Commissioning & Every Time You Move

This chapter will first provide an overview of the original commissioning process. It will then provide hints, instructions, and checklists, for setting up and properly pointing (redeploying) your VSAT, after you have moved to a new location. It contains guidelines for an optimal set up of a tripod-mounted two-way satellite antenna.

Remember that these are just guidelines. With experience, you may want to modify them, to better suit the particular conditions for each set up and your preferences.

• The main objective is to achieve a set up that is safe and stable, with a high quality signal.

The graphic above lists the major topics that will be covered in this chapter.

Commissioning and Installation

This section will show the modem web pages that you see when a HughesNet satellite modem is commissioned. The graphics will show pages from the DW6000/DW7000 versions (Direcway banner) and the HN7000S versions (HughesNet banner). Any differences across modems will be noted.

With the exception of screens that are only seen during the original commissioning, it also illustrates a method for getting back online, after you move to a new location. For the original commissioning, this is the only option available, but there is a much simpler method which can be used after commissioning. Only for certain troubleshooting scenarios is this method recommended, once a modem has been commissioned.

To commission a HughesNet satellite modem, go to the following URL in the modem: http://192.168.0.1/fs/registration/setup.html.

You will see the page shown on the left. Click on Registration - Installer and you will see the page shown on the right.

Enter the installation zip code and click the Next button.

If you check the box labeled Enter location manually you will be presented with a page to enter the current longitude and latitude, instead of the zip code.

Verifying the Location & Selecting the Satellite

The page on the left displays the location associated with the zip code or longitude/latitude just entered. Click the Next button.

This will bring up the page shown on the right. Click the Satellite Transponders drop-down menu and select your assigned satellite from the choices in the list. Then, click the Next button.

Or, if you check the box labeled Enter satellite parameters manually and click the Next button, you will be presented with a page where you can enter any of the satellite parameters manually. This is sometimes needed in a troubleshooting situation or if the modem’s configuration file (shown above at the right) doesn’t list your satellite.

If you don’t see your satellite listed, you will need to ask your installer for the latest configuration file. How to upload this file is discussed later.

If there is no configuration file available with the needed entry, your installer may be able to provide you with the correct parameters, to enter manually. The manual parameter entry page is discussed next.

Entering the Satellite Parameters Manually

Shown above is the page for manually entering the satellite parameters. The example shows the parameters used for the initial HN7000S deployments on IA6 (93 W).

After all of the parameters have been entered or selected from a drop-down menu, click Next to continue to the Transmit Radio Parameters page.

Verifying the Satellite & Transmit Radio Parameters

Shown on the left is the page which displays all of the satellite parameters, after you select a satellite and transponder from the Satellite Transponders drop-down menu and click Next .

If you use an Outdoor Pointing Interface (OPI) or a DAPT meter, make sure you check the box at the bottom, which is labeled Enable OPI Display . Click the Next button to continue to the Transmit Radio Parameters page.

Shown on the right are the two choices for the transmit radio. Home, Pro, and ProPlus plan users will have the .74 meter dish and the 1-watt radio. They may also have the .98 meter dish and the 2-watt radio.

Small Office and Business Internet users will have the .98 meter dish and the 2-watt radio.

Unless you have both dishes and switch between radios, you will always just click the Next button. Otherwise, you will first select the appropriate radio.

If you have a DW6000, you will not see the page where you can select the 1-watt or 2-watt radio.

Getting the Numbers for Setup & Peaking the Receive Signal

Before you can set up your tripod and point your dish, you need to know the values to use for setup. This page provides these important numbers, as shown at (1) :

• Elevation
• Azimuth
• Polarization, also called the skew

Another way to get these numbers is with DSSatTool , discussed later in this chapter. Once you have the needed values, you should power down the modem and go outside to set up your tripod and dish.

When you have completed the outside setup, you will need to go through the entire registration process again, from the beginning, and this time click on the Display Signal Strength button shown above at (2) . If you have a BirDog meter, you have already peaked your signal as well and need only to confirm a locked (green) receive signal, as shown at (4) in Internet Explorer, the recommended browser.

If you use an OPI meter, you will see a red line, as shown at (3) in an alternate browser, which indicates you have not yet locked onto the correct (i.e., selected) satellite. You will need to adjust the dish as discussed later, until you peak the signal and see the green bar.

Click Close (4) and then Next (5) . Note that the box to Perform ACP is checked.

Passing Cross-pol & Connecting to the Registration Server

If you have set up your dish carefully and have a perfectly plumb mast, you will likely pass cross-pol on the first attempt. So, go ahead and click the Automatic button, to run an automatic cross-pol (ACP). If you pass, you can click the Next button to continue.

If the ACP fails, then you will need to adjust your dish until you can pass an ACP. Click the Manual button, to cause a series of cross-pol tests to run. This allows you to return outside to the dish and adjust the skew, while the OPI displays the passing or failing scores for each test. Without an OPI, you may need to have someone watch the computer monitor and relay to you how your adjustments affect the ability to pass a cross-pol test.

When your setup passes most of the cross-pol tests run, try another ACP. It is important to not do many repeated automatic cross-pol tests.

When your setup passes an ACP test, as shown at the upper right, click the Close button and then the Next button, to continue.

Just click the Next button when you see the Registration Server Selection page, as shown at the lower right.

Registering the VSAT

After clicking the Next button on the previous page, you will see the page shown at (1) . It takes a few minutes for the connection to be established and the encryption keys to be downloaded. Then you get the Authentication successful text and the Next button is enabled.

If this page times out and you are given the option to retry, click the Retry button.

If you get a registration error, you may need to go back a few pages or even start over again. Hopefully, when you return to this page, you will get all three messages on this page and the option to continue. Click Next to continue.

The security alert shown at (2) will be displayed. Click OK , to continue.

You will then be presented with the Security Alert shown at the bottom right of the graphic at (3) . Click Yes to continue.

A popup blocker can cause this page to fail. You will need to click at the top of the browser and select the option to allow the blocked content to be displayed. Then, when you come to the blocked page the second time, it will display properly.

Accepting the Subscriber Agreement

The subscriber agreement is displayed and the new mobile user or the installer must click I Agree , to accept the agreement and continue. Shown above is the beginning and the end of the agreement, which is several screens long.

This page appears only during the original commissing of the modem for an account.

Entering the SAN & PIN and the Welcome Message

After the subscriber agreement has been accepted, the other two pages which are only seen during the original commissioning will be presented:

• SAN and PIN - The Site Account Number (SAN) and the Personal Identification Number (PIN) need to be entered. The SAN is case-sensitive, so use uppercase for “DSS”. These numbers are generated during account setup and are emailed to the new subscriber. The PIN is usually, the last four digits of the telephone number). Click Continue , to go to the next page.
• Welcome Message - A personalized welcome page is presented next. Again, click Continue , to go to the next page.

Both of these pages appear only during the original commissing of the modem for an account.

From time-to-time, HughesNet may add additional pages to the commissioning process, via a firmware update to all modems. If additional pages are encountered, just click the Next button, to continue.

Displaying Your Modem’s Site ID and IP Address

Shown above on the left is the page displayed next. It lists your Site ID, your modem’s IP address, and the subnet mask. The modem IP address is the default gateway for whatever device is connected to it via Ethernet. It could be a computer or a wireless router. Click Continue to go to the final screen of registration.

If the registration server is busy, it could take several tries to get to this page.

When you click Continue , you may notice a couple of messages displayed temporarily and then the page shown at the right is displayed. The only option is Restart .

At this point, you have received the second download and the location information has been saved in your modem’s firmware. This is the what DSSatTool does directly.

Had you clicked Exit earlier in this process, you would have then been given the options to Close or to Restart . You would normally select the option to Restart . After rebooting, all five modem lights should come on and you should be online!

On the next page, we will begin to describe a complete setup, from start to finish, as done after every move. The process described in the first part of this chapter typically only happens once: When a modem is first commissioned for service.

Selecting a Suitable Camp Site

If possible, obtain the azimuth setting for your next destination, before you leave for it. This will help you pick your site upon arrival.

Using a compass, select a site that has an ample amount of clear horizon (about 10-15 degrees east and west of the required azimuth setting), as shown in the graphic above.

Make sure the tripod location on the site is in an area away from the foot traffic.

If there is no clear horizon, remember that the signal to and from the satellite comes in and goes out, at a relatively steep angle. An object like a building, another RV, or tree can block the horizon, but a good signal might still be obtained.

Remember that, as you travel, the required elevation adjustment will also change. As this adjustment becomes lower to the horizon, more objects will impede the signal.

Using DSSatTool

How to run DSSatTool is described on this page and the next. It is available at the following location: http://www.datastormusers.com/dssattool.cfm.You could also choose to go through the Registration – Installer process described earlier, every time you move. But, that is more time-consuming and uses HughesNet resources.

When you execute DSSatTool, you will see the screen shown on the left. Select your satellite from the drop-down menu. If your satellite isn’t listed, click Add , to add it.

Then, click Get Lat/Long , which will present the screen shown on the right. Enter your zip code (if you have added the zip code file to the DSSatTool folder) or enter your latitude and longitude, in either of the two formats available. Click OK .

A revalidate cross-pol test is run automatically, after you run the DSSatTool Set Lat/Long . If you do this before you have set up or if you do not pass the test for any reason, all five lights may not come on and you will not go online. In this case, you will need to use the Force Range option available from the modem’s Advanced web page. This is discussed in chapter 3.

Using DSSatTool (continued)

Notice that the pointing parameters are now displayed on the screen, as shown at (1) . Make note of these parameters. You will need them for pointing the antenna. If you have a BirDog, you should now go outside and point your dish. Continue as directed on this page, after your dish has been pointed. If you do not have a BirDog, continue now.

Your modem should be powered on and your computer connected to it, either directly or over a local network (LAN). Temporarily disable your personal firewall. If you have more than one LAN connection (i.e., Ethernet, Wireless), disable all but the one used to connect.

Now, click on Set Lat/Long , shown at (2) above. You will then see the screen shown at the right. Notice the messages displayed in the bottom section (3) . These messages report each step, as the current latitude and longitude are saved in the modem’s firmware.

This is necessary, in order for the modem and satellite transponder to be able to later send and receive data. This information is used by the modem and the transponder, as a starting point for calculating the distance and, therefore, the optimal timing for synchronization. Without synchronization between the two, data will never be reliablysent and received.

After the process is complete, the modem will reboot and DSSatTool will shut down. If you do this step after you’ve set up your dish and peaked the signal, you need only wait now, while the modem reboots, establishes timing, and passes a cross-pol test. If you haven’t yet set up your dish, you should now power your modem back off, after it finishes the reboot. After setting up outside and connecting the cables, just power on the modem.

Setting up the Tripod and Offset Adapter

Erect your tripod and attach the offset adapter. Please see Appendix B, Assembling the Offset Adapter , for more detail. The budget adapter is pictured here.

It is important to correctly orient the tripod legs and offset adapter, to ensure a stable setup. It is recommended that the front leg of the tripod be aligned with the azimuth direction, as shown.

Use your compass to align the front leg with the desired azimuth. The offset adapter will also be aligned with the azimuth, but extending in the opposite direction, midway between the two rear legs. Once aligned, tighten the adapter to the tripod. The figures above show the top and side views of the recommended orientation of the tripod and mounted offset adapter.

As previously noted, the instructions included in this manual are only guidelines, to help you achieve an optimum setup that doesn’t interfere with other users on the satellite. There are other approaches besides the one shown here, but they will all stress the importance of a properly pointed antenna. For example, some users prefer to align the rear leg with the azimuth and position the offset adapter directly over it.

Setting up the Tripod and Offset Adapter – The Wrong Way!

As stated earlier, it is very important to correctly orient the tripod legs and offset adapter, to ensure a stable and successful setup. This page shows what you should NOT DO!

The photos above show the top and side views of an incorrectly oriented tripod and mounted offset adapter. You can see that neither the rear tripod leg nor the offset adapter are aligned with the azimuth direction.

Additionally, the arrangement shown above is not balanced. It would not be a safe setup. The tripod could easily fall over in the wind, because it is not stable.

Please see Appendix C, for more guidelines for a safe and stable tripod setup.

Plumbing the Mast, Assembling, & Adjusting the Antenna

Follow these steps, for an easy setup:

Step 1: Getting Ready and Plumbing the Mast — Using the Alternate Mast Level

Make sure the tripod legs are firmly planted in the ground, to hold it in place. On hard surfaces, you will need to keep the legs from spreading with chains or other restraint.

Before installing the antenna, plumb the mast (vertical tube) of the offset adapter using a torpedo level, as shown above. At this point it does not have to be exact, but make it close to plumb. Later you will make adjustments, to ensure a plumb mast in the final set up.

Attaching and Calibrating a Bubble T-Level

Here are the steps to follow, to attach and calibrate a T-level to your mast adapter:

 

1. Use Clear Liquid Nails or something similar, to attach the bubble level to the center channel of the adapter.
2. To calibrate the level, build up the surface where the level attaches, so that with your mast already plumb, the bubble level shows “Level” in both directions.
3. Allow this to dry overnight.

Step 2: Installing the Reflector and Mount

Slide the canister onto the top of the mast as shown in the figure on the left, pointing it approximately in the azimuth direction.

Just snug the canister flange bolts. Too much tightening can make it very difficult to remove later.

On the right, you can see the new Raven dish mounted and pointing in the azimuth direction. The information here is equally valid for the Gen V or Prodelin dishes.

Step 3: Adjusting the Elevation

Adjust the elevation as follows:

1. Loosen the nut just below the elevation scale. It is labeled Coarse (Elevation Pointer) in the figure on the left. Also, loosen the nut on the opposite side of the elevation bracket.
2. In the figure on the left, note the two nuts on the elevation adjuster labeled Fine . Loosen the top nut to allow adjustment.
3. Turn the knob to adjust the elevation, until the pointer is at the correct place on the elevation scale. If you do not have a knob, turn the lower nut to adjust the elevation.

Later on, you will fine-tune the elevation adjustment, by turning the knob a few turns clockwise and then counterclockwise, until you peak the signal.When the signal has been peaked, snug the two coarse elevation adjustment nuts.

Though the settings may be slightly different on your dish, it will be very similar and the information still applies.

Step 4: Adjusting the Skew/Polarization Setting

Polarization or skew refers to rotation of the antenna. Polarization values are measured in degrees from zero (no rotation), positive or negative. Polarization will be positive east of the satellite longitude and negative west of the satellite longitude.

Loosen the four polarization lockdown nuts and then turn the dish on the bracket, until the pointer on the polarization scale is pointed at the value you determined earlier. Snug the bolts.

Though the settings may be slightly different on your dish, it will be very similar and the information still applies.

Step 5: Installing the Rx-Tx Feed Arm

For the newest Prodelin dish, slide the aluminum arm and bracket assembly into the slot on the back of the mount. Insert the two long bolts and attach the nuts, as shown on the left. Don’t fully tighten the two long bolts until after you have installed the short screw or knob from the front of the dish into the feed arm bracket shown.

For the Raven, slide the feed arm and radio assembly into the four slots at the bottom of the reflector bracket, aligning the four bolt holes. Screw a small knob into each of the bolt holes. If you don’t have the knob set, use four 5/16-18 x ¾ UNC hex-head tap bolts. For each bolt, use a nut, lock washer, and flat washer. This is included with your system.

For the pre-Raven setup, only a single bolt holds the arm in place. If your feed arm has been notched, it will just slide in and you will tighten the knob or bolt. If it hasn’t been notched, you will have to completely remove the threaded knob or bolt and replace it, after you have the arm in place.

If your feed arm isn’t notched, be very careful to not lose the special aluminum cast nut that fits into the back of the dish. The threaded knob or bolt screws into this. You might want to use silicon, to create a “dam” that will prevent this nut from falling out, but will still allow movement.

Step 6: Re-checking the Plumb

A well-plumbed mast will make your job easy! A well-plumbed mast is probably the single biggest factor for setups that go smoothly, versus those that are long, tedious, and frustrating. If your mast is properly plumbed, when you have optimized your receive signal, you should pass cross-pol easily.

As shown in the figure above, you should re-check the plumb, using either an attached bubble T-level or a mast level:

• When using a mast level, check both along the azimuth angle and at 90 degrees to it, as shown above.
• With a T-level, the bubbles should show Level in both directions.

This is an important step, because the tripod legs can flex or shift slightly after the antenna adjustments and with the addition of the weight of the entire assembly.

Once the final plumbing of the assembly is complete, make sure the tripod legs are tight.

You are now ready to add ballast to your completed antenna assembly.

Step 7:Adding the Ballast

Once you have fully assembled and plumbed your antenna setup, it is VERY important to add appropriate ballast to the tripod and antenna. Although the installation seems very stable, it can be easily upset by strong winds. Think of the antenna as a big sail - a strong wind could easily blow the entire assembly over and damage the equipment.

• It is recommended that you add a minimum of 50 lbs of ballast, to the antenna tripod. Examples of suitable ballast include a 5-gallon bucket of water or filled with rocks, or two 25-pound barbell weights. In the figure above, a 7-gallon water container is used as ballast.

An alternative to ballast, in some locations, is to tether the setup securely to the ground.

Make sure that adding the ballast or tethering the tripod has not affected the plumb of the system.

Always check the plumb again, after adding the ballast!

Preparing for Inclement Weather

If you are going to leave the antenna assembly unattended in an area prone to sudden severe weather, or if there are severe weather warnings issued, it is recommended that you remove first the Rx-Tx feed arm and then the dish, from the tripod adapter. Try not to upset the plumbed mast and tripod, so when you remount them, realignment will be more easily achieved.

In general, always use common sense in evaluating your local weather conditions and the deployment of your HughesNet VSAT.

What If I Don’t Add Enough Ballast?

The photo above illustrates what can happen to your satellite dish, if the wind kicks up and your tripod-mounted dish is not properly ballasted. With the older style dish, it typically breaks at the point where the feed arm is attached to the dish.

Although the metal Raven and Prodelin dishes are much lighter weight than the older fiberglass dishes, they are susceptible to warpage, if they blow over. This can also occur if something is set on the dish during travel. When the dish becomes warped, it will have a severely reduced abiltity to catch the satellite signal. You may not be able to go online at all, or your receive signal strength will be much lower than before. The effect can vary over the course of a day.

Locating the Satellite and Peaking the Receive Signal

Now, you will use a satellite meter like the Direcway OPI or the BirDog, to peak the received (outroute) signal. Use the following steps:

Antenna Pointing Software (OPI Only)

This and the next two pages will tell you about the indoor setup tasks.

When you use DSSatTool for updating your modem’s location information, you don’t need to run Registration – Installer any more. This is good, because when you run it, it will take you offline. The System light and intermittently the Transmit light will be off and a reboot will be needed, to go back online.

Antenna Pointing will not take you offline, although the System and Transmit lights will go out, when the signal strength is displayed. They will come back on as soon as you exit.

After you have connected your OPI meter, you should go to the Setup page of your modem, shown on the left and click on Antenna Pointing . On the right is shown the first page of Antenna Pointing . Be sure you check the Enable OPI box, if you have your OPI meter hooked up. Otherwise, do not check the box. Click Next , to continue.

BirDog users will not normally use this software. Users of PC-OPI and SoftOPI also do not need to use Antenna Pointing , unless they are also using an actual OPI meter.

Checking the Signal Strength & Peaking the Signal (OPI Only)

Shown above is the Antenna Pointing page. The pointing parameters displayed are not necessarily your current values. They are the values that were saved, when you last ran Registration – Installer . Don’t worry about this. The correct location (latitude and longitude) information will be used for this and for the cross-pol tests.

Click on Display Signal Strength , to view what is actually the signal quality. Signal strength is a significant component of signal quality, but other factors are also part of what is known as signal quality . If you are just checking the signal strength, click Close , when you are finished and then Exit .

If you are using an OPI to peak your signal, you need to go outside now, to adjust your antenna, as described later. If the OPI is not experiencing the dreaded “ 8L8/8H8 ” problem, it should display a “ 0 ” on the left and echo the values shown in the Display Signal Strength window. When you have peaked your signal, you will need to go back inside to click Close and Exit . If the modem doesn’t go online within a few minutes, you should go to the Advanced page and use the Force Range option.

If you still see “ 8L8/8H8 ” on your OPI display at this point, you will need to reboot your modem and/or PC and try again. It can take multiple reboots. Alternatives are to take your laptop outside, to have someone inside, who can view the computer monitor and relay the numbers to you at the dish, or to use Soft-OPI/PC-OPI.

Passing an Automatic Cross-pol Test

Shown above is the cross-pol page, which follows the antenna pointing page. If you want to fine-tune your cross-pol, select the Manual button, to run repeated cross-pol tests, for approximately five minutes. This gives you time to go back outside and adjust the polarization or skew, by turning your dish.

The value of the test result will be displayed on the OPI, with the number “ 2 ” displayed on the left. If the “ 2 ” is blinking, the tests are failing; if the “ 2 ” is solid, the tests are passing. You should continue to adjust the skew, until tests mostly pass.

If you want to adjust further and the tests stop, just go back inside and again click the Manual button. You can run as many manual tests as you want. You should, however, limit the number of automatic cross-pol tests you run.

When you are done adjusting, go back inside and stop the tests if they are still running. Run an ACP, by clicking the Automatic button. When you have passed an automatic cross-pol test, your modem should go online, after you click Close and Exit , if it has the correct location information saved. If it doesn’t go online, go to the Advanced page and select the Force Range option.

• Please note that if you run a manual or automatic cross-pol test and it fails, you will NOT be allowed to go online until you pass an ACP! Revalidate cross-pol tests are run automatically - running cross-pol tests is not recommended.

Using PC-OPI

There is another option available for those without a BirDog: PC-OPI. Don Bradner created this utility for PC users, after a version had been created for Macintosh users. It is available at http://www.datastormusers.com/pc-opi.cfm, along with instructions for using it. For info about the Macintosh version, see the appendix, HughesNet and the Macintosh .

Shown above are screen shots showing a failing cross-pol test (red, on the left) and a locked signal (green, on the right). The window can be enlarged to fill the entire computer screen. A voice will audibly announce each value as it is displayed.

You can see the functions available in PC-OPI in the green window. The Point function is used to peak the received satellite signal. When you click this button, the transmitter is locked out. The display will normally be red when you start and will turn green, when you have pointed the dish well enough to lock on the signal.

Also available are both Manual and Auto cross-pol tests. Running cross-pol tests is not recommended.

All of the functions are available without bringing up the Antenna Pointing page in the modem or using an OPI meter. The OPI and Antenna Pointing can also be used, if desired, but they are not necessary.

Step 2: Locating the Correct Satellite

Now, you will learn about the outside tasks for locating the satellite and peaking the signal. Locate the correct satellite, as follows:

1. Slightly loosen the offset adapter knob. Slowly sweep the adapter left and right in azimuth, until a signal is found. Because there can be several satellites at the same approximate location, the signal detected may be on the wrong satellite. When using the OPI, the number shown will never be greater than 30, until you are pointing at the correct satellite (the one that was saved in the firmware or selected in the Transponder menu).

When using the BirDog, the meter will display Searching , until the correct satellite is found.

A spectrum analyzer, an OPI meter, or a BirDog meter can be used to locate and identify a specific signal and then, fine-tune it.

1. If the desired satellite/signal is not found, increase or decrease the elevation setting slightly and repeat the azimuth sweep. Continue to do this, until you locate the satellite.

If you cannot find the satellite after numerous attempts and if you used DSSatTool to get your pointing parameters, go back inside and validate the numbers using the Registration - Installer modem function.

Step 3: Peaking the Received Signal

Once the correct satellite is found, peak the signal by making minor adjustments to the antenna, as follows:

1. Alternate between elevation and azimuth, until no further improvement is detected in signal strength.
2. When adjusting the elevation setting, slightly increase or decrease the elevation (plus or minus) in one-half to one degree increments, until the maximum signal strength is achieved.
3. When adjusting the azimuth setting, very slowly move the adapter (East, then West, then East again, and so on) in small increments (left or right, one to five degrees) until the maximum signal strength is achieved.
4. Once maximum signal strength is achieved, tighten everything slightly.
5. The “Four Corners Test” – When you have peaked the signal, try pulling back slightly at first the top, then the bottom of the dish, then the left and then the right side of the dish. In each case, the signal strength displayed on your meter will decrease, if the signal is peaked. If not, you need to adjust further.

Use an alternating pattern for tightening the bolts. Do not over tighten.

MobileInternetSatellite.com Setup Card

Shown above is the MobileInternetSatellite.com setup card, which has a checklist for the outside setup on one side. There is also a place to write your current setup parameters. There is a card tailored for the BirDog meter and one for the OPI meter.

On the right is the OPI version of the other side of the card. At the top are the meanings of the various codes that the OPI meter can display. The BirDog version of the card shows the BirDog screen instead. At the bottom are several important links to the modem software, such as the Setup page or the System Info page.

The card should help make even your first setup easier, by reminding you of the important setup steps.

Recent HughesNet documents have specified the reverse color coding for the receive and transmit cables, than that shown on the setup card. What is most important is not the color of the tape marking the ends of the cables, but consistency in how you connect them.

Transporting Your System

Almost as important as proper setup is the teardown and stowing of your satellite equipment for travel. Proper care of your equipment will help it to provide years of trouble-free service for you.

It is recommended that the following steps be taken, when transporting the system:

Summary

This chapter provided hints, instructions, and checklists, for setting up and pointing your satellite antenna, after you have moved to a new location. It contains guidelines for an optimal set up of a HughesNet system.

The following topics were covered:

• Selecting the camp site
• Updating the location in the modem
• Setting up the tripod and offset adapter
• Plumbing the mast and adjusting the antenna settings
• Using ballast
• Locating the satellite and peaking the receive signal
• Transporting the satellite equipment
• Remember that the primary objective is to achieve a set up that is safe and stable, with a high quality signal.