Tired of spending too much money on your Satellite TV bill? Well for around $50 you can purchase and easily install an HDTV Antenna that will give you quality HD TV programming. Of course you will not get as many channels as before using DirecTV, but there are hundreds of channels available broadcast into the airwaves for free from the stations you already know and love. This is a tutorial for most people who can no longer afford the cost of satellite television. Cancelling DirecTV or Dish Network will save you from $75 to $300 dollars a month. Admit it, most of the channels that you are paying your hard earned dollars for are completely worthless. Cancel the service, buy an HD Antenna, and get Netflix. You will not miss most of the TV you watch and you will be saving mountains of money per year. So ditch the monthly bill and follow our tutorial below for saving your money…
Step 1: CANCEL SATELLITE TELEVISION
Step 2: Buy an HD (High Definition) Television Antenna.
Here is the HDTV Antenna we purchased from Amazon for around $50 dollars.
(You may also need a coax cable splitter, antenna amplifier signal booster, or new coax cable)
Step 3: Remove the cone and place the HD Antenna on your existing Satellite Dish.
Step 4: Install the U-bolt that is included with the antenna and secure it tightly in place.
Step 5: Connect the already existing coaxial cable to the HD Antenna.
(The cable is already going from your TV from the dish, so just disconnect and re-attach to the hd antenna)
Step 6: Check all connections to make sure everything is secure and tight.
Step 7: There should already be a coaxial cable going into your home from the roof.
If it was disconnected then look along the side of your home for a connection like this and plug back in.
Step 8: The next process involves finding out which direction in the sky your local channels are in.
You will need to point your antenna in a certain direction for best reception depending on where you live.
Go to Antenna Web, FCC DTV MAPS, or Antenna Point and type in your info to find out which way to point your HDTV antenna.
Once you have the correct direction located, point your antenna/dish in that direction.
Step 9: Turn on your TV and set it to “Antenna” and let it “Find” the available free stations.
Then check the signal meter to see if it is strong.
If all is good you are done! Free HDTV!
HDTV That is broadcast free is from 720p to 1080p HD quality!
Of course you do not need an old dish to install a new HD Antenna.
You can install one in your attic too if you desire.
But remember that HDTV Antennas work best when attached to a roof and there are no obstructions.
Here is a small chart for “how to connect and combine signals from 2 antennas facing different directions” if needed.
Written by Keith Schneerer
Certified Appliance Tech · Founder, RemoveAndReplace.com
Keith has spent 30+ years repairing machines, starting as a military mechanic and later maintaining food processing equipment before moving into appliance repair. He founded RemoveAndReplace.com to share field-tested repair advice.
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Worked! The signal is not strong but it works. Couple of questions?
Does placing the antenna at the base to the dish improve the signal? (I placed farther away than the where you have it in the picture)
Will the Direct TV power inverter make any difference to the signal?
My dish was tilted so that the widest part of the dish was not perpendicular with the roof.
Would this help satellite signals but hinder the analogue (?) signals I am trying to get?
I did not use an amplifier. Will the above changes not make much of a difference and I should get an amplifier?
Thanks. Great article. Sticking it to the man!
Tim,
Yes remove the Dish switch node. That is used for Dish signal only. You will need a splitter. A 3 to 1 splitter will work. Put the splitter wherever is more convenient and less work for you. Less work is using the existing cable from the dish down and then add splitter but can be done whichever way you wish. Whichever requires less coax cable is best.
-RR
I am really wanting to cut the bill…I have noticed that if I set this up it appears that there are 2 cables coax coming from my dish which is routed into a switch i.e. “Solo Node” for the two hoppers. Am I going to have to remove that and get a 3 to 1 splitter to run the 3 tv’s if I only run one line from the HD antenna? Or am I better off using a splitter up high to bring it down to one cable for the HD antenna >>> leaving two in’s to the Solo Node model # 185834.
Sean,
Not sure what you mean by the end part of antenna you cannot remove. Can you explain in more detail?
You should be able to simply use the existing cables. Disconnect the existing cables from the dish and install on the antenna. Then remove the cables on the dish box in the house and attach to coax input on TV. Set up your TV to search for new channels using antenna mode. That should tell you if it is going to work before you cancel DirecTv.
-RR
I really want to get rid of Directv and try this. Bought the antenna you all recommended and havent shut off my service yet. I am having a hard time with the cables. You cables seem to run through the antenna but mine has the end part on which i cant seem to get off for the life of me. Any suggestions. Id like to make sure of what I channels I can get before cancelling service.
Steve,
Once the storm clears…. Let us know how things go. Feel free to ask us any questions you may still have. We are happy to assist you. Good luck and keep us updated.
-RR
Thanks again. I have to wait a few days anyway due to weather, rainy, windy, and cold.
I may have more questions later, once I get it all hooked up. I’ve got the general ideal now, Thank you.
There is already cable going to each room that has a tv so that’s got to help.