Dish Pointer: Satellite Finder

Dish Pointer is a satellite finder for aligning a TV satellite dish. Choose a geostationary satellite and the app uses your GPS position to calculate the dish azimuth, elevation and LNB skew, then helps you face the right part of the sky with the phone compass.

AIM THE DISH
• Azimuth from true north, elevation above the horizon and LNB skew, with the direction to rotate the LNB as seen from behind the dish
• Magnetic compass bearing, corrected for local magnetic declination
• "Turn left" or "Turn right" with the degrees to go, and "On bearing" when the top edge of the phone faces the satellite
• Sky arc: a panorama of the sky showing the visible geostationary belt, your satellite and the direction the phone points
• A clear notice when the chosen satellite sits below your horizon

CHECK THE LINE OF SIGHT
Hold the phone upright and look across its top edge toward where the dish will point. The Sight tab compares the tilt of the phone with the dish elevation and tells you to tilt higher or lower. Once they match, any tree, roof or wall you see in that direction is in the signal path, and leaves block it too. "Zero on level" calibrates the tilt reading against something level.

CHOOSE YOUR SATELLITE
Satellites are grouped by region (Americas, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific) and sorted by elevation from where you stand. Slots below your horizon are greyed out. The list includes Astra 19.2°E, 23.5°E and 28.2°E, Hot Bird 13°E, Eutelsat, Thor, Hispasat, Türksat, Hellas Sat, Nilesat, Arabsat/Badr, Yahsat, DirecTV, EchoStar, Nimiq, Anik, Galaxy 19, Optus, Koreasat, BSAT/JCSAT, AsiaSat, SES-8, Measat and Thaicom. For any other slot, type the orbital longitude, such as 19.2E or 101W.

SAVE YOUR SITES
Save the place where a dish is installed under its own name, up to 200 sites. Open a saved site to see its angles again, rename it or delete it. Handy for RVs, caravans, campsites, holiday homes and installers who set up dishes at many addresses.

HOW TO USE IT
1. Allow location and pick your satellite.
2. Set the elevation on the dish mount and rotate the LNB by the skew shown.
3. Stand a few steps away from the dish, turn until you are on bearing and note a landmark in that direction.
4. Use the Sight tab to check for trees or roofs in the way.
5. Point the dish at the landmark, then sweep slowly while watching the signal meter on your receiver.

GOOD TO KNOW
• Phone compasses are disturbed by metal, magnets, vehicles and the dish itself. Take the bearing away from metal, and move the phone in a figure 8 if it asks for calibration.
• Angles are geometric, calculated from your position and the satellite's nominal orbital slot. They get you close; the receiver's signal meter does the final peaking.
• Dish Pointer does not measure signal strength and does not use the camera.
• No account needed.
• Work safely on roofs and ladders, and get help for high installations.