Techs: Signal Meters

[Roadwarrior]

Do all of you use meters? What kind? How many use BirdDog?

I'm using a Channel Master 1008IFD. It's bulky, but fairly accurate, but i'm considering going digital. Does it really matter?

 

[Smith P.]

yes, from sf-95 to psa-37d
no, but it's up to your preferences and money pile

 

[webbydude]

I agree...if you're just installing D* or E* dishes, then your meter will do just fine. I'm kinda partial to my Acutrac 22 Pro; just because it can pull in two birds at the same time.

 

[rcdallas]

Do all of you use meters? What kind? How many use BirdDog?

I'm using a Channel Master 1008IFD. It's bulky, but fairly accurate, but i'm considering going digital. Does it really matter?

I like my Dual-Buddy (Applied Instruments) - will do two birds, tough/durable.

DNSC issues Eagle Aspen SSM-22 - in reality thats all you need messing with Dish/Direct dishes, they work fine, not very durable but it works well.

Birdog's are overkill for dish/direct.

 

[Jared Twomey]

I use the same Channel Master you are using except mine doesn't have the 22KHz tone. It is missing about half of the buttons, one of the knobs, and has been dropped off a roof or two.... but the thing refuses to die..... one of the best meters I have owned. (and yes, i am rough on tools)

The type of meter is completely up to your preference, personally I perfer the analog meter... but thats probably just cause thats what I am used to now....

O, and I use it for Dish, Directv, and Wildblue and it works flawlessly everytime.

 

[Sadoun]

Well it depends on how many installs you do a day or a week? I would go with a BIRDOG or SatHawk. No professional small dish installer should be without one. The digital meters that identify the satellite will make the install job faster and easier.

Good luck to you.

 

[Liquidforce88]

I use the birdog myself. I used the 1008 for a long time. For the Dish500 the 1008 is really all you needto peak the dish. The Birdog does make it very nice to KNOW that you have the satellite that you want though, an not just a general signal.

With the addition of the Dish1000, Dish500+, and Dish1000+ the Birddog is nice to see how well you are getting those other birds at 129 and 118.7.

The other nice thing about the Birdog is it comes in very helpful on service calls. If you have a receiver that is showing no signal, you can use the meter to verify if it is the receiver or the line.

If you can afford it get the Birdog you will love it. Just don't buy a Channel Master 1009 it's not even close.

 

[Van]

The standard Channel Master meter does not read the signal correctly on a dishpro plus lnbf when tuning in a bird. It will read much like an on off signal but wont give you any kind of curve in the signal to distinguish a peak signal so you may think that you have a strong signal and then go in and find that your 119 is at 60pc.

For the money and fewer headaches I would go with a meter that works with the dpp lnbfs that dish has if your a sub, knowing how Dish has become so damned evil towards its inhouse techs on install times being kept at the most minimum possible I would even recommend that any inhouse dish tech get a better meter than what dish supplies, heck I replaced 1/3 of the tools that dish supplied because they were crap.

 

[Roadwarrior]

Oh, no doubt about the Plus twin. When I point a dish I use an old legacy dual that I carry with me( I must have 100 of those things at the house). I peak the 119 with it, then I put on the proper lnb. I'm a sub, so Dish doesnt supply anything but a hard time. The only reason I went with channel master is because the old timer that I rode with during my training swore by them. It's working ok for me, I can usually get around 110 on the 119 and between 90 and 100(+?) on the 110, on a dual tuner. I can max out a single tuner on 119 and get pretty close with the 110. I was just wandering if a satbuddy or one of the higher end digital meters would help me tweek that signal a bit better.

 

[webbydude]

I definately would invest in some sort of digital meter. It seems you can pick up that few extra points of strength with one.

Check out flea-bay...there are a lot of good new and used ones. Usually under $150

 

[Jared Twomey]

I definately would invest in some sort of digital meter. It seems you can pick up that few extra points of strength with one.

Check out flea-bay...there are a lot of good new and used ones. Usually under $150

i feel the other way... i like the analog better.... just a matter of preference




when i was installing full time i did about 20 installs a week and never used a meter that tells you which bird you are on... i feel like its a waste of money... unless you are looking at odd birds like the FTA stuff

and you can use a multimeter or the Channel master to check the reciever, and a multimeter (of ohmmeter) to check the line.... way cheaper

 

[dude2]

My installer uses a meter that powers off the 622 voltage .It gives just one signal strength per sat. How accurate is that. They claim it is the only way to go and my comment to them, was that they must make a meter that you can tune to the transponder you want, like the weakest one on 129 to align the dish.
Their comment is it is too expensive and if I want them to align my dish that way, I can buy the meter for them.
I shut up as I knew I would get in an agrument if I pushed the issure any more.
I guess that is what you get when the install it free to the customer.
Just like when I dealed for my new 51 inch tv I asked if the price included a home alignment and he said for an extra 150 bucks it would.
Money talkes.

 

[ZandarKoad]

Van, you mentioned:

"For the money and fewer headaches I would go with a meter that works with the dpp lnbfs that dish has ..."

Do you know of such a creature? I've never heard anyone who can use any meter to peak in a DPP lnb. To my knowledge, the best signal strengths can ONLY be achieved by peaking in using a DP lnb then swapping in a DPP lnb, after you've locked the dish.

If anyone knows of a meter that can peak in DPPs, let me know!

Oh, and Dude2: I wouldn't sweat it. I've used plenty of those little cheapy 8 dollar inline analog meters, and they work great. Perhaps he said they are 'they way to go' because they are about 1/20th the cost of other meters... Hehehe You really are not supposed to peak in a dish on a single transponder anyway, unless the customer only wants ONE channel, LITERALLY. Then you could peak that transponder to it's max. But not all transponders can reach 100's, no matter what you may try with peaking. If you try to peak to a specific weak transponder on 129, then you would be sacrificing a little strength on all other transponders on all other satellites.

 

[Jared Twomey]

My installer uses a meter that powers off the 622 voltage .It gives just one signal strength per sat. How accurate is that. They claim it is the only way to go and my comment to them, was that they must make a meter that you can tune to the transponder you want, like the weakest one on 129 to align the dish.
Their comment is it is too expensive and if I want them to align my dish that way, I can buy the meter for them.
I shut up as I knew I would get in an agrument if I pushed the issure any more.
I guess that is what you get when the install it free to the customer.
Just like when I dealed for my new 51 inch tv I asked if the price included a home alignment and he said for an extra 150 bucks it would.
Money talkes.

if you were worried about one particular transponder, all they had to do with the In-Line meter is just go in on the recevier and set it to whatever transponder they wanted... that would force the lnb to pull up that transponder

 

[Sadoun]

Van, you mentioned:

"For the money and fewer headaches I would go with a meter that works with the dpp lnbfs that dish has ..."

Do you know of such a creature? I've never heard anyone who can use any meter to peak in a DPP lnb. To my knowledge, the best signal strengths can ONLY be achieved by peaking in using a DP lnb then swapping in a DPP lnb, after you've locked the dish.

If anyone knows of a meter that can peak in DPPs, let me know!.

Yes, check the SatHawk 3000 (f.w V 5.1.6). It works well with DishPro Plus LNBFs and you will not need to waste time swpping LNBFs. Use the latest dataset version A4.2.

Oh, and Dude2: I wouldn't sweat it. I've used plenty of those little cheapy 8 dollar inline analog meters, and they work great.

We have those as well. The SF95 or the SF95Kit

 

[webbydude]

Sadoun, is the f/w updateable on the SatHawks? I've seen a few with older versions and often wondered about that.

 

[Liquidforce88]

I just don't see where any time is wasted swapping the LNB. You still have to take the LNB back off to hook up the cables going to the ground block any way. Unless people are putting an F-81 in line from the dish to the ground block.

The way I have always installed is to run the cables up though the mast, then plumb the mast. I then put my dish on the mast sliding the cables through the dish. My test LNB is already mounted in the yolk. I then peak the dish and tighten the messenger wire around the top bolt on the dish. Then remove test lnb and install my cables into the polar arm and out the yolk. Put on my connections, connect LNB, then mount lnb into yolk.

The only thing extra is to carry the lnb, no extra time spent as far as I can tell.

 

[webbydude]

Good point made. I think the "advantage" would be when a repeak is needed and there's an existing DPP Twin.

 

[ZandarKoad]

Yeah, I was trained to run jumpers from an LNB out to barrel connectors. I would peak in the dish using the jumpers, then just hook up to your lines going down to the ground block using barrels (weatherized, of course). But since the DPPs came out, I'm forced to take off the LNB after peaking. And I think it might actually be saving me time doing it this way. I'd use up two barrels, four fittings, four rubber grommets, and some dielectric grease just so I could have jumpers hanging out the dish. It takes a while to put all that together. But when I swap out the LNB (and hook up the lines straight from the ground block to the LNB) I avoid all that. Saves time and money and you have less connections that can go bad. :up

But yeah. I want to quit life when I've got to RE-peak a setup like that.

 

[Sadoun]

Sadoun, is the f/w updateable on the SatHawks? I've seen a few with older versions and often wondered about that.

If you have a pre 5.1.6 f/w. it is upgradeable. Email support@sadoun.com for some instructions. It will require hardware changes and will cost around $50 plus S/H. The meter will have to be sent in for the changes to be implemented.

Saving installation time, comes from
~ Not having to swap LNBs
~ Not having to go back and forth to the TV screen to verify signal strength.
~ Not having to bring TV and receiver up on the roof or near the DISH to verify signal on 1st installs or re-peak service calls.

Also, if you are using one of these meters, I recommend using a good jumper cable with "F" female to "F" quick disconnects on it. That will make the job faster. See item # 12 here http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Install/Connectors.htm