How To Do VSAT Installation.

Science and Technology March 20, 2017

VSAT stands for Very Small Aperture Terminal; it is a satellite communication equipment that
is used to transmit and access signal from the specific orbital satellite it is pointed.

With VSAT the satellite network configuration can be of two types namely Star Topology (Hub
Type) and Mesh Topology (Hub-less Type). The star topology interlinks all Terminals via a
central hub it is typically used for Head Office-Branch office scenario where all the branches
need to communicate with the head office while the Mesh Topology terminals can communicate
with each other via the satellite without going through a central hub.

VSAT type also varies by frequency which could be C-Band, Ku-Band and Ka-Band. VSAT
technology can be used for the broadcast and reception of television signals or Internet access,
file distribution, Distance Learning.
Regardless to the Topology or Frequency you choose, the VSAT installation procedure is
basically the same thing.

A VSAT configuration will normally have 3 constituent parts: Reflector Antenna & Support
arms, The Transreciever Assembly (Feed Horn, LNB and BUC plus OMT ) and Indoor Unit.
OMT stands for orthomode transduce it is the joint where the transmit and receive waveguides
join

Assemble the dish for the assembly you have to refer to the installation guide of the specific
dish type of your service provider company but the generic procedure would be to attach the dish
mount to the reflector and fasten the nuts, then you attach the feed support rod/LNB arm to the
dish and tighten the nuts.

Mount dish on a pole select a visible outdoor location with a clear view towards the satellite
and mount on the dish on the pole. The dish pole must be installed vertically and it is important
to have a clear view as obstructions like trees and buildings may affect signal quality.

Transreceiver assembly Install the LNB, BUC, OMT and on the horn arm and ensure the
LNB tilt is at the angle specified by your service provider.

Your dish must be properly earthed to avoid buildup of static electricity and equipment damage.

IFL Cables Two properly crimped RF coax cables would be plugged into the Transreciever
Unit one cable for the LNB and the other for the BUC. It also depends on the equipment type of
your service provider. You could see TX,RX which makes it easy so you connect Tx on
Transreciever to TX on modem and RX on transreceiver to RX on modem but if they dont make
it easy for you the TX coax cable goes to the BUC and the RX goes to the LNB. Once again the
antenna structure should be properly earthed.

Power Up When all connections are done properly, plug the Ethernet cable from satellite
modem to your PC and plug the power pack into the satellite modem then power up.

Final Configuration the final configuration is done on your PC and it instruction varies from
service provider to service provider but it generally involves opening up your Internet Browser
and entering the web address given to you by your provider where you can do satellite tracking
and activate your internet plan.

Satellite tracking To acquire and track a satellite in space, you must verify that you have very
accurate pointing data and parameters like Azimuth value, Elevation Angle , LNB tilt/skew. The
dish pointing parameters of azimuth and elevation needs to be near perfect and the LNB tilt is
feed rotation polarization.

Azimuth and elevation are the two coordinates that define the position of a celestial body (sun,
moon or satellite) in the sky while you are observing from a particular location on earth.

1) Azimuth refers to the direction your dish should point. Using there North as a reference, the
azimuth is the angle between the Satellite and the North pole while moving in a clockwise
direction.

2) Your elevation is how far above the horizon your satellite dish needs to point (up and down).
3) Polarization also known as "skew", refers to the adjustment needed for the curvature of the
Earth. This rotational adjustment compensates for the Earths curvature between the dish and the
beam of the satellite.

In conclusion, mastering satellite tracking azimuth and elevation requires practice and real life
examples.

http://www.photopills.com/articles/understanding-azimuth-and-elevatio