Signal Strength meter recommendations?????

[JimP]

I'd like to taketo be able to tweak out my dish and to experiment with EA, etc.

In doing a little research, it seems that the price range of satellite signal meters vary quite a bit.

I was wondering if there's one that most people prefer.

Does anyone make one that connect's to a laptop and provides more information.

 

[JimP]

Bump

 

[blooker68]

I've been using the Channelmaster 1004iFD for years. It's survived numerous 'drop' tests and still works fine. I use its tuning tone to good effect for pinpoint aiming.

I'd like to have one of the Bird Dogs, but too many $$ for my budget.

 

[JimP]

Thanks blooker68,

That's what I'm seeing is that either they're under $50 or over $500.

I've just been outside to check the range of the uhf remote and it seems to work fine at the dish location. I also have a RF-Link wireless transmitter/receiver for my 2nd TV. I'm just wondering if I'd be as well off running an extention cord out to the dish and just use a TV set and the 722 tune satellite screen as my meter. The dish is ground level so there's no climbing ladders for this one. (unlike my OTA antenna that's scary high)

Other than the inconvenience, do you see any downside to doing it this way?

 

[Andrewwski]

I use a portable DVD player with a 100' RCA cable...works great for me.

 

[blooker68]

I too use a portable TV. However, there is the slightest lag in the onscreen tuning meter and after awhile you might get used to it and 'lead' the bird just right once you get a feel for it. My inline ChannelMaster gives an instantaneous reading and makes tweaking so much easier.

 

[EricBskiVT]

SatPro has a satellite kit that has a signal meter, a compass and a level for $33. I wonder if it is any good.

 

[JimP]

Yesterday, I use my portable TV with the RF receiver to tweak out my dish.

System works but I'd like to find a way to do it with a lighter TV and no power cable.

Given that I probably won't need to do any tweaking unless ET bumps one of the satellite, I guess I should leave well enough alone.

 

[blooker68]

ET? ROFL

 

[FredC]

I use the $25 one I got from Menards. Works like a charm! I can tune the portable setup in under 10 mins and get very high numbers.

 

[JimP]

10 minutes? wow!

I did experiment with the skew adjustment which took some time. Did improve slightly on signal levels. Between the imprecision of these dishes and the a zip code being large, glad I checked it myself.

By the way, that 1000.2 dish has the precision of a slinky. Does anyone make an after market model with rough and fine adjustments?

 

[Firehawk 157]

By the way, that 1000.2 dish has the precision of a slinky. Does anyone make an after market model with rough and fine adjustments?

Concur, not too precise...

 

[harshness]

I did experiment with the skew adjustment which took some time.

Skew is something that you shouldn't need to tweak. If your mast is plumb, you should be just fine using the values from dishpointer.com.

For locating the satellite, I use one of those $8 "Satellite Finder" gizmos. Once found, I use the receiver meter. Of course I've already carefully set the elevation and skew (where applicable).

 

[JimP]

harshness,

I'm pretty sure that the mast is plumb, but I didn't have a calibration level to check my regular level, but then you run into having the calibration level periodically checked. (Monk episode.

 

[JimP]

Does anyone wonder why Dish would put the Weather Channel on satellite 129 which is the one that's most likely to suffer from rain fade?

 

[harshness]

I'm pretty sure that the mast is plumb, but I didn't have a calibration level to check my regular level, but then you run into having the calibration level periodically checked. (Monk episode.

If the mast is truly plumb, you don't need to fuss with the skew (assuming you use the best pointing numbers possible).

 

[harshness]

Does anyone wonder why Dish would put the Weather Channel on satellite 129 which is the one that's most likely to suffer from rain fade?

It is kind of like the old donkey's tail weather forecaster: if the tail is gone, you're having a hurricane.

 

[highdefjeff]

Depends on what you are doing.

I have had nothing but success using my analog dual meter.

Check this: Signal Meters - Analog or Digital

 

[FredC]

When I set up my portable system at the NASCAR races (Dish 500), I use a level that you use for setting fenceposts. Kinda looks like a big "L" shape with 3 different bubbles on it. Just rubberband it to the mast and level away.

 

[JimP]

Fred,

Sounds like a good idea. The one I used has a magnet to one side to stick to the metal mast which makes it a little easier to use. The bubble in it can sometimes be hard to read as to when you're perfectly level.