Contest: Satellite AV Sample of the Week 10.19.2009

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SatelliteAV

SatelliteGuys Master
Original poster
Lifetime Supporter
Sep 3, 2004
6,486
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Roseville, CA
Enter to Win: Satellite AV Sample of the Week 10.19.2009 - Digital Satellite Meter!!!

Satellite AV Sample of the Week ends 10.19.2009

Every week, SatelliteAV will be giving away a sample product to a SatelliteGuy. The weekly prize will be awarded to a member who has posted to this thread during the previous week. The theme of the current entry requirement will be posted along with the sample information.

The products are manufacturing samples that have been provided by a manufacturer for testing or approval. Satellite AV has a ton of equipment to give away!

Important Notice: Satellite AV will attempt to provide as much information about the sample item, but we will not respond to questions regarding the product specifications or provide product support. Please do not PM or request product support from our sales or support team members. Failure to comply with this request will result in the termination of this contest. Please understand that instead of recycling these items, Satellite AV will offer SatelliteGuys hobbyists some pretty interesting stuff that may or may not ever be on the market!

The winner will be responsible for shipping cost and we will ship anywhere on your dime! All packages will be shipped by USPS or FedEx. If the winner wishes not to claim the prize or does not respond to our SatelliteGuys post and PM notification and provide shipping and payment information within 5 business days, the prize will be forfeited and the unit will be offered again in a future post.

This contest is open to any SatelliteGuys member in good standing with the exception of Satellite AV staff and members of their families. A random drawing will be made from the qualifying entries by a member of our staff after the closing of the drawing.

Have Fun!

This week we are giving away a Satvision SF-3000 Satellite Meter

SF3000a.jpg


Here are the specs:
Manufacturer: SatVision
Model Name: SF-3000
Receiver type: DVBS Satellite Meter
Standard Definition MPEG2
Documentation: Yes
Power Source: 90 - 240VAC, 50 - 60Hz
Shipping Weight: 5 lbs.
Package size for calculating approx. shipping charges: 14" x 14" x 6"

This unit is a test unit and in factory packaging.
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.satvisionusa.com/

The SATVISION SF3000 Digital Satellite Finder Meter is an innovative professional satellite identification and alignment meter. The signal strength and picture quality (BER) meter will speed up and improve your dish installation. It communicates with the satellite's digital transmissions with "Unique Satellite Information Data" (USID). While most pointing devices only give you a general idea that there are indeed satellites in the sky and allow you to peak the signal, the SF3000 takes you one step further by positively identifying the satellite. After selecting a country and city, the Finder Master Software will calculate the parameters to adjust the satellite dish automatically. The parameters include Azimuth, Elevation, and Polarization. They are displayed in graphic and table mode. This information can be downloaded by the USB cable provided, from your PC to your SF-3000 easily and effectively to locate the satellites from your destination.

SF3000 FEATURES

  • Total software upgrade
  • Software stored in Flash memory for later upgrade
  • Pre-programmed with most regionally used satellites
  • Uses USID
  • Signal strength and Bit Error Rate (Picture Quality) displayed simultaneously.
  • Easy reading LCD display.
  • Back lit display.
  • Up to 80 satellites may be programmed.
  • Bar-graph for Signal Strength
  • Bar-graph for BER (Picture Quality).
  • Satellite settings store in non-volatile EPROM
  • Short circuit proof on LNB output.
  • Internal battery powers the LNB
  • Works with all stander, universal, linear (DVB) and circular (DSS) polarity LNBs
  • Weight approx less than 2 lbs.
  • Size approx: 9.84in W x 4.72in H x 2.36in D (250 x 120 x 60 mm)
  • Set satellite's related parameter which includes LNB frequency and working voltage (mode of polarization), satellite downstream frequency, symbol ate, 22K situation etc.
  • AZ, EL, and PO self-calculated for providing initial dish set-ups.
  • Align dish without IR/D, TV and power.
  • In alignment process, once a satellite is found by setting related parameter, we can adjust the dish's orientation and pitching angle according to inside audible tone
  • Measure RF signal level, bit error rate, carrier-to-noise rate and current.
  • Provides special software that can be used to check local position. AZ, EL, and PO for almost all big cities around the world in alignment process of a certain satellite.
  • Plans can be downloaded from a certain website by USB port.
SF-3000 SPECIFICATIONS

  • Frequency range: 950 to 2150 MHz
  • Input dynamic range: -65dBm to -25dBm
  • Symbol rate up to 2Msps to 45Msps
  • Input resistance: 75 Ohms
  • LNB supply: 13V and 18V @ 500 mA
  • DC power supply: DC4.8V rechargeable battery
  • Working time: 3 - 4 hours.
  • Charging time: more than 4 hours, less than 5 hours.
  • Power adapter input: AC110V / 60Hz / 220V / 50Hz
  • Power adapter output: 10.5VDC 1000mA
  • RS232 connecter for PC upgrade
  • Display: 124 x 64 wide-range temperature liquid crystal display.
  • Audio output: build-in speaker
  • Port: USB (default)
  • Switch: 22 KHz support
ACCESSORIES

  • Special power supply adapter: 1 piece
  • RF input connector GMHF-L9.5-JK: 1 piece
  • Instrument bag: 1 piece
  • Operator's manual: 1 piece
  • CD-ROM: 1 piece
  • Data cable: 1 piece



  • To Enter This Week's Drawing: Reply to this post and attach a photo of your dish, dishes or dish farm along with a brief description of what satellites you can receive.
This drawing ends: 12 midnight PDT, 10/19/2009

Are you enjoying these contests? We are!!!
 
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enter me

Here's one pic, kind of a mess but I was aiming at one of my local inhabitants who occupies that particular 7.5 Uniden, which is fixed on AMC6 for NASA.
The others move around quite a lot, lol. The direcway is on AMC5, the 7.5 Perfect 10 in the background is aimed at G17 for various C-band signals. From here I can usually get everything from 63W to 137, beyond either way is blocked by mountains and trees. The primestar with the red lnb is my offset-dish-on polarmount project, still in use as backup motorized system, and the OD green is a .90Primestar motorized with the DG380, my main scanning/viewing dish. Hu-rah!
 

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Here is my new baby, a 12 foot unimesh. What a signal sucker she is.
 

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My dish farm.

I am currently setup to receive AMC4@ 101w Ku, Galaxy25@ 89W Ku, AMC9 @ 83w Ku, Galaxy19 @ 97W Ku, and the 10 foot Winegard is usually aimed at Galaxy 16C @ 99w for the C-band network feeds.

The C-band dish has a polar mount that allows me to "Makita Move" the dish with my cordless drill to any sat I want, and I have my favorites marked on a simple measuring stick that I use to set the jack screw length.

I use a Coolsat 6000 and a 14" RGB monitor for setup/alignment in the field. Not nearly as handy as the smart meter offered in this contest.
 

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My Perfect 10 can track
from AMC-8 to Intelsat 1R

this was rare snow picture, I took of my dish here in Mississippi
 

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I can receive AMC6 to AMC8 C-band.
 

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Of course I would like to win. My signature shows the Sats I am aimed at. The pictures show my four KU dishes (two of them Dish Network). 15 LNBs all told.
Bob
 

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I used to have one of these meters...wish I hadn't sold it so I'd like to win...

Here is the farm...the link to all the pics is in my sig.

Pic 1 is the main C/KU dish...a Channel Master 10 ft SMC with a Bullseye II dual ortho.

Pic 2 is the twins...2 Channel Master 8 ft SMC's with left hand drive for the Atlantic sats...one with a dual output Invacom for KU and one now has 2 Eagle Aspen bandstacked LNBF's with circular at boresight and linear at the Eastern offset.

Pic 3 is the group of 1.2 meter dishes used for digital satellite news gathering.

Pic 4 is the 7.5 ft stationary mesh dish pointed at AMC 8 for the radio services...

I can receive from 11W to 139W...
 

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WARNING: Graphic Content - DEAD BUD!

How about before and after??
Anyway, I have 3 BUDs waiting to go up. If the rain holds off, I hope to have the 10 footer back running this weekend...
A sat meter would sure speed that process up!

(BTW, before I lost the BUD, I was getting 72° to 139°... AMC 6 to AMC 8)
 

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Here's the FTA array - Left to right -

.75m Channelmaster with invacom universal lnb pointed at AMC9 for RTN
1.2m Channelmaster (Primestar) with c-band lnb pointed at G-16 for Caribbean nets
.75m Winegard pointed at AMC1 for Pentagon Channel

Not shown are the Directv pizza pan and my .75m Starband internet dish.

Now to try and post my first photo....

Thanks, Eric
 

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I got home just as daylight was fading, but managed to snap a low-light grainy pic with my camera phone.

The DirecTV dish has two bandstacked LNBs at 95/101 and the DishNetwork dish has a bandstacked LNB at 125.
 

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most recent pics

1st is the 3 dish setup...C-Band at 99W, Primestar at 105W and the WSI 4 footer at 107.3/111.1 for the Shaw Direct subscription
2nd is just the C-Band
3rd is just the 105 and the 4 footer
4th pic is the dual motorized....30" with Sadoun dual and DBS dual and a 36" with WSI 522 LNB...the longer mast on the 36" is a ghetto job (crammed a piece of pipe into the mast that was there and bolted it together)

30" can see 61.5 to formerly 148 but now 129
36" can see 72-129 (KU only)
 

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I take care of my aging Grandparents setup as well as my own.

I have 3 dishes at my place that are about to get some real use as the cable-payer is moving out.
A KTI 10.5 mesh tracking 139W-107.3W
The Direcway is accessible and "portable" and accurate enough that it manually moves wherever I want to check out. Parked at 89W
The Starband (Channelmaster) 75e is mounted on the side of the house and aimed at 97W. It has a Line-Of-Sight that I know of from 123W-89W. Probably has a LOS from 129W-72W from checking during the Solar outage.

Now my Grandparents place is where I need this for.
The 8.5 foot solid can see 125W-91W, but it now C-band only. The picture is old enough to NOT show the orthomode C-band feed that replaced the BSC-621 in the pciture
The 90cm Geosatpro is parked at 123W and needs to be re-pointed to 101W/89W
The 1.2m Geosatpro is aimed at 83W for RTN and has a UL1 at 89W.
A 10 foot mesh is scheduled to go up aimed at 97W with the OLD BSC-621

Their place is where I really need the meter. I'm a bit too blind to read the numbers off meter off the 21" tube aimed out the window with all the glare.
Doesn't help that it's the only TV that they watch. And I tend to spend some time aiming
 

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Hi!

Woooooo wheeee!

I sure would love to have one of those little doo-dads!

Ok, I have the "dish farm" as you guys call it as you see below in the picture.

Currently I'm getting:

72w - Tvland
83w - RTV
97w - Misc stuff I guess
101w - History & BIO
119w - NASA & ION
125w - the PBS's

I WAS watching White Springs on 129 but they went bye bye so I moved it to 97 for now.

I also have a BIG 1meter primestar that I fixed using lawn chair parts and am planing on putting a motor on it (brand new SG9120) so I can look around for more stuff to watch.

I also have a bunch of old c band dishes that are not put up that I may pick one out of and put up so I can get even more stuff.



So some of my dishes are on the ground now.
I have to give credit to my ex husband for leaving all this "junk" behind, I've managed to make most all of it work but only thanks to a great deal of help from the wonderful folks here at Satelliteguys.us! :angel:

Oh yes, I have a large stack of those little pizza dishes too I found in the tool shed, I don't even know how many of those there are, I haven't bothered to count them. :rolleyes:
 

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What a nice meter!!! Any SatelliteGuy would love to win that. :D

As pictured from the left, my 10' BUD is used for daily 4DTV use and feed hunting. The 90cm is pointed at 63°W and the 1.0m on 83°W with an extra pipe in between for testing. The 1.8m Fortec on 97° C-Ku but gets reliable shared signal from 99°W spilling over. Next the 1.8m Prodelin on 105°W C band for W5 4DTV programming and 101°W Ku LNBF tagging along side.

Thanks again for the great contest, Brian.
 

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Thanks for another great contest!.......
The attachment is my Dish set up at my Iowa home. My Avatar is showing my Arizona home dish set up.

Iowa Home
Slimline - 99W,101W & 103W
World Direct - 97W Galaxy 19

Arizona Home
Dish 1000.2 - 119W, 110W, 129W
Fortecstar 90cm - 97W Galaxy 19
GloryStar Dish dual lnb Motorized from 63.5W to 139.0W
 

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Nice satellite finder! Could really use one of those.
I have a pretty good description of my dish setup in my sig file below and my avatar is my two FTA dishes as they are now. I can pick up satellites between Intelsat 11 at 43 degrees west to AMC-8. I have to wait for later in the fall though for AMC-8 as there is a tree in the way so once the leaves fall signal comes up quite a bit.
I hope I am lucky!
-C.
 
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in contest.

Pictured is my 500 dish satellite Dx-er and my ghetto-ed, motorized 90 cm on a tripod That I use for KU (15W to 125.W LOS) and I use it as a min-min bud to get what I can on C-band. (HOA, PLEASE GO AWAY)
Mike Lib
 

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Enter Me, Please

Pictured: A Birdview solid and two 10 ft unimesh dishes. The Birdview is outfit with a Bullseye II orthomode feedhorn and the two Unimeshes have dual C-Band feeds. I also have a couple 90cm ku dishes - one motorized.

I live in Western KS and have a clear LOS from horizon to horizon.
 

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