Hughes DirecPC Satellite Return Installation Manual Download Page 38 | Manualshive

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34

POINTING THE ANTENNA AND CONNECTING THE RADIO

TOOLS NEEDED

• Compass
• Open-face or socket wrench
• Torque wrench
• Wrench
• Permanent marker

This section describes how to point the antenna dish at the sat-
ellite. Correct alignment is critical to the operation of the
DirecPC system. When the antenna dish is pointed directly at
the satellite, it receives a strong signal. If it is not positioned
properly, the signal may be weak, and errors may result during
data transfers. The signal quality would also deteriorate on
cloudy, windy, or rainy days.

After you have pointed the antenna, you will turn off your
computer and connect the radio. Do not connect the satellite
modem transmitter cable to the radio until you are
instructed to do so.

The elevation value calculated by the antenna pointing soft-
ware is accurate enough to allow you to acquire the satellite
signal on the first try if the antenna mast is plumb.

If your mast is not perfectly vertical, you can still point the
antenna but it is more difficult. Solving the problem is
explained on page 25, Step 1.

THE ITERATIVE PROCESS OF POINTING YOUR ANTENNA

Pointing the antenna is an iterative process. That is, you go
through cycles of making small adjustments to the antenna
until you are satisfied you cannot get a stronger satellite signal.
When you have achieved the strongest possible signal, you
have peaked the signal.

You will be making three adjustments on your antenna:
polarization (rotation of the antenna), azimuth (pointing side to
side), and elevation (pointing up or down). If you cannot
remember what these three things are, review page 5.

After peaking the signal at the azimuth setting, and then peak-
ing the signal at the elevation setting, you may wish to readjust
the azimuth setting to see if elevation setting has affected its
optimum setting. And after you have set the azimuth and eleva-
tion setting, you may find that by making minor adjustments in
the polarization setting, you affect the optimum azimuth and
elevation settings, and must go back and adjust them again.

You may achieve optimum signal strength after just a few
adjustments, or you may find that several adjustments are
needed. Remember that by getting the strongest possible signal
you ensure that you can use all your system’s capacity.

CAUTION

• This device emits radio frequency energy when in the

transmit mode.

• To avoid injury, do not place head or other body parts

between feed horn and satellite antenna dish when
system is operational.

• Unplug indoor power connection before performing

maintenance or adding upgrades to any antenna com-
ponents.

Antenna Dish

Polarization Scale

Elevation Scale

Mast

Elevation Bolt

Azimuth Reference Marks

«
...
36
37
38
39
40
...
»

Summary of Contents for DirecPC Satellite Return

Page 1: ...Antenna Installation Guide Model Satellite Return 1030403 0001 Revision C July 2 2001 ...

Page 2: ... ensure the correctness and completeness of the material in this document Hughes Network Systems shall not be liable for errors contained herein The information in this document is subject to change without notice Hughes Network Systems makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purp...

Page 3: ...alling the Mount Onto a Metal Pole 21 Installing the Cap Onto the Satellite Antenna Dish 22 Installing the Radio Tria Assembly on the Tube Support Arm 24 Connecting the Feed Support Tube to the Antenna Dish 25 Installing the Antenna Cap Assembly Onto the Mast 26 Installing and Routing Interior Cable 27 Installing Exterior Cables and Connecting to Ground Block 28 Connecting the Cables to the Radio ...

Page 4: ...iv ...

Page 5: ...llen wrench 3M Qty 1 Allen wrench 3 16 Qty 1 Lag screws 3 8 inch x 4 inch Qty 4 Lag screws 3 8 inch x 2 inch Qty 2 Red O ring Qty 1 Bolts 5 16 18 x 1 3 4 inch Qty 2 Lock washer 1 4 inch Qty 1 Flat washer 5 16 inch Qty 1 Wedge nut 5 16 18 Qty 1 Hex head bolt 5 16 18 x 2 inch Qty 1 Lock washers 5 16 inch Qty 5 Hex head nuts 5 16 18 Qty 4 Hex head nut 1 4 20 Qty 1 Galvanized washers 3 8 inch Qty 6 Sc...

Page 6: ...is used with the alert symbol to indicate the likelihood and potential severity of injury DANGER Indicates an imminent hazard or unsafe practice which if not avoided will result in death or severe personal injury WARNING Indicates a hazard or unsafe practice which if not avoided could result in death or severe personal injury CAUTION Indicates a hazard or unsafe practice which if not avoided might...

Page 7: ...National Electrical Code published by the National Fire Pro tection Association Batterymarch Park Quincy MA 02269 Contact your dealer or call 1 800 DIRECPC 1 800 347 3272 for information on having your system installed by an authorized professional installer INSTALLATION AND YOUR HOME The Federal Communications Commission FCC has a rule that generally forbids local governments and homeowners assoc...

Page 8: ... dish The polarization setting rotates the antenna to the correct orientation for your geo graphic location This varies from one part of the country to another and is different for different satellites Antenna polarization is positive in the eastern United States and negative in the western United States Remember that it is important to pay attention to pos itive and negative signs when recording ...

Page 9: ...nding near a metal structure such as a shed or air conditioning unit moveseveral feet away and repeatthemeasurement Holdingthe compass too close to a large metal belt buckle can have the same effect 3 Draw an imaginary line from the center of the compass to the azimuth value you recorded on page 4 This is the direc tion to point the antenna Use a rock or some other object to mark the location wher...

Page 10: ...ded on page 4 Sight along the straight edge to verify that there are no obstruc tions such as buildings or trees blocking the view Take into account future tree growth if you install during the fall or winter account for spring and summer leaf growth Also avoid installing the antenna next to electrical equipment such as air conditioning units because they can cause signal interference Figure 2 Goo...

Page 11: ...ecification Channel Master 5113 IFD or equivalent Recommended cable specifications for Satellite Return and Dial Return Systems Cable length from antenna to computer Type of cable to be used Receive Transmit Up to 300 ft RG6 with solid copper center conductor CommScope 5729 or equivalent RG6 with solid copper center conductor CommScope 5729 or equivalent 300 ft to 420 ft RG6 with solid copper cent...

Page 12: ...only on approved surfaces and NOT on any other surfaces whether or not they are listed in this manual If necessary be able to locate wood members from behind the walls If necessary install anchors in the center of wood members INSTALLING THE ANTENNA ON A WOOD DECK POST You can use the universal mount to install the satellite dish antenna on a 6 inch x 6 inch Southern Pine wood deck post See Instal...

Page 13: ...lled for greater stability but is not required See Installing the Mount on Concrete or Concrete Masonry walls on page 18 INSTALLING THE ANTENNA ON A METAL POLE You can install the satellite antenna dish directly on an 9 foot metal pole If you choose this mount option you will not need the universal mount or universal mount brace kit Store them for possible future use See Installing the Mount Onto ...

Page 14: ...tch or exceed those of Southern Pine Posts made of other species of wood whose material properties do not match or exceed those of Southern Pine require engineering evaluation and approval before being used The satellite antenna dish may not be installed on an unsupported wooden post PARTS NEEDED TOOLS NEEDED Lag screws 3 8 inch x 4 inch Qty 6 Washers 3 8 inch Qty 6 Silicone sealant Carpenter s le...

Page 15: ...8 inch pilot hole 2 inches deep Going into the pilot hole drill a 1 4 inch hole 4 inches deep Going into the 1 4 inch hole drill a 3 8 inch hole to a depth equal to the unthreaded portion of the 3 8 inch x 4 inch lag screw 8 Apply silicone sealant the thickness of a bead to the entire back side of the base plate Apply enough so that it will press out around the edges when you install it on the pos...

Page 16: ...ar product will produce the best results A 6 washer can also be used to guide your pencil as it marks the hole center Note the base plate must not move when you drill the holes 16 Install a 3 8 inch washer on each of the 3 8 inch x 4 inch lag screws Apply soap or some other lubricant to the screws 17 Use a wrench preferably a ratchet to screw the lag screw into the four holes Tighten the screws lo...

Page 17: ...ce in home construction to be able to determine the exact location of rafters and trusses and their centers The antenna should not be installed on a wood frame roof unless the interior of the roof is unfinished so that placement of lag screws can be verified and the rafters or trusses reinforced if necessary If you do not have the knowledge and experience to accurately locate rafters and trusses a...

Page 18: ...uch as asphalt or composite shingles sheet metal or similar materials over wood sheathing with a thickness that must not exceed 3 4 inch Antennas cannot be installed on slate roofs or Spanish tile roofing made of clay or other brittle materials The roof pitch also called slope must be between 3 12 and 12 12 The antenna cannot be installed on a flat roof Center hole lag screws must be centered in t...

Page 19: ...ew the lag screw into the top center hole of the base plate see Figure 11 You may need to swing the mast out of the way temporarily Tighten the screw snugly so that the base plate can barely move Note Do not pound the lag screws into the post with a hammer or mallet Doing so may split the wood and render the post unusable 11 Replumb the mast in two perpendicular directions as you did in step 5 You...

Page 20: ... strut collar onto the mast as shown in Figure 17 2 Re plumb the mast 3 Apply silicone sealant to the bottom of the mounting plate 4 Position the strut mounting plate above the mast and base plate so the two screw holes are exactly in line vertically with the mast base plate center holes see Figure 18 5 Mark the center of the top mounting plate screw hole see Figure 18 6 Drill a hole on the center...

Page 21: ...ate should be at approximately a 90 angle to the 18 inch strut mounting plate At the same time minimize any angle formed between the 25 inch strut and the centerline of the mast base plate see Figure 21 13 Repeat steps 2 through 10 for the 25 inch strut mounting plate 14 Re plumb the mast If you had to loosen the adjustment nuts to plumb the mast snug them again to 18 ft lbs Note The mast must be ...

Page 22: ...all only the six anchors specified do not install additional anchors The satellite dish antenna cannot be installed on masonry veneered wall construction or on any synthetic stucco wall surface also called Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems EIFS Note that you can use the brace kit to improve the mount s stability if you wish PARTS NEEDED TOOLS NEEDED 3 8 inch x 3 inch Hilti sleeve anchors Qty ...

Page 23: ...t you can move or plumb the mast be sure to tighten them snugly after re plumbing the mast 4 Use a pencil to mark the location of the top center bottom center and four corner holes of the base plate onto the con crete surface Figure 22 5 Use a 3 8 inch masonry drill bill and drill 3 8 inch x 3 inch holes where you made the pencil marks Clean out the holes with a blow out bulb 6 Place the mount bac...

Page 24: ...teady use a 1 4 inch masonry drill to drill two 1 4 inch x 3 inch holes Clean out the holes with a blow out bulb 6 With the bolt flush to the top of the nut tap a 1 4 inch x 2 1 4 inch sleeve anchor to drive it into the top center hole of the mounting plate 7 Use a torque wrench to tighten the anchor to 5 ft lbs 8 Verify that the mast is still plumb and adjust if necessary 9 Repeat steps 6 through...

Page 25: ...ill plumb and adjust if necessary 7 Prepare the quick drying concrete according to directions and fill the hole Slope the top of the concrete downward away from the pole to improve drainage 8 Let the concrete dry for 24 hours Continue with section Installing the Cap Onto the Satellite Antenna Dish on page 22 PARTS NEEDED TOOLS NEEDED Metal pole 2 3 8 inch outside diameter schedule 40 galvanized wa...

Page 26: ...correct value If the mark is initially resting at an elevation value less than the one you obtained from page 4 turn the elevation bolt head counterclockwise until the outer edge of the mark is at the correct value Note that about one revolution is required to move the red mark one degree You may need to turn the bolt head a num ber of times until the red elevation mark reaches the cor rect value ...

Page 27: ...t is on the right and that the arrow labeled TOP points to the top of the antenna dish Make sure the part of the antenna that has a hole in its rim is on the bottom 15 Install four 7 16 inch self tapping screws into the antenna mount holes Tighten the screws to 10 ft lbs CAUTION To avoid stripping the screw threads do not tighten the self tapping screws to more than 10 ft lbs Figure 30 Elevation R...

Page 28: ...n at right 5 The square end of the tube support arm should be aligned with the square end of the radio tria assembly so that you can install four screws with lockwashers Install the lock washers on the screws Then use the Allen wrench to install the M4 Allen screws but do not fully tighten them 6 Align the bolt holes on the top of the radio with the bolt holes on the bottom of the tube support arm...

Page 29: ...e assembly to the antenna before installing it on the mast 1 Insert the 5 16 18 wedge nut into the antenna reflector thin end first The wedge nut is keyed so that it will fit properly in its slot in the antenna in only one way Make sure the hole in the wedge nut is aligned with the hole in the reflector see Figure 34 2 Install the feed support tube into the feed support socket on the antenna refle...

Page 30: ...EL cap mount onto the mast tube or metal pole see Figure 34 The antenna should be facing toward the satellite 3 Tighten the three clamp nuts so that the antenna cap mount assembly is held stationary on the mast but can be swiveled with slight pressure You may need to hold the clamp bolt stationary with your left hand PARTS NEEDED TOOLS NEEDED Dish assembly Mast 1 2 inch open end wrench Figure 35 P...

Page 31: ...ing drill a 1 2 inch hole through the outside wall 3 Feed the cable into the access hole and route it to the satel lite modem receiver Depending on the installation site cable could be routed through a floor or wall or directly to the rear of the computer If the cable comes out of a wall you can use a wall plate for a more professional look If your grounding scheme requires also feed the ground wi...

Page 32: ...tall the ground block It must be near where the coaxial cable enters the building Plan a short and straight path for the ground wire from the ground block to the grounding scheme 2 Secure the ground block to a stable mounting surface with two screws see Figure 36 3 Connect one end of the 14 AWG copper 8AWG aluminum ground wire to the ground terminal of the ground block 4 Connect the other end of t...

Page 33: ...er 7 Wrap the 8 aluminum grounding wire around the radio ground screw between the washer and the radio 8 Tighten the radio ground screw 9 If you are using a universal mount route the other end of the grounding wire to the grounding bolt on the antenna base plate see the illustration in the left hand column on page 19 If you are using a metal pole mount route the wire to the ground clamp on the met...

Page 34: ...OUNT GROUNDING The mast which is the metal pole in this mount method is grounded to the antenna via an NEC approved ground wire and clamp The mast clamp must have a good electrical connection to the mast pole The RG6 coaxial cable shield connects the antenna assembly to the ground block An NEC approved ground wire is used to connect the ground block to earth ground using one of the three schemes s...

Page 35: ...e with the needle nose pliers clockwise around the ground screw 7 Tighten the radio ground screw PARTS NEEDED TOOLS NEEDED 1 4 20 x 1 2 inch hex head grounding bolt 1 4 inch star washer 1 4 inch washer 1 4 inch Nylock nut 5 8 inch x 8 foot ground rod and ground rod clamp 8 AWG aluminum ground wire 14 AWG copper ground wire if you come within 12 inches of masonry Cable ties Cable ties U shaped tack...

Page 36: ...ch ground clamp about one foot from the base of the metal pole mount 9 Attach the ground rod clamp to the ground rod 10 Bend one end of the 14 AWG copper ground wire in a 1 1 2 inch loop Attach the loop to the ground clamp or grounding lug on the metal pole and the other end of the grounding wire to the clamp on the ground rod 11 Bend one end of the 6 AWG copper ground wire in a 1 1 2 inch loop At...

Page 37: ...road side is on the right Align the edge of the shroud with the groove in the feedhorn and insert it in the groove see Figure 42 Align the triangular sections also Note the shroud contains four hole plugs see see Figure 43 Make sure all the plugs stay in place and over the holes Doing so will pre vent moisture from getting into the feed assembly 2 Tighten all the screws which are already in positi...

Page 38: ... are satisfied you cannot get a stronger satellite signal When you have achieved the strongest possible signal you have peaked the signal You will be making three adjustments on your antenna polarization rotation of the antenna azimuth pointing side to side and elevation pointing up or down If you cannot remember what these three things are review page 5 After peaking the signal at the azimuth set...

Page 39: ... 1 2 inch socket wrench or open ended wrench to turn the elevation bolt head clockwise until the outer edge of the mark is at the correct value If the outer edge of the red elevation reference mark is resting at a value smaller than the new one turn the elevation bolt head counterclockwise until the outer edge of the mark is at the correct value Carefully tighten the elevation pivot bolt nut and t...

Page 40: ...cap assembly may have tick marks placed 1 4 inch apart on the collar Use these tick marks to help you achieve the azimuth position Mark the azimuth bearing on the mast with a pencil as described in Step 5 Then instead of making your own pencil marks on the mast simply swing the antenna three tick marks left of the pencil mark as described below in Step 6 6 Point the front of the antenna to the lef...

Page 41: ...nts to give the satellite modem receiver the time it needs to lock on to the satellite signal 10 If you are receiving a signal and the tone has changed go to step 12 If no signal is present and the alignment mark has not yet moved to the leftmost pencil mark on the mast return to Step 9 11 If there is no signal after the antenna has been moved 1 1 2 inches from the right most pencil mark to the le...

Page 42: ...s previously achieved Achieving this maximum signal strength is called peaking the signal 14 While observing the signal quality display to ensure that the signal strength number stays the same tighten the three clamp bolts that secure the AZ EL cap mount assembly to the tube in the following sequence a Snug the top nut but do not completely tighten it b Snug the bottom nut but do not completely ti...

Page 43: ...ing where you peaked the signal 21 While monitoring the signal strength number to ensure that it stays at maximum tighten the polarization nuts 22 After fine tuning the antenna erase all marks previously made on the mast Mark the present position with a perma nent marker 23 On your computer click to close the Antenna Pointing screen CONNECTING THE RADIO 24 Back in the house unplug the power transf...

Page 44: ... 1 this device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation This product is the subject of one or more U S or foreign patents pending DirecPC is a trademark of Hughes Electronics Corporation Document 1030403 0001 Rev C ...

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