Reply With Quotenothing beats a compass, a decent (not $25) sat meter with all correct co-ordinates logged into it. And loads of experience.
Satellite Finders
hi everyone,
everytime ive had to lign up a satellite dish it has always taken me a few hours and usually with someones aid (watching the tv screen for % changes).
ive noticed u can get the sat finders for like $25 that just have a reading through to the trimax sat signal metre.
how do these things work ?
do the $25 just show wats on the tv screen except its alot more closer ?
and do the $500 ones tell u which way to move the dish ?
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nothing beats a compass, a decent (not $25) sat meter with all correct co-ordinates logged into it. And loads of experience.
what are the coordinates used for ?
A trimax sm2200 that I've had the pleasure to play with shows level, quality, dB, BER, C/N, etc. and is what I would class as a gadget to rule them all and can be bought for ~$500, or a several grand spectrum analyser with the works, or a simple digital meter with a small LCD, these are all brilliant for an excellent dish alignment. Even a $30 satfinder is a good way to start, and is how I got most of the dishes on my roof lined up. A $500 one will not tell you which way to move the dish, but will tell you which satellite you are on, from which you can work out where to move the dish.
oh okay
so if u have alot of dishes coordinates programmed into it and u have a list of where they are u can figure it out but its only when ur actually on the satellite not near it ?
You need some kind of electronic sat meter doodad, not a $25 needle meter like on ebay, something that gives you signal level, BER or MER if possible. These are basic requirements to help you locate the right satellite and fine tune it.
When you have one with even very basic spectrum ability then it becomes a whole new ball game and you can navigate the skies as easily as finding the milk in a supermarket.
Experience will tell you what satellites show up as what shape image on a spectrum, and from there, it's pretty much a dawdle.
I can hook you up with a very basic Horizon brand meter for around $350, a good spectrum analyzer start around 1500 but are not generally as portable. A REALLY good meter with decent spectrum ability and all the other creamy goodies starts around the $2000 mark.
If you're a hobbyist I don't know you need more than a $25 meter. I can find those birds. Sometimes I luck out and get onto what i'm looking for quickly. The key is to find a sat in the direction you are looking and the once you have established what it is then use that as a reference to work out which way to turn your dish. Practice practice practice....
Leroy
XCRUISER HDSR600HD twin sat and terrestrial receiver $OOS *
XCRUISER HDSR385 Avant - sold out$OOS UltraPlus DVB-T and DVB-S2 tuners $49 Remotes $OOS
I'm with Leroy, a compass and a cheap satfinder.
Start with a compass and take a bearing on a neighbours dish sighting through the back of the dish in the direction the lnb is pointing.
Connect elcheapo sat finder to the lnb on your dish with a 2 meter coax, other side of satfinder connects to the coax to the receiver.
Your lnb is now powered by your receiver via the satfinder, which is now live and squealing
Standing behind your dish, apply the compass bearing you pirated off the neighbours dish to a tree, landmark etc in the distance.
Turn the level control on your satfinder so the needle is nearly fullscale, aim your dish at the predetermined landmark and start to raise it.
Your satfinder will change tone and the needle will go fullscale if you hit the sat. Turn the level control down, always keeping it at about 80-90% full scale deflection.
If you get no change on the finder, lower the dish and move it a tad to the right (arbitrary) and raise it again.
Keep tading it a bit (poofteenth) to the right and do up/down sweep say 4 times.....slowly.
If no-go return dish to aforementioned pirated bearing and repeat sweeping using the lefthand side.
Once you find the sat, you can adjust skew for optimum quality (using the receivers signal/quality menu)
Wrong skew settings will not affect the cheap meter, its just out for a good time.
KK
Then there's the cheap stb (DVB-S or DVB-T for terrestrial TV stuff) and 8" LCD screen mounted in a laptop bag (mine cost me $100 total); but generally start with an accurate compass, a bit of luck and a $25 finder ..... to get on bird. But remember a $25 finder simply can't do skew.
agree but once you are on the bird you can bring up the signal strength screen on a sat box and then skew, tweak and peak your dish.Originally Posted by Farmsky
But remember a $25 finder simply can't do skew.
Leroy
XCRUISER HDSR600HD twin sat and terrestrial receiver $OOS *
XCRUISER HDSR385 Avant - sold out$OOS UltraPlus DVB-T and DVB-S2 tuners $49 Remotes $OOS
I like that idea,.. cheapy stb and a small lcd.Then there's the cheap stb (DVB-S or DVB-T for terrestrial TV stuff) and 8" LCD screen mounted in a laptop bag (mine cost me $100 total); but generally start with an accurate compass, a bit of luck and a $25 finder ..... to get on bird. But remember a $25 finder simply can't do skew.
the way i did it which took a couple of hours was my dad was watching the signal strength and quality and was calling the numbers over the intercom function on our cordless phone. i didnt hear him and screamed out "what" and as i bent down to scream into the fone as it was on loudspeaker in my pocket my shoulder collided with the dish hitting it and causing it to find the dish i was looking for and giving me a 75% quality
Wow, that method shits on mine.
KK
I use a 7" lcd panel, a dm500s, and a $20 12V SLA battery. It all packs into a camcorder bag with a strap so you can hang it over your neck to leave the hands free
Too easy
Reality is an invention of my imagination.
ಠ_ಠ
Running everything off 12v makes life easier
XCRUISER HDSR600HD twin sat and terrestrial receiver $OOS *
XCRUISER HDSR385 Avant - sold out$OOS UltraPlus DVB-T and DVB-S2 tuners $49 Remotes $OOS
So one of these would suit just about anyone other than a hardcore installer Mick?
Is it a value for money product or another "You get what you pay for" type deal?
Anyone else use or used one, Jonc maybe?
I used a $25 meter from jaycar to move dish from pas8 to c1. Then I used laptop using wifi to connect to my dm500 on the network and view signal via web interface. I then could adjust LNB skew.
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