Wondering how to align DirecTV satellite dish without meter? Well, this might sound like a very complicated process but it’s quite simple.
All you need to do is remain invested throughout this guide and read everything, so you can confidently go and realign your DirecTV dish!
To align a DirecTV satellite dish without a meter, go to “dishpointer.com”, and input your location so you can receive the correct elevation and azimuth.
From there, based on the correct values you can go outside and realign your DirecTV dish without a meter easily!
Let’s continue to unwrap this method in more depth!
A Word About Why Re-Aligning DirecTV Dish?
Let’s begin unwrapping this topic by asking the question – do you really need to re-align?
The DirecTV satellite dish alignment is responsible for how good the overall signal reception would be as well as signal withstanding weather.
In contrast, some users may experience complete signal loss even on a perfect day, where dish alignment plays a vital role.
5 Reasons to Realign DirecTV Dish!
Before asking “How do I align my DirecTV dish without a meter” ask “Why” first:
- Some or all channels are missing
- The output is blurry or cloudy
- Reception is terrible even in good weather
- The signal is dropping at random times
- The overall signal is below average
Perhaps you’re experiencing one of these because you’re re-aligned the DirecTV dish without a meter, but surely this guide will help further.
There are other methods and tools that will help you re-align the DirecTV dish and reduce some of the aforementioned issues.
How to Align DirecTV Satellite Dish Without Meter?
Having a meter is convenient, but it’s not surprising that we don’t have these devices lying around at home.
The technicians typically carry these devices with them in order to measure and determine the best orientation and installation approach for the DirecTV satellite dish!
So without further ado, here’s how to align the DirecTV dish without a meter.
1. Go to DishPointer Online Utility!
DishPointer is an online website that you can access from any computer, smartphone, or other device, as long as you’re connected to the internet.
Simply go to dishpointer.com to acquire a general understanding of what the tool looks like.
Then, insert your ZIP Code or the exact coordinates (lat, lon). Alternatively, feel free to click on the “Navigation” button to automatically insert your location.
Shortly you will be provided with a live map of your location with all of the necessary info:
- Address: longitude and latitude coordinates
- Satellite: which is the selected satellite
- Elevation: the elevation based on location
- Azimuth (true): degrees
- Azimuth (marn. Degrees
The Azimuth and Elevation are used to measure the direction and how high is the satellite you need to align the dish accordingly.
Here’s a visualization of the info you now have:
2. Check the Current Signal Strength
The next step is to check what is the current signal received from the DirecTV dish before we start making alignments.
This will help us understand whether there is any improvement once the DirecTV satellite dish is adjusted as per the values provided by the dish-pointer tool.
- On your TV/receiver go to Settings > Help > Satellite > View Signal Strength!
In case you’re unable to find the setting, consult the user manual of your TV or receive used to input the signal from the DirecTV dish.
Ultimately, you should see the current signal strength with the current DirecTV dish elevation and azimuth.
Tip: Ensure that you will be able to know when there are any changes in the signal strength upon aligning the dish.
You can either re-position the TV or ask one more person for help!
3. Re-Align the DirecTV Dish Correctly!
Here comes the actual hard part, and it’s important to first mention that you should be extremely careful when reaching your DirecTV satellite dish.
You would need to ensure that you bring a wrench with you to be able to undo the nuts as well as gloves to protect your hands.
Here’s how to re-align your DirecTV dish without a meter:
- Start by loosening the nuts and enabling the dish movement.
- Use the same-size wrench to securely loosen the dish bolts.
- This will enable the horizontal movement of the satellite dish.
- Rotate and adjust the dish as per the elevation and azimuth.
- Check multiple times for changes in the signal strength on the TV.
- Ensure that you allow the dish to stand still for a few seconds.
- When the signal is getting stronger, focus on adjusting this way.
- When the new dish alignment is correct, tighten all bolts and nuts.
We strongly recommend having a second person to help you communicate while one of you is outside adjusting the dish.
This way you can definitely acquire an idea of which exact position the DirecTV dish receives the strongest signal, hence this is the best course of action.
Note: Avoid undoing the bolts all the way out, only loosen enough to be able to adjust!
4. Secure the DirecTV Dish Stationary!
When you receive a signal and align the DirecTV satellite dish, it’s very important to secure ALL bolts tightly so the dish will not be able to move.
In case the dish is wiggling, stronger winds will definitely impact the signal strength so pay exceptional attention to securing the satellite dish.
We recommend slowly moving and slowly tightening each of the bolts while communicating with the person monitoring the signal strength.
This way you will discover the sweet spot and be able to tighten all bolts one after another without dislocating the DirecTV satellite dish.
Tip: Using a monkey wrench saves a lot of headaches!
5. Test the Dish Signal Strenght
That was how to align DirecTV HD satellite dish without meter so what are the next steps?
The final step is to test the signal strength that the DirecTV dish now receives. You can test in a few ways, but you definitely know what to do based on the reason for the dish realignment.
Simply, retune for channels, or check whether old channels are now having better overall quality and if something has improved.
Well, in case you’re not quite sure whether there is an upgrade over the previous situation, wait until bad weather and determine based on the signal strength.
Tip: Tuning the Azimuth Angle!
When tuning the Azimuth angle, it’s enough to get the general direction and start adjusting the dish with very small increments.
Then by communicating with the person in front of the TV, you will start knowing when to stop and when the signal is the strongest.
DirecTV Satellite Dish is Aligned but No Reception?
In case you’ve followed the steps in this guide and now your DirecTV dish is aligned as per the correct elevation and azimuth, it’s still possible to have a bad signal.
There are numerous causes and they are almost all related to the satellite dish and again, the positioning!
Follow these simple tips to ensure that your DirecTV satellite dish is positioned correctly:
- The DirecTV satellite dish shouldn’t be on the ground
- Elevate the DirecTV satellite dish as high as possible
- The dish shouldn’t be facing toward a tree or building
- The satellite dish shouldn’t be covered with anything
- The satellite dish must have a clear view of the sky above
- The connection between the dish and TV is loose or faulty
In addition, it’s not excluded that your DirecTV satellite dish is damaged and this is why there is no signal even when aligned correctly.
The only solution remains seeking help, so keep reading!
One More Thing!
It’s important to keep in mind that the signal cable from the satellite dish that is connecting to your receiver is also of great importance.
In case of any issues with the cable or the connectors will ultimately lead to a bad signal, which won’t be fixed by re-aligning the satellite dish!
DirecTV Dish Not Signal – Final Steps!
In case your DirecTV dish is not receiving a signal even after performing a re-alignment, you need some professional help so contact DirecTV Customer Support.
Share what you’ve tried in this guide and the way you’ve re-aligned the dish for more troubleshooting and qualified help!
Quick Recap:
In this guide, we’ve learned how to align DirecTV satellite dish without a meter effectively and the best possible way to optimize the signal strength. We now know that by knowing the elevation and azimuth we can realign our DirecTV dish the correct way!
We hope that this guide was helpful so follow us for more!
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Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.