THE TOOLS NEEDED FOR A KU-SATELLITE OR DSTV INSTALLATION

I am giving you two lists of tools here depending on your requirements. D.I.Y enthusiasts do not want to spend too much money on tools that will be lying in the shed for most of the time. Where full-time installers need higher quality tools that will be more reliable and get the work done faster and also help to increase the quality of their workmanship. This gives you the confidence in the guarantee that you provide to your customers.

1. The first list is for D.I.Y enthusiasts consisting of the minimum required to do the job effectively. You might already have most of the tools, but I want you to start the job with confidence so that you will be able to complete your home installation with the tools at hand.
2. The second, is a list of tools for professional installers to not only help you do the job neatly, but tools that will help you save time, and get that professional edge that will assure that the customer becomes a long term customer.
3. Having good quality tools can be expensive, but is an investment that gives you a return over a long period by making your work easier, especially on those difficult days.
4. Having the appropriate tools for a job makes the work so much easier and pleasant, that it is worth it to keep on adding to your collection, as it fits your budget.

I will also give you the best uses for specific tools and why and when to use them most effectively, like not to use a screw driver for a chisel and visa versa. Please also plan any work to be as safe as possible and using the correct tool for each task will surely help to make any work less hazardous.

Tools for installing a Satellite or DStv dish the D.I.Y way:

1. Set of steel drill bits. 4-10mm.	9. Sturdy Step Ladder.
2. Masonry drill bits: 6mm+8mm+10mm.+10mm x 300mm long.	10. Signal measuring meter.
3. A small size Ball peen hammer.	11. Mini cable current tester.
4. A medium size flat screw driver. Tip width +- 6mm.	12. Ring or open-ended wrenches.
5. Number 2 size Phillips screwdriver.	13. A compass (Not vital).
6. Small Sharp knife.	14. Spirit level (not vital).
7. Side cutter.	15. Electric extension cord.
8. A Hammer action drilling machine.	16. Glue gun. (Non essential).

Uses for specific D.I.Y. tools:

• Steel drill bits are handy for making holes in Steel plates, Wood or Plastic cover-plates.
• The Fisher plugs for the coach screws used usually require a 10mm hole in the wall (Masonry). If you have to take a cable through a double brick wall, you will need a drill bit that is 10mm thick and 300mm long.
• The hammer is used mostly for tapping the fisher plastic plugs into the holes holding the dish up and also to fix cables down with cable clips.
• Most manufacturers use Phillips (STAR) screws on their dishes, but you sometimes get flat grooved screws that needs the appropriate screw driver.
• Remember that blunt kitchen knives are for cutting fingers. Treat yourself to a small Stanley knife that works best for cutting the plastic off the cables when fitting connectors.
• A good Side-cutter clips especially the center core of the cable so that it does not damage the female f-connector on your Decoder and LNB.
• For general drilling of steel wood or brick, a standard hammer electric drill is good enough. It might take somewhat longer, but is much cheaper that a percussion drilling machine.
• A sturdy aluminum ladder is ideal and lasts a lifetime, but if you have a strong wooden ladder it should do the trick.
• Locating the satellite requires patience if you do not have a professional signal meter, but the apps available with a smartphone combined with a Sat-finder should make it easy enough. **
• Having a small cable tester handy when your satellite signal goes on the blink, will make it easy to find the bad connection. **
• Also remember that a socket wrench is always better that a ring spanner, which grips better than an open-ended spanner, that in turn is a much better choice that an adjusting wrench, that usually just damages the bolt or nut and causes it to rust.

Tools for Professional Satellite Installers:

Apart of the D.I.Y tools above, professional installers need the following equipment:

High quality Compass.	Cable stripper.	Hand carry Toolbox.
Inclinommeter.	Long nose pliers.	Waist Tool Pouch.
Marking pencil.	Hacksaw.	Volt – Amp – Ohm meter.
Socket Ratchet handle.	Small hand tree saw.	Cable Tester.
13mm Deep reach socket.	RJ 45 Connector Crimper.	Rain-suit & Umbrella.
Putty knife.	Soldering Iron.	Round + Flat file.
Steel & Plastic fish tape.	Percussion Drilling Machine.	3-5 meter Tape measure.
Hand protecting gloves.	Battery powered Drill.	Some form of knee guard.
Step-drill bit.	4,5 + 8 meter Step-ladders.	Soft Heelless shoes.
6,8,10,16 & 25 mm SDS Bits.	Camping chair.	Safety Harness.
High quality 60 watt Glue-gun.	RJ 45 Cable tester.	Pin Pinch.
Allen-key set.	15+17+19 ring spanners.	Small Vice.
Accurate spirit level.	Adjustable wrench.	Field Strength Meter.
Compact vacuum cleaner.	40 + 50 mm Hole saw.
20 meter Electric extention.	4 Pound Hammer.
220V Generator or Inverter.	Bright Rechargeable Torch.

Uses for specialized Satellite Tools:

• When you find yourself on a terrain with no reference point, a good compass helps establish the dish direction and whether there are obstacles that might be in the way on each side of the signal path. There are also Phone App’s available to do this task.
• An Inclinometer will help you find whether the signal to the dish will clear ground obstacles. (Also on App)
• One of the most handy toll to have in your collection is the gold Step Drill Bit in the picture above (next to the hole saw). It can drill holes of various sizes without having to switch bits. Handy for soft thin metals & plastic.
• A putty knife helps to finish off neatly when spreading crack filler around a cable going through a wall.
• A Fish-tape helps you draw cable through a conduit.
• A good Spirit Level is essential to get Tv brackets and Dish mountings True, especially with motorized Dishes.
• On those days when there is no Power at a building site, a small 1000 Kva Generator saves the day. An inverter that pulls power from your vehicles battery will also help to test the satellite and Tv system.
• Customers watch us carefully and we look more efficient if we clean the cable ends with a nifty cable stripper.
• A hacksaw will cut wood Plastic and steel easily.
• Removing branches in front of a dish is child’s – play with a small Tree saw.
• There is no other way to crimp the RJ-45 connectors onto a Cat-6 cable than the real thing.
• Soldering a Cable connection is the only way to ensure continuous contact.
• The speed at which a PERCUSSION DRILL using SDS bits goes through concrete makes it the essential time saver.
• A Battery powered drill does not only quickly drill holes, but will drive screws at an alarming speed.
• It is essential to have a medium sized ladder that can extend, but also go into an A-Frame.
• You can sometimes spend hours adjusting signal processors, so a small folding chair always saves the day.
• The easiest way to test connectors & cable faults, is to have a Cat 5/6 tester handy when doing WiFi.
• Making holes for a cable harness at the back of wooden cabinets gets done easily with a decent hole saw.
• Driving an earth spike into the ground requires a heavier 4 pound hammer.
• There are great torches available nowadays that can charge from a USB socket in your car.
• When you have to go into a ceiling void, it helps a lot if you can have the required tools and fittings at hand, zipped up in a pouch that is strapped to your body. It also helps you not to lose any tools in such an uncomfortable place.
• Current continuity can be tested with either a volt/ohm meter or a handy cable Tester.
• Having soft sole shoes without heels help one walk easier over uneven terrain without slipping.
• Having a safety harness is compulsory in certain dangerous areas and sites.
• When having to drill a hole through a steel plate, it is vital to punch a small indent on the spot to be drilled.
• Sometimes you need to cut something like a bolt, shorter, when a small vice mounted at the back of your truck comes in handy.
• An accurate Field Strength Meter is vital, that can measure Dvb S and S2 Signal quality in PER ( Packet error Rate), MER, (Modulation Error rate), and BER, (Bit Error Rate), with clear Spectrum display for you to see any interference. A quality meter will also be able to evaluate Digital Terrestrial signals and indicate any echos that might be present.
• One can usually get away with spending less money if you buy your Fiber optic meter and equipment separately.

Some more examples of the tools listed above:

Conclusion:

I hope that this information will help you to quickly get all the tools ready for your next Satellite project.