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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Thanks for the feedback. the current cable from the dish runs underground from the garage to the house, so it looks like this project can’t work. I really don’t want to dig up the yard again to bury a new cable. And I’m just not understanding how the cable was working 1 day (with the satellite) and is bad the next (with the antenna). I understand that cables go bad, but this doesn’t make sense to me. I think I’m better off paying someone to do this for me. Thanks again!
Our satellite dish is mounted on a pole that is not higher than 5 ft. Will this antenna still work if we attach it to that dish?
Nancy,
Yes the dish was affected but the cables cannot be as long as they are not going outside and out of sight, they may be cut. Or possibly the cable that you are using is damaged. Buy a new heavy insulated coax and run it from the antenna. Then try your test again and see if the results are different. This is just a matter of using the correct antenna, correctly positioned, with quality coax cables going to the correct places.
-RR
Sorry about all the questions. I took the new RCA antenna that you recommended off the satellite pole and brought it inside and hooked it up to the TV. I got 5 scrambled pixelated channels. I took the previously purchased, RCA indoor/outdoor antenna that was giving me local channels out to the satellite pole and got nothing. So….I believe my troubleshooting reveals that there’s something wrong with the cable that is attached to the satellite dish, since both antennas work when hooked up directly with a different coax cable to the TV, and neither antenna works when hooked to the coax on the satellite dish. I don’t understand this. If DirecTV cut the service, wouldn’t that just affect the dish, not the cable?
Ok. I’ll try your suggestions. I’m about 20 miles from the broadcast stations. I can’t move the antenna up, since there’s no room for movement with the dish in the way. I’m using the antenna you suggested. I didn’t replace any of the cables. I’m using the existing ones that are attached to the dish.
Ps. I should note that I installed the antenna that you suggested to the satellite dish. I’m not using the RCA one.
Nancy,
Yes you can try getting a signal booster and a good amp. Try moving the antenna further up and pointed in the direction of the TV towers. How far away are you from the TV towers in your city? Be sure you have everything connected correctly and tight. Be sure the coax cables are of good quality. Not the Walmart types that are brittle and have horrible insulation. Tinker with every aspect of it and you should be able to get at least 20 channels if you are in the vicinity of towers broadcasting HD.
-RR