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Thread: Digital Sat Finder for VAST - What signal strength?

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    Default Digital Sat Finder for VAST - What signal strength?

    G'day all,

    I have recently purchased a VAST system and a digital satellite finder (itech world equivalent to the SF3239) to use travelling with our caravan.

    When I set the dish up yesterday I had 85% strength and 87% quality BEFORE I tightened the nuts on the dish mount. After tightening the figures dropped to something around 80% strength, 76% quality, but the picture was pretty good. I could have spent a lot more time guessing how much deflection was happening in the tightening and allowing for that, but I was wondering if it is worth that much trouble.



    My questions to those with these digital satellite finders are:

    * What %strength and %quality should I expect or strive for?

    * Is it possible to get near 100%, or doesn't it matter that much?

    * Do the figures vary depending on location etc? (I was in Adelaide, setting up to watch the cricket tri-series final)



    Thanks,

    glids37



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    NOPE, waste of time fiddling.
    I have friends who regularly travel from Townsville to Melbourne on the Show Cat Curcuit and all he does now on arrival at his usual Caravan Park is take out the Dish and point it 'North' and she watches untill it 'Locks' and yells 'OK" and thats it, job done he says in 10 minutes now.
    Doesnt even hook the meter up now.
    I am not sure of the readings on that meter but you aim for the best of.
    None of the scales provided are 100% accurate unless you have a multi thousand $$$ Field Strength Meter but anything over 50% in either Strength or Quality is going to work.
    Always remember that on a fine clear sunny day or night, you should near be able to get by with a bottom end Signal/Quality level (Humax 29%) BUT overcast or any atmospheric disturbance between you and the Satellite will reduce that margin considerably so the idea is to get the best you can for that location from 50% or higher to avoid annoying dropouts.
    Just because you cant see the storms doesnt mean there arent any out there.

    Just to upset the applecart even more, 2 weeks ago the Transmission sites in Sydney were deluged in a massive downpour and blocked the UpLink and lightning hit one of the Ethnic Brodcasters nearby.
    Also based on other comments in the forum, it seems the further West you go, you may have to slightly alter the 'Skew' of the LNB so that the connecter is almost pointing straight down by the time you reach Perth.
    Fun isnt it?
    Last edited by gordon_s1942; 09-03-12 at 10:12 AM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by glids37 View Post
    G'day all,

    I have recently purchased a VAST system and a digital satellite finder (itech world equivalent to the SF3239) to use travelling with our caravan.

    When I set the dish up yesterday I had 85% strength and 87% quality BEFORE I tightened the nuts on the dish mount. After tightening the figures dropped to something around 80% strength, 76% quality, but the picture was pretty good. I could have spent a lot more time guessing how much deflection was happening in the tightening and allowing for that, but I was wondering if it is worth that much trouble.



    My questions to those with these digital satellite finders are:

    * What %strength and %quality should I expect or strive for?

    * Is it possible to get near 100%, or doesn't it matter that much?

    * Do the figures vary depending on location etc? (I was in Adelaide, setting up to watch the cricket tri-series final)



    Thanks,

    glids37
    No if you get between 87/76% your doing alright, if you look at your quality through your stb you'll notice a lot less quality than your finder states. For me what your getting is good enough for me.

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    Quote Originally Posted by glids37 View Post
    My questions to those with these digital satellite finders are:

    * What %strength and %quality should I expect or strive for?
    Always go for the best possible


    Quote Originally Posted by glids37 View Post
    * Is it possible to get near 100%, or doesn't it matter that much?
    Not without a larger dish (or a DVB-S2 modulator :P)

    Quote Originally Posted by glids37 View Post
    Do the figures vary depending on location etc? (I was in Adelaide, setting up to watch the cricket tri-series final)
    Yes, you should look at the coverage maps provided by optus for the C1/D3 Australian Beam. Best location is roughly along the great dividing range in the SE corner of Oz, bring a big dish there and you'll get higher figures.

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    Yes,

    Signal strength will vary depending on location and dish size.

    Providing you have sufficient signal strength and more importantly.. signal quality, you'll get reception.

    Higher levels will not provide any improvement in picture and sound... basically with digital, you have excellent reception, it's pixelating, or gone altogether.

    The trick with VAST is LNB skew... it's very fussy.

    As others have said, obtain the highest levels you can to provide a margin above the minimum threshold for when signal dip (weather/rain, etc) and all should be fine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by gordon_s1942 View Post
    NOPE, waste of time fiddling.
    I have friends who regularly travel from Townsville to Melbourne on the Show Cat Curcuit and all he does now on arrival at his usual Caravan Park is take out the Dish and point it 'North' and she watches untill it 'Locks' and yells 'OK" and thats it, job done he says in 10 minutes now.
    Doesnt even hook the meter up now.

    Also based on other comments in the forum, it seems the further West you go, you may have to slightly alter the 'Skew' of the LNB so that the connecter is almost pointing straight down by the time you reach Perth.
    Fun isnt it?
    I do much the same. I use the figures from the Hills chart and 'fine tune' to the loudest 'squeal' on the Digi7. I don't worry about measurements, if I can see the picture, all is good.

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    Can you put pictures of the lithium ion battery and charger that come with the SF3239 ?

    Also, does the battery connect to the metre via a pin ?

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    Quote Originally Posted by vk2goh View Post
    Can you put pictures of the lithium ion battery and charger that come with the SF3239 ?

    Also, does the battery connect to the metre via a pin ?
    The SF3239 does not come with a LI battery and charger.

    They are generally supplied with a battery holder designed for non-rechargeable AA batteries.

    Power from the battery pack is connected to the meter via a short cable with an F connector.

    eg: instead of connecting the meter to a decoder for power, use the battery pack instead.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    The SF3239 does not come with a LI battery and charger.

    They are generally supplied with a battery holder designed for non-rechargeable AA batteries.

    Power from the battery pack is connected to the meter via a short cable with an F connector.

    eg: instead of connecting the meter to a decoder for power, use the battery pack instead.
    I have an SF500 at the moment, which I am planning on using in an outdoor setting where
    there are no wall power sockets around

    I have some questions

    1. Is it possible to get the F connector battery holder separately at Jaycar or Dick Smith ?

    2. Is it possible to plug the existing power supply into a separate battery holder via an adapter
    in order to power the metre ?

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    The meter will run from 12VDC - 20VDC so you can use any power source in that range you want.

    Don't know if you can buy a battery holder from Jaycar with an F connector... have a look.

    You can fit an F connector to a cable yourself, just remember to make the centre pin positive.

    You may find it easier to use another type of connector with an F adaptor because an F connector relies on the centre conductor of the coax for the centre pin, eg: using an RCA plug you could solder your battery/PS wires to, then use an RCA female to F male adaptor.

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    You can power the SF500 from the Decoder or any 12-20v DC power supply as MTV has said.
    There is also a separate DC input on the left side of the unit, (not the 'F' con), that you could make a cable & battery pack setup to fit. see page 2 of the manual for conformation.

    Edit: forgot to credit beer4life for this manual, I did appreciate it when he posted it for me, hope you do too.

    In the manual for the SF500 on page 12 under specifications it does list a lithium ion battery & charger as selectable (optional), however haven't seen where to buy one.


    Suggested reading in other threads,

    Last edited by Tiny; 20-06-13 at 07:11 PM.
    Cheers, Tiny
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    Quote Originally Posted by nbound View Post
    Always go for the best possible



    Not without a larger dish (or a DVB-S2 modulator :P)


    Yes, you should look at the coverage maps provided by optus for the C1/D3 Australian Beam. Best location is roughly along the great dividing range in the SE corner of Oz, bring a big dish there and you'll get higher figures.
    What does a DVB-S2 modulator do?

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    Quote Originally Posted by transit View Post
    What does a DVB-S2 modulator do?
    Modulates an AV source to a DVB-S2 RF signal.

    eg: converts audio/video into a signal than can be received with a DVB-S2 tuner.
    Last edited by mtv; 20-06-13 at 09:22 PM.

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