Panasonic TADA2420 TADA2420 User Guide - Page 16

ACQUIRING AND FINE TUNING THE SIGNAL Now that you have installed the satellite antenna and routed all of the cables, it's time to acquire and fine tune the signal. Before you begin, you may want to go outside and double-check the azimuth, elevation, and tilt settings on the dish to make sure they correspond to the on-screen coordinates given by the satellite receiver. • Make sure that the elevation indicator is aligned with the edge of metal, not the washer or bolt, per Figure 6A. • Make certain the antenna mast is plumb, per Figure 2B. • Use a compass to verify that the azimuth setting on the dish is correct and no obstacles are between the dish and satellites. STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACQUIRING AND FINE TUNING THE SIGNAL 1. Read the instruction manual that came with your satellite receiver or set-top converter to determine how to access the on-screen signal meter. The signal meter shows you when you have locked onto a satellite's broadcast signal, and gives you the signal strength. It is easiest to use the signal meter with the help of another person to relay signal strength values to you, or by moving the TV displaying the signal meter so that it is easily viewed at the point of installation. NOTE: Satellite A (101˚) has 32 authorized transponders from 1 to 32; all are active. Therefore, the on-screen signal meter may be tuned to any of the 32 transponders for the initial dish antenna adjustment. Maximum Signal Strength While the maximum signal strength is 100, the signal strength you achieve will most probably be less. Although there is no difference in picture quality above signal strengths of 60, the higher the signal, the less likely you are to experience signal outages during adverse weather. For this reason, it is important to obtain the strongest signal possible. Satellite B (119˚) has 11 authorized transponders from 22 to 32; but a few of these may be reserved for upcoming programming expansion. Tune your on-screen signal meter to transponders 23, 25, 29 or 31 for the initial dish antenna adjustment. 2. Make sure that you select the correct type of dish (oval, 2 LNBs) on your receiver menu. The signal meter will give you the pointing coordinates for your antenna, and values will depend on the type of antenna you have selected. Failure to select the correct dish will result in wrong pointing angles as well as the inability to receive certain programming. Consult your receiver manual for additional detail. Tip If your receiver is not equipped with the audible tone feature, you may have a friend watch the signal meter and relay the strength reading to you. 3. Access the signal meter. Set signal meter to the 101° satellite (this might also be represented on-screen as "Satellite A"). At this point you will probably not have a signal. Point center of the antenna to the exact azimuth direction according to your compass a. Using a compass, point the antenna to one side (left or right by a few degrees) of the azimuth value for your location. Tip If your receiver is equipped with the audible beep tone feature, make sure you have the strongest possible signal(s) by moving the dish until you get the highest pitched beep tone. Consult your receiver manual for detail. b. Sweep the antenna towards and through the azimuth point by moving the dish in approximately 3 degree increments. Pause for a couple of seconds and wait for an updated value from the signal meter. When the signal is found and the signal meter is locked onto a signal, go to step 4. c. If, after sweeping the antenna completely left to right or right to left and the satellite signal is not found, adjust the elevation +2 degrees and sweep the azimuth again. (Do not change tilt alignment setting.) -16-