How to Adjust a Dish TV Antenna

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You may notice that your Dish TV picture is not as good as it usually is. This is usually due to your Dish TV antenna not being properly aligned. You can either have a satellite technician come out and fix it or you can adjust the antenna yourself by accessing the Dish TV signal strength quality software that is included with your receiver.

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Dish TV Signal Setting

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To adjust your Dish TV antenna, you first need to access the System Setup Menu to check the strength of the existing signal. You can do this by using the main Dish TV box remote and then by pressing the "Menu" button. Access the System Setup Menu by pressing the "6" button on your remote control. Go into the Installation Menu for your Dish TV box by pressing the "1" button and then press the "1" button again to access the section to point your dish.

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On the Point Dish section of the Setup Menu, press the "Down" or "Up" buttons on your remote to change your Dish satellite's number to 119. Change the transponder box settings to 11 by pressing either the "Left" or "Right" button on your remote. Your signal strength bar on the bottom of the screen will then update within 5-10 seconds. You can move onto the next part of adjusting your signal once you that the signal strength is green. This means that your receiver is properly receiving a signal from your Dish TV satellite.

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Adjust the Dish Signal

You now need to physically adjust the Dish TV satellite dish. To do this you will need two people: one to adjust the dish and one to check the signal strength bar on your Dish TV receiver's software. Adjust the dish by putting your hand on the satellite reflector and pushing it forward. Ask the person who is helping you to see if the signal strength has changed and to note what it is. Move the reflector back and then ask the other person what the signal strength is. Do this three times by gently moving the dish back and forth and noting whether the strength improves or worsens with each movement. This will tell you which direction you need to turn the dish to get the best strength.

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Once you know what direction to go in, you need to loosen your Dish TV satellite's bolts to move the dish. What bolts you loosen will depend on what direction you are going in and also what model dish you have. Check your Dish TV's manual to determine what bolts to loosen to adjust in a specific direction.

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Finishing the Signal Fix

Finish fixing the signal by slightly moving your dish in the direction you have determined is the correct one. Ask the person who is helping you to note the level of the signal strength indicator with each of these movements. Once your receiver's signal strength bar is green, you should continue to move the dish gently until the signal is at its best. This will generally be close to 100%, but may be less if you have other factors at play such as lots of trees in the way. Tighten your dish's bolts and check the strength of the signal again to ensure that it is still at a high level. You can now go back to watching TV on your Dish TV receiver by pressing the "Cancel" button on your remote. Your signal and picture should be much better now.

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