Which method(s) do you use to point your dishes?

[comfortably_numb]

Just curious what my other FTA friends do when their dishes need to be re-pointed or you need to make a fine adjustment.

I used to take a small TV outside to point my dishes. Then I started using a Slingbox connected to my Amiko receiver. I take an iPad outside and set it behind the dish.

Another way I'm using is a Zmodo $30 wifi camera. Point the camera at the TV (inside the house), then load the app on the iPad.

The Slingbox method has about a 5-7 second lag, which isn't horrible when I remember there is a lag!

The Zmodo cam has a near-instant response time, so it's much easier to make fine adjustments with it.

 

[Magic Static]

 

[KE4EST]

Same as Magic Static above. I use a meter specifically designed for finding satellites.

 

[comfortably_numb]

What does one of those cost?

 

[Magic Static]

What does one of those cost?

That one is older tech not available but still supported. I just updated the transponder list last week when they emailed me. It was about $800 back when. The new meter they have is modular. You only add the components you need. Very cool. Scott Greczkowski was selling his AI TurboS2, a real steal. Don't know if he still has it.

But it all depends on how you look at it Right after I bought mine I did some repoints for a couple roofers and a DTV employee and recovered a big chunk of my investment.

 

[Cham]

I use mostly EBSpro and my cell phone. I have also used the Amiko A3 with cell phone but it has been out of commission for quite a while now. I like to see the signal through my receiver chain (feedlines, switches, etc) when making adjustments. I also have a SatHero meter for aiming if I have no receiver to connect.

 

[comfortably_numb]

I like to see the signal through my receiver chain (feedlines, switches, etc) when making adjustments

Same here

 

[primestar31]

I can now usually eyeball it and get a signal pretty much immediately, especially on c-band. Then I can use either my Sathero, or my other older generic Chinese digital meter to lock it down. In the past I've done the camera and such, cranked up the tone and listened for changes, yell to the wife (worthless) or go in and out 10,000 times after a tiny move, (pure insanity, but can work IF you've done it enough).

 

[comfortably_numb]

yell to the wife (worthless)

 

[Titanium]

I am selling my AI Turbo S2 with soft cover, shoulder strap and charger. Great condition! I'm just in the Christmas spirit! First $200

Excellent support, frequent updates and channel lists.

 

[comfortably_numb]

I am selling my AI Turbo S2 with soft cover, shoulder strap and charger. Great condition! I'm just in the Christmas spirit! First $200

Excellent support, frequent updates and channel lists.

I wish it was tax season already!!

 

[raydio]

I still drag the receiver and TV out to the dish -

 

[raydio]

I am selling my AI Turbo S2 with soft cover, shoulder strap and charger. Great condition! I'm just in the Christmas spirit! First $200

Excellent support, frequent updates and channel lists.

Brian PM'd you -

 

[MikeI]

Sathero meter. Works for c and ku. Raydio, it saves a lot of time. I keep,mine plugged in 24/7 in kitchen for easy access to backyard when needed.

Sent from my VS995 using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Brct203]

For a while I did Skype between iPhone and iPad but the lag was annoying and there was of course no way to control the receiver through that. So I usually end up taking the receiver out and connect it to a computer monitor via an HDMI-DVI cable. No audio but works great, just a bit difficult to see in full sun.

I have a motorized 10-foot Winegard for C and Ku, and a motorized 120cm for Ku (using an old Orbitron polar mount). So I also bring out the positionner(s) if needed. I have a waterproof connection box on each dish pole, where I can connect the receiver. I also have "aviation-style" connectors for the actuator and servo lines, so I can easily plug and unplug as needed. Bringing all that stuff out to the dish is still a pain and a bit time-consuming though.

 

[comfortably_numb]

For a while I did Skype between iPhone and iPad but the lag was annoying and there was of course no way to control the receiver through that. So I usually end up taking the receiver out and connect it to a computer monitor via an HDMI-DVI cable. No audio but works great, just a bit difficult to see in full sun.

I have a motorized 10-foot Winegard for C and Ku, and a motorized 120cm for Ku (using an old Orbitron polar mount). So I also bring out the positionner(s) if needed. I have a waterproof connection box on each dish pole, where I can connect the receiver. I also have "aviation-style" connectors for the actuator and servo lines, so I can easily plug and unplug as needed. Bringing all that stuff out to the dish is still a pain and a bit time-consuming though.

Would be neat to see photos of your setup sometime

 

[pacificrim]

Like KE4EST, I also use a AI S2 Turbo meter.
It makes pointing so much easier - and to a decimal point vs using a set top box.

I did a complete repoint on my 10 ft KTI on C and Ku dish today. So much easier!

 

[danristheman]

I just use the buildings across the parking lot. They line up with the satellites.

 

[ancient]

If I am repointing a dish at a new satellite I hook up an old receiver inside the house and stand out at the dish and move it while someone else is inside watching the signal strength, and they just call out the signal quality numbers to me using our cell phones (before cell phones we used walkie-talkies). It's a little laggy but it can work if you take it slow. I have also taken the receiver out to the dish in the past.

However, if I can already receive the satellite but the signal is getting weak, such as after a windstorm that moves the dish slightly, I just start recording a currently-playing program in Tvheadend. Then I take my tablet computer out to the dish and bring up Tvheadend's status page, and watch the two bar graphs for that channel. By making small and careful adjustments, keeping in mind there may be a 2-3 second lag, I can peak the signal using those bar graphs. This only works if you already have the a channel on that satellite scanned in to Tvheadend, and you have to be careful not to completely lose the signal for more than a few seconds or Tvheadend may give up and stop recording, and then the bar graphs will disappear. So this method is really only good for peaking an existing signal, and only if you are using satellite tuner cards rather than a standalone receiver (unless the receiver can show signal strengths via a web interface). The biggest problem with this method is that you can't hold the tablet in a place where the dish is between it and the WiFi router, otherwise the Wifi connection strength takes a big drop and you might lose the connection to the tablet. So if you have someone else that can hold the tablet for you, it's a big help.

I know some people will say that the graphs in Tvheadend aren't accurate and I agree with that to some degree, but they do show a relative signal most of the time and usually it's accurate enough to peak the dish. If you have tuner cards installed in a computer but are not using the Tvheadend software, but you can see the graphs in a screen on the program that runs on the computer (as opposed to in a web page as in Tvheadend), then you can probably set up remote desktop sharing on your backend computer and then run a VNC client on the tablet or your phone to see what is happening (I think one such client is called TrueVNC). Just keep in mind that there will likely be a noticeable lag between moving the dish and when the bar graph changes so make slow, small moves, especially when you're trying to get that last 1% bump.

 

[beavs2112]

I use this meter It has a wifi option so I can connect it in the house and use the Android app on my phone outside.