How To Adjust A DirecTV Satellite Dish (Fixing)

Adjusting A DirecTV satellite dish is very easy if you have the right tools available. Many people do find it challenging to do because they lack basic knowledge. If you’re experiencing no or inadequate signal, then to may need to re-peak your DirecTv satellite dish to get a better signal. This post will show you how to adjust the Directv satellite dish by yourself rather than calling the technician to fix it.

Three Steps To Follow To Adjust A DirecTV Satellite Dish

Re-Booting Your DirecTV Receiver
Adjusting Your DirecTV Satellite Dish
Re-Securing Your Satellite Dish

Before you adjust your DirecTV satellite dish, there’re safety instructions accompanied in the DirecTV receiver box or visit here. And see this post, If you want to record an event on DirecTV decoder and watch back later.

Requirements And Tools

You will need the following tools and equipment while adjusting your dish:

A ladder of enough height to reach the roof where satellite dish was mounted
7/16 inch or 1/2 inch crescent wrench base on the size of the dish
7-inch magnetic bubble level
A Dishpointer app with a compass
DirecTV Receiver
A Television

Adjusting A DirecTV Satellite Dish — Image Credit By Jim Litz

Re-Booting Your DirecTV Receiver

If you are experiencing searching for signal message appeared on your tv screen, you need to disconnect your DirecTV receiver’s power cord for 30 seconds. Put the power cord back to the wall socket. If the problem continues, Preferably, you’ll need to re-adjust your satellite dish by adjusting the elevation and azimuth settings.

Re-Peaking Your DirecTV Satellite Dish

You need to access the signal meters (Installation menu) from the setting, before adjusting your DirecTV satellite dish. There’s a “Help Menu” in the receiver that monitors the signal to your satellite dish. To get access to the Signal Meter menu, You need to follow below steps:

Press the menu button from your remote controller
Choose Settings and press ok, then click on the Help on the left side menu.
Press ok on the “Settings.”
Select the satellite on the left side menu
Choose “View Signal Strength” on the bottom right side of the tv screen.
Select “Signal Meter” on the bottom right side of your tv screen by scrolling down.

Place your tv to be in the line of sight while adjusting your satellite dish. It is unprofessional to ask your friend to look for the signal meter and tell you the signal strength while adjusting your DirecTV satellite dish.

To re-adjust your dish antenna, you will need to do the following:

Check if the mast is level on the ground surface
Adjust the elevation of the satellite dish antenna
Adjust the azimuth of the dish

Note that the mast must be well mounted on the ground, and the satellite dish’s weight must not heavier than what pole can carry because the mast can swing down and hit if the load is not balanced.

Check If The Mast Is Level On The Ground Surface

Bad weather or strong wind can cause loss of satellite signal due to this, the pole or mast might not be moved or shaken. However, you can proceed to the next step and adjust the azimuth of your DirecTV satellite dish. It is good to check if the mast satisfied the following:

Use the Dishpointer to get the target satellite parameters with the help of the accompanied compass.
Place your ladder to the right location to reach your satellite dish. Make sure that you place the ladder on a level surface to prevent falling and injury.
Make use of 7/16 or 1/2 inch wrench, depending on your dish antenna’s size to unscrew the support sleeve nuts, at the back of your satellite dish.
Remove your satellite dish antenna gently and place it on the safe place or ground surface.
Put the 7-inch magnetic bubble level on the pole to confirm that it’s plumb to the ground surface or 90 degrees.
Re-mount the pole or mast if necessary to a precise location and make sure it is perpendicular to the ground surface.
Fix your satellite dish back onto the pole or mast
Re-tighten the sleeve nuts at the back of your satellite dish, ensuring the dish is still moving.

After you have placed the satellite dish back on to the pole, you can proceed to adjust the azimuth of the DirecTV Satellite dish.

Fix DirecTV Signal : How To Adjust A DirecTV Satellite Dish — Image Credit By Jim Litz

Adjusting The Azimuth Of The DirecTV Satellite Dish

The azimuth can be best described as the rotation of the whole satellite dish along the vertical axis (the pole or mast). It is also known as the horizontal axis (side-to-side). To adjusting your DirecTV satellite dish, you will need to perform the following:

Firstly, use the compass on your dishpointer to get a precise direction.
Rotate your satellite dish slowly from the east towards the west and vice-versa. Make sure you monitor the signal level on the signal meter of the Dish Pointing menu.
Once you get the satellite signal, rotate the dish toward east and west until the signal meter has reached the highest signal level.
Tighten the support sleeve nuts very well, and ensure your satellite dish is not moving anymore.

If the satellite signal strength is still not improving to your satisfaction, you can adjust the elevation of the DirecTV satellite dish. The elevation part of your dish antenna can only be altered if the elevation bots not tighten.

Adjusting The Elevation Of The DirecTV Satellite Dish

The elevation can be best explained as the angle between the satellite dish facing a direction directly towards the satellite and local horizontal plane. To adjust the elevation (height) of your DirecTV satellite dish:

Relax the elevation bolts both sides of the satellite dish with the help of your hands
Raise the dish vertically, while monitoring the signal strength on the signal meter on the tv screen. If you realized that the signal level starts to decrease, drop your satellite dish until the signal strength reaches the highest level.
At the point of the highest level signal strength, tighten the elevation bolts very well without the dish moving anymore.

Re-Securing Your Satellite Dish

After you might have acquired both the azimuth and elevation, checking all the support sleeve nuts and bolts tightened enough to prevent shaken and movable. Also, checking the satellite signal is at the highest level, then you have successfully either fix the DirecTV signal issue or re-peak your DirecTV satellite dish.