Satellite Finder Meters

I suppose all meters are good, if, you know how to use them.

I would think your camera would be just fine. Why do you need a meter and a camera?

Don't know anything about the SATlink WS-6908.

However, I recommend the Accutrac III plus. I use it to peak signals on my DISH 1000.4 sat dish.

The Accutrac displays the signal strength of all 3 DISH sats simultaneously. Very handy because as you adjust the sat dish you see the results immediately. Note that it does not identify sats, but that's not a big deal when you peak 3 at the same time.

I will break sat finders down into 3 groups.. And give my recommendation (Type 3)

1: Those little in-line analog meters that basically find each and every satellite in the KU band and are thus absolutly useless. They cost about 20 bucks more or less and are not worth 20 cents in my book.. Well perhaps 20 cents, I mean I can scavage the meter out of 'em and use it for other things.

The second is a class of digital sat finder meters like the triple meter described above, these units contain their own power and you hook them up, they tell you WHAT satellite(s) you have found so you know if you are peaked where you wish to be Cost ranges from around 100 used to several thousand new. They work well but the price is high.

The third is our Sat Receiver.. MOST receivers have a Sat Finder built in.

Just hook up a small battery operated COLOR tv with enough coax to reach the antenna. leave the receiver on the proper menu page and watch the TV as you aim. The cost is low, and Well. Dish Network's software compares with the "Thousands of dollars new" meter I did not name above.

For my travels, I have marks on my tripod. Once I get the middle post in the tripod level, and then the mark pointed with my compass to North, I just put the dish on the pole, align the marks (which are on the dish and pole also), and I'm within a degree or two. It works pretty good, at least from Central Indiana to Iowa to Southern Indiana.

I use one of the Radio Shack detectors. I'm finally figuring it out to make it work easier too. The secrete is to set up the sensitivity where it just "almost" begins to scream. Then when I hit the signal, it screams!

The problem with DISH and watching the TV screen, it takes several seconds up to a minute or more for the receiver to recognize the signal from the dish. So that means moving the dish a speck at a time, waiting for the signal to catch up and show on screen. And if the dish is really way off, it's almost impossible to find.

So, having the tick-marks brings it in close, and the screaching satalite finder brings the signal in pretty fast, much faster than what I see on the television.

If your cheap-o one is working, why change? Just experiment with it a while. That's what I had to do. It still takes a little time, but hey ... we're camping ... we should never be in a hurry anyway! Right?!

Thanks for the info on the Acutrac. It was one that I thought about. It is now discontinued but your link may have one.

"For my travels, I have marks on my tripod. Once I get the middle post in the tripod level, and then the mark pointed with my compass to North, I just put the dish on the pole, align the marks (which are on the dish and pole also), and I'm within a degree or two. It works pretty good, at least from Central Indiana to Iowa to Southern Indiana."

That is almost the way I setup my antenna now. When the meter screams I still need to look at the TV to peak the signal. The meter shows the highest signal and the screams loudest when the antenna is pointed a little west of the best signal shown on the TV as monitored with a wireless backup camera.

As for why I need a meter, I don't! I like toys and thought this would be handy. Some of the functions on some of the meters look interesting and I'm just asking if anyone has any experience with them.

LScamper wrote:
Thanks for the info on the Acutrac. It was one that I thought about. It is now discontinued but your link may have one.

They come and go. If you get one, when the original batteries go, just use regular Duracells.

There are a few app's that you can install on your smart phone that'll point out any satellite you may want to locate....

bobsue2 wrote:
There are a few app's that you can install on your smart phone that'll point out any satellite you may want to locate....

Which app is the one you posted a screen shot of?

Bruce

I've got this one on my phone...kinda a like it...easy to use...



Satellite AR