Diagram shows wall facing south-west. View of arc is limited to the east and Astra at 28.2°E can not be seen.
Satellite Dish Location
Before you go any further, you need to check what satellites you can receive from your location and where you can install the dish.
- Planning Permission
Most places need Planning Permission in order to permanently install a satellite dish. However, if the dish is below a certain size and installed in certain places you may not need to actually apply for Planning Permission. There may also be other restrictions like the number of dishes and if the building is in a conservation area, a listed building or in a national park. Check to make sure you know what the regulations are.
- Longitude & Latitude
The Longitude & Latitude of your location is one of the factors that will determine the maximum number of satellites the dish will be able to point at. To find out what it is you can use a local 1:25000 Ordnance Survey map, a GPS receiver or an online web site. If you need to find out which direction is due south and intend to use a compass you will also need to know the magnetic variation for your location. It is also marked on Ordnance Survey maps but as it varies with time it may not be accurate. (A suitable online web site can be found here).
- Line of Sight
The dish needs to be mounted on a south facing wall and be able to see the arc that the satellites are in. This stretches from the horizon in the west to the horizon in the east with the top of the arc being due south. Any buildings or trees that are in front of this arc will block reception of any satellites in that position of the arc. This is more likely to affect the west and east limits of the arc.If the wall is not exactly south facing the dish may not be able to track around the arc to the west or the east. However, if the wall is only a few degrees (about 20°) away from due south, the amount of arc that is visible may not be reduced and the popular satellites between 13°E and 28.2°E can be seen. Check to make sure you can see the locations of the satellites you want to receive signals from. Using an actuator to move the dish, about 70° of the arc can be seen.
- Maintenance
Try to fix the dish in a place where you can easily maintain it. Apart from the normal weathering the dish could be moved out of alignment by the wind. You may also want to upgrade or replace some of the components. Unless there are obstructions nearby, the height that the dish is mounted will not affect the number of satellites that can be seen. A height of 3 metres is a good compromise.
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A Fielding
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