It's 22,236 miles away, that satellite in the sky -- high enough in the southern sky to send line-of-sight signals to nearly any location in the continental United States. Only land obstructions--buildings, mountains, trees, snow--can keep it from beaming reruns of I Love Lucy simultaneously to every receiver.

How Does It Work?

Most satellite descramblers cannot be worked on except by authorized service centers. The only exception is if the unit has a fuse inside, typically located near the power cord.

A satellite system consists of a dish antenna that captures radio waves, a cable that delivers the signal to a descrambler, the descrambler that converts the signals into audio and video for your TV or computer, and satellite speakers. Of course, the descrambler first makes sure that you are a subscriber in good standing to the service. At the other end, a television station transmits the signal to the satellite. Cable TV companies, too, use satellite feeds, but the delivery is via a cable to each subscriber's home.

Older home satellite dishes are as large as 12 to 15 feet in diameter, while the newest models are just 18 inches in diameter and easy to install with the manufacturer's directions. You now can buy equipment and a subscription to download--or even upload--digital computer data such as Internet access.

What Can Go Wrong?

If you experience a problem, first contact the programming service to be sure the signal is okay. If it is, the problem may be with the receiver or the descrambler. In either case, refer to the owner's manual for guidance or contact the manufacturer for repair. Don't attempt to repair a descrambler.

Fix-It Tip

Snow, ice, or heavy rain can interfere with a satellite dish's incoming signal. If you live in an area of heavy snowfalls, you can install a dish cover that will shield the equipment from snow or ice. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop interference from a heavy rain.