Satellite technology has paved the way for a variety of useful products and services, including pay TV, GPS service, wireless communication and satellite broadband. While the technology has improved since its inception, there are still times when it must be upgraded or repaired. Satellite technicians perform a variety of functions in making sure your satellite dish can communicate with its orbiting satellite to perform its designated tasks.
Digital Satellite Installation
Satellite dish installation is often completed by a satellite technician, especially with small, digital satellite dishes. A residential satellite tech performs a site survey to locate the best place to mount the dish with an unobstructed view of the sky. He then mounts the dish on the side of a building or on a pole. He runs the appropriate wires into the house to attach to the television receiver, then fine-tunes the dish to acquire the signal. He may use a specialized satellite signal finder to simplify this process. He will often mount the dish on a roof and run the wire in a crawlspace, so a measure of physical dexterity is required.
Troubleshooting and Repair
Satellite technicians perform all of the troubleshooting of the satellite equipment, whether by phone or in person. This may involve replacing damaged equipment, repositioning the dish or performing other advanced troubleshooting as directed by the satellite vendor. In the case of commercial satellite internet equipment, he may have to first fix the equipment, then integrate it back into the network of the business. This commercial troubleshooting may require significant networking infrastructure skills as well as server training.
Industrial and Research Satellites
Specialized satellite technicians also assist in the design, construction and maintenance of industrial and research satellite dishes. These dishes require a large staff of engineers, electricians and technicians to maintain and are typically located in a university or a private industrial setting. Technicians may repair automated pointing mechanisms as well as troubleshooting many of the same issues their smaller counterparts experience. Additional vendor training is required for these complex satellite dish arrays.
Most satellite technicians work alone or in pairs to install or repair small, residential satellite dishes. They typically own their own tools and troubleshooting gear and may be employed or act as an independent contractor. They will travel extensively, especially in assisting after a natural disaster such as a tornado or hurricane. Good communication skills are essential in this position as a technician must position the dish and run wires in a way that both looks pleasing and meets the manufacturer's specifications for location and pointing angle.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers
- Star West Satellite: Satellite Technician
- Science Applications International Corporation: Satellite Technician Job
- Society of Satellite Professionals International: Career Paths in the Satellite Industry
- Journal of Young nvestigators: Careers in Satellite Technology
- Florida Institute of Technology: Research Institutes, Centers and Major Laboratories
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images