SATELLITE INSTALLATION
Satellite installation is something I never officially learned, but I discovered I could do it conveniently just by observing how an installer usually install it. We have satellites dish installed in our house, and any time the installer came to fix an issue or install a new one, I would stand by the side and watch closely what the person is doing. I didn't realize I was learning something at the time. Over time, I noticed how they use to positioned the dish and checked for signal, and I kept those things in mind.
One day, heavy rain fell, and it affected the position of our satellite dish. The signal was lost, and the channels were not showing again. They were only showing No or bad signal. We called the installer as usual, but he told us he was busy and will not be able to come but he would send one of his workers to come, but after more than two hours, no one showed up. We tried reaching him again, but his phone was switched off. That was when something just pushed me to try it myself and I told my younger brother to help me, let's find a ladder. We went and find a ladder and I climbed up to where the satellite dish was fixed.
When I looked at the dish and observe it well, I noticed that one of the nails holding the dish stand had come out. I lifted up the satellite and tried to position the stand correctly in its normal positioning. Just then, my brother shouted from inside the house, It’s working! It’s working! It was was surprising. All I did was move the dish to its original spots and the signal came back. Wow!!! From that moment, I realized that one of key part of satellite installation is finding the correct direction and angle, the right degree on the cardinal points. I nailed it back properly, and it started working. The signal came back normal.
Another time, one of the nuts holding the satellite dish had rusted and became loose, which made the dish shift out of its position again. I brought out the ladder, climbed up, and replaced the nut with a new one. I adjusted the dish slowly in different directions, side to side, up and down until the signal came back again. I tightened everything well and it worked perfectly. In my mind, I'm getting more experienced in this satellite installation.
Later on, I took time to go through the satellite manual that came with one of the satellite dishes at home to learn more. I also watched YouTube videos on how to install DSTV, Strong, and Startimes. They had similar processes with small differences. Since then I began to use my satellite dish at home for practice. Anytime it develop fault, I'm the one to fixed it.
One day, a friend of mine wanted to buy and install a Strong satellite dish. He was about to call an installer to come and do the work for him, but I told him not to worry. I said let’s go to the market and buy the equipment. I’ll try to fix it for him. He asked if I know how to do it, and I told him to let me try first. If it didn’t work, he could still call the installer. He agreed, and we went to the market to buy the dish, decoder, and other needed parts.
We bought the decoder, the dish, and other materials. I chose a good spot to mount the dish and set up the stand. Since I didn’t have a tracking device to locate the signal, I brought the television outside and connected it directly. Everything came on, but the signal was still red. So I started moving the dish slowly in all directions, left, right, up, down. After a while, the signal strength turned green. I tightened the dish in that position and scanned for channels and everything came up and worked well.
Since then, I stopped calling installers for my personal satellite issues. I've been able to handle it myself. I only call someone if the problem is beyond my knowledge like something technical inside the decoder or an electrical fault. Sometimes people call me to help them install theirs. It has become an extra skill, like a side hustle that I didn’t plan to learn but picked up naturally through my observation and practice and I bet you, It has really helped me.