Mini TV with Mini SAT receiver for pointing dishes

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polgyver

Creative Tinkerer
Pub Member / Supporter
Sep 21, 2010
487
368
Toronto
Usually, for pointing a dish, small TV and receiver is helpful close to the tuned dish. The biggest problem is the extension cord. The best solution is specialized satellite meter, but it is rather expensive. As an alternative, I assembled on a piece of plywood small TV and very small sat receiver. This receiver was bought from e-bay, for around $17. TV cost me much more, but it is not dedicated only for dish pointing. Green batteries have been salvaged from damaged Makita drill. Probably, instead of mini TV, a small DVD player also could be used... Four photographs follow. Cheers, polgyver
IMG_0852.JPGIMG_0859.JPGIMG_0846.JPGIMG_0848.JPG
 

FaT Air

HOA Free Zone
Feb 27, 2010
6,668
916
97W 48N
I use the KISS principle. Yeah, I'm lazy. Receiver in the house with audio & video sent to a ntsc modulator. Channel sent to dish location on spare coax. Portable 7 in television.
Think if there's no spare coax, temporarily using a diplexer???? Have a few left over from:
Back in the days of installing the 'first generation' DTV, USSB. I had a small 12v B&W television in a homemade box with a 7 amp gel cel and an inverter to power the customers receiver at the dish. Good thing they had the beep function as sometimes the video was 'trashed' for some reason. Manufacturing tolerances of the receivers????
 

Tron

SatelliteGuys Master
May 6, 2005
6,599
33
Metro New Orleans, LA
I've considered using a coax run from the inside receiver out to the dish. It's a good idea, but you do lose the ability to control the receiver. I was considering a Slingbox until I heard of the lag issue.
 

FaT Air

HOA Free Zone
Feb 27, 2010
6,668
916
97W 48N
You could still control the receiver with a remote control extender but only if 'in range'. For true wireless, one would have to battery power it. But for general tune ups I rarely have to run in to change tp.
 

olliec420

SatelliteGuys Pro
Jun 4, 2007
759
187
Pensacola, FL
To solve this I got a birdog. I know they're expensive but OMG did it make a difference. I can find and fine tune in a mater of minutes.

Congrats on the ingenuity though!
 

jorgek

SatelliteGuys Pro
Mar 11, 2013
1,324
296
Near Toronto
Using a pro meter kind of takes the fun out of the countless hours spent trying to location the sat, not to mention the hair pulling, cursing, yell at wife and maybe even kick the dog!
 

KE4EST

SatelliteGuys Is My Second Home
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
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Aug 9, 2004
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EM75xb
Gonna have to seek out an anger management program.. :D:D
 

Cham

VE4GLS
Pub Member / Supporter
Dec 19, 2008
2,550
1,122
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Polgyver,
How well does the TV work for ATSC reception? I am looking for a meter for aiming TV antennas, and a small TV like that might work ok if it has a signal meter built in...
 

i4tas

SatelliteGuys Pro
Sep 10, 2005
791
4
Northern USA
satellite receiver and tv ON and in the signal menu. Take laptop and point webcam at TV. Skype call to my android phone on the same WIFI network. Mobile signal meter! No wires or batteries or purchases.
 

polgyver

Creative Tinkerer
Pub Member / Supporter
Sep 21, 2010
487
368
Toronto
Polgyver,
How well does the TV work for ATSC reception? I am looking for a meter for aiming TV antennas, and a small TV like that might work ok if it has a signal meter built in...
The TV can show a white-yellow bar which length depends on signal strength, there is also a word displayed (Bad, Normal and Good). However, this display lasts only a few seconds. It can be recalled by pressing "menu" and left arrow. See following pictures
IMG_0864.jpgIMG_0866.jpgIMG_0868.JPGIMG_0873.JPGIMG_0877.JPGIMG_0878.JPGIMG_0879.jpg
 

polgyver

Creative Tinkerer
Pub Member / Supporter
Sep 21, 2010
487
368
Toronto
satellite receiver and tv ON and in the signal menu. Take laptop and point webcam at TV. Skype call to my android phone on the same WIFI network. Mobile signal meter! No wires or batteries or purchases.
Not feasible in some cases, like :
I am visiting a friend, who asked to move his Ku dish from 101 W to 97 W and to scan this new sat. So, there is no TV with screen and menu, no laptop, no Android phone (just an old Nokia C3)...:).
I hang my "poor man's first strike" on the dish's J-pipe, using a piece of # 14 or #12 AWG solid wire bent on hooks, move the dish and max the signal, reattach the original RG6.
Takes about 3-5 minutes.
Next, we go to receiver and scan. That's all... Cheers, polgyver
 
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