Interference with satellite signals and methods to combat them

In recent years, the problem of radio frequency interference has become noticeably worse in the satellite broadcasting sector. It significantly reduces the profitability of the business of satellite operators and creates problems for satellite monitoring and telecommunications.

Prerequisites

Experts attribute this to a number of factors. One of the main ones is the sharp increase in the number of V-SAT terminals, combined with a decrease in the cost of the equipment itself and its installation. Martin Coleman, executive director of the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (sIRG), estimates that V-SAT systems generate about 40% of all satellite interference and are responsible for half of satellite transmission failures.

In addition, the density of satellites in geostationary orbit has increased and the diameter of their transmitting antennas has decreased, as a result, the beams have become more “blurry.” And to top it all off, the bandwidth needed for many satellite services is growing.

The main problems are caused by interference from sporadic transmissions, not from regular broadcast services. The latter are easily detected and can be identified by the corresponding service data in DVB transport streams. But if the source of interference turns out to be a V-SAT signal from a terminal installed on a remote oil rig, then searching for the source can take a lot of time.

One of the directions for solving the issue is increased attention to the training of technical personnel configuring and servicing transmission systems.

At the same time, a set of technical measures is being implemented, and traditional methods of identifying and localizing interference today are no longer enough, and preference is given to proactive measures.

One of the trends is to transfer the solution to the problem directly to the satellite. Thus, on the Eutelsat West B satellite, which has been broadcasting to North Africa and the Middle East since last year, an experimental function for suppressing interference with TV signals has been introduced. For this purpose on the satellite, behind receiving antenna, a frequency converter has been installed that allows Eutelsat to change the frequency of the uplink signal while keeping the downlink frequency the same.

Another example is that a number of companies in the United States have adopted frequency hopping technology, which can be used both on satellite and in ground terminals. It uses a secret frequency changing algorithm, which, according to the developers, is optimized to combat interference.

Blind elimination of interference
Kratos, a company specializing in solutions for geolocation and monitoring of satellite signals, as well as detecting their interference, offers another solution. An algorithm that analyzes the state of the satellite signal detects interference; then, using software and hardware methods, a signal inverse to the interference is generated and added to the affected signal, compensating for the interference. The hardware-software approach provides real-time signal processing. The system allows you to protect signals of any format, including TDMA and frequency hopping signals. The system guarantees interference suppression of more than 25 dB, and today is the only solution that can work with arbitrary network configurations (ellipsis - ellipsis). An even more important advantage of the method is that there is no need to interact with the party creating the interference.

All this does not exclude the use of traditional measures that involve identifying the source of interference - geolocation, exchange of data about sources of interference, etc. Moreover, a new signal source identification mechanism has recently appeared, regulated by the DVB-CID standard.

DVB CID
DVB-CID is a transport standard of the DVB consortium, defining a method for transmitting a satellite carrier identifier. The standard describes the signaling protocol, channel coding, and metacarrier modulation generated to carry the identifier.

The minimum information transmitted on the metacarrier ID contains the DVB-CID Globally Unique Identifier (GUI) specified by the equipment manufacturer. Additionally, information entered by the operator can be transmitted there - in particular, the GPS coordinates of the transmitter, telephone number, etc., which will speed up the process of eliminating interference.

The technology was developed to optimize the performance of DVB-S, DVB-S2 and DVB-DSNG satellite broadcast systems, but it can be used in any other regular broadcast satellite system.

The technology uses differential spread spectrum BPSK modulation, differential coding, scrambling and a cascaded error control system including retransmissions, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code and Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem-BCH code. ). According to the developers, this combination will ensure reliable transmission of the identifier despite the low power of the metacarrier. To satisfy the requirement of compatibility with existing modulators and satellite links, the addition of a metacarrier should not increase either the signal power or the bandwidth occupied by it. Therefore, the power spectral density level of the identifier signal is below the main carrier level, which may result in a slight degradation in the signal-to-noise ratio of the main carrier signal (typically less than 0.1 dB). At the same time, the use of Spread Spectrum technology in combination with differential BPSK modulation and FEC BCH ensures stable carrier ID transmission. In most cases, this will allow the source of interference to be determined without removing the signal and turning off the transmitting equipment, which is especially important for broadcast services. True, identifying the identifier of the signal creating interference will require fairly accurate detection systems.

Sources of interference

The appearance of satellite interference may be due to the presence of cross-polarization, interference of signals from neighboring satellites, equipment breakdowns and technical personnel errors. The occurrence of interference is becoming more frequent as the density of satellites in geostationary orbit increases and separation of adjacent positions by only 2 degrees becomes more common.

Personnel errors include incorrect choice of broadcast frequency or time, incorrect antenna alignment. Antenna tuning may also be affected by strong winds.

And finally, up to 5% of interference is created as a result of pirated use of a satellite resource (without an agreement with satellite operator) or as a result of deliberate blocking of the satellite signal.

The source of the blocking can usually be localized, but it is often difficult to turn off the blocking signal. It is precisely such targeted interference that creates the most serious difficulties for operators.

Satellite TV is extremely relevant; it provides the opportunity to watch channels in high quality without compression, which attracts many people around the world. In search of the best companions, many have found Hotbird, but few know enough about it and its features.

First of all, it is worth knowing that satellite television hotbird is focused more on the European market, as satellite 13e is owned by a French company. Many fans of Russian channels, tuning into this satellite, are faced with the fact that there are quite a few channels in Russian there (meaning open ones).

Of course, there are many more paid ones, but for fans of free television this satellite will not be one of the best. However, if you are interested in foreign channels, as well as channels with Russian subtitles, then this is an option for you.

The main list of programs supported by the satellite includes channels from the following countries:

  • France.
  • Switzerland.
  • China.
  • Portugal.
  • Poland.
  • Italy.
  • Germany.
  • Türkiye.
  • etc.

It should be noted that there are also channels from other countries here, but there are fewer of them, since the main target audiences are located in the above countries, as are the broadcasting companies.

In addition, a fairly large coverage area makes the satellite increasingly in demand in our time. While in Russia, you will be able to watch many free foreign channels, and even Russian ones, but there will only be a few dozen of them.

Of course, the coverage area, although wide, has its limitations. For example, it is optimal to receive a signal from this satellite while in the area:

  • Europe.
  • Central Asia.
  • China.
  • North Africa.
  • Middle East.

Unfortunately, residents of other regions will not be able to receive the signal, since the coverage area is limited and has its own specific limits.

Advantages of this satellite

Among the main advantages of Hotbird 13e it is worth noting the following:

  • A list of more than five thousand channels.
  • Transfers to different languages, originating from different countries peace. Including Russian programs.
  • Many channels are open access, for which you do not need to pay a subscription fee.
  • The highest quality of modern digital broadcasting.
  • Large and extensive coverage area, which covers almost all regions of Russia.
  • The ability to subscribe to paid channels, which will provide even more opportunities for spending leisure time watching TV.

All you need to start using all these advantages is to set up a move with Hotbird 13e. This is done quite simply and does not require any special knowledge or skills. You will also need special equipment capable of receiving and decoding channels.

The satellite allows you to use an antenna with a diameter of 0.6 m to 0.9 m, which is very convenient, since such antennas are inexpensive, do not require much space for installation, are easy to set up and receive the signal perfectly.

Another important point. If you find yourself in an area that is covered by coverage, you will also need to make sure that there are no obstructions in the path between the antenna and the satellite.

In fact, even ordinary tall buildings or trees can damage the signal, it will not reach you, and you will not be able to take advantage of satellite TV.

Call a technician in advance to check the connectivity before installing and configuring the equipment. This way you can protect yourself from unnecessary expenses that will be in vain.

If you are not in the coverage area, you can always find other satellites that you can connect to to watch your favorite programs.

Usually, the setup takes place depending on which satellite, channels and provider have been selected. The equipment you will use also plays a significant role. It must not only meet quality standards, but also be compatible with your dish and your TV.

Installation details

Often, if you order equipment from any company, the specialists will install and configure it themselves. The parameters of the terrain, coverage, as well as other subtleties that may play a role in connection are taken into account.

The connection itself occurs in several stages:

Stage Description of work
Purchase of equipment You order equipment (dish, receiver, cable, etc.), experts advise you which models are best to choose, depending on your goals. There may be a significant difference in antenna diameter, frequency range, sharing capabilities and other functions. A thorough analysis must be carried out for each product item in order to select the necessary set for you.
Equipment installation Typically, this stage begins with a technician visiting your place of residence, where he takes the necessary measurements, draws up a connection and installation project. If this was done at the purchasing stage, the wizard simply installs and connects all the elements that were purchased earlier so that you can use them.
Equipment setup Most of the problems that unknowing people have are with setting up the antenna to receive satellites, as well as with the settings of the receiver, which is supposed to decode the signals. Here you need to know all the channel frequencies, and the possibilities of connecting to a TV, the Internet, etc. It is best to entrust this stage to a professional rather than doing it yourself, since due to ignorance you can make a number of serious mistakes.
Package selection In order to decode signals from paid channels, you need to connect to them. It's very expensive with each channel individually, so many providers offer channel packages that you can use. Usually they mainly concern regional programs that are published in Russian. But there are also many channels that support Russian subtitles.

If you want to use free channels, you will need a list of them to tune into. Such lists can be found in many sources. The most universal is the lyngsat service. It contains a list of all channels, both public and private.

You can independently configure your broadcasting using their tables, selecting the desired frequencies and necessary channels from the list. It is worth noting that for a hotbird the number of Russian channels is very small. Still, the satellite is more focused on other regions (Europe and Asia).

But there are Russian programs here too. There are about three dozen of them in the public domain. These are both large regional and local channels that are rebroadcast by satellite.

Satellite capabilities

Satellite 13e is special in that it offers several types of broadcasting:

  • Television programs.
  • Radio channels.
  • Internet.

By connecting through a provider, you can receive any of these services and enjoy all the benefits of a stable satellite digital signal.

The satellite is owned by the famous French company Alcatel, and therefore the quality of the equipment and the signal transmitted through it is always at the highest level.

To get the most out of Hotbird, and especially if it is the only satellite you are configuring your equipment for, it is advisable to purchase one of the paid packages.

A subscription will give you the opportunity not only to take full advantage of satellite capabilities, but also to view closed channels. Let's say, if there are only about 20 open Russian channels, then with the package there will be about a hundred of them.

Many channels are broadcast 24 hours a day, so you can easily watch them at any time. This will especially please fans of specific channels - sports, cultural, news, erotic, etc.

Instructions

Determine the location of the satellite and what transponder frequencies apply to it. To do this, use the Satellite Transponders program. The program will show the desired one (Hotbird), in addition you will find out which television and radio channels, Internet providers broadcast from it, as well as the broadcast ranges of transponder frequencies.

Determine your location in relation to the satellite, i.e. whether your area falls within its coverage area. View the map with coverage of the Hotbird satellite on the website www.lyngsat-maps.com. Generate the location of the satellite relative to your geographic coordinates, Satellite Antenna Alignment, in addition, it is the location of the sun in the sky in certain time, which also makes it easier to tune to the satellite. Enter the latitude and longitude data of your city. The program will determine the direction of installation of the satellite and the angle at which it should be raised or lowered.

Connect the antenna to and it to the TV. Setting up in this way is easier than using a DVB card; in the second case, the signal appears after a few seconds, and not immediately, which slows down the process. You will have to move the satellite dish very slowly all the time, you should stop and wait for the signal to appear. Installation and configuration using the receiver does not have such problems; it appears much faster. It is better to use a small portable TV if the dish is located at a considerable distance from the TV receiver. Or you will need help.

Select “Antenna installation” in the receiver settings menu. Select the satellite name, Hotbird. Select the transponder frequency in which the polarization is reflected (V-vertical, H-horizontal), if the desired frequency is not available, then return to the previous menu, select “Channel search” and enter its value. Select the LNB converter type “Universal 2”. Turn off the positioner and DiSEqC if the satellite dish is not connected to the gimbal and multiple converters.

Go to the place where the plate is installed. Using a compass, determine the direction to the south, then look in which direction from the plate south is. For example, in the Donetsk region (Ukraine) the south is at 36 degrees. For other territories the meaning will be different. Therefore, knowing that the Hotbird satellite group is located at 13 degrees east, you need to turn the dish from the south direction to the right. First place the plate slightly higher than the vertical position. Start moving it slowly in a horizontal direction. The plate can be moved quite quickly, the main thing is to ensure that it is in a horizontal plane, while the vertical position must remain unchanged. Gradually, after passing the entire sector, lower the plate.

This article is intended for those who are just about to buy a satellite dish or are thinking about upgrading their receiving installation. In this case, the future TV viewer faces a logical question: what equipment should he buy? I can immediately say that to get an answer to this question you need to find for yourself the answer to another question - what do you want to watch?
What can you see in the vast expanses of our Motherland from satellites? Of course, our stars of the first magnitude are the Hot Bird satellites 13° East. and Eutelsat W4 36°E. (NTV+, Tricolor). Programs from the Hot Bird satellite in Ukraine are received on a 60 cm antenna. In Moscow and St. Petersburg they are received with good quality on a 0.9 meter antenna, and in the Urals on a 1.8 meter antenna. The signal strength gradually decreases from west to east, but this satellite is the most relevant in the European part of the former USSR. On these satellites you can see such popular channels as Eurosport, music channels - MCM, VIVA 2, Onyx, news - Euronews, EBN, a whole range of entertainment channels - movies, shows and everything else. In total, more than 600 channels are broadcast from this satellite in digital format, but many of them are encrypted. Which of course doesn’t stop satellite TV lovers!
In the western regions - Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Latvia, Western Ukraine and Western Belarus - perhaps more relevant is the constellation of Astra satellites in an orbital position of 19 degrees East. You can receive hundreds of television programs from these satellites. This position in these regions successfully competes with Hot Bird 13° East. In these areas, it makes sense to receive programs from both the Astra satellites and the Hot Bird/Eutelsat 2F1 satellites, although some of the channels on them are duplicated. There are simple technical solutions, allowing you to implement such a technique. You can read more on this topic at http://sathome.0pk.ru/viewtopic.php?id=53

Now let's touch on the choice satellite receiver

Many people often make the mistake of thinking that the more expensive the receiver, the better it is. This is not entirely true. An expensive receiver is, of course, a good receiver with wide capabilities, but, more often than not, in everyday life you can do without them. The receiver is selected individually, specifically for your requirements and for your system. All receivers on the market can be divided into several groups according to their capabilities, and based on this they can be classified as a certain price category. But it’s worth noting right away that there are exceptions. These include, for example, devices from well-known companies, which are always more expensive than their counterparts.

1. All receivers allow you to watch free channels (that’s why they are free). If you do not want to deal with pay TV, pay subscription fee, look for pirate cards, etc., or you are simply quite satisfied with channels that broadcast in an open (free) form (such channels are available on all satellites), then you will need the simplest FTA receiver (Free To Air channels) - receiver of the lowest price category, which costs from 60 to 150 USD. They differ from each other, like, in general, all others, by the manufacturer, the quality of the picture and sound produced, additional functions and other technical characteristics.

You can read more details at http://sathome.0pk.ru/viewtopic.php?id=19

And at the end of this article, a little about popular satellites and TV channels

This article was written based on observations from the southern part of Ukraine and is aimed at fans of satellite reception with small diameter antennas (90/110 cm). I can assure you that in most cases, all of the following can be extended to the entire territory of Ukraine and the European part of the CIS in general.
The variety of satellites and the channels and services provided from them is now impressive. Many of you have noticed that, unfortunately, there is no point in tuning into some satellites. Why? Yes, because the number of channels broadcast from them is usually very low, and can be limited to a couple of channels, and for the most part even these channels are of absolutely no interest to us.
On some satellites, broadcasts are carried out in the C-band, which requires the installation of an additional converter on your antenna (the standard Ku-band converter installed on most antenna systems is naturally not suitable for reception in the C-band).
Hispasat 30°W
Mainly channels from Spain and Portugal, or rather their paid packages, which our satellite amateurs can watch quite often, thanks to pirates. There is something to watch, several football channels, a lot of music, including several MTV channels, many English-language channels, popular Disney, Discovery, National Geographic, etc. XXX fans will also be satisfied. The only thing is that the satellite hangs quite low and in densely treed areas problems may arise, especially for those who live in the private sector (in 1-2 storey buildings). Reception on antennas from 60 cm.
NSS-7 22°W
We watch Italian channels in the Ku-band; almost everything can be watched from the popular Hot Bird satellite. Of interest is the Reuters channel - World News Service, which broadcasts world news stories for television companies. At the time of last check, the broadcasts were open.
Intelsat-901 18°W
Several coded German channels.
Telstar-12 15°W
A popular Internet provider is SpaceGate. The satellite is interesting in receiving several very popular Russian-language channels - National Geografic, NatGeo Wild, Extreme Sport, Zone Reality, as well as popular channels Zone Club, PlayBoy, E! etc. in English and some other languages.
Atlantic Bird-1 12.5°W
IN this moment from it we watch several Arabic channels, several more little-known ones, as well as Italian channels, including MTV Italia.
Express-3A 11°W

Express-3A 11°W
In the C-band we watch Channel 1 - World Wide Web and RTR-Planet. In the Ku-band there is a set of several Italian channels, television of Georgia, and Serbia.
Amos-2/3 4°W
There are several dozen channels, most of which are closed. One of the satellites on which some of the Ukrainian TV channels have settled (for more details, see the article “Ukrainian satellite television and radio broadcasting”).
Intelsat-10-02 / Thor 3/5 1°W
Conax encoded Scandinavian Digital+ package with many programs and channels in English (all Discovery, A1, VH-1 Classic...), several Bulgarian and Slovak channels, Romanian packages, etc. Very similar in this to the Sirius satellite. Antenna - 90-110 cm, depending on the required satellite beams.
Sirius-4 4.8°E
Some Ukrainian channels, several channels in Russian TVCi, First Musical, NTV Mir (Via 2.6), First Channel World Network (Via 2.6), RTR-Planeta (Via 2.6), Ren-TV (Via 2.6) - and several Baltic channels , including Russian-language 1st Baltic, 3+ Baltika (encoded in Via 2.5/2.6 and Videoguard), Viasat package also encoded Videoguard is of considerable interest due to excellent Western channels, as well as channels in Russian TV1000, TV1000 Russian Cinema, Explorer, History, Discovery. Thanks to all this, the satellite is well known to our TV viewers. For now. Reception of Ukrainian packages on antennas from 60 cm, Scandinavian ones - 90-110 cm.
Eutelsat W3a 7°E
Several European channels, distillation of programs for Eurosport and Eurosportnews, 5-7 open channels from Turkey and several dozen interesting channels of the paid Turkish package.

You can read more at http://sathome.0pk.ru/viewtopic.php?id=25

Among ordinary, untrained users, there is an opinion that it is almost impossible to independently install and configure a satellite system. In fact, this is not true at all. Below are simple instructions for “dummies” on how to independently install and configure a satellite dish without calculations, satellite finders and other attributes of professionals. If you are a professional installer, then the material below is unlikely to be of interest to you.

Although any information can now be found on the Internet, I still tried to collect all the basic information I received on one page - for convenience. I’ll just try to tell you in my own words and with pictures how I installed and configured the satellite system. I’ll say right away that the installation of ONLY an offset fixed antenna is being considered, and not a direct focus or motorized one. And yet, it is possible that no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to install and configure the antenna yourself. Then you will have to invite a professional installer. It’s hard for me to imagine how this could be, but I’ve seen people on the forums struggling for a couple of days in useless attempts to set up the antenna. In other cases, by independently selecting components and installing it yourself, you can save some, sometimes considerable, amount. Besides everything else, I personally was just interested in installing everything myself :) What is the difference between installing and configuring the system “by eye” from a professional installation? Almost nothing. With the exception of a more accurate initial calculation (which allows significant time savings), the mounting system and the principle of antenna tuning are the same.

Warning: all work related to heights and electricity is life-threatening!!! If anything causes the slightest concern, do not take risks, trust the professionals!!! You perform independent installation at your own peril and risk!!! In any case, remember about safety precautions and that all dangerous work at height is carried out only by professionals with proven safety equipment!!!

List of basic concepts.

TV satellite

Transponder- a transceiver located on the satellite. It is characterized by the width and direction of the sent beam and the broadcast frequency. Broadcasting is carried out in two main bands - C-Band and Ku-Band. Mostly American and Russian satellites broadcast in the C band (4 GHz), and European satellites broadcast in the Ku band (10.700-12.750 GHz). Broadcasting is carried out in linear or circular polarization. Which in turn differ into vertical (V) and horizontal (H) for linear polarization and left (L) and right (R) for circular polarization. When they say “signal from transponder 11766H,” they mean a transponder broadcasting at a frequency of 11766 MHz with horizontal polarization. There are from several to dozens of transponders on a satellite.

Satellite antenna- the main element of the subscriber’s satellite system for receiving a signal from the satellite. To put it in simple words, the antenna “collects” the weak reflected satellite signal over its entire surface and focuses it to a specific point where the converter is installed. The most common antennas are direct focus and offset. Direct focus ones are a parabolic mirror with a focus at the geometric center, while offset ones have a shifted focus (below the geometric center of the antenna). Accordingly, the converter for a direct-focus antenna is installed in the center, while for an offset antenna it is shifted to the bottom. Offset antennas are the most popular among ordinary users. They are cheap, easy to install and configure. Antennas are produced in various diameters and from various materials. The material is usually either aluminum alloy or steel. There are non-rotating antennas (rigidly fixed) and antennas with an actuator (motor suspension). The motorized suspension rotates the antenna at specified angles and allows you to receive signals from a huge number of satellites in the field of view. Setting up the latter is not very easy for a beginner. The antenna size is selected individually, depending on the signal strength needed to view the satellite. The antenna diameter must be selected with some margin, since precipitation (heavy rain, snow) creates significant interference with the satellite signal. This is especially true for the Ku-band. But there is no need to go to extremes - if an antenna with a diameter of 0.9 m is enough, it is not at all necessary to buy a 1.5 m antenna - it weighs more and its area is more exposed to wind.

Converter- a device designed to receive a satellite signal reflected from an antenna and installed on a corresponding holder at the focus of the antenna. The main purpose of the converter is to convert the frequency of the received satellite signal (for example, for the Ku-band it is from 10.7 to 12.75 GHz) to an intermediate one (900 - 2150 MHz), at which the attenuation of the signal transmitted in the cable will be less. Since the power of the received satellite signal is very low, the second important task of the converter is to amplify it to an acceptable level for the receiving path of the receiver. Since any converter introduces its own level of noise into the signal, but is also low-noise, it is also called LNB (Low Noise Block). Converters can be designed to operate in linear or circular polarization and are selected depending on which polarization the satellite is broadcasting in (for example, popular NTV+ packages are broadcast in circular polarization and a universal linear polarization converter, despite the name “universal”, is not suitable for reception). If the converter is universal, it switches to the specified polarization with a voltage of 13/18 V supplied by the receiver. 13 V - vertical polarization, 18 V - horizontal. One more nuance: converters come with 1 output, 2 outputs, 4 outputs, 8 outputs. Based on how many independent viewing points will be installed, a converter with the appropriate number of outputs must be installed, since all converter outputs are independent.

Multifeed- holder for additional converter. Since the satellites are located in geostationary orbit relatively close to each other (by certain standards), it is possible to simultaneously receive a signal on one antenna using a multifeed from several nearby satellites. A classic example is 3 satellites (Hotbird 13E, Sisius 4.8E, Amos 4W) received on 1 fixed antenna. As a rule, a converter is installed on the main (focal) antenna holder, configured for Sisius 4.8E, on the 1st multifeed converter for Hotbird 13E, and on the 2nd multifeed converter for Amos 4W.

Disek (DiseqC) is a device that switches a signal from several converters to 1 cable. Since the receiver can only receive a signal from one satellite at a time, the converter corresponding to this satellite must be connected to the receiver. This is exactly what the disek does - it connects the currently needed converter to the receiver. There are different discs, designed to work according to a specific protocol. The DiseqC 1.0 protocol is unidirectional and is used when the number of converters is no more than 4. DiseqC 2.0 is the same, only bidirectional and compatible with 1.0. DiseqC 1.1 is used to connect more converters. Protocol 1.2 is used to control the positioner.

A coaxial cable is connected to the inputs and output of the disk via F-connectors. I don't think it's worth a story Talk about connectors and cables - everything is clear here. However, the cable must have a characteristic impedance of 75 Ohms, be made of high-quality materials that can withstand severe temperature changes and have a good shielding braid. The material of the core is steel, copper, copper-plated steel - it’s clear that it’s unlikely to work out better.

Antenna bracket- a simple metal holder that is attached to the wall (usually) and to which the antenna is attached. Should have It is made as securely as possible so that the wind does not tear off the antenna.

Satellitesth receiver-device that receives satellite signal from the converter and outputting it to the TV in the form of a familiar picture with sound:) You Choosing a receiver is the most difficult task when choosing a satellite system. Receivers come in both open uncoded channels (FTA), and for encoded ones, with card readers, with slots for additional decoding modules, with an emulator, with various video outputs, with hard drive and other useful and not so useful functions. Here, as they say, there is something for every preference and every budget. There is one important point: today satellite broadcasting in HD format is being actively put into operation (video high resolution) and MPEG4. Receivers that support these formats are usually much more expensive than regular ones. Therefore, before purchasing a satellite system, you need to decide what content you will watch and what kind of receiver you need for this. Cheap receivers, as a rule, do not have high image and sound quality, great functionality and fast channel switching. Although there are exceptions. A separate nuance is the emulator in the receiver. As its name suggests, the emulator is designed to software emulate the operation of a smart card. What is it for? A huge number of channels from different satellites are protected by encodings. There are different encodings - Viaccess, Seca, Irdeto, Nagravision, Biss, etc. For example, some package of channels in Biss encoding is broadcast and you want to watch it (the antenna is tuned to the desired satellite), but you do not have a smart card. Then look for a software emulator in your receiver (usually this is listed in undocumented capabilities) and turn it on. Enter the channel's access keys, and if everything is in order, watch it. As a rule, emulators in modern receivers support several encodings. Another application of the emulator is a phenomenon popularly called “sharing” or “card sharing”. Yes, and one more thing: when choosing a receiver, you should pay attention to the availability and regularity of released software. In other words, firmware. New firmware, as a rule, removes errors that occur, adds parameters for satellites, transponders, new codes for the emulator, etc.

Selection of components.

To begin with, for some time I scoured the Internet to familiarize myself with the issue (since I was a complete ignoramus and the concept of what a disc or transponder was was very illusory, but I still wanted to watch satellite TV). I decided what content and from which satellites I want to watch (at the end of this article you can look at the lists of the most popular channels in our area and some links), what is received in my region and what antenna diameter, and also got acquainted with the advice of experienced , among which he helped me a lot Vladbel, for which special thanks to him :) As a result, the satellites Amos 4W, Sirius 4.8E, Hotbird 13E for one antenna 0.95m and Eutelsat W4 36E for 0.85m were chosen for viewing. I chose http://www.agsat.com.ua/ as a Kyiv store - everything is in one place and, among other things, they are one of the sellers recommended by the Openbox manufacturer original equipment of the same brand, and my soul was in Openbox :) By the way, both receivers I bought in Agsat and receivers bought there for my friends were ALREADY flashed with lists of satellites and lists of favorite channels from popular 4W+5E (4.8E) satellites +13E, and this applied not only to Openboxes. Convenient for those who don’t want to bother too much with entering favorites :)

What was purchased and what were the selection criteria:

Two antenna brackets.

Disek - signal switch from 4 converters into 1 cable connected to the receiver.

Lanсombox is a device for sharing (anyone who wants can search for the term “card sharing” with any search engine).

The budget for all this stuff was 1346 hryvnia or ~$270.

Agree, the amount is small :)

Installation.

The antenna must be installed in the line of sight to the south. Direct means that there should be no obstacles in front of the antenna in the form of houses, trees, etc. It is for this reason that the most optimal places to install antennas are balconies and roofs. Since my windows are on the ground floor and are not directed to the south, it was decided to install the antennas on the roof. Fortunately, the roof of my typical panel 9-story building is flat, which makes installation easier (if there is no free access to the antenna with more than 1 converter after installing it on the bracket, see below *). What did I need on the roof besides the antennas and their mounts:

  • Hammer with drills with pobedit tips. The diameter of the drill is chosen slightly smaller than the diameter of the anchor bolt. Much less is not possible - the anchor will not fit into the wall. Any more - it will “lobble” and it will not be possible to tighten it properly.
  • Phillips screwdriver.
  • Socket wrench 10.
  • Socket wrench 13.
  • Adjustable wrench.
  • Hammer.
  • Paper cutter (for stripping cables for connectors).
  • Wire cutters.
  • Receiver with remote control.
  • Small TV.
  • 220V with extension cord for 3 sockets.

The most interesting questions are where to point the antennas? How to determine the direction? How to set up antennas without a satellite finder (a device for setting up satellite dishes costs from $400)? Since in my case it was decided to make the adjustment “by eye”, I decided to determine the direction logically simply - I just looked at where the antennas on the neighboring roof were pointing and decided to turn mine in the same direction :)

It is to this elevator shaft that I decided to attach my antennas:

It’s unattractive, of course, on the roof, but this is not a European-quality renovation of the apartment :) I determined the installation location, marked the holes for the brackets, drilled them with a hammer drill, hammered the anchors inside and secured the brackets (I didn’t photograph the further steps, so almost all the photos will be from already installed systems). I won’t go into detail about fixing the brackets; I think that everything is clear about this, the work is mechanical. Still, if someone doesn’t know what an anchor bolt is, I’ll show you what it looks like:


Back to the installation.

The first was to set up an antenna with 3 converters for Sirius, Hotbird, Amos, the second was for Eutelsat 36E. At first the brackets were screwed to screw anchor bolts, later I changed them to nut ones. The screw ones turned out to be unreliable. The photo shows the first unsuccessful attempts in the form of remaining holes. By that time, the brackets were also repainted to enhance the original paint (and besides, there was just a lot of excess white paint - this can be seen from many drips :)):




In the photo above, the antenna is already assembled, with converters, cable, etc. Initially, the antenna was simply assembled, hung on a bracket, and the converters and cable were attached only later. I just had a thin metal cable that was extra, so I threaded it through the antenna mount and screwed it to the elevator shaft post in case the wind would tear out the anchors, so that the antenna wouldn’t dive off the roof :) In fact, it’s almost impossible, but let it be - so I thought. To adjust the antenna in the vertical and horizontal planes, you need to tighten the mount so that the antenna does not change its tilt on its own, but at the same time it can be moved in the planes with some effort. These nuts are not tightened much until final adjustment:


Next, both multifeeds are put on the central holder of the antenna converter, converters are inserted into all holders, and everything is tightened so that the converters in the multifeeds can be rotated with some effort in all planes (the cables to the converters are connected later). The photo below shows what multifeeds are and how they are attached:




LNBP: On(turn on converter power)

LNBP Type: Universal(universal type of converter, according to the ones I purchased)

LNBP Freq: 10600/9750(indicated on converters)

22Khz: Auto(I leave the signal to switch the disk)

DISEqC: None(I’m leaving it this way, since the signal is connected directly for now, and not through a disk)

Satellite Transponder Visual inspection channel
Sirius 4.8E 11766H Novy Kanal, 5 Kanal (Ukraine)
Sirius 4.8E 11996H Russia Today
Sirius 4.8E 12073H Inter+
Sirius 4.8E 12245 V Europe by Satellite
Hotbird 13E 10971H 3 Channel
Hotbird 13E 11034V RTR Planeta
Hotbird 13E 11411 H Adjara TV
Hotbird 13E 11766V Rai Uno
Hotbird 13E 12207H Fashion TV Europe
Amos 4W 10722H , 1+1 , Kino
Amos 4W 10759H Telekanal STB, Tonis, MTV Ukraine
Amos 4W 10925V Russia Today
Eutelsat W4 36E 11727L Gameplay TV, Ru TV
Eutelsat W4 36E 12322 R NTV Plus Infokanal


Next comes the most difficult moment, which requires a lot of endurance - this is tuning the antenna in planes. Why is a shutter speed necessary - literally a few millimeters, and there will be no signal. It’s not that it will be bad, but it won’t exist at all! The setup is as follows - you need to install the antenna in some vertical position, in my position it was approximately like this:






In my case, turning the converter in the holder counterclockwise helped to achieve better signal quality in vertical polarization.













The pictures show which converters are assigned to which inputs (ports) of the disk (to which satellite). 0/12V: On only for LanComBox. If you don’t have it, then you don’t need to turn on 12V. I save the changes, check if all the disk inputs are working (that is, if all configured satellites have a signal).

I tighten the cables with ties so that nothing dangles. All that remains is to loosely attach the cable to the cable, lower the cable down and tighten it. Install a cable in the apartment, connect the receiver, TV and watch satellite TV :)

*- If there is no access to the antenna after installing it on the bracket:

when there is only one converter on the antenna, everything is clear, nothing complicated - it is fixed rigidly on the antenna, the antenna is hung outside the window (or somewhere else) on a bracket, and is adjusted in the vertical and horizontal planes all from the same window (return to the warning in beginning of the instructions!!!). What should you do if you need to configure 1 additional converter (or more) on the multifeed? At the dacha, I did this: I screwed the bracket to an old high cabinet, put the assembled antenna on it, placed the whole structure in front of a wide open window and set it up that way. By the way, funny moment - with the first With the same switching on, with approximate antenna tilts, without additional settings, I received a quality level on Sirius of more than 70%! I couldn’t believe my eyes :)) In a word, I set up all 3 converters in this form, carefully clamped everything, hung the bracket outside the window and hung the antenna with the already configured converters on it. All that remains is to adjust it in planes.


And finally:

RTR-Planet, RTR-Sport, ORT-international, Russian music channel, RBC TV, R1, TBN Russia, Ajara TV - channel t

Views: 19529

I’ll say right away that the installation of ONLY an offset fixed antenna is being considered, and not a direct focus or motorized one. And yet, it is possible that no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to install and configure the antenna yourself. Then you will have to invite a professional installer. What is the difference between installing and configuring the system “by eye” and professional installation? Almost nothing. With the exception of a more accurate initial calculation (which allows significant time savings), the mounting system and the principle of antenna tuning are the same.

Warning!!! Warning!!! All work related to heights and electricity is life-threatening!!! If anything causes the slightest concern, do not take risks, trust the professionals!!! Self-installation you produce at your own peril and risk!!! In any case, remember about safety precautions and that all dangerous work at height is carried out only by professionals with proven safety equipment!!!

List of basic concepts.

TV satellite- a spacecraft located in the geostationary orbit of the Earth and sending a television signal to a certain territory of the Earth via a transponder. All satellites are located in the equatorial plane, so they are at the same latitude, but differ in longitude. In addition to the name, they also have a longitude designation. For example, Amos 4W means that the satellite is called Amos and is located at 4 degrees west longitude (W is West). Hotbird 13E is a satellite of Hotbird, located at 13 degrees east longitude (E is East). Based on the fact that satellites are “fixed” at certain points in orbit, they also have certain coverage areas of the Earth.

Transponder- a transceiver located on the satellite. It is characterized by the width and direction of the sent beam and the broadcast frequency. Broadcasting is carried out in two main bands - C-Band and Ku-Band. Mostly American and Russian satellites broadcast in the C band (4 GHz), and European satellites broadcast in the Ku band (10.700-12.750 GHz). Broadcasting is carried out in linear or circular polarization. Which in turn differ into vertical (V) and horizontal (H) for linear polarization and left (L) and right (R) for circular polarization. When they say “signal from transponder 11766H,” they mean a transponder broadcasting at a frequency of 11766 MHz with horizontal polarization. There are from several to dozens of transponders on a satellite.

Satellite antenna- the main element of the subscriber’s satellite system for receiving a signal from the satellite. To put it in simple words, the antenna “collects” the weak reflected satellite signal over its entire surface and focuses it to a specific point where the converter is installed. The most common antennas are direct focus and offset. Direct focus ones are a parabolic mirror with a focus at the geometric center, while offset ones have a shifted focus (below the geometric center of the antenna). Accordingly, the converter for a direct-focus antenna is installed in the center, while for an offset antenna it is shifted to the bottom. Offset antennas are the most popular among ordinary users. They are cheap, easy to install and configure. Antennas are produced in various diameters and from various materials. The material is usually either aluminum alloy or steel. There are non-rotating antennas (rigidly fixed) and antennas with an actuator (motor suspension). The motorized suspension rotates the antenna at specified angles and allows you to receive signals from a huge number of satellites in the field of view. Setting up the latter is not very easy for a beginner. The antenna size is selected individually, depending on the signal strength needed to view the satellite. The antenna diameter must be selected with some margin, since precipitation (heavy rain, snow) creates significant interference with the satellite signal. This is especially true for the Ku-band. But there is no need to go to extremes - if an antenna with a diameter of 0.9 m is enough, it is not at all necessary to buy a 1.5 m antenna - it weighs more and its area is more exposed to wind.

Converter- a device designed to receive a satellite signal reflected from an antenna and installed on a corresponding holder at the focus of the antenna. The main purpose of the converter is to convert the frequency of the received satellite signal (for example, for the Ku-band it is from 10.7 to 12.75 GHz) to an intermediate one (900 - 2150 MHz), at which the attenuation of the signal transmitted in the cable will be less. Since the power of the received satellite signal is very low, the second important task of the converter is to amplify it to an acceptable level for the receiving path of the receiver. Since any converter introduces its own level of noise into the signal, but is also low-noise, it is also called LNB (Low Noise Block). Converters can be designed to operate in linear or circular polarization and are selected depending on which polarization the satellite is broadcasting in (for example, popular NTV+ packages are broadcast in circular polarization and a universal linear polarization converter, despite the name “universal”, is not suitable for reception). If the converter is universal, it switches to the specified polarization with a voltage of 13/18 V supplied by the receiver. 13 V - vertical polarization, 18 V - horizontal. One more nuance: converters come with 1 output, 2 outputs, 4 outputs, 8 outputs. Based on how many independent viewing points will be installed, a converter with the appropriate number of outputs must be installed, since all converter outputs are independent.

Multifeed- holder for additional converter. Since the satellites are located in geostationary orbit relatively close to each other (by certain standards), it is possible to simultaneously receive a signal on one antenna using a multifeed from several nearby satellites. A classic example is 3 satellites (Hotbird 13E, Sirius 4.8E, Amos 4W) received on 1 fixed antenna. As a rule, a converter configured for Sirius 4.8E is installed on the main (focal) antenna holder, a converter is installed on the 1st multifeed for Hotbird 13E, and a converter for Amos 4W is installed on the 2nd multifeed.

Disek (DiseqC) is a device that switches a signal from several converters to 1 cable. Since the receiver can only receive a signal from one satellite at a time, the converter corresponding to this satellite must be connected to the receiver. This is exactly what the disek does - it connects the currently needed converter to the receiver. There are different discs, designed to work according to a specific protocol. The DiseqC 1.0 protocol is unidirectional and is used when the number of converters is no more than 4. DiseqC 2.0 is the same, only bidirectional and compatible with 1.0. DiseqC 1.1 is used to connect more converters. Protocol 1.2 is used to control the positioner.

The disk drive is connected to the inputs and outputs coaxial cable via F-connectors. I think there is no need to talk about connectors and cables - everything is clear here. However, the cable must have a characteristic impedance of 75 Ohms, be made of high-quality materials that can withstand severe temperature changes and have a good shielding braid. The material of the core is steel, copper, copper-plated steel - it’s clear that it’s unlikely to work out better.

Antenna bracket- a simple metal holder that is attached to the wall (usually) and to which the antenna is attached. It must be made as securely as possible so that the wind does not tear off the antenna.

Satellite receiver- a device that receives a satellite signal from a converter and outputs it to the TV in the form of a familiar picture with sound :) Choosing a receiver is the most difficult task when choosing a satellite system. Receivers come in both open unencoded channels (FTA) and encoded ones, with card readers, with slots for additional decoding modules, with an emulator, with various video outputs, with a hard drive and other useful and not so useful functions. Here, as they say, there is something for every preference and every budget. There is one important point: today satellite broadcasting in HD format (high-definition video) and MPEG4 is being actively put into operation. Receivers that support these formats are usually much more expensive than regular ones. Therefore, before purchasing a satellite system, you need to decide what content you will watch and what kind of receiver you need for this. Cheap receivers, as a rule, do not have high image and sound quality, great functionality and fast channel switching. Although there are exceptions. A separate nuance is the emulator in the receiver. As its name suggests, the emulator is designed to software emulate the operation of a smart card. What is it for? A huge number of channels from different satellites are protected by encodings. There are different encodings - Viaccess, Seca, Irdeto, Nagravision, Biss, etc. For example, some package of channels in Biss encoding is broadcast and you want to watch it (the antenna is tuned to the desired satellite), but you do not have a smart card. Then look for a software emulator in your receiver (usually this is listed in undocumented capabilities) and turn it on. Enter the channel's access keys, and if everything is in order, watch it. As a rule, emulators in modern receivers support several encodings. Another application of the emulator is a phenomenon popularly called “sharing” or “card sharing”. Yes, and also, when choosing a receiver, you should pay attention to the availability and regularity of the output software. In other words, firmware. New firmware, as a rule, removes errors that occur, adds parameters for satellites, transponders, new codes for the emulator, etc.

What will be used and what were the selection criteria:

Offset antenna 0.95m, produced in Kharkov. Painted steel. For receiving signals from Amos 4W, Sirius 4.8E, Hotbird 13E.

Offset antenna 0.85m, produced in Kharkov. Painted steel. To receive a signal from Eutelsat W4 36E.

Receiver Openbox X-810. Firstly, Openbox has the most powerful technical support (new firmware comes out almost every couple of weeks), secondly, excellent picture quality, thirdly, a built-in emulator, fourthly, LanComBox support (for fans of “sharing”).

Three universal linear polarization converters SINGLE TITANIUM TSX 0.2dB. Declared low noise level.

One circular polarization converter SINGLE Circular INVERTO IDLP-40SCIRCL for Eutelsat W4 36E (NTV+).

Two multifeeds.

Two antenna brackets.

Disc signal switch from 4 converters into 1 cable connected to the receiver.

Coaxial antenna cable, characteristic impedance 75 Ohm, coil 100m.

10 antenna screw-on F-connectors.

6 anchor bolts "under the nut" 8x72, washers, nuts and lock washers.

Plastic self-tightening ties.

Steel cable with clamps for fastening to it antenna cable and lowering him from the roof.

Plastic box for disc.

Lanсombox is a device for sharing (anyone who wants can search for the term “card sharing” with any search engine).

Installation.

The antenna must be installed in the line of sight to the south. Direct means that there should be no obstacles in front of the antenna in the form of houses, trees, etc. It is for this reason that the most optimal places to install antennas are balconies and roofs. Since my windows are on the ground floor and are not directed to the south, it was decided to install the antennas on the roof. Fortunately, the roof of my typical panel 9-story building is flat, which makes installation easier (if there is no free access to the antenna with more than 1 converter after installing it on the bracket, see below *). What was needed on the roof besides the antennas and their mounts:

Hammer with drills with pobedit tips. The diameter of the drill is chosen slightly smaller than the diameter of the anchor bolt. Much less is not possible - the anchor will not fit into the wall. Any more - it will “lobble” and it will not be possible to tighten it properly.
- Phillips screwdriver.
- Socket wrench 10.
- Socket wrench 13.
- Adjustable wrench.
- Hammer.
- Paper cutter (for stripping cables for connectors).
- Wire cutters.
- Receiver with remote control.
- Small TV.
- 220V with extension cord for 3 sockets.

The most interesting questions are where to point the antennas? How to determine the direction? How to set up antennas without a satellite finder (a device for setting up satellite dishes costs from $400)? Since in my case it was decided to make the adjustment “by eye,” I determined the direction logically simply - I just looked at where the antennas on the neighboring roof were pointing and turned mine in the same direction.

An antenna with 3 converters - definitely Sirius, Hotbird, Amos - we have a lot of these and installers mainly install them. Looking at the neighboring houses, you can find many of them and they are all directed in the same direction. That is why I had no doubts. To the left of it with one converter - probably NTVshnaya - we also have enough of those. If you don’t have such guidelines, then the situation is worse. You need to determine the south direction and try to point the antenna there. Once again, an indispensable condition is that in front of the antenna there should under no circumstances be any visible obstacles in the direction of the satellite!!! Among other things, in a situation where the antenna is installed under someone’s balconies or canopies, make sure that streams of water or snow from the top canopy do not fall directly on your antenna. This does not bode well for the reception.

It is to this elevator shaft that I decided to attach my antennas:


It’s inconspicuous, of course, on the roof, but this is not a European-quality renovation of the apartment. I determined the installation location, marked the holes for the brackets, drilled them with a hammer drill, hammered the anchors inside and secured the brackets (I didn’t completely photograph the further steps, so almost all the photos will be from already installed systems) . I won’t go into detail about fixing the brackets; I think that everything is clear about this, the work is mechanical. Still, if someone doesn’t know what an anchor bolt is, I’ll show you what it looks like:

It consists of a glass and a bolt located inside it. The bolt has a thread for a nut on one side and a thickening cone on the other. Exactly as in the figure, from left to right, carefully, so as not to damage the thread under the nut, it is driven into the drilled hole. I recommend loosening the nut, but not unscrewing it completely, otherwise the bolt risks completely falling inside the hole and then you won’t be able to get it out. The same applies to putting a bracket on the bolts (the nuts will still have to be removed) - make sure that the bolts do not fall inside the glass, I recommend that before putting the bracket on, pull them towards you as much as possible or tighten them a little with a nut - so that the cone fits a little into the glass and the bolts do not wobble . The glass should be flush with the wall, and the thread with the nut should be outside the hole. The principle of operation of an anchor bolt is as follows: when the nut begins to be tightened with a wrench, it pulls the bolt inside the glass outward due to the thread. The cone located at the end of the bolt enters the glass and expands it as much as possible inside the hole. As a result, tearing such a bolt out of the wall is far from a trivial task. That is why it is recommended to hang the bracket on self-wedging anchor bolts, and not on screws with plastic dowels. However, the choice of fastening is a personal matter for everyone. The only thing is, if you still choose anchors, look at their quality, in particular the material and thickness of the glass. Because the anchors are made too flimsily and will hold accordingly.

When installing on a balcony, you can even drill through the wall and thread threaded rods of the appropriate length through it (these are sold in stores). They are secured on both sides with nuts.

Back to the installation.

The first was to set up an antenna with 3 converters for Sirius, Hotbird, Amos, the second was for Eutelsat 36E. At first the brackets were screwed to screw anchor bolts, later I changed them to nut ones. The screw ones turned out to be unreliable. The photo shows the first unsuccessful attempts in the form of remaining holes. By that time, the brackets were also repainted to enhance the original paint:




In the photo above, the antenna is already assembled, with converters, cable, etc. Initially, the antenna was simply assembled, hung on a bracket, and the converters and cable were attached only later. I simply had a thin metal cable that was extra, so I threaded it through the antenna mount and screwed it to the elevator shaft post in case the wind tore out the anchors, so that the antenna would not fall off the roof. In fact, this is practically unrealistic, but so be it, that’s what I thought. To adjust the antenna in the vertical and horizontal planes, you need to tighten the mount so that the antenna does not change its tilt on its own, but at the same time it can be moved in the planes with some effort. These nuts are not tightened much until final adjustment:


An unclamped left screw allows you to adjust the antenna in a vertical plane, 2 unclamped right screws allow you to rotate the antenna relative to the bracket in a horizontal plane.

Next, both multifeeds are put on the central holder of the antenna converter, converters are inserted into all holders, and everything is tightened so that the converters in the multifeeds can be rotated with some effort in all planes (the cables to the converters are connected later). The photo below shows what multifeeds are and how they are attached:


After this, the setup process begins. A piece of cable a couple of meters long is screwed to the central converter using an F-connector, the second end of the cable is screwed to the receiver. From some site I have pictures of what an F-connector is and how to screw it onto a cable correctly. Here they are:

The receiver is connected to the TV, only after that the 220V power is turned on. An important point - when screwing the F-connector onto the cable, you must carefully ensure that the thin conductors of the cable shielding do not short-circuit with the central core, otherwise the receiver can be damaged!!!

I turn on the TV, receiver, go to the Installation-Search for channels menu. In the list of satellites on the left, I select Sirius 2/Ku 4.8E - it is to this satellite that the rigidly fixed central converter will be configured. From the menu on the right I select:


LNBP: On (turn on converter power)

LNBP Type: Universal (universal type of converter, according to the ones I purchased)

LNBP Freq: 10600/9750 (indicated on converters)

22Khz: Auto (signal to switch the disk, I leave it like that)

DISEqC: None (I leave it this way, since the signal is connected directly and not through a disk)

Next, using the yellow button on the remote control, I go to the Transponder submenu and select the transponder on which I will search for a signal (I advise you to write out in advance several transponders selected from satellites with different polarizations and REALLY WORKING free-to-air channels (FTA). The list can be found at the links below. I decided for myself tune to the following transponders:
Satellite Transponder Channel for visual inspection
Sirius 4.8E 11766 H Novy Kanal, 5 Kanal (Ukraine)
Sirius 4.8E 11996 H Russia Today
Sirius 4.8E 12073 H Inter+
Sirius 4.8E 12245 V Europe by Satellite
Hotbird 13E 10971 H 3 Channel
Hotbird 13E 11034 V RTR Planeta
Hotbird 13E 11411 H Adjara TV
Hotbird 13E 11766 V Rai Uno
Hotbird 13E 12207 H Fashion TV Europe
Amos 4W 10722 H K1, 1+1, Kino
Amos 4W 10759 H Telekanal STB, Tonis, MTV Ukraine
Amos 4W 10925 V Russia Today
Eutelsat W4 36E 11727 L Gameplay TV, Ru TV
Eutelsat W4 36E 12322 R NTV Plus Infokanal

For example, in my case, to begin with, it will be a 11766H transponder, broadcasting at a frequency of 11766 MHz with horizontal polarization. For convenience, the signal quality can be displayed on full screen using the Info button. I will be guided by the lower “Quality” scale:


What do we see in this photo? A bleak picture - signal quality - 0! Actually, what should you expect? The antenna is still “looking” towards the satellite very approximately.

Next comes the most difficult moment, which requires a lot of endurance - this is tuning the antenna in planes. Why is a shutter speed necessary - literally a few millimeters, and there will be no signal. It’s not that it will be bad, but it won’t exist at all! The setup is as follows - you need to install the antenna in some vertical position, in my position it was approximately like this:



After this, you need to very, very smoothly rotate the antenna in the horizontal direction and at the same time carefully look at the quality scale, first in one direction, and if the scale does not change from 0, then in the other. When it is discovered that the quality scale has increased to at least 10-15 - this is already the first success, you can stop and take a rest :) If you cannot find a signal in the entire horizontal plane, you need to slightly change the vertical angle of the antenna and start moving again in the horizontal plane until appearance of the signal. When at least some signal is found: now you need to try to move the antenna even more smoothly left and right and achieve the maximum level of signal quality. Having achieved this, you need to try to achieve an even larger signal by very smoothly moving the antenna up and down. After this, you can try to slightly rotate the converter around its axis in the holder (there are marks on the converter for this purpose):


The maximum signal can be achieved ONLY by combining all these adjustments. Another nuance - if you cannot find a signal under any conditions, and you have double-checked everything, including the receiver settings, 100 times, it makes sense to try another converter, perhaps this one is faulty. I get the maximum signal level that I can get:


It would seem that you can calm down and tighten all the adjustment screws? No matter how it is! After all, the adjustment was made for a transponder broadcasting in horizontal polarization (there is a letter H in the picture at the end of the 2nd term), but you also need to configure some transponder in vertical (V) polarization:


In my case, turning the converter in the holder counterclockwise helped achieve best quality signal in vertical polarization.

After this, you can scan the transponders (look in the documentation with your receiver for how to do this) and visually see whether the channels are received and whether they correspond to the selected satellite:


When the signals in horizontal and vertical polarization are at their maximum that can be pulled out, it is necessary to tighten all the adjusting nuts that are not fully tightened. And there is one unpleasant moment - when you tighten the nut, the antenna slightly changes its direction, and the signal quality can noticeably decrease! So you also need to tighten it very carefully. Everything, the antenna and the first converter are configured. I turn off the receiver from the socket, wind the cable from the central converter to the converter on the left (to the one on the multifeed, if you look at the antenna from the front), turn everything on, select Hotbird 13E in the menu, the same menu settings on the right as for Sirius, select the working one transponder and trying to set the maximum signal quality. Only this time I’m not adjusting the antenna, but the converter itself on the multifeed. It can move in all planes relative to the antenna focus - left, right, up, down, forward, backward:



All nuts are tightened when the signal is maximum. I don’t forget to check in both polarizations. I scan Hotbird's transponders and visually check some free channels.

I turn everything off again, twist the cable to the 3rd converter, turn everything on, select Amos 4w and configure it. Everything is the same. After this, the setup of the first antenna can be considered complete.

Second antenna. Which I am going to configure on Eutelsat W4 36E (NTV+). It’s simpler here - there’s only one converter. Moreover, since it is circularly polarized, it is not very important how it will be deployed inside the holder. It is best to have the cable facing down so that sediment does not accumulate on it:


Accordingly, you need to adjust the antenna in the horizontal and vertical planes. I turn everything off and reconnect the cable to this converter. The settings according to the purchased converter are as follows:


I set up the second antenna, check the antenna in both polarizations on different transponders. Since the converter is designed for circular polarization, they are checked not for H and V, but for L and R (left and right).

That's all. You can turn everything off. Now you need to switch the signal through the disk. It looks something like this:


My disc has 1 output to the receiver, designated REC, and 4 inputs for converters, called 1,2,3,4. I connect the converters like this:

The connection is simple - a piece of cable is connected to each converter and connected to the corresponding input of the disk. If you install one antenna with 1 converter, then you don’t need a disc. If there is one antenna for 2 converters and the disk has 2 free ports, it’s okay. The disk is installed not far from the antennas and, preferably, is placed in a waterproof box (I bought it at an electrical goods store) so that precipitation does not fall on it:


Holes for ventilation are desirable in the bottom of the disc box. Sharp angles of cable bends are not allowed! The F-connectors on the converters are closed either with the included caps or with heat-shrinkable tubing:


By the way, in the above photo you can see the distances between the converters and their angles of inclination. On the right is the antenna aimed at Eutelsat W4.

I configure the disk drive protocol (in my case 1.0) and the distribution of converters according to the inputs (ports) of the disk drive in the receiver menu:





The pictures show which converters are assigned to which inputs (ports) of the disk (to which satellite). 0/12V: On only for LanComBox. If you don’t have it, then you don’t need to turn on 12V. I save the changes, check if all the disk inputs are working (that is, if all configured satellites have a signal).

Someone may have a question: why not immediately connect all the converters to the disk, register all the inputs and configure the antennas? The answer is simple - if the disk is really not working, you will waste a LOT of time and nerves trying to set up a signal that cannot be found by definition. Among other things, without a disc you can quickly determine whether the converter you bought is working.

I tighten the cables with ties so that nothing dangles. All that remains is to loosely attach the cable to the cable, lower the cable down and tighten it. Install a cable in the apartment, connect the receiver, TV and watch satellite TV

Here's what I ended up with on the roof:


*- If there is no access to the antenna after installing it on the bracket:

when there is only one converter on the antenna, everything is clear, nothing complicated - it is fixed rigidly on the antenna, the antenna is hung outside the window (or somewhere else) on a bracket, and is adjusted in the vertical and horizontal planes all from the same window (return to the warning in beginning of the instructions!!!). What should you do if you need to configure 1 additional converter (or more) on the multifeed? At the dacha, I did this: I screwed the bracket to an old high cabinet, put the assembled antenna on it, placed the whole structure in front of a wide open window and set it up that way. By the way, a curious moment - with the very first turn on, with approximate antenna tilts, without additional settings, I received a quality level on Sirius of more than 70%! In a word, I set up all 3 converters in this form, carefully clamped everything, hung the bracket outside the window and hung the antenna with the already configured converters on it. All that remains is to adjust it in planes.


An important point when installing satellite antennas at high altitude: in addition to safety precautions and insuring yourself first, when hanging the antenna on a bracket or mast, always insure the antenna as well. Just imagine what an antenna from above can do to the head of a random passerby or to the body of an expensive BMW :)

Another thing many people recommend is grounding antennas installed on the roof, but some installers are ardent opponents of this. I'm inclined to conclude that grounding the antenna still won't hurt.

And finally:

List of the most popular channels according to the information I found today from the trinity Hotbird, Sirius, Amos (be prepared for the fact that some rotation and coding of channels may occur from time to time):

Ukrainian channels (Sirius satellite)

Inter+, Enter–Musical, Enter–Film, One-on-one*, Channel 5, Rada, Glas, Star TV Ukr, UBC, OCK, Tisa 1

Ukrainian channels (Amos satellite)

1+1, 1+1international*, 1+1-cinema, Tonis, Kiev, M1, M1-international*, O-TV, MTV Ukraine, K-1, K-2, KTM, channel 7, 24-news, Megasport*, STB, Music Box UA

Russian channels (Hot Bird satellite)

ORT international, RTR-Planeta, Euro News in Russian, CNL Christian Satellite - the first Christian channel in Russian, Russian music channel

Russian-language channels (Sirius satellite)

1 Baltic Music Channel, TV Center, TV5-Latvian Channel, Romantika-1*, Romantika-2*, Travel (travel)*, Department Store

Russian-language channels (Hot Bird)

RTR-Planet, RTR-Sport, ORT-international, Russian music channel, RBC TV, R1, TBN Russia, Ajara TV - Adjara television channel, news and the latest films in Russian, National TV of Armenia - Armenian television channel, Euro News - 24-hour news channel in Russian, CNL Christian Satellite TV Channel - the first Christian channel in Russian, Caspio Net - Kazakh TV channel of Khabar Agency CJSC, Caspio Net carries out 24-hour news broadcasting with hourly blocks in three languages: English, Kazakh and Russian, Lider TV, AZE-TV of Azerbaijan - films in Russian.

English speaking channels (Hot Bird)

Euronews, CNN, BBC, Russia Today, Jetix*, Supreme Master, Word Network, MRTV, Gog TV, Gospel Channel, I"m on TV, Get Green Card TV, Al Jazeera English, Pentagon Channel, The Prophetic Word, Denaro TV , TBN, The Church Channel, JCTV, Smile of a Child, Inspiration Network, Daystar TV, MTA International, EWTN, DW, Bloomberg, Dub Sports, Real Madrid TV, Words of Peace, Caspio.net, 3ABN, TCT, VoA ( Voice of America), Rainbow, The Spirit Word, Cool TV, Luxe TV, Derby Race TV, Jame-Jam Network, Jame-Jam Network 2, Europe by Satellite, Love World, Nile TV, Hope Channel

Sports (Hot Bird)

Planet Sport, Prima, Rai Sport Sat, Dub Sports Channel, *, AB Moteurs*, Action*, Motors TV*, Sailing Channel*, English Premiere League*, Equida Outlist*, GlobalDraw Greyhounds, Equida*, ESPN Classic Sport*, Real Madrid TV

Cartoons (Hot Bird)

Baby TV* - for the youngest, Jetix*, AJ - Children's Channel, Mangas*, Super RTL, Smile of a Child, MI TV, Boomerang*, Children's - for the youngest, Berbere TV*

Music channels (Hot Bird):

RU TV, Mezzo (Muzik)*, MCM Europe*, Music Box Russia, Deejay TV, Viva Polska, 102.5 Hit Channel, 123 SAT, Magic, Countdown, Music Box Italia, Video Italia, Onyx, Khalifa TV, Gay TV, Krisma TV

Erotic: (Hot Bird, Sirius, Amos)

Hustler TV*,Blue Hustler TV*, Sexy Sat 1, Sexy Sat 2, Sexy Sat 3, Eurotic TV, Eurotic Plus, Eurotic Dreams, E-Sat TV, Arab Girls, Supreme Master TV, Sexy Arab, G Point, Gay TV , Top Sexy TV, Free Sex Sat, Free Sex Zone, Sensuality, 4sexTV, All sex, AAA sex channel, Xstream TV, Full-X 4Free, Hot Love, Hot Chili, MCT (6 channel, XXX, encoded), (Red Licht (5 ch., XXX, encoded), SexView (14 ch., XXX, encoded)

Fashion: (Hot Bird)

Fashion, Fashion men, World Fashion, TV Moda

News: (Hot Bird)

Vesti, 24 News, Euro News, Fox News, BBC World, NBC Europe, EBS, World Net Europe, Bloomberg TV Europe, DW TV, Nile News, Canal 24 Horas, Rai News 24, Al Jazeera, Al Arabia, Khalifa News

German channels:(Hot Bird)

4 Fun TV, Euronews, Vox, Das Vierte, ZDF, EWTN, ARD Das Erste, DW, RTL2, Super RTL, Arte, Bloomberg, Words of Peace, SF Info, Europe by Satellite, Terra Nova, Luxe TV

French channels:(Hot Bird)

MTA International, Euronews, Meteo Express, Home Shopping, Demain, MTV France*, Boomerang*, TV5 Monde FBS, TV5 Monde Europe, France 24, BFM TV, EWTN, NRJ 12, Arte, Best of Shopping, NT1, La Locale, Words of Peace, Gulli, Mezzo, Europe 2, Luxe TV, Europe by Satellite, Direct 8, TV8 Mont Blanc, Nile TV, 3A Telesud, Liberty TV, JET, KTO, Walf TV

Spanish channels:(Hot Bird)

Euronews, Bethel TV, Arcoiris TV, Enlace TBN Europa, EWTN Europe, TVE, Canal 24 Horas, TVE, International, Words of Peace, Europe by Satellite

Italian channels:(Hot Bird)

Administra.it, All TV, Arte & Atre, Blu, Calabria Channel, Camera dei Deputati, Canale 10, Canale 5, Canale Italia, Canale 8, Carpe Diem, Cartomanzia Lotto, Ceramicanda, Challenger TV, Cinquestelle TV, Coming Soon TV, Cortona Notizie, Count Down TV, Diva Futura Channel, Diva Futura Live, Diva Futura Plus, Elite Shopping TV, E-TV Emilia Romagna, Euroconference, Euronews, Europe by Satellite, Expo Club, Family Life TV, Forte Rosso Sat, Free Channel , Future Sat, GBR, Gioielli D"Anna, Italia 1, Italia Channel, Italiamia, Italiani nel mondo Channel, Italiasat, Italy & Italy, Jolly Sat, Julie Channel, La 9, Lazio Channel, Libera, Libera, Magic TV, Mare TV, MediaShopping, Mediatel, Mediolanum Channel, Mediterraneo Sat 1, Mediterraneo Sat 2, Milano TV Sat, Motori TV, Music Box Italia, Napoli International, Napoli Mia, Napoli TLA, Nessuno TV, New TV, Nostradamus, Nova mosaic, Oasi TV , Odeon Sat, People TV, Planet Italia, Play TV, Puglia Channel, Punto Sat, Puntoshop, Radio Italia TV, Radio TV, RAI Doc, RAI Due, RAI Edu 1, RAI Edu 2, RAI Futura, RAI Med, RAI Nettuno Sat Due, RAI Nettuno Sat Uno, RAI News 24, RAI Sport Satellite, RAI Tre, RAI Uno, RAI Utile, Rete 4, Rete Oro Sat, Rete Capri, Roma Sat, Roma Uno, RTB International, RTL 102.5 TV, S 24 , Sardegna Uno Sat, Sat 8, Sat 9, Sat 2000, Senato Italiano, Sensuality, SET, Sicilia Channel, Sicilia International, Sixty Nine, Sky Meteo 24, Sky Meteo 24, active, Sky Meteo 24 active, Sky On Air, Sky TG 24, active In primo piano, Sky TG 24 active mosaic, Sky TG 24 active, Scienza, Sky TG 24 active Sport, Sportitalia, Star Sat, StarMarket, Studio 100 Sat, Studio Europa, Taxi Channel, TBM, TBN Italia, Tele A, Tele A piu Sat, Tele Padre Pio, TeleCampione, Telecolore, TelefortuneSat, Telelombardia, Telemarket, Telemarket 2, Telenord, Telepace, Teletirreno, Tiziana Sat, Tiziana Sat 2, Toscana Channel, TR 2 Sat, Trentino TV, TRSP, TV 7 Lombardia, TV Koper Capodistria, TV Moda, TVA Vicenza, UnoSat, Varese Sat, Veneto, Venice Channel, VideoBergamo, Videolina, Videolook Channel Italy, Vip TV, Words of Peace, Xex

Polish channels:(Hot Bird)

4 Fun TV, Baby TV*, Edusat, Europe by Satellite, ITV, Mango 24, Podroze TV, Polonia 1, Polsat 2, Polsat Zdrowie i uroda, Tele 5, TMT, TV Biznes, TV Polonia, TV Puls, TVN Gra, TVP Kultura, Viva polska

Arabic channels:(Hot Bird)

123 Sat, 2M Maroc, Abu Dhabi TV Europe, Al Aqariya TV, Al Arabiya, Al Baghdadia, Al Fayhaa TV, Al Forat Network, Al Hayat, Al Hiwar TV, Al Jazeera Channel, Al Jazeera Children's Channel, Al Jazeera Documentary , Al Jazeera Mobasher, Al Masriyah, Al Mustakillah TV, Al Ordoniyah, Alalam News Channel, AldiyarSat, Alhurra Europe, Al-Iraqiya TV, Alkawthar TV, Almaghribya, Alsharqiya TV, Al-Zahra TV, ANB, ANN, Arab 69, Arrabia , Arriyadiya, Assadissa, Canal Algerie, Dubai Sports Channel 2, Dubai TV Europe, Galaxy Sat TV, Infinity, Iqraa, Ishtar TV, Jamahirya Satellite Channel, Kuwait Space Channel, MBC Maghreb Al-Arabia, Medi 1 Sat, Miracle, Mlive, MTA International, Nile News, NourSat, Oman TV Satellite, PTV, Qatar TV, Salaam TV, Sama Dubai, Sat 7, Saudi Arabian TV 1 Satellite, Shahrazad, Sharjah TV, Spirit Channel, Strike, Sudan TV, Syria Satellite Channel, Thalitha TV, The Healing Channel, Tunis 7, TVM Europe, TVM Middle East, Victor Chandler, VoA TV, Words of Peace, Yemen Satellite TV

Indian channels:(Hot Bird)

TRT Tamil, Ceylon TV, AsiaNet, Maharishi Open University

National channels:(Hot Bird)

Armenia - National TV of Armenia. Bangladesh - ATN Bangla. Bulgaria - TV Bulgaria. Holland - BVN TV. Greece - OTE, Magic Peiraia, ERT SAT, Extra Channel, Tele Asty, Alpha TV. Georgia - Ajara TV. India - Maharishi Open University. China -CCTV. Korea - Arirang TV. Kurdistan - KurdSat. Macedonia - MKTV Sat. Poland - TV Polonia, TVN. Romania -TV Romania International, Pro TV International. Thailand -Thai TV. Yugoslavia -TV Montenegro, BK Sat, RTS Sat.

*-channel can be received if there is an emulator in the receiver, but not guaranteed. The remaining channels are open (FTA).

Good luck in choosing and using satellite systems :)

Source not specified

Hotbird is a European satellite that broadcasts many foreign television programs. It is connected to watch television in Polish, French, Arabic, Armenian, Italian, Portuguese, as well as languages ​​of African and Middle Eastern countries.

A special set of equipment is used to receive signals:

  • Satellite dish with a diameter of 90-120 cm;
  • Linear converter;
  • Receiver;
  • Cable.

When installing the HotBird antenna at 90 cm, reception of open channels is ensured, for which you do not need to pay a subscription fee to view. To watch encrypted pay TV channels foreign programs a plate with a diameter of 120-140 cm is required. This is data from Moscow.

Installation and configuration of HotBird satellite antennas

Specialists install HotBird satellite antennas in accordance with a specific algorithm of actions. First you need to determine the direction of the satellite. To do this, you can use the service on the Internet or a regular compass. On a specialized website, by name and exact address in Moscow you can see on the map the position and direction of its movement, marked with a colored line. After checking that there is a way out of the house or apartment in the right direction, you need to evaluate the obstacles that are in the way of reception.

Using a compass, a specialist determines the direction of the broadcast signal from the satellite. You need to find the “south” mark, and then count 24 degrees in a westerly direction, to mark 204. It is in this zone that the broadcast from Hotbird will be received. The interference on the receiving path from it is assessed in the same way.

If the signal cannot be received from the wall or windows of the building, then the connection is made on the roof. To do this, the cable is pulled along a low-current riser or facade. Installation of the dish on the roof, its connection and configuration is carried out only by a professional technician after all the necessary measurements have been taken. Doing this yourself is difficult and can lead to additional costs.

The bracket is mounted on a solid wall made of brick or concrete. The diameter of the plate has an increased windage, so soft or ventilated facades are not able to withstand such a load. You can use iron railings for balconies. This is only allowed if they do not play, since swinging the antenna even with minimal amplitude harms the signal, and the image will periodically disappear. A cable is installed inside the home to the TV. If there are several TV points in an apartment or house, then a separate cable must go to each of them, which requires immediately purchasing a converter for several outputs.

Setup Wizards: Challenge

The technician can be called by phone, providing information that will be useful for a preliminary assessment of the upcoming work. And it’s important to start with what exactly you want to get as a result of the setup satellite dish to the HotBird satellite. What channels and number of connected TVs are you interested in? This information will help specialists select the right equipment and calculate the cost of installation already at the stage telephone conversation. For example, Armenian or Italian channels will be received with a set with an Mpeg 2 receiver, and French channels with an Mpeg 4 receiver, which is more expensive. If the TV already has a built-in tuner, then a receiver will not be required, and the final price will be lower.

Masters perform the procedure using a receiver with a TV or a special adjusting device. With such a device, work is noticeably simplified, since it is small in size and does not require moving the TV and receiver to the installation area. The device is designed to demonstrate the strength and level of the signal; there is an audio indication. However, it is not able to recognize the received satellite, which is why, when the device receives the highest value, it is necessary to check the channels from the satellite on the receiver.

In any case, first indicate the corresponding satellite parameters in the tuner:

  • Name Eutelsat Hotbird 13B/13C/13E;
  • Transponder: 12322 MHz, polarization: horizontal, bit rate: 27500, error correction: 3⁄4;
  • Disek - off. 22KHz - off.

The transponder is selected from the cumulative list of frequencies for this satellite or in the “ Manual search" There will be two bars on the screen to fill: signal level and signal quality. Both scales must be made full, but not less than 60-70%.

To configure the antenna on the astra hotbird, you need to install a multifeed and a Disek converter, which is responsible for linear polarization. This kit gives access to a number of satellites at once - astra 4 and 19.2 and Hotbird, opening access to a lot of channels from Germany and Ukraine, since the viewing angle increases significantly. Regardless of the volume and labor intensity of the necessary manipulations for installation on the wall or on the roof, all work will be completed in a short time.

Cost of work: setup, installation, repair of HotBird satellite antennas

Our employees perform a whole range of installation and commissioning work.

  • configuration;
  • replacing the converter if damaged or fails;
  • cable replacement or repair;
  • connecting additional TVs;
  • working with set-top box options;
  • replacement of mirrors;
  • flashing the receiver;
  • preparation of special support;
  • replacing connectors.

Setting up for watching TV by masters in Moscow is a service that costs from 2,500 rubles. In addition, there will be costs for components:

  • converter with one output - from 490 rub. (if more outputs are needed, the price increases);
  • cable - from 35 rub./m;
  • plate for reception from 1590 rub. (90 cm) or from 5600 rub. (120 cm);
  • lightning protection - from 490 rub.

If any problems arise with the functioning of the Hotbird satellite dish from Tricolor, repairs are carried out by the company’s specialists as soon as possible. The need for repairs arises in all sorts of situations: the dish has lost the satellite signal, the broadcast cable has failed; the receiver is broken or otherwise. Our specialists will quickly and efficiently solve all these problems.