RCA Satellite System - Manuals

3 First Things First 3 An Introduction Hi, my name is Mark and I wrote this DSS ® System Installation Manual. You probably weren’t expectinga personal introduction, but then, this digitalsatellite system was designed to give you more thanyou expected. Installing the dish isn’t too complicated, but y...

4 First Things First Installation Overview The manual is organized into sections that need to be performedin the order they are presented. First Things First. This chapter gives you the information you’ll need to find out whether you really want to tackle the DSS ® System installation yourself. You’...

5 First Things First The First Big Question: Should I DoThis Myself? While the installation is not difficult, it does require that you havesome experience in electrical wiring and minor constructiontechniques. Also, you may have to climb a ladder, so you’ll want tobe comfortable working with heights...

6 First Things First First Things First Where Is The Satellite, Anyway? The satellite is always located south of Texas. That means if youlive in Miami, you must have a clear line of sight to thesouthwest; if you live in San Francisco, you must have a clear lineto the southeast. How High Up in the Sk...

7 First Things First First Things First Unpack and Take Inventory Verify that the DSS ® dish box contains these parts: • mounting foot and mast assembly • satellite dish • LNB (Low Noise Block converter) • LNB support arm • hardware packet 1 Phillips head screw 1 Retainer nut LNB Mounting Hardware 4...

8 First Things First Start Putting The Dish Together You won’t completely assemble the dish in this section, but youwill begin the assembly procedure. 1. Locate the satellite dish, the four self-locking nuts and fourstar washers that came in the hardware packet. 2. Place the dish on the LNB support ...

9 Some Indoor Stuff What ’s To Do Indoors? A fine question. Well, there are a few tasks you need toaccomplish before you can go outside and install thedish. First, you’ll connect the DSS ® receiver to your TV. One of the four connections scenarios shown should matchyour system. Then, you’ll work on ...

10 Some Indoor Stuff Connecting the DSS ® Receiver You’ll need to connect your DSS ® receiver to your TV and use the on-screen menu system to find the dish pointing coordinates foryour location. The following pages show four preferred methods of connectingthe DSS ® receiver to your TV. These connect...

11 Some Indoor Stuff Choosing a Connection The following pages show four examples of hookups commonlyused to connect the DSS ® receiver with a TV and other components. Refer to your TV and VCR Owner’s Manuals formore information on hooking up your specific components. Connection A Provides the best ...

12 Some Indoor Stuff Connection A Best Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF, audio/video, and S-Video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF input and output • Coaxial, audio/video, and S-Video cables To connect TV, VCR and antenna or cable box. 1. Connect coax...

14 Some Indoor Stuff Connection B Very Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF and audio/video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF input and output • Coaxial and audio/video cables To connect TV, VCR and antenna or cable box. 1. Connect coaxial cables as s...

16 Some Indoor Stuff Connection C Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input (jack) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial and audio/video cables To connect TV, VCR, and antenna or cable box. 1. Connect coaxial cables and audio/video cables as sho...

18 Some Indoor Stuff Connection D Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input • Coaxial cables To connect TV and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables as shown. To receive DSS ® programming: • Tune TV to channel 3 or 4 (depending on how you set t...

20 Some Indoor Stuff Programming the DSS ® Remote to Control Your TV In a few pages, you’ll use the DSS ® receiver’s menu system to find the dish pointing coordinates for your location. You’ll probablyfind it easier if you use the DSS ® remote instead of the receiver’s front panel buttons, so you ne...

21 Some Indoor Stuff A-Mark ...................................... 102 Admiral ..................................... 005 Amtron ...................................... 064 Akai .................................. 002, 103 Anam ................................ 104, 105 Anam National .................. ...

22 Some Indoor Stuff Using the Setup Menu to Find theElevation and Azimuth The DSS ® receiver is preprogrammed to give you the coordinates for pointing your dish at the satellite. All you have to do is enteryour zip code. First, plug in your DSS ® receiver. Setup The first time that you turn on the ...

23 Some Indoor Stuff Set the Elevation on the Dish The first part of the dish pointing process is to set the dish topoint up toward the satellite. This is called “setting theelevation.” 1. Locate the dish and support arm. 2. Loosen the two elevation nuts so the support sleeve canrotate easily. 3. Ro...

25 Some Outdoor Stuff You’re finally ready to install the dish, right? Sorry, notjust yet. First you have to select the best mounting site.You may already know where you want to mount thedish, but it’s a good idea to examine all the options.Here’s an overview: First you’ll make a precise site survey...

26 Some Outdoor Stuff Precise Site Survey In Chapter 1, you conducted a general site survey to find thelocation or locations that will provide the dish with a clear line ofsite to the satellite. Now you’ll use a compass to make a moreprecise survey. Using a Compass to Find the Satellite 1. Go outsid...

27 Some Outdoor Stuff Another Site Survey? You’ve gone through the site survey once already, butexperience tells us this second survey is crucial. Do You Have A Suitable Location? Based on the site surveys you made in the previous section, doyou have a clear view to the satellite from at least one l...

28 Some Outdoor Stuff Choosing A Mounting Surface Once you have identified the site (or sites) for mounting thedish, you need to choose a mounting method. The method formounting the dish depends on where you want to mount thedish and the type of mounting surface. You can install the dishon several s...

29 Some Outdoor Stuff Other Mounting Options • Pole Mount A pole mount is good if you want or need to install the dishsome distance away from your house. You may needsupporting guy wires if the pole extends too far above theground. Do not use a pole mount in wet or marshy areas. • Chimney Mount You ...

30 Some Outdoor Stuff About Grounding the System Now that you’ve selected your permanent mounting site (ornarrowed it down), you need to determine where you’ll run theRG-6 coaxial cables and how you’ll the ground the DSS ® system. Grounding the DSS ® system to the central building ground helps prote...

31 Some Outdoor Stuff Estimating Cable Requirements Here’s how to determine where to put the grounding blockand estimate the length of the RG-6 coaxial cables andground wires. 1. Locate the central building ground. You will ground thedish and the cable grounding block to a single point inthe central...

33 Testing the System Testing the System ➣ Some Indoor Stuff ➣ ➣➣ ➣ First Things First Some OutdoorStuff Testing the System Mounting The Mast Final Approach Earn Extra Credit This chapter includes instructions for setting up the dishon a temporary site in order to test the system. Whilethis is not s...

34 Testing the System Setting Up the Temporary Stand 1. Choose a location for the system test. Here are someconsiderations: • You must test the system outside • you’ll need a flat surface for the temporary stand • the site you pick for the test must have an unobstructed viewto the satellite • the si...

35 Testing the System mast 5 3. Tighten the bolts on the foot so that the mast will not rotate. 4. Secure the mounting foot to the temporary stand. Try usingclamps, lag bolts, or a helper to hold the mast foot in place. 5. Place the dish assembly on the mast. 6. Make sure you have a length of RG-6 c...

36 Testing the System BOLT NUT ( insert first ) OUT TOTV IN FROM ANT S-VIDEO VIDEO R L AUDIO WIDE BAND DATA SATELLITE IN PHONE JACK CH4CH3 LNB 8. Connect the end of the cable to the LNB. 9. Insert the end of the LNB into the end of the LNB supportarm. Push any extra cable back through the LNB suppor...

37 Testing the System Picking Up the Satellite Signal In this section, you’ll pick up the satellite signal by pointing thedish toward the satellite. You’ve already set the elevation on thedish, so now you’ll need to point the dish to the correct azimuth.Keep in mind that for the system test, you’re ...

38 Testing the System 4. Locate the tick mark on the compass that corresponds to theazimuth number you wrote down in the last chapter. 5. Point the LNB support arm in the same direction as theazimuth tick mark on the compass. 6. Lightly tighten the nuts on the LNB support sleeve so the LNBdoes not s...

39 Testing the System adjust the Azimuth 1. If necessary, loosen the nuts on the support sleeve so that theLNB support arm can rotate left and right. 2. Locate the piece of tape at the top of the mast. This tape ismarked with evenly spaced “tick” marks. 3. Carefully rotate the dish one tick mark to ...

40 Testing the System If necessary, adjust the Elevation If you still haven’t picked up the satellite signal, you may need toadjust the elevation. 1. Return the LNB support arm to the original compassdirection. 2. Tighten one of the three nuts on the support sleeve so thedish will not rotate left an...

42 Testing the System Disconnecting Test Components Do not skip this step! Now that you know your components are working, and you have a clear idea of how to connect thesystem, you’ll need to follow a different procedure to make apermanent connection. You don’t need to disconnect all the components,...

43 Mounting the Mast In Chapter 3, you conducted a precise survey andperformed other steps to help you decide on thepermanent mounting site for your DSS ® dish. In this chapter, you’ll actually begin the installation bymounting the dish mast on the surface you’ve chosenfor your permanent site. Which...

44 Mounting the Mast Mounting On Wall Studs orSolid Wood Materials Needed to Mount the Mast on Wall Studsor Solid Wood: (2) 5/16" x 3" lag screws (4) 5/16" x 2" lag screws (4) 5/16" washers Tools Needed to Mount the Mast on Wall Studsor Solid Wood: electric drill with 1/8" an...

45 Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on Wall Studs or Solid Wood 1. Locate the center of a stud where you want to mount themast foot. Make sure you locate and secure the mounting foot tothe center of a wall stud. Do not mount the dish near the edge of a stud. 2. Hold the mount...

46 Mounting the Mast 5. Remove the mounting foot and drill two 1/8" holes inthe two center hole locations and four 3/16" holes in thefour outside corner locations. 6. Use a 7/16" wrench to loosen the nuts on the mountingfoot so that you can rotate the mast to access both of thecenter mou...

47 Mounting the Mast Mounting on Lap Siding Materials Needed to Mount the Mast on Lap Siding (2) 5/16" x 3" lag screws (4) 5/16" x 2" lag screws (4) 5/16" washers Tools Needed to Mount the Mast on Lap Siding: electric drill with 1/8" and 3/16" wood bits bubble level 1/2&#...

48 Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on Lap Siding 1. Locate the center of a stud where you want to mount themast foot. If possible, choose a position where the mounting foot fits onone siding board. When the mounting foot spans two piecesof siding, it should positioned so tha...

49 Mounting the Mast Mounting the Mast level on centerline of template Level Not Level No Yes 3. Use a level to verify that the center line is perfectly vertical. 4. Use a pencil to mark the two center holes and the fouroutside corner holes of the mounting foot. 5. Remove the foot and drill two 1/8&...

50 Mounting the Mast Installing a Spacer When the mounting foot spans two pieces of siding, it should bepositioned so most of the foot is on the top board. A spacershould be installed to help hold the bottom of mounting foot inplace. The spacer can be made of either solid wood or plastic. 1. Measure...

51 Mounting the Mast Mounting on Brick or Poured Concrete Materials Needed to Mount the Mast on Brickor Poured Concrete: (4) B4015 or equivalent double-expansion anchors (4) #20, 1/4" x 3" machine screws (4) 5/16" flat washers Tools Needed to Mount the Mast on Brickor Poured Concrete: el...

52 Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on Brick or Poured Concrete 1. Hold the mounting foot in position on the mounting surface. 2. If you are mounting on a vertical or sloped surface, use alevel to ensure that the center line is vertical. 3. Mark the four outside holes on the ...

53 Mounting the Mast Mounting On a Hollow or Cinder Block Wall Materials Needed to Mount the Mast on a Hollow orCinder Block Wall: (4) 1/4" hollow wall togglers (4) #20, 1/4" x 3" machine screws (4) 4/16" flat washers Tools Needed to Mount the Mast on a Hollow orCinder Block Wall: el...

54 Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting on a Hollow or Cinder Block Wall 1. When installing togglers in cinder blocks, it is important toposition them in the core of the block. To position the footon the wall, measure 7-1/2" from one edge of the block andmark the center of th...

55 Mounting the Mast b. Pull the ring so the metal channel rests flush behind the wall. Hold the ring tight and slide the plastic cap along the strapsuntil the cap is flush with the wall. c. Push the straps side-to-side to snap them off flush with thewall. d. Repeat for all four holes. 7. Use a 7/16...

56 Mounting the Mast Mounting the Dish On A Pole Materials Needed to Mount the Dish on a Pole: (1) 1-1/4" inner diameter Schedule 40 galvanized steel pipe witha measured outer diameter of 1.6" (3) bags quick-setting concrete Tools Needed to Mount the Dish on a Pole: bubble level screwdriver ...

57 Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting the Dish on a Pole 1. Dig a hole 36" deep and 8" to 12" wide at the mountinglocation. The depth of the hole must extend at least 6" below thefrost line. For most installations, a pole 6' long is sufficient,since this allows ...

58 Mounting the Mast Mounting the Mast on a Chimney Materials Needed to Mount the Mast on a Chimney: (1) RCA D915 Chimney Mount Kit Tools Needed to Mount the Mast on a Chimney: bubble level 7/16" wrench screwdriver tin snips pliers ladder pencil Important Considerations: • Make sure the chimney ...

59 Mounting the Mast Mounting the Mast on a Roof Materials Needed to Mount the Mast on a Roof: (2) 5/16" x 3" lag screws (4) 5/16" x 2" lag screws (4) 5/16" washers roof sealant Tools Needed to Mount the Mast on a Roof: electric drill with 1/8" and 3/16" wood bits bubble ...

60 Mounting the Mast Step-by-step Instructions for Mounting the Mast on a Roof 1. Locate the center of a rafter where you want the mountingfoot to be located. 2. Hold the mounting foot in a position so the center line iscentered on a rafter. 3. Use a bubble level to make sure the center line is perf...

61 Mounting the Mast 7. Fill all six holes with a small amount of roof sealant. 8. Use a 7/16" wrench to loosen the nuts on the mounting footso you can rotate the mast to access both of the centermounting holes. 9. Hold the mounting foot over the holes so the top part of themast will rotate and ...

63 Final Approach ➣ Some Indoor Stuff ➣ ➣➣ ➣ First Things First Some OutdoorStuff Testing the System Mounting The Mast Final Approach CAUTION Use caution when installing, adjustingor dismantling the dish and mast. Theweight of the dish may cause the dishand mast to swing down and strikeyou, a bystan...

64 Final Approach Leveling the Mast Leveling the mast is one of the most important steps ininstallation . If the mast is not level, the elevation and azimuth settings will not be accurate. This will make it difficult to obtainthe satellite signal. The mast must be level in both the side-to-side and ...

65 Final Approach 4. Is the bubble centered in the level’s window? YES Continue to “Leveling Front-to-Back”. NO a) If the bubble is not centered, determine which side of the mounting foot needs to be raised. b) Unscrew the lag or machine screws from that side of the mounting foot. c) Place 5/16"...

66 Final Approach Final Dish Assembly 1. Place the dish-LNB arm assembly on top of the mast. 2. Find the length of RG-6 coaxial cable that will extend fromthe satellite dish to the cable’s point of entry into the house. If the distance of the RG-6 coaxial cable is greater than 112feet you may need t...

67 Final Approach 5. Insert the end of the LNB into the end of the LNB supportarm (push any extra coaxial cable back through the supportarm). 6. Find the special hex retainer nut and insert it into the LNBmounting hole on top of the LNB support arm. Hint: The hex retainer nut must be inserted into t...

68 Final Approach Routing Cable and Grounding atthe House Entry Point 1. Locate a grounding block. 2. Attach the grounding block to the side of your house close tothe point you have chosen as the coaxial cable entry point.You may have to use anchors, togglers, or wood screwsdepending on the surface ...

69 Final Approach 7. Locate the grounding wire that will extend from thegrounding block to the central building ground. Attach thegrounding wire to the grounding block by placing it throughthe wire hole in the grounding block and tightening thescrew. 8. Route the grounding wire from the grounding bl...

70 Final Approach Running Cable into the House andConnecting to the Receiver 1. Drill a 1/2" hole in the location you want the coaxial cable toenter your house. CAUTION Make sure there are no wires or pipes behind the wall in the area of the hole. 2. Locate the RG-6 coaxial cable that will exten...

71 Final Approach Acquiring and Fine Tuning theSatellite Signal The signal strength meter is used to determine whether you arereceiving the satellite signal. It also indicates the strength of thesatellite signal. (Refer to your User’s Manual for information onusing the on-screen menus and other feat...

73 Final Approach 5. AFTER YOU GET A SIGNAL, continue adjusting the azimuth(compass direction) by rotating the dish in small incrementsleft and right until you achieve the highest possible signalstrength. 6. Tighten the support sleeve nuts so the dish will not rotateleft and right. 7. Slightly loose...

74 Appendix A: Troubleshooting Every Instruction Manual Needs aTroubleshooting Section... ...And this is it. Most times, problems experienced with the DSS ® system can be corrected quickly and simply. DSS ® Receiver Won’ t Turn On 1. Make sure the problem is not with the receiver — turn on thereceiv...

75 Troubleshooting Remote Problems 1. Verify that your DSS ® receiver is receiving power. 2. Verify that your TV is set to the correct channel to receive theDSS ® signal: the S-video channel, the video input channel, or channel 3 or 4 (depending on how you set the CH3/CH4switch on the back of the re...

76 ON/OFF DISPLAY ANTENNA MENU SELECT Troubleshooting Can’ t Pick Up the Satellite Signal Most problems with signal acquisition can be traced to one ofthese points: 1. Make sure you’re using RG-6 coaxial cable to connect the LNBto the grounding block and the grounding block to the DSS ® receiver. St...

78 Temporary Satellite Signal Loss If you lose the satellite signal temporarily, the problem canusually be traced to one of these points: 1. Rain Fade. Rain fade is a normal, temporary loss of a satellite signal due to the inability of the satellite signal topenetrate unusually heavy clouds, rainfal...

79 Appendix B: Connecting to a Phone Jack Why Do You Need a Phone Jack? The DSS ® receiver calls a 1-800, toll-free telephone number once a month to update your access card. In addition, to easily orderpay-per-view events, you should have the DSS ® receiver connected to a phone line. These calls onl...

80 Using a DSS ® Wireless Phone Jack System Since a phone jack may not be located near your DSS ® receiver, the DSS ® Wireless Phone Jack system allows you to easily put a phone jack right where you want it. The system consists of abase unit hooked to an existing phone jack and an extension unitthat...

81 Appendix C: Warranty Information Digital Satellite System (DSS ® ) Limited Warranty What your warranty covers: • Any defect in materials or workmanship. • Basic installation, provided installation is performed by a Thomson ConsumerElectronics Authorized Installer. For how long after your purchase...

82 Warranty Information 3. Take your unit and your evidence of purchase date, such as a bill of sale, to theexchange location and you will be provided the new or refurbished unit. Pleaseretain all accessories such as the remote control hand unit. 4. If the repairs are covered by your warranty, you w...

83 Warranty Information What your warranty does not cover: • Acts of God, such as but not limited to lightning damage. • Adjustment of customer controls. • Damage from misuse or neglect. • A unit that has been modified or incorporated into other products or is used forinstitutional or other commerci...

84 Index A access card 41, 73acquiring the satellite signal 37, 71aiming the dish using the on-screen signal meter 38 assembling the dish final assembly 66 audio/video jacks 10azimuth setting 39 B brick surface mounting option considerations 28, 51materials and tools needed 51 C cable, RG-6 coaxial....

86 100% RECYCLED PAPER MINIMUM 50% POST CONSUMER CREATING A GREENER FUTURE At Thomson Consumer Electronics we are dedicated to the preservation of our natural heritage and to a healthy and safe way of life for currentand future generations. This is a global effort which encompasses everyTHOMSON faci...