Digital tv signal meters

A category for all those questions about equipment in our recreational vehicles that is for viewing TV and listening to music, Satellite & Vast reception. (dishes, antenna's, etc etc)
Kooroorinya Kelpie
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by Kooroorinya Kelpie »

Hi and thanks all you guys for info. The gadget I am looking to buy is a Satlink WS-6908 DVB-S ( I don't know how to post links ). This thingamabob has a split screen which shows the signal strength plus the picture you are receiving etc. Blurb says it is suitable for installers, presumably commercial installers, and is easy to, hahahahaa, use. Retails for $130 so not to damaging to the refreshment fund. Being a cautious and suspicious little critter I usually look for user reviews of products before I buy but can't find any of use for this gizmo so may have to take pot luck. Cheers and festive greetings to all.
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Craig
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by Craig »

It may show the picture of the channel you are receiving but unfortunately it takes a few minutes for the decoder to tune in before it starts to display the picture. The cheap one is more than adequate.
Full time on the road in an Alpine 2855
bob r
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by bob r »

Craig wrote:I also have Wikicamps, but it only gives you an indication of where it is. Unless I have missed something :?
craig on the bottom of wikicamps screen it shows lnb and elevation angle, top of the screen click on camera it shows a camera to see if
any thing is in the way (tree or building) very handy.
bob
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Swisslulu
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by Swisslulu »

bob r wrote:craig on the bottom of wikicamps screen it shows lnb and elevation angle, top of the screen click on camera it shows a camera to see if any thing is in the way (tree or building) very handy.
bob
Well, there you go, you learn something new everyday. We've been using the Wikicamps satellite locator since we bought our Sat dish back in July but I never even noticed the camera, let alone what it was for. So thank you Bob!!
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PeterinSa
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by PeterinSa »

Craig, Your a Bloody Hero using that SF95 etc, tried to sell mine on gumtree years ago for $5, no takers, came with our first sat setup around 13 years ago, I rememeber taking 3 hours back then to distinguish between B3 and I think it was B1 to get a signal. Of course the more you do the set up with that meter the better you get.

Even this year I had our dish set up and operational and a friend camping 80m away with his dish/same SF meter took over an hour to lock onto the sat, and he has had 4 years of Sat setup. he wanted to do it himself, did not want my satplus box or the digital elevation meter.

All the best

Peter
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Craig
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Location: on the east coast.

Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by Craig »

bob r wrote:
Craig wrote:I also have Wikicamps, but it only gives you an indication of where it is. Unless I have missed something :?
craig on the bottom of wikicamps screen it shows lnb and elevation angle, top of the screen click on camera it shows a camera to see if
any thing is in the way (tree or building) very handy.
bob
Thanks bob,

I know it has those features but that doesn't tell you the dish is aligned. It gives the info you need to align it. Pointing the dish and getting it aligned to the satellite whilst it gives an audible or visual indication is what I thought you were saying it does.

When setting up your dish it is very important to ensure that the tripod is level/vertical. That way when you set the dish angle and swing it across the sky, it will hit the satellite. With the old analogue set up the channel would come straight up and with the volume turned up on the TV you could hear it, but with the digital setup it says "satellite found, searching for channels". So unless the boss is inside to let you know it is aligned you need audible or visual indicator. I have found that the cheap sat finder does this very easily. I have found that a lot of people don't set their sat finder up properly when looking for the satellite. After you set up the tripod and dish angle and the LNB angle is correct, connect the finder, making sure the dish is pointing away from the direction of the satellite. Start with the knob on the finder turned up . You should be hearing the finder squealing. Now turn it down until the sound just stops. Now swing your arm/hand between the dish and the LNB, did it squeal? If so then you are set to swing the dish around to the satellite. I have found that the satellite you want will cause the needle to go off the scale and audible sound will be the loudest on the vast satellite. I then turn the knob down to about half on the needle gauge and then make fine adjustments to the dish (both angle and arc)until I get the strongest signal. It might sound like a lot of mucking around, but I generally have it set up in only a few minutes.

Craig
Full time on the road in an Alpine 2855
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BruceS
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by BruceS »

OK, now while we're on the subject.............

I know there's a couple on here been involved in yachts etc and was wondering if anyone has come across an affordable (???) system that will maintain focus on the satellite?
I read where there is just such a system on the Indian Pacific train and regardless of turns/shake/ bangs it maintains direction at all times.
I found this but I'm not sure if it maintains 'contact' at all times or not. If it does it may be a darn good thing??
Opinions?
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pet-els
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by pet-els »

There inside a glass dome pretty exe.

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native pepper
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by native pepper »

Finally got round to setting up our vast set up and spent hours trying to get it to work, but no signal whatsoever anywhere down here at the bottom of Tas east coast. Thought I try it out before heading off again and learn a bit about using it, but ended up packing it all away again.

Having read through a few threads here, it could be the sat finder, a “digital sat finder SF-3239” and when connected it shows up the menu. Is it normal for it to do nothing, all I can do is scroll through the first menu, nothing else seems to work no matter what buttons I push and no matter where I put the dish couldn't find anything and the finder never changes, just sits on “find satellite”. The set top box comes on and give instructions for finding the sat, but that's it.

Could someone tell me how the finder should react when looking for a signal, or bought a dud finder.
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TassyJim
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Re: Digital tv signal meters

Post by TassyJim »

native pepper wrote: Could someone tell me how the finder should react when looking for a signal, or bought a dud finder.
I started writing a setup guide a couple of years ago. Not finished but it should get you going.
The bits referring to the VAST receiver will be for earlier versions of the software but the general idea is still the same.

http://www.c-com.com.au/stuff/VAST_setup_guide.pdf

For Orford (but anywhere on the lower east coast) the settings are:
Orford TAS
42 34 04S 147 51 34E Mag Dev: 14.9
Sunrise Set: Tomorrow:
06:28 17:53 06:29 17:52

Satellites
Satellite az az(mag) elev Skew
Optus D2 6.1 351.1 40.7 40.5
Optus C1 11.9 357.0 40.2 36.2
Optus D3 11.9 357.0 40.2 36.2
Optus D1 17.6 2.7 39.3 32.1

Optus 45 deg skew is included
Skew +ve is clockwise looking at dish

Elevation is degrees above Horizon.
Some dishes have scales from vertical.
After a bit of practice, life gets easier...

Jim
Jim & Jennene with Teddy & Pascale. RIP Scarlet
Used to have Iveco towing a 5th Wheeler
Now back to dreaming again...
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