Satellite TV or Cable

I picked up a tripod and SWM dish kit for DirecTv new on ebay for $105 shipped. I also invested into this meter: AIM meter. It is the same meter used by the DirecTv field techs to dither and peak systems. I kept an eye out for it for a period of time on various websites and picked up a new one for right around $400. I flagged down a DirecTv tech one day and hired him to come back to my home on his own time to teach me how to use the meter. That puts my total investment at a little more $550. Expensive?...maybe in some people's minds, but I look at it another way. I have spent similar money on this setup to what others will spend on a Carryout or similar auto-find portable unit and much less than a Trav'ler system (with no worry about trees). I now have my premium channel movies, NFL Sunday Ticket, and other programs in glorious HD and can dial in my system with absolute precision in a matter of minutes. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before someone chimes in to say that a meter of this type is unnecessary and that other techniques or methods are "good enough" to loacte the birds in the sky. I say, to each his own. The keys words for me are "absolute precison". Good enough isn't good enough for me in this case. Another plus is that when peaked correctly, you will rarely ever lose signal due to weather. Keep in mind, everything I've covered here is DirecTv specific. Dish is a completely different system which is much more forgiving (and less expensive) for acquiring HD on the road.