Satellite Antenna Alignment

Satellite antenna alignment

The satellite antenna alignment is used to calculate the angles necessary for installing satellite dishes. The major difference from similar software is the possibility to calculate the position for all satellites at once. One can get a clear picture about what satellites can be physically detectable from the location where the dish will be installed. It should be kept in mind that the plan makes a purely theoretical calculation according to formulas and in real situation a lot of extra factors should be taken into version when a satellite dish is installed. These factors include various obstacles, the landscape, the altitude, transponder orientation and polarization. However, this program will allow evaluating the position quite precisely.

How to order:

One should start working with the program from entering the geographical coordinates of the location where it is going to be installed. Enter the coordinates in the site location box. The high latitude is specified with the "N" char and the low latitude is specified with the "S" char. The eastern longitude is with the "E" char while the western longitude is with the "W" char. After all the coordinates are entered, see the calculation for all satellites at once in the table to the left.

Their azimuth and elevation are calculated. Azimuth is the way to the satellite in degrees from the clockwise direction to the north. Elevation is an angle between the direction of the signal from the satellite and a tangential plane to the Earth surface in the location. If the height is negative, the satellite is below the perspective and it is impossible to receive signals from it in standard. Thus, the satellites whose elevation is a positive value are theoretically visible from the location.

Orientation of antenna:

The program uses absolute values and calculates all according to formulas. Thus, the calculated azimuth is an angle from the true north and not from what compass may show because a compass is a really unstable thing in a city. It is better to orient it by the sun. The program has a mechanism for calculating the azimuth of the sun and one can do everything without a compass now. The azimuth is calculated for the location the coordinates of which one specified for calculating the azimuths of satellites. The program also calculates the azimuths of the sunrise and sunset, and the time of elevation when the sun is exactly in the south.