Test Meters for VAST

[KYNSAT]

Hi am a proffessional terrestial Digital TV installer but we are comming accross a few people who need/want ( in black spots or due to location ( middle of forest with very tall tree's etc ) a satelitte connection to VAST as its really their only viable Digital TV option.

I am looking at some test meters primarily a Digital Satellite finder(MF-1900) or a SATLINK WS-6906 or a Maxpeak Sam-Lite, feedback on how good these are and/or any other less than $300 meters please advise.

Many Thanks

[Strada916]

Ikusi DSA102 ??

[zacker]

Hi am a proffessional terrestial Digital TV installer but we are comming accross a few people who need/want ( in black spots or due to location ( middle of forest with very tall tree's etc ) a satelitte connection to VAST as its really their only viable Digital TV option.

I am looking at some test meters primarily a Digital Satellite finder(MF-1900) or a SATLINK WS-6906 or a Maxpeak Sam-Lite, feedback on how good these are and/or any other less than $300 meters please advise.

Many Thanks

VAST uses DVB-S2. All of the meters you have listed here all do DVB-S. Although you will still be able to find the optus c1/d3 sat with all of the above meters, you will not be able to optimise the signal for the VAST platform.

I'm not the best person to ask, but for a budget solution, I use a Satlink WS6902 and i find it does the job for me.

I however recommend if you want to go down the satlink path that you purchase a WS6912 which is an upgraded model and is compliant with DVB-S2.



Others will rightfully point out though that these instruments aren't as accurate as what is used by sat professionals, but equipment designed for professional sat installers cost $1000's of dollars.

[KYNSAT]

really appreciate the info the Maxpeak was suggetsed by Lacey's where we source a lot of our antenna's etc I have also been considering a Horizon HD-S2 ( we use a Horizon for terrestial DTV and it seems top rate) its a bit more expensive but still less than a grand, I dont want to buy a meter that restricts what we can do in the future. Any thoughts on the Horizon.

Many Thanks again

[KYNSAT]

Thanks Strada916 but the Ikusi DSA102 is a bit expensive at the present at over $3000 but really appreciate the suggestion.

[jonnyath]

Emitor Satlook Micro HD

[LeroyPatrol]

I'm interested in what are the cheap ones on ebay like. Any one care to comment?

Leroy

[mtv]

What meter do you use for terrestrial?

Just curious because of the budget limit you are putting on a professional meter.

Lacey's sell meters that will do all terrestrial and all satellite, including DVB-S2 & MPEG4 including DVB-T & MPEG2 both SD and HD, such as the Unaohm range, but you need to spend big $ for fully-featured, accurate spectrum meters with true BER/MER.

As a professional installer, I'd expect to be paying $5K upwards for professional standard meters.

[LeroyPatrol]

What meter do you use for terrestrial?

Just curious because of the budget limit you are putting on a professional meter.

Lacey's sell meters that will do all terrestrial and all satellite, including DVB-S2 & MPEG4 including DVB-T & MPEG2 both SD and HD, such as the Unaohm range, but you need to spend big $ for fully-featured, accurate spectrum meters with true BER/MER.

As a professional installer, I'd expect to be paying $5K upwards for professional standard meters.

I know this isn't S2 but is one throwing money away considering something like this?


Leroy

[jonnyath]

I have ordered one of these and although it does not offer dvb-s2 it does actually read the strength/quality but simply not show 'locked'.

I have been checking these out for a few months and am looking forward to putting it to good use, if it is half as good as the feedback on various forums I will be a very happy little boy.

[mtv]

I know this isn't S2 but is one throwing money away considering something like this?


Leroy

Possibly suitable for the hobbyist/traveller and a step up from a satfinder.... but it's a long way short of a professional instrument.

They use a referenced BER scale, not true BER and certainly not real-time spectrum.

Metering in your average sat box will do just as well, if not better than these.

[mtv]

I have ordered one of these and although it does not offer dvb-s2 it does actually read the strength/quality but simply not show 'locked'.

I have been checking these out for a few months and am looking forward to putting it to good use, if it is half as good as the feedback on various forums I will be a very happy little boy.

The blurb sounds identical to the meter Leroy posted.

"First Strike Meters are the fastest digital satellite signal meters on the market."...... this is a blatant false claim.

"Meter never needs to be returned for re-calibration due to the unique calibration system built in to the meter. Each time the meter boots up it automatically calibrates for optimum performance so you can align each install with confidence."

No such thing with professional instruments... they all require periodical re-calibration.

Once again, a step up from a cheap satfinder, but I'd love to see how it stands up to my $10K real-time spectrum analyser... hopefully not too well, or I'd be very unhappy....

[KYNSAT]

MTV good question I use a Horizon HD-TM, and it cost around $500 from the UK , it seems to do a pretty good job.

The problem I have is balancing the small no of satellites we may do ( but this could be wrong or change) versus spending heaps on a good meter. On the other hand I dont want to buy something that wont enable to do a decent job on satelitte aligment and signal testing etc. Maybe the Horizon HD-S2 might not be a bad choice its till $800 from the UK. I am meetings with the Lacey guys this week so will ask them what they have other than the Maxpeak sat-lite as from whats been said that wont cut it.

Appreciate your help and comments.

[gordon_s1942]

Horses for Courses, the meter MTV uses does everything anyone could need both now and in the foreseeable future but do you have the customer base and need for such a quality unit ??
If what you have now is reletively new, you wont get 10 cents in the $$$ of its new price selling it so you want to get value out of it but if its been in use for awhile, it may be worth taking that deep breath to justify going for one that does it all.

[KYNSAT]

gordon_s1942 exactly the problem trying to get a meter that will do the job and given we have not done any satelitte installs and its only come up in few couple of situations, twiuce as a broadband solution and three times asa solution when the custoemrs location menas they cant get terrestial TV. It seems there is some market to be able to provide it off the back of the other services we provide so it could be a growth part of our business or we may only doing half a dozen or so a year.

So I we dont want to overspend but we do need a decent meter that will do most of what we need to setup a dish and we are not talking about a wide range of satellites.
If we find we are doing a larger number of installs then it would warrant spending more on a better meter.

Any thoughts on thre WS6912 or Horizon HD-S2

[KYNSAT]

VAST uses DVB-S2. All of the meters you have listed here all do DVB-S. Although you will still be able to find the optus c1/d3 sat with all of the above meters, you will not be able to optimise the signal for the VAST platform.

I'm not the best person to ask, but for a budget solution, I use a Satlink WS6902 and i find it does the job for me.

I however recommend if you want to go down the satlink path that you purchase a WS6912 which is an upgraded model and is compliant with DVB-S2.



Others will rightfully point out though that these instruments aren't as accurate as what is used by sat professionals, but equipment designed for professional sat installers cost $1000's of dollars.

ZACKER
"[QUOTE=zacker;407527]VAST uses DVB-S2. All of the meters you have listed here all do DVB-S. Although you will still be able to find the optus c1/d3 sat with all of the above meters, you will not be able to optimise the signal for the VAST platform."
FYI The satlite does do DVB-S@ or at least Laceys have confirmed it will. CHEERS

[Strada916]

Trimax tm6800 to be realeased soon. Looks like a nice meter. Looks likea 3 in one meter DVB -C, S2 & T

[cpd]

Emitor Satlook Micro HD

I went this way, still getting used to it, seems ok.

[KYNSAT]

Got a Horizon HD-S2, ordered it last Monday from the UK for $670AUS and arrived yesterday basically 7 days from purchase ,now I just need to set ip up $%^&*(

[bigfella08]

Alibaba sell the cheaper models lower than ebay......