV satellite dish mast is plumb and level The white indicator on the azimuth clamp edge of metal not the washer or the bolt is aligned to the correct elevation and that the polarization is set correctly 3 Use a compass to verify that the center of the antenna is pointed toward the correct azimuth reading number as indicated by the dish pointing menu Nearby metal objects may cau...

Page 41: ...s out of warranty we will quote the cost of an exchange unit to you Returning Equipment to Thomson for Repair or Exchange If we are unable to resolve your problem over the phone we will gladly service your unit or exchange it for a new or refurbished unit Refer to the limited warranty included in the booklet to learn about your specific rights and responsibilities Always consult Thomson and get a ...

Page 42: ...ive determines that your antenna dish is defective they will arrange to provide you the replacement parts necessary for its repair What your warranty does not cover Acts of nature such as but not limited to lightning damage Damage from misuse or neglect A unit that has been modified or incorporated into other products or is used for institutional or other commercial purposes Units purchased servic...

Page 43: ...BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON THIS PRODUCT IS LIMITED TO THE APPLICABLE WARRANTY PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE Product Registration Please complete and mail the Product Registration Card packed with your antenna It will make it easier to contact you should it ever be necessary The return of the card is not required for a warranty coverage...

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Page 48: ... Printed in USA TOCOM 15972130 If your satellite system needs service please contact your dealer or the nearest Service Center from the telephone book yellow pages Please do not send any products to the Indianapolis address listed in this manual or on the carton This will only add delays in service for your product Visit the RCA website at www rca com ...