I'm looking for a sat meter that will tell me what satellite I'm on. I am also looking for the cheapest one.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Cheapest sat Id meter?
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Well -- the List or Lyngsat along with your receiver may be the only answer to that question. Most of the satelllites we can see do not transmit the proper or full ID so you get to guess. IE. there are NONE.
I never owned one, but from what I understand from reading about the Super Buddy, it is designed primarily for the DBS markets. DBS birds identify themselves. But you can customize the sat map in the device for your area and tell the device how to identify FTA birds you run across.
I can tell you how I found the satellites I wanted.
Set up your dish and find a signal, any signal. Blind scan that satellite and determine what bird you are on. Use LyngSat as your guide to see where you are and what you are receiveing.
THEN, while on a channel on that sat, move your dish with the motor either East or West, makes no difference, until you lose the signal you are watching. Look on LingSat to see what sat you should be getting in the direction you moved the dish. Since most of the satellites are close enough together once you lose one sat you are on or very close to the next sat. Do a blind scan using the next satellite's name, and see what you get.
Look at the signal strength of what you are receiving, try to improve that by moving the dish a little more in the direction you are looking, and do a re-scan.
Save each sat as you find them.
Keep doing this until you are happy with what you are receiving. A heck of a lot cheaper than ANY meter out there, and you have pride in knowing that you did it yourself.
Photto
Set up your dish and find a signal, any signal. Blind scan that satellite and determine what bird you are on. Use LyngSat as your guide to see where you are and what you are receiveing.
THEN, while on a channel on that sat, move your dish with the motor either East or West, makes no difference, until you lose the signal you are watching. Look on LingSat to see what sat you should be getting in the direction you moved the dish. Since most of the satellites are close enough together once you lose one sat you are on or very close to the next sat. Do a blind scan using the next satellite's name, and see what you get.
Look at the signal strength of what you are receiving, try to improve that by moving the dish a little more in the direction you are looking, and do a re-scan.
Save each sat as you find them.
Keep doing this until you are happy with what you are receiving. A heck of a lot cheaper than ANY meter out there, and you have pride in knowing that you did it yourself.
Photto
Phottoman said:
Amen! I keep reading about these meters that ID sats, a friend of mine has one (Birdog I think) and I can tell you, we always go back to the good ol' way!
I personally use a beeper to help me know when I'm on a sat and how high the signal is, the rest is all done with the receiver and The List/Lyngsat
I created a custom list with the channel editor for my Pansat 2700A with TPs for all the satellites I'm interested in and I can zero in pretty quickly. I like taking the 2700 for a tool and small TV outside with me. Maybe a bit bulky but it works for me.
well put Phottoman!
I've used the meter on the receiver for 8 years now...blind scan is a wonderful thing
I've used the meter on the receiver for 8 years now...blind scan is a wonderful thing
i have aimed hundreds of dishes very quickly....i leave the receiver inside and have somebody tell me when the quality jumps up which is normally only a few minutes....then i hookup my 15 dollar analog signal meter at the dish to fine tune with....works every time....and no need to be carrying around bulky equipment outside....i could never justify the cost of an expensive satellite meter....just my 2 cents....
Mikey11
That method works fine for a pizza dish, but for aiming at some FTA sats it may be trickier.
not really....i was talking about ku-linears using this method....most of my installs are 39 inch dishes
I've found that using a C-Band/4DTV receiver for a movable dish works just great,. After finding one satellite I know that it's 25 clicks to the next one and then doing a blind scan with the FTA receiver is all it takes, works for C and KU.
Now for a fixed dish with more than one LNB/F now that's another story, that's why I getting a FS1 meter this summer as it should make setting up a fix dish easier.
Now for a fixed dish with more than one LNB/F now that's another story, that's why I getting a FS1 meter this summer as it should make setting up a fix dish easier.
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All I use my 2700 for now is aiming. It works well, but I wish it had a steadier meter. Pansats seem to have very jumpy meters...
yeah the 1500 isnt much better with the spazzy meter but its been working for me aiming dishes for 7+ years
If analog channels were still readily available, it would be easy to say, use a receiver and tv. Today, however, with the ever increasing numbers of channels in digitizing formats; cheap is not easy. But still, a DVB-S/S2 and a tv; the one you own, is cheapest, because all you have to do after aiming outside is to go inside. I paid for my birdog, old type, from fleabay, made a battery, then use it. It cost me over $100, but it is "easy" to program up with the dish and channel set I'm looking for, cost 1/4 of the amount compared to the new stuff; and works for me. Now, with the many duplicates of signals progressing to other satellites, it is not as easy as this older meter cannot identify between same set-ups; i.e. freq. and symbol rate sames. It has no pid filter, and this may become more and more necessary as closeness between sats with same tranny's the same will still fool me and my old meter. Cheap is usually old though, and I'm better with mine, cause I can get up on a ladder with it, and don't have to drag around my horse and buggy (recvr. and tv, ext. cord)...My 2 center
More economical solution would be one of these Multifeed Calculators found on the web. Some give quite accurate LNB angles and positions relative to a central LNB in the dish focal point.
There are several Multifeed Calculators and relevant Software Apps found on the web, and some of these are quite accurate in calculating required angles and relative distances of side LNBs from a dish focal point, accounting also for your dish specs among other factors. I didn't give any link, since most of such programs I found either don't have English GUI, or offer only European Sat List in their drop down menu. So they need some adjustment before being used in NA.
However, SatMaster program series has English GUI, and was written by a well known author in Sat TV field Derek Stephenson, who also wrote quite popular Guide to Satellite TV book. May be you want to try it and let us know your impression. There may be other similar programs suitable for NA use, someone can suggest.
However, SatMaster program series has English GUI, and was written by a well known author in Sat TV field Derek Stephenson, who also wrote quite popular Guide to Satellite TV book. May be you want to try it and let us know your impression. There may be other similar programs suitable for NA use, someone can suggest.
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