Satellite technology has made leaps and bounds over the last decade, introducing the world to a whole new era of television entertainment. But have you ever wondered just how a satellite dish works? So did we.

Satellite Dish - A Parabolic Antenna

A satellite dish is basically just an antenna that is designed to receive signals from a specific broadcast source. The dish itself has a bowl-shaped (parabolic) surface to "catch" the signal and send it to the central feed horn as a narrow beam of energy.

To provide you with that quality satellite programming you enjoy so much, your satellite dish must receive a signal from the appropriate source. Man-made satellites orbit around the Earth at just about 20,000 miles into the sky. These satellites receive digital signals from your programming provider, encrypt them and then send them back out to subscribers.

How does your satellite dish know which satellite to receive?

Satellite Dish - Azimuth, Altitude and Skew

Each satellite is put into the sky at specific coordinates, similar to a longitude and latitude for navigating on land. These coordinates, the azimuth, the altitude and the skew, tell your dish exactly where to look. The azimuth is the East/West location while the altitude or elevation tells you how far North of the horizon (ground level) you need to go. The skew is a calculation to compensate for the natural curvature of the Earth itself. With these three coordinates, you can accurately point your satellite dish to receive transmission from the right satellite.

There are some systems that can receive signals from more than one satellite, having multiple horns to pick up multiple signals. To prevent any mix-up, each signal must be accurately reflected to separate feed horns so that there is no interruption.

When your satellite dish catches the signal, it sends it through the feed horn where it is transmitted to your satellite receiver. To make sure you receive a strong satellite transmission, your satellite dish should be mounted in an open area without obstructions such as trees and buildings.