Android Satellite Dish Aiming

[fred555]

I have tried quite a few Satellite aiming tools for Android. Most of them just aren't accurate for me.
I have always found the compass and/or visual satellite position to be way off.

But I have finally found a tool that works for me.

It is called Satellite Dish Pointer by Foxsmith Technology LTD.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ftl.satellitedishpointer.sdp&hl=en

I was very impressed when I got under one of my Ku dishes, centered the camera under the LNB arm and the satellite appeared centered with the LNB end of the arm! It was dead on.

I have only tried the free version and not the paid version.

Like the picture shows I use it mostly for picking out a spot for a dish based on where the trees aren't.

 

[USDownlink]

You know, I guess I got lucky. That was the first app I tried, and I found it plenty sufficient. Not at all incidentally, too; I'm in the process of buying a house. My friends and family and wife and agent only had a vague understanding of why "southern sky" was important, but I am certain they appreciated that it usually only took about 30 or 40 seconds to check everything out at any specific site with this app.

The number of properties that got rejected due to this app is a different story. Nobody appreciated that, even me, and especially not the sellers.

Anyway, the only drawback I've noticed so far is that the app can sometimes get quite disoriented. It hasn't ever been clear why, so it's not necessarily easy to fix.

 

[Titanium]

I learned the hard way with my smart phone app. Forgot to verify the compass accuracy and site checked the new home location on a cloudy day. Imagine my surprise seeing the sun location after we committed and started the site prep! Thought that we had a clear sky 139W to 72W, but turned out that the blocking pine trees provided a window from 139W to 116W then a small opening from 101W to 85W.

Check it once, check it twice, check it three times... then grab a compass for a 2nd opinion!

 

[N6BY]

...
Anyway, the only drawback I've noticed so far is that the app can sometimes get quite disoriented. It hasn't ever been clear why, so it's not necessarily easy to fix.

I noticed that about the app also. When it got confused I just rotated my phone until it got its bearings again somehow. The other thing I had to do to get it working was manually enter my correct lat/lon. It thought I was in Canada. Pretty good app for a freebie.

 

[N6BY]

Forgot to mention -- the app confirmed what I had known about my visible arc which is 50W to 139W. 50W is barely above a distant oak tree, but I am able to get 2 to 4 C-Band channels on it!