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Hi, I would recommend buying one of those low cost satellite finders, I use a "SF95L satellite finder". For more info google it. They cost about $15 bucks and really help find the satellite because the audio signal they generate when on a satellite is instant. Some of the Dish receivers have a very long delay before the built in meter will find anything. For example my ViP 222 can take up to a minute or so to find a TP. That is much too slow and makes it impossible to locate the satellite. Using the satellite finder is quite simply, just adjust the squelch until the meter is just making a sound (on the verge of cutting in and out) and then start moving the dish. It will squeal much louder when you start to get on the satellite. By re-adjusting the squelch to less and less sensitive you will be able to rough in the dish. Now go to the TV and double check that you are on the correct satellite. After you confirm the correct satellite you should be able to fine tune the dish by cranking up the volume way up on the TV and peak the dish using the audio meter from the satellite receiver. Just open a couple of windows near the dish and you should be able to hear the receiver provided the dish and receiver are not real far apart. I used this system to re-mount and point my wing dish and it is on the other side of the house from the TV. Beats the heck out of un-hooking the heavy receiver and moving it to the dish. Hope this helps, DC

Does the....

delta_charlie said:

Hi, I would recommend buying one of those low cost satellite finders, I use a "SF95L satellite finder". For more info google it. They cost about $15 bucks and really help find the satellite because the audio signal they generate when on a satellite is instant. Some of the Dish receivers have a very long delay before the built in meter will find anything. For example my ViP 222 can take up to a minute or so to find a TP. That is much too slow and makes it impossible to locate the satellite. Using the satellite finder is quite simply, just adjust the squelch until the meter is just making a sound (on the verge of cutting in and out) and then start moving the dish. It will squeal much louder when you start to get on the satellite. By re-adjusting the squelch to less and less sensitive you will be able to rough in the dish. Now go to the TV and double check that you are on the correct satellite. After you confirm the correct satellite you should be able to fine tune the dish by cranking up the volume way up on the TV and peak the dish using the audio meter from the satellite receiver. Just open a couple of windows near the dish and you should be able to hear the receiver provided the dish and receiver are not real far apart. I used this system to re-mount and point my wing dish and it is on the other side of the house from the TV. Beats the heck out of un-hooking the heavy receiver and moving it to the dish. Hope this helps, DC

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Does the SF95L have enough power on it's own to power a 1K4 dish without a receiver input to the dish also? I believe it takes like 600ma or so to power the dish..
Thanks, Gerry

Found it..

ggw2000 said:

Does the SF95L have enough power on it's own to power a 1K4 dish without a receiver input to the dish also? I believe it takes like 600ma or so to power the dish..
Thanks, Gerry

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Did some research and it looks like the SF95L requires a receiver input to work. There is also the SF95LK which looks to have a power pack that powers the dish and therefore a receiver is not required to be hooked up to start with. Anyone ever use a kit with power pack to intially setup a dish?
Thanks, Gerry

I would not use an analog meter for your final peek because they are wildly inaccurate on the 1000.4 dishes. You need a digital meter of some sort for the final peek even if it is just the meter built in the receiver. I use two meters for peeking the 1K.4s a ChanelMaster (analog) for quick aim and a Birdog (digital) for final aim.

Tech#344 said:

I would not use an analog meter for your final peek because they are wildly inaccurate on the 1000.4 dishes. You need a digital meter of some sort for the final peek even if it is just the meter built in the receiver. I use two meters for peeking the 1K.4s a ChanelMaster (analog) for quick aim and a Birdog (digital) for final aim.

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Hi, yes I agree with the statement above - do not plan on using the cheap analogue squeal meter to fine tune the dish. It is only for roughing it it. The easy way to use it is to make or buy a short 5 foot or so piece of coax and remove the lnb and then hook the short coax to the port you want to setup on and then hook the meter to the other end of the short coax and the original coax that goes to the receiver. Another words the analogue meter is hooked up in series between the receiver and the LNB. Works great! Later, DC

...and then hook the short coax to the port you want to setup on and then hook the meter to the other end of the short coax and the original coax that goes to the receiver. Another words the analogue meter is hooked up in series between the receiver and the LNB. Works great! Later, DC

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Obviously you have never done this. The 1000.x LNB's won't work this way. These multiple LNB's operate in a dual output mode depending on what you connect to them: Echostar refers to this as Default mode when the receiver is connected directly to the LNB assembly OR, DPP44 mode whenm the assembly is connected to a DPP44 ( or a digital tuning meter) first. IF you connect the LNB assembly to a digital tuning meter or you connect the LNB assembly to a DPP44 switch it operates as you described, each of the three left ports output individual LNB signals. The 4th LNB Input port is disabled. However, if you connect the LNB assembly to a receiver into port one first followed by optional receivers for ports 2, and 3, the LNB assembly outputs all three signals from the 3 LNB's to all three ports simultaneously with or without the analog meter in the line.

So, if all you have is an analog meter and your receiver, you will need to do what I did here and connect your meter to PORT 1 as that is required to get power input with power side of the meter connected to your receiver. Then use some aluminum foil to block sat signals to the two LNB's you don't want to receive. This allows the free unfoiled LNB to output it's intended signal to the port #1. Normally you'd want to do your first azimuth and elevation with the analog meter to the center LNB first so you'd put foil over the two outer LNB's for this first adjustment. Which one you do next is optional but I would recommend the one furthermost from the center as this one will more greatly affect your skew adjustment. Zero in the skew and then move the foil so you block that outside LNB now plus the LNB in the center and do the remaining course adjustment to the one nearest the center. Should be a minor skew adjustment by this time.

Your receiver should be showing good signal on all LNB's now on the receiver's Menu 611.

In my case I found that the 61.5 LNB on a couple weak TP's was just too low for rain fade issues so I set up another larger dish for that satellite and disabled that LNB on the main dish.

I used the analog meter to do the rough and then used the receiver outputting to my sling box and using sling player on my smart phone on the roof to do the final check. If using a receiver Menu 6,1,1 to do the checking you can remove the foil from the LNB's because the receiver Menu 611 screen can isolate the LNB's , TP's and signals but this method is much slower and more accurate than the analog meter.