I thought I'd have a go at installing a dish today. After basically 
copying the neighbours setup e.g. dish location which was a nightmare 
trying to drill into this concrete mutant mix I got the bracket on ok. 
Being a bit thick today I didn't realise there was a lamp post directly 
infront of my dish and the line it follows to astra 28.2. Having takena 
a break just now to ask if this is going to block ? the signal while I 
try ad remeber where the blooming cable is.

All my neighbiours dishs just clear this lamp post area fortunate for them.

BTW first go at installating a dish. Not to clued up but just about 
enough knowledge to do it... or so I thought.

So bascailly the dish mesh face bit receives the signal and bouces it 
onto the lnb which sends input through the cable to your box, which 
decrpypts it and comes up on your tele ?

I'm hoping if it is an obstacle that the signal catches the dish ... you 
can tell I'm reaching here ... and hits the lnb.

...note to self buy a nice sds drill for home diy :)

HOw accurate the alignment need to be ? ... I have one of those analouge 
sat finder meters from maplins. Basicically says to keep the needle at 5 
for azi something and up and down  for the rest of us :)

Still beats having a sky installer come back to my house and destroy all 
in his path! well not that bad but he thought it was ok to smoke and 
stub it out on white new carpet.

Appreciate any advice.

I shall sit and get m y breath back before I have to climb back up a 
ladder and enjoy a cuppa. Almost like excercise.

> I thought I'd have a go at installing a dish today. After basically
> copying the neighbours setup e.g. dish location which was a nightmare
> trying to drill into this concrete mutant mix I got the bracket on ok.
> Being a bit thick today I didn't realise there was a lamp post directly
> infront of my dish and the line it follows to astra 28.2. Having takena
> a break just now to ask if this is going to block ? the signal while I
> try ad remeber where the blooming cable is.

As you have the mount in place, just see what signal you get, no
need to shorten the coax or fix it to the wall, for the test.

> So bascailly the dish mesh face bit receives the signal and bouces it
> onto the lnb which sends input through the cable to your box, which
> decrpypts it and comes up on your tele ?

That's about it, the LNB also does a bit of frequency
changing, polarisation switching and so on.

> HOw accurate the alignment need to be ? ... I have one of those analouge
> sat finder meters from maplins. Basicically says to keep the needle at 5
> for azi something and up and down  for the rest of us :)

I found the Sky mini dish was less critical on azimuth, than
an 80cm dish, had a problem finding the satellite with the 80cm,
had to fix a bit of string beween two garden canes parrallel
to the Sky arm, then line up the 80cm dish arm
to that, once I found and peaked the 80cm signal I
never looked back, no dropout during heavy precipitation,
full house signal quality, and strength.

> I shall sit and get my breath back before I have to climb back up a
> ladder and enjoy a cuppa. Almost like excercise.

No chance you can go for a patio mount? LNB at knee height.
Less windage on the dish so it is less likely to shift in a gale.
Easier to fix things if the LNB goes tits up.

> Appreciate any advice.

Dishes don't normally come with correct elevation setting.
Tilt of dish roughly the same as neighbbours, elevation
can be a bit tricky.
You may see more than one satellite, Astra may not be
the strongest reading, have girl friend or ball and chain
near set, shouting out of window or on cellphone.
Few secs after you hit the correct satellite "No signal
being received" should disappear, and music burst forth,
welcome to Sky on screen.
Train her how to get to services, signal strength and
quality menu, and while still up the ladder, peak for
best reading, bearing in mind that signal quality is the
more important. That done you can tighten the bolts,
remove the meter, waterproof the LNB connection,
pin the coax in place. etc.

wrote in message 
news:6Qt7k.122050$M63.56515@newsfe13.ams2...
> Few secs after you hit the correct satellite "No signal
> being received" should disappear, and music burst forth,
> welcome to Sky on screen.

If it doesn't work try rebooting the box.

Bill

> which was a nightmare
> trying to drill into this concrete mutant mix

PS drilling into the morter between bricks is a
bit of a no no.
Tends to come loose in the first gale.
Drilling into solid brick or non foamed solid concrete
is best, but some bricks are hollow, and you need
the right fixings.
Too much force and wedge action splits the
brickwork.
Hence the benefit of an easy to get at patio
mount. None of this up a ladder stuff, in
mid-winter, stiff freezing breeze, numb
fingers, getting wet, etc.
Self almalagamating tape isn't over brilliant
around freezing point, particularly with
numb fingers.