Can I attach Outdoor antenna to a satellite dish

[Jillian2]

I have bought an out door antenna and was wondering can I disconnect the cable from the satellite dish and attach it to the antenna ?

 

[Jim5506]

It is not as simple as that.

While the cable itself will carry OTA TV signals, there are probably satellite specific switches or other roadblocks between the satellite dish and your receiver - they must ALL be removed for the OTA TV signal to freely flow from the OTA antenna to your TV set.

Follow the cable from your satellite dish all the way to the back of your TV and remove all the little boxes that appear there except the ground lug (it has a heavy copper wire going to your house ground) and replace them with female to female coax couplers (see below).

 

[Jillian2]

I no longer have a receiver. Cancelled my satellite service and returned the receiver. Using streaming only but wanted the antenna to get OTA locals and substations. Just wondered if the cable could be disconnected to the salty dish and connect the cable to the antenna.

 

[Jillian2]

I no longer have a receiver. Cancelled my satellite service and returned the receiver. Using streaming only but wanted the antenna to get OTA locals and substations. Just wondered if the cable could be disconnected to the salty dish and connect the cable to the antenna.

Meant satellite dish , not salty dish lol

 

[Phil T]

Since I quit satellite I am finding the mounting arms and cables are quite useful in other ways. Again, make sure you do not have any satellite splitters or switches in the cable if you use it for an antenna run.

My cables work fine for Comcast/Xfinity and also for my Antenna that I use for backup.

My mounting arm that I used for my Directv slimline is now holding my Ambient weather station along with my Televes Diganova Antenna. I pitched a couple of the dish mounting arms that I wish I had kept to help friends mount their small OTA antennas.

 

[Jillian2]

Since I quit satellite I am finding the mounting arms and cables are quite useful in other ways. Again, make sure you do not have any satellite splitters or switches in the cable if you use it for an antenna run.

My cables work fine for Comcast/Xfinity and also for my Antenna that I use for backup.

My mounting arm that I used for my Directv slimline is now holding my Ambient weather station along with my Televes Diganova Antenna. I pitched a couple of the dish mounting arms that I wish I had kept to help friends mount their small OTA antennas.

Thank you. I’m gonna have to find someone to put up my antenna . What do you mean by satellite switches and splitters? What are they for? I only have one TV

 

[Phil T]

Thank you. I’m gonna have to find someone to put up my antenna . What do you mean by satellite switches and splitters? What are they for? I only have one TV

If the wire from the LNB (arm) on the dish went directly to your satellite receiver you should be fine to hook an antenna to it and hook it directly to your TV. If it went to any other devices like a splitter for other rooms or a switch or amplifier you could have problems. Some older satellite receivers needed frequency converters or filters that were put in line with the dish. The frequencies used for satellite are different than used for TV antennas.

Since you only have one TV it sounds like you should be OK. If a professional does the antenna install you should be fine. Just make sure they trace the line to make sure something isn't hidden out of sight somewhere.

 

[Don in CT]

Thank you. I’m gonna have to find someone to put up my antenna . What do you mean by satellite switches and splitters? What are they for? I only have one TV

I'd follow the wire and see what is connected to it.

 

[Jillian2]

Meant satellite dish , not salty dish lol

Just got my outdoor antenna installed today. They put the 10 foot pole into where the dish was sitting and installed it. I’m gettin 27 local stations.