Satellite television can be expensive, and cutting the connection can add a significant amount of money back into your monthly household budget. In order to successfully end your satellite service in favor of free, over the air television, one must install an antenna to receive the broadcast. Since your satellite system already has all the necessary wiring and a mounted antenna, it just makes sense to convert the existing dish to a regular broadcast television antenna. These can usually be purchased, ironically, through your current satellite television service, ostensibly as backup systems, but there's no reason they can't be used as a primary.
Step 1
Mount your satellite antenna onto your current satellite dish. Check the instructions that come with the unit, but usually these are placed at the top of the round portion of the dish. Tighten the clamps to hold the antenna in place using pliers to ensure a tight fit.
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Step 2
Remove the satellite dish's LNB. This is the plastic portion at the end of the satellite arm. There will be a screw underneath the arm; remove this screw, then pull the LNB out. Disconnect the wire (or wires). If the satellite dish only has one wire, proceed to Step 4. If there are two, proceed to Step 3.
Step 3
Connect each of the two wires from the satellite dish to the two output ports of your coaxial splitter. Insert the pins from the center of the cables into the center ports of the output ports. Then twist the end of the cables to secure them in place. Finally, add a coaxial cable to the input port of the splitter in the same method.
Step 4
Connect the wire from the coaxial splitter (or the single wire from the satellite dish) to the coaxial output port on the television antenna.
Step 5
Locate the coaxial input on your satellite receiver(s). Disconnect this cable, then locate the coaxial input on your television, and connect the cable to this port.
Things You'll Need
Dish-mountable television antenna
Pliers
Philips screwdriver
Coaxial splitter (optional)
Coaxial cable (optional)