Are the $20 sat signal meters worth the money?

[Racer47]

I know they are nothing like a Birddog, but is it worth the $20 to buy one those cheap satellite signal meters? Will it work any better or respond any quicker than the signal strength meter built into the 722?

I'm having trouble getting any signal on 129 and thought one of those may help. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[tsduke]

I have one and it works fine for initially locating the signal.

 

[Jared Twomey]

they work fine for the occasional use... campers, occasional tweaking, ect.

 

[RockinHARD26]

Where can you get one of these?

 

[Racer47]

Here's one The Dish Store - Powered by Metro25
Also ebay has a bunch. I tried radioshack but they didn't have any.

 

[ajax33]

my local menards carries them, try that if you have once close by

 

[jpmarto]

I find mine quite useful -- got it on eBay. For using your receiver to find 129, first off you need to know which transponder to use or you'll be adjusting all day to no avail. Then there is a delay from when you're on the bird to when the indicator responds, allowing you to overshoot the satellite. With the inexpensive finder, if you have the gain control properly adjusted, you can get an indication of the satellite when you're within 3-5 degrees or so, and can then tweak it. Maybe it's just me, but for 129 I find it with the finder, then tweak the final setting by using the receiver's signal strength screen. And maybe it's just me, but I'd pay extra $$ for an antenna that had a decent adjusting mechanism compared to the current crapola units that go out of alignment when you tighten them down.

 

[Racer47]

my local menards carries them, try that if you have once close by

I was just at Menards a couple days ago and never even thought to look for one there. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Jared Twomey]

the local radio shack here has them in stock almost all the time

 

[Derwin0]

For the low price, they are a godsend for initially locating the signal, and doing some tweaking.

 

[Racer47]

Thanks for all the replys. I've got a temporary ground level setup with a 1000.2 (can't get on my roof, too much snow and freeszing rain), and I'm shooting through some tree branches. So its far from ideal but it should be good enough for now.

 

[crappieguy]

They have saved me a time or two.

 

[DirectDishNet]

I have a Birdog, Sat Buddy and a Digisat......In the bottom of my tool box, I have 3 or 4 of those $10.00 satellite meters. Let me tell you, Most of the time I use the $10 meter. It's fast, fits in my pocket and works just fine. As long as your mast is plum and level, You dish is skewed and elevated correct, Just use the meter and point to 119, The rest will fall in place... At least for me it does. Our elevation on 119 is 52 and scewed at 90 for the dish 500's and the dish 1000's are at 99-101. so it's easy here. I use the $10 one 80% of the time unless I'm doing a 118 dish 500 plus or dish 1000plus........

 

[Tyralak]

my local menards carries them, try that if you have once close by

Me and my buddy used to go in there and walk around to where several sales associates were congreated and yell out loudly. OUCH! YOU KICKED ME IN MENARDS!

 

[w5lh]

Save your money. I found a small portable TV set at the Dish does wonders. All the meter does is tell you if you have a signal. The needle movement is too slow to see the peaks.

 

[tsduke]

Save your money. I found a small portable TV set at the Dish does wonders. All the meter does is tell you if you have a signal. The needle movement is too slow to see the peaks.

A small tv while up on the roof isn't very realistic. I had no issues with the meter. It has worked great for me.

 

[Jim5506]

I use a 301 and a 5 inch TV with a looooong extension cord.

 

[stucatz]

Hardly ever post here but if you want the mother of all signal meters buy this
PROMAX TV ExplorerII and TV ExplorerII+ Universal TV Explorer, TV Explorer 2 and TV Explorer 2+ - at Test Equipment Depot

 

[Beckhamfam]

I has trouble finding 129 and got a signal meter and it helped a lot for me.

 

[Stargazer]

The cheap needle meters is all I have used the past 8 years. They work great and are cheap. I'd like to have a small tv and a UHF upgrade kit with UHF remote to hookup to any receiver that I have in order to get it all done right outside without having to go back and forth to make the jobs easier.