How to Determine Satellite Dish Coordinates With a Zip Code (6 Steps)
By Adrian Grahams
Precise alignment of your satellite dish is vital for satisfactory reception of all available paid and free-to-air digital satellite television channels. Different broadcast satellites transmit different bouquets of channels, so you need to ensure the dish points at your preferred satellite broadcaster. To determine satellite dish coordinates with a ZIP code, use an online dish pointer website. The site uses your ZIP code to locate your position and provide the correct bearing and reception angle coordinates for your preferred satellite.
Step 1
Launch your Web browser. Navigate to your preferred satellite dish pointer website, such as Dishpointer.com, Satellite Signals or Satcalculator.
Step 2
Type your ZIP code into the location input field at the top of the page.
Step 3
Click your preferred broadcast satellite from the drop-down list. Some services also offer a list of the most popular broadcast satellites at your location, so click the satellite from this list if it's available. On some services, you'll also need to click the check box beside your dish setup type, for example, "Single Satellite System" or "Multi-Satellite System."
Step 4
Click the "Go" or "Submit" button. This calculates the correct coordinates for your location.
Step 5
Scroll down the page to view the correct coordinates for positioning your satellite dish in the "Dish Setup Data" section. This shows the compass direction coordinates, reception angle coordinate and the Low Noise Block skew coordinate.
Step 6
Write down the coordinates on a slip of paper so that you can read them easily while aligning the satellite dish.
References
Tips
- Rest the compass on the satellite dish arm during alignment to ensure you position the dish to the correct bearing. Use the elevation markings on the back of the satellite dish mount to set the correct reception angle.
Writer Bio
Adrian Grahams began writing professionally in 1989 after training as a newspaper reporter. His work has been published online and in various newspapers, including "The Cornish Times" and "The Sunday Independent." Grahams specializes in technology and communications. He holds a Bachelor of Science, postgraduate diplomas in journalism and website design and is studying for an MBA.