Safety Information DANGER! Avoid Powerlines! CAUTION Outdoor Dish Antenna Grounding Compliance with National Electrical Code Restrictions ® is a registered trademark of DIRECTV, Inc, a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. When following the instructions in this guide to install and connect the satellite antenna and connections, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, lights and power circuits.
Table of Contents First Things First ... 3 Installation Overview ... 4 The First Big Question: Should I Do This Myself? ... 5 Second Big Question: Do I Have a Clear Line of Sight to the Satellite? ... 5 Unpack and Take Inventory ... 7 Start Putting The Dish Together ...
Page 4
Table of Contents Testing the System ... 33 Setting Up the Temporary Stand and selecting a site ... 34 Assembling the Test Components ... 34 Picking Up the Satellite Signal ... 37 Troubleshooting the System Test ... 41 Disconnecting Test Components ... 42 Mounting the Mast ...
First Things First Installing the dish isn’t too complicated, but you should know that the self-installation route is not for everyone. If you have some home improvement or construction experience, you should be able to complete the job safely and securely. First Things First Some Indoor Stuff Some Outdoor Stuff...
First Things First Installation Overview The manual is organized into sections that need to be performed in the order they are presented. First Things First. This chapter gives you the information you’ll need to find out whether you really want to tackle the DSS System installation yourself.
First Things First The First Big Question: Should I Do This Myself? While the installation is not difficult, it does require that you have some experience in electrical wiring and minor construction techniques. Also, you may have to climb a ladder, so you’ll want to be comfortable working with heights.
Page 8
First Things First First Things First Where Is The Satellite, Anyway? The satellite is always located south of Texas. That means if you live in Miami, you must have a clear line of sight to the southwest; if you live in San Francisco, you must have a clear line to the southeast.
First Things First First Things First Unpack and Take Inventory Verify that the DSS ® dish box contains these parts: • mounting foot and mast assembly • satellite dish • LNB (Low Noise Block converter) • LNB support arm • hardware packet LNB Mounting Hardware Reflector Hardware...
First Things First Start Putting The Dish Together You won’t completely assemble the dish in this section, but you will begin the assembly procedure. 1. Locate the satellite dish, the four flat-head bolts and four self-locking nuts that came in the hardware packet. 2.
Some Indoor Stuff What’s To Do Indoors? ® First, you’ll connect the DSS receiver to your TV. One of the four connections scenarios shown should match your system. Then, you’ll work on programming the remote to control your TV. Next, you’ll use the on-screen menu system to find out the dish pointing coordinates for your location.
S- Video jack carries only the picture signal, not the sound. Audio/Video Jacks and Cables (RCA-type) The audio/video jacks provide very good picture and stereo sound quality, and should be used if your TV has no S-Video jack.
Some Indoor Stuff Choosing a Connection The following pages show four examples of hookups commonly used to connect the DSS ® receiver with a TV and other components. Refer to your TV and VCR Owner’s Manuals for more information on hooking up your specific components. Connection A Provides the best possible picture and stereo audio quality.
Some Indoor Stuff Connection A Best Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF, audio/video, and S-Video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF input and output • Coaxial, audio/video, and S-Video cables To connect TV, VCR and antenna or cable box.
Page 15
Some Indoor Stuff RECEIVER VIDEO AUDIO S-VIDEO OUT TO TV S-VIDEO IN FROM ANT VIDEO AUDIO IN FROM ANT VIDEO IN AUDIO IN OUT TO TV VIDEO OUT AUDIO OUT SATELLITE DISH SATELLITE IN CABLE OFF-AIR ANTENNA CAUTION Do not stack electronic components on top of the DSS ®...
Some Indoor Stuff Connection B Very Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF and audio/video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF input and output • Coaxial and audio/video cables To connect TV, VCR and antenna or cable box. 1.
Page 17
Some Indoor Stuff RECEIVER VIDEO AUDIO OUT TO TV IN FROM ANT VIDEO AUDIO VIDEO IN AUDIO IN IN FROM ANT OUT TO TV VIDEO OUT AUDIO OUT SATELLITE DISH CABLE SATELLITE IN OFF-AIR ANTENNA CAUTION Do not stack electronic components on top of the DSS ®...
Some Indoor Stuff Connection C Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input (jack) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial and audio/video cables To connect TV, VCR, and antenna or cable box. 1.
Page 19
Some Indoor Stuff RECEIVER OUT TO TV IN FROM ANT VIDEO AUDIO IN FROM ANT VIDEO IN AUDIO IN OUT TO TV VIDEO OUT AUDIO OUT SATELLITE DISH CABLE SATELLITE IN OFF-AIR ANTENNA CAUTION Do not stack electronic components on top of the DSS ®...
Some Indoor Stuff Connection D Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input • Coaxial cables To connect TV and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables as shown. ® To receive DSS programming: •...
Page 21
Some Indoor Stuff RECEIVER OUT TO TV IN FROM ANT VIDEO AUDIO SATELLITE DISH SATELLITE IN CABLE OFF-AIR ANTENNA CAUTION Do not stack electronic components on top of the DSS ® receiver.
Some Indoor Stuff Programming the DSS Control Your TV In a few pages, you’ll use the DSS the dish pointing coordinates for your location. You’ll probably find it easier if you use the DSS front panel buttons, so you need to make sure the remote has batteries and is working correctly.
Some Indoor Stuff Using the Setup Menu to Find the Elevation and Azimuth ® The DSS receiver is preprogrammed to give you the coordinates for pointing your dish at the satellite. All you have to do is enter your zip code. First, plug in your DSS Setup The first time that you turn on the receiver, you are shown the Setup menu.
Some Indoor Stuff Set the Elevation on the Dish The first part of the dish pointing process is to set the dish to point up toward the satellite. This is called “setting the elevation.” 1. Locate the dish and support arm. 2.
Some Outdoor Stuff You’re finally ready to install the dish, right? Sorry, not just yet. First you have to select the best mounting site. You may already know where you want to mount the dish, but it’s a good idea to examine all the options. Here’s an overview: First you’ll make a precise site survey to find the exact places where the dish can be installed with a clear line of...
Some Outdoor Stuff Precise Site Survey In Chapter 1, you conducted a general site survey to find the location or locations that will provide the dish with a clear line of site to the satellite. Now you’ll use a compass to make a more precise survey.
Some Outdoor Stuff Another Site Survey? You’ve gone through the site survey once already, but experience tells us this second survey is crucial. Do You Have A Suitable Location? Based on the site surveys you made in the previous section, do you have a clear view to the satellite from at least one location on your property? NO, I have no clear view to the satellite.
Some Outdoor Stuff Choosing A Mounting Surface Once you have identified the site (or sites) for mounting the dish, you need to choose a mounting method. The method for mounting the dish depends on where you want to mount the dish and the type of mounting surface.
Some Outdoor Stuff Other Mounting Options • Pole Mount A pole mount is good if you want or need to install the dish some distance away from your house. You may need supporting guy wires if the pole extends too far above the ground.
Some Outdoor Stuff About Grounding the System Now that you’ve selected your permanent mounting site (or narrowed it down), you need to determine where you’ll run the RG-6 coaxial cables and how you’ll the ground the DSS Grounding the DSS ®...
Some Outdoor Stuff Estimating Cable Requirements Here’s how to determine where to put the grounding block and estimate the length of the RG-6 coaxial cables and ground wires. 1. Locate the central building ground. You will ground the dish and the cable grounding block to a single point in the central building ground.
Testing the System Testing the System Earn Extra Credit This chapter includes instructions for setting up the dish on a temporary site in order to test the system. While this is not strictly required, it’s recommended to test the system before you begin the permanent installation. By creating a temporary setup, you can make sure everything in the system is working correctly before permanently mounting your dish.
Testing the System Setting Up the Temporary Stand 1. Choose a location for the system test. Here are some considerations: • You must test the system outside • you’ll need a flat surface for the temporary stand • the site you pick for the test must have an unobstructed view to the satellite •...
Page 37
Testing the System 3. Tighten the bolts on the foot so that the mast will not rotate. 4. Secure the mounting foot to the temporary stand. Try using clamps, lag bolts, or a helper to hold the mast foot in place. 5.
Page 38
Testing the System 8. Connect the end of the cable to the LNB. 9. Insert the end of the LNB into the end of the LNB support arm. Push any extra cable back through the LNB support arm. 10. Insert the special hex retainer nut into the mounting hole on top of the LNB support arm.
Testing the System Picking Up the Satellite Signal In this section, you’ll pick up the satellite signal by pointing the dish toward the satellite. You’ve already set the elevation on the dish, so now you’ll need to point the dish to the correct azimuth. Keep in mind that for the system test, you’re only interested in receiving a signal—the strength of the signal is not important.
Page 40
Testing the System 4. Locate the tick mark on the compass that corresponds to the azimuth number you wrote down in the last chapter. 5. Point the LNB support arm in the same direction as the azimuth tick mark on the compass. 6.
Page 41
Testing the System adjust the Azimuth 1. If necessary, loosen the nuts on the support sleeve so that the LNB support arm can rotate left and right. 2. Locate the piece of tape at the top of the mast. This tape is marked with evenly spaced “tick”...
Page 42
Testing the System If necessary, adjust the Elevation If you still haven’t picked up the satellite signal, you may need to adjust the elevation. 1. Return the LNB support arm to the original compass direction. 2. Tighten one of the three nuts on the support sleeve so the dish will not rotate left and right.
Testing the System Troubleshooting the System Test Follow these steps if you can’t pick up the satellite signal: 1. You must use RG-6 coaxial cable from the DSS Satellite In jack on the back of the DSS coaxial cable allows signal loss and should not be used with the DSS ®...
Testing the System Disconnecting Test Components Do not skip this step! Now that you know your components are working, and you have a clear idea of how to connect the system, you’ll need to follow a different procedure to make a permanent connection.
Mounting the Mast In Chapter 3, you conducted a precise survey and performed other steps to help you decide on the permanent mounting site for your DSS chapter, you’ll actually begin the installation by mounting the dish mast on the surface you’ve chosen for your permanent site.
Mounting the Mast Mounting On Wall Studs or Solid Wood DANGER! AVOID Power Lines! When following these instructions, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, electric lights, and power circuits. Contact with power lines, electric lights, or power circuits may be fatal.
Page 47
Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on Wall Studs or Solid Wood 1. Locate the center of a stud where you want to mount the mast foot. Make sure you locate and secure the mounting foot to the center of a wall stud. Do not mount the dish near the edge of a stud.
Page 48
Mounting the Mast 5. Remove the mounting foot and drill two 1/8" holes in the two center hole locations and four 3/16" holes in the four outside corner locations. 6. Use a 7/16" wrench to loosen the nuts on the mounting foot so that you can rotate the mast to access both of the center mounting holes.
Mounting the Mast Mounting on Lap Siding DANGER! AVOID Power Lines! When following these instructions, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, electric lights, and power circuits. Contact with power lines, electric lights, or power circuits may be fatal. It is recommended that the dish be located more than 20 feet from overhead power lines.
Page 50
Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on Lap Siding 1. Locate the center of a stud where you want to mount the mast foot. If possible, choose a position where the mounting foot fits on one siding board. When the mounting foot spans two pieces of siding, it should positioned so that most of the foot is on the top board.
Page 51
Mounting the Mast Mounting the Mast 3. Use a level to verify that the center line is perfectly vertical. 4. Use a pencil to mark the two center holes and the four outside corner holes of the mounting foot. 5. Remove the foot and drill two 1/8" holes in the two center hole locations and four 3/16"...
Page 52
Mounting the Mast 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.
Mounting the Mast Mounting on Brick or Poured Concrete DANGER! AVOID Power Lines! When following these instructions, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, electric lights, and power circuits. Contact with power lines, electric lights, or power circuits may be fatal.
Page 54
Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on Brick or Poured Concrete 1. Hold the mounting foot in position on the mounting surface. 2. If you are mounting on a vertical or sloped surface, use a level to ensure that the center line is vertical. 3.
Mounting the Mast Mounting On a Hollow or Cinder DANGER! AVOID Power Lines! When following these instructions, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, electric lights, and power circuits. Contact with power lines, electric lights, or power circuits may be fatal.
Page 56
Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on a Hollow or Cinder Block Wall 1. When installing togglers in cinder blocks, it is important to position them in the core of the block. To position the foot on the wall, measure 7-1/2" from one edge of the block and mark the center of the block.
Page 57
Mounting the Mast b. Pull the ring so the metal channel rests flush behind the wall. Hold the ring tight and slide the plastic cap along the straps until the cap is flush with the wall. Push the straps side-to-side to snap them off flush with the wall.
Mounting the Mast Mounting the Dish On A Pole DANGER! AVOID Power Lines! When following these instructions, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, electric lights, and power circuits. Contact with power lines, electric lights, or power circuits may be fatal.
Page 59
Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting the Dish on a Pole 1. Dig a hole 36" deep and 8" to 12" wide at the mounting location. The depth of the hole must extend at least 6" below the frost line. For most installations, a pole 6' long is sufficient, since this allows 3' of the pole to be below the ground and 3' above ground.
If possible, position the dish on the side of the chimney that faces the prevailing wind. To Mount the Mast on a Chimney 1. Follow the instructions in the RCA D915 Chimney Mount Kit to install the mast on your chimney. 2. Go to “Final Approach” on page 63.
Mounting the Mast Mounting the Mast on a Roof DANGER! AVOID Power Lines! When following these instructions, take extreme care to avoid contact with overhead power lines, electric lights, and power circuits. Contact with power lines, electric lights, or power circuits may be fatal.
Page 62
Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting the Mast on a Roof 1. Locate the center of a rafter where you want the mounting foot to be located. 2. Hold the mounting foot in a position so the center line is centered on a rafter.
Page 63
Mounting the Mast 7. Fill all six holes with a small amount of roof sealant. 8. 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.
Final Approach Here’s the stuff you’ll do to finish up the DSS Installation: • Route coaxial cable from the LNB to a ground block and from the ground block to the receiver. • Ground both the satellite dish and the coaxial cables.
Final Approach Leveling the Mast Leveling the mast is one of the most important steps in installation. If the mast is not level, the elevation and azimuth settings will not be accurate. This will make it difficult to obtain the satellite signal. The mast must be level in both the side-to-side and the front-to- back directions.
Page 67
Final Approach 4. Is the bubble centered in the level’s window? Continue to “Leveling Front-to-Back”. a) If the bubble is not centered, determine which side of the mounting foot needs to be raised. b) Unscrew the lag or machine screws from that side of the mounting foot.
Final Approach Final Dish Assembly 1. Place the dish-LNB arm assembly on top of the mast. 2. Find the length of RG-6 coaxial cable with messenger (ground) wire that will extend from the satellite dish to the cable’s point of entry into the house. If the distance of the RG-6 coaxial cable is greater than 112 feet you may need to break up the lengths of cable and connect them with a in-line amplifier to ensure a high signal...
Page 69
Final Approach 5. Insert the end of the LNB into the end of the LNB support arm (push any extra coaxial cable back through the support arm). 6. Find the special hex retainer nut and insert it into the LNB mounting hole on top of the LNB support arm.
Final Approach Routing Cable and Grounding at the House Entry Point 1. Locate a grounding block. 2. Attach the grounding block to the side of your house close to the point you have chosen as the coaxial cable entry point. You may have to use anchors, togglers, or wood screws depending on the surface on which you are mounting the grounding block.
Page 71
Final Approach 7. Locate the grounding wire that will extend from the grounding block to the central building ground. Attach the grounding wire to the grounding block by placing it through the wire hole in the grounding block and tightening the screw.
Final Approach Running Cable into the House and Connecting to the Receiver 1. Drill a 1/2" hole in the location you want the coaxial cable to enter your house. CAUTION Make sure there are no wires or pipes behind the wall in the area of the hole.
Final Approach Acquiring and Fine Tuning the Satellite Signal The signal strength meter is used to determine whether you are receiving the satellite signal. It also indicates the strength of the satellite signal. (Refer to your User’s Manual for information on using the on-screen menus and other features on your DSS system.) The signal strength meter produces short, low-pitched tones...
Page 74
Final Approach 3. Using a compass, rotate the dish so that the LNB arm points in the azimuth direction. Loosen the support sleeve nuts as needed. 4. If you do not hear a continuous tone, use the following procedure to adjust the dish until you hear one continuous tone: •...
Final Approach 5. AFTER YOU GET A SIGNAL, continue adjusting the azimuth (compass direction) by rotating the dish in small increments left and right until you achieve the highest possible signal strength. 6. Tighten the support sleeve nuts so the dish will not rotate left and right.
Appendix A: Troubleshooting ® Receiver Won’t Turn On 1. Make sure the problem is not with the receiver — turn on the receiver from the front panel and see if the green light comes on. If the light does NOT come on, continue with step ®...
Troubleshooting Remote Problems ® 1. Verify that your DSS receiver is receiving power. 2. Verify that your TV is set to the correct channel to receive the ® signal: the S-video channel, the video input channel, or channel 3 or 4 (depending on how you set the CH3/CH4 switch on the back of the receiver).
Page 78
Troubleshooting Can’t Pick Up the Satellite Signal Most problems with signal acquisition can be traced to one of these points: 1. Make sure you’re using RG-6 coaxial cable to connect the LNB to the grounding block and the grounding block to the DSS receiver.
Page 79
Troubleshooting 7. Use a compass (page 26) to verify that the LNB support arm is pointed toward the azimuth number (compass direction) you recorded. 8. Make sure there are no obstructions (trees, buildings, windows, your body or hands, etc.) that might be interfering with the satellite signal.
Page 80
Troubleshooting Temporary Satellite Signal Loss If you lose the satellite signal temporarily, the problem can usually be traced to one of these points: 1. Rain Fade. Rain fade is a normal, temporary loss of a satellite signal due to the inability of the satellite signal to penetrate unusually heavy clouds, rainfall, or snowfall.
Appendix B: Connecting to a Phone Jack Why Do You Need a Phone Jack? The DSS ® receiver calls a 1-800, toll-free telephone number once a month to update your access card. In addition, to easily order pay-per-view events, you should have the DSS connected to a phone line.
Page 82
Connecting to a Phone Jack ® Using a DSS Wireless Phone Jack System Since a phone jack may not be located near your DSS ® the DSS Wireless Phone Jack system allows you to easily put a phone jack right where you want it. The system consists of a base unit hooked to an existing phone jack and an extension unit that is placed near the DSS ®...
Appendix C: Warranty Information Digital Satellite System (DSS What your warranty covers: • Any defect in materials or workmanship. • Basic installation, provided installation is performed by a Thomson Consumer Electronics Authorized Installer. For how long after your purchase: • 90 days - Installation which includes parts and labor.
Warranty Information 2. The exchange location will notify you of its arrival. 3. Take your unit and your evidence of purchase date, such as a bill of sale, to the exchange location and you will be provided the new or refurbished unit. Please retain all accessories such as the remote control hand unit.
Page 85
Warranty Information What your warranty does not cover: • Acts of God, such as but not limited to lightning damage. • Adjustment of customer controls. • 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.
Index access card 41, 73 acquiring the satellite signal 37, 71 aiming the dish using the on-screen signal meter 38 assembling the dish final assembly 66 audio/video jacks 10 azimuth setting 39 brick surface mounting option considerations 28, 51 materials and tools needed 51 cable, RG-6 coaxial.
Page 87
Index description of 28 mounting sites considerations of 28, 29 obstructed view 27 phone line cord existing 79 installing a new jack 80 troubleshooting 80 point & select 20 pole mount option considerations 29, 56 materials and tools needed 56 product help-line 81 remote control 20 RF jacks 10...