AIMING THE DISH IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA

When camping, there may be times when you are parked in a heavily treed area, making  it difficult to get a clear shot at the satellite(s).  In those situations, you may need to be a bit more creative in finding that clearing in the trees where you can receive a signal. When attempting to set up a satellite dish in a heavily wooded area or one with lots of man-made obstructions, it helps to understand how the dish really works. One common misconception is that the dish points directly at the satellite. This isn't the case for most dish designs. The apparent elevation of the dish is 15 or more degrees lower than the actual receiving window. Have I thoroughly confused you? Have a look at this diagram.... it's easier to see it than it is to explain it.....

When you are trying to aim for that little gap in the trees, remembering this diagram will probably mean the difference between success and failure!

CUSTOMER'S TIP:  A few weeks ago a customer related this experience he had when attempting toset up his DirecTV dish.  He had arrived at the new campsite and went online to get the dish settings from DirecTV's website.  He aimed the dish as usual, but couldn't get a signal!  After several frustrating attempts, he went into the program that is built into the receiver to got those settings.  The azimuth setting was different by 5 degrees from the setting on the website!  When he moved the dish 5 degrees, the signal came in loud and clear.   If you seem to be having more trouble than usual getting the signal, always double check the settings you are using to be sure they are correct.