How to Install a DStv Dish Yourself (Step by Step)

You can install a DStv dish yourself in an afternoon with basic tools, a ladder and a helper. The work that matters most happens before you touch the dish: picking the right spot and getting the pole perfectly upright. Get those two right, and aiming the dish becomes easy.

Below is how to install a DStv dish in the same order a professional installer works, from choosing the spot to the first channel on your TV.

What You Need to Install a DStv Dish

A DStv dish kit: the dish, its bracket and the LNB that fits on the arm. Use a smart LNB if you plan to add Extra View or an Explora later.
A wall bracket or a pole, with strong bolts or wall plugs.
RG6 satellite cable long enough to reach the decoder without joins.
Two or more F connectors and a sharp knife or cable stripper.
Tools: a drill, spanners, a screwdriver, a spirit level and a compass or phone.
Self amalgamating tape to seal the outdoor connection.
A helper, to watch the TV while you adjust the dish.

A larger dish holds the signal better in heavy rain, so if you install a DStv dish in an area with frequent storms, the extra size is worth it.

Step 1: Choose the Right Spot for the DStv Dish

The dish needs a clear, open view of the sky in the direction of the DStv satellite. In Nigeria that is east and slightly south. In South Africa it is northeast. Stand where you plan to mount it and check that no tree, wall, roof or water tank blocks that direction.

Think about the future too. A small tree today can block the signal in two years, and a neighbour’s new floor can do the same. Pick a spot well clear of anything that might grow or be built.

When you install a DStv dish, also choose a spot you can reach safely. You will adjust the dish several times while aiming, and you may need to clean or check it later. Keep well away from electricity cables.

Step 2: Mount the Pole or Wall Bracket

Fix the pole or bracket firmly to a solid wall, roof beam or concrete base, then use a spirit level to make the pole perfectly upright. A pole that leans even slightly throws off every angle you set later, which is the most common reason people who install a DStv dish themselves find no signal.

Check the pole with the level on two sides, front and side, because it can look straight from one angle and lean from another. Tighten all bolts fully. A dish that moves in the wind will lose its signal again within weeks.

On a wall, drill into solid brick or concrete, not plaster alone. Use proper wall plugs and bolts sized for the bracket.

Step 3: Assemble the DStv Dish and Fit the LNB

Assemble the dish and its bracket on the ground, following the kit’s instructions. Then clip the LNB into the holder at the end of the arm, with its connector pointing down so rain runs off it. Leave the dish bolts loose enough to turn and tilt.

Mount the assembled dish on the pole. Keep the bolts snug but not tight, so you can move it left, right, up and down while aiming.

Look for the angle scale on the back of the bracket. You will use it in Step 5 to set the starting tilt.

Step 4: Run and Weatherproof the Cable

Fit an F connector to the cable, screw it onto the LNB, and run the cable to where the decoder will sit. Use one unbroken length of RG6 cable, and seal the connection at the LNB so rain cannot get in. Water in this connector is the most common cause of signal loss later.

How to fit an F connector

Cut the cable end straight.
Strip the outer cover back about 1.5 centimetres, without cutting the thin wire mesh under it.
Fold the mesh back over the outer cover.
Strip the white insulation from the centre wire, leaving the copper core sticking out.
Screw the connector on until the white insulation sits level with the inside of the connector.
Check that no strand of mesh touches the centre wire. Trim the core so it sticks out only a few millimetres.

Once the connector is on the LNB, wrap it with self amalgamating tape. Clip the cable along walls so it cannot flap. Just before it enters the house, let it dip down in a small loop, so rain drips off the loop instead of following the cable inside.

Step 5: Aim the DStv Dish

Set the tilt on the bracket scale to the angle for your city, turn the dish to the right compass direction, then fine tune it while a helper watches the signal quality on the TV. Move the dish in very small steps and stop at the highest steady reading.

You need the decoder connected to a TV for this step, so do Step 6 first if you are working alone. Then follow this order:

Set the starting tilt on the bracket scale. In most of Nigeria it is roughly 51 to 56 degrees. In South Africa it is roughly 24 to 37 degrees.
Turn the dish towards the satellite. A free satellite finder app on your phone shows the exact direction for your location.
Open the signal screen on the decoder. On most models, press the i or Help button on the DStv remote.
Turn the dish slowly left and right, a few millimetres at a time, while your helper calls out the quality reading.
When quality peaks, tighten the left and right bolts. Then adjust the tilt the same way and tighten.
Finally, twist the LNB slightly in its holder to gain a few more points of quality.

For the exact direction and tilt for your city, and what a good reading looks like, see our guide on fixing DStv signal strength. No signal meter? Our guide on aligning a satellite dish without a meter explains how to do it using only the decoder.

Step 6: Connect the Decoder to the TV

Screw the satellite cable into the decoder’s LNB IN or satellite socket, then connect the decoder to the TV with an HDMI cable. Plug in the decoder’s power, switch on the TV, and select the HDMI input the decoder is connected to.

Insert the smartcard into the decoder, chip facing down, if your decoder uses one.
Connect the satellite cable to the socket marked LNB IN, Dish IN or similar.
Connect an HDMI cable from the decoder to any HDMI socket on the TV.
Plug the decoder into power and switch it on.
On the TV remote, press Source or Input and choose the HDMI socket you used.

Older TVs without HDMI can use the decoder’s AV cable, with the yellow, red and white plugs, if your decoder has AV sockets. HDMI gives a sharper picture and carries sound and picture on one cable.

Want DStv on a second TV as well? Our guide to connecting a DStv decoder to multiple TVs explains your options.

Step 7: Scan for Channels and Activate

A new or reset decoder starts the installation wizard on its own. Choose the correct satellite for your country, set the LNB type, and let it scan. Once channels appear, activate your subscription through DStv and leave the decoder on a channel while the activation arrives.

Choosing the wrong satellite in the wizard is the most common reason people install a DStv dish perfectly and still find nothing. Our guide to fixing DStv not scanning lists the correct installation settings for each region and walks through every wizard screen.

For activation, contact DStv or use your country’s DStv app or website with your smartcard or IUC number. If channels then show an error, our guide to resetting DStv explains what each code means.

Mistakes That Ruin a Good Installation

Most failed attempts to install a DStv dish come down to one of these.

A leaning pole. Every angle on the DStv dish depends on it being upright. Check it with a level before mounting the dish.
Joints in the cable. Each join loses signal and lets water in. Use one continuous length.
An unsealed LNB connector. It works for months, then fails in the rainy season. Tape it on the first day.
Aiming in big jumps. The signal window is narrow. Move the dish millimetres at a time and wait for the reading to settle.
Loose bolts. A dish that moves in the wind loses its signal. Tighten everything once the reading is good.
Working alone on a roof. Always have someone with you, and never climb in wind or rain.

Do I need an installer to install a DStv dish?

No, you can install a DStv dish yourself if you are comfortable with tools and heights and have a helper. Call an accredited DStv installer if the dish must go on a high or steep roof, if you are setting up Extra View with several decoders, or if you cannot find the signal after careful aiming.

Can I install a DStv dish without a signal meter?

Yes. When you install a DStv dish without a meter, the decoder’s own signal screen does the same job. It reacts more slowly, so move the dish in smaller steps and wait a few seconds after each move.

Once your picture is clear and the bolts are tight, you have finished. That is everything you need to install a DStv dish yourself. For decoder accessories, activation and help in your country, start at the official DStv website.

Valentine

Frenzy valentine is a passionate blogger, developer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and author of myfreshgists.com.