What signal meter to get...

[volntitan]

We have a private office account with different dishes from SD to the latest HD dishes. Some of them need to be adjusted to get the best signal, especially the HD. We were going to invest in a meter so we can do it ourselves easily instead of trying to find an installer (our original company we went thru to set up the account is no longer in business and Directv won't send someone out without setting us up with another vender first).

My question is...what meter should we get that is pretty fool proof for a layman but doesn't cost a fortune.

We've been looking at the Acutrac22 Pro MKII, but not sure that is the right one to get or not.

Any help would be swell!

 

[BobStokesbary]

volnitan,
The Acutrac22 Pro MKII is the meter I chose for setting up my SWM LNB when we are on the road in our RV. For occasional use, I think this gives the best bang for the buck. If I were a professional installer I would certainly choose one of the more expensive units that can power the SWM LNB directly (without having to use the external 19v power supply) as it is a bit of a pain to always have to disconnect the IRD from the power supply during alignment.
Bob

 

[kjlued]

Best bang for the buck is the Acutrac22.
I used to have one and the only issue with it is the battery life sucks.
At the time it was the only digital meter that would do Wildblue also. (although that is something you do not have to worry about).

Most professional installers choose the Bird Dog or Sat buddy as they are the industry standards. However, the BD being the cheaper costs over $400
If you are planning on this being a continual thing it is well worth it, but if you are just planning on aligning a handful of dishes you can probably find an installer that will do it for that or less.

If you have Slimlines, there is more to it then just plugging a meter in and looking for the strongest signal.
There is a dithering process to bring all the sats in strong.
If you decide to move forward with this, PM me and will explain it to you.