Digital tv signal meters

[Kooroorinya Kelpie]

Hi all. Any of our learned fellow travellers had experience with signal strength meters ? There seems to be a fair number of these mystery parcels available but this little puppy needs one that is, first and foremost, goofproof (you know the ones which say on the box 'suitable for ages 6-10 years ) and secondly must NOT rip the ration book up too severely. OK I know you don't get scotch fillet for economy mince prices but hooowwwwwllllllll many times have we purchased one of these multifunctional,ambidextrous and idiot proof devices only to find out that when it comes to doing what the advertising blurb says it will do it will do everything but and will often do less. Methinks some of these advertising people could hang glide underwater. Yip yip yip. I have observed fellow travellers spend a great deal of valuable drinking time and clock up several km trying to get those portable dishes set up and it's not a fair go on the public health system as it leads to premature wear and tear on the body beautiful not to mention the very real risk of dehydration. We have just had our analogue signal vaporised up here in NW Qld and must now go hi tech but the best part is us Pension Disposal Agents get freebies from the Gubber Mint people ( no free bones or roo tails though ) GRRR. Hoping for some + feedback. You all have a howling good Xmas and New Year. Cheers.

[BruceS]

First we need to clarify if it's satellite reception or ordinary TV reception you're trying to 'find'.
The portable dishes are looking for a satellite transmission.

[shonky]

Hi, all.

Just ordinary TV would be fine - we've a flash Winegard aerial and have found it most disappointing to date.

[Kooroorinya Kelpie]

Thanks BruceS. It is the satellite signal I'm chasing via a dish antenna. Cheers.

[BruceS]

My Satellite 'kit' came with a simple little gadget that connects in the wire between the dish and the VAST set top box & emits a high pitched squeal when aimed at the satellite. Unfortunately there are (apparently) 2 satellites u there almost holding hands and this gadget can't tell them apart.
Since I bought it I believe there is a very much better satellite finder that can be 'programmed' to just find the EXACT satellite you want/need and is 110% better investment.
Someone else can advise on the latest & greatest one that does this........ Please?
Regardless of which you use you do still need to manually move the dish until you get the signal.
Close enough is just not good enough when aiming at the sats.
We have a member on here that has written a wonderful program that is useful for finding directions to transmissions.
I reckon it was Jim from Tassie??
http://www.c-com.com.au/nomad.htm
Check it out!

[PeterinSa]

I purchased this unit from Satplus, its great, Only finds C1

http://www.satplus.com.au/products/SF32 ... Meter.html

Re Digital TV, I purchased a unit from XXXXXX that am not happy with, the unit goes up in 5 DB steps ( LED lights) from around 50DB to about 80DB would have been better to me if it had range switch to go up in 2 db steps with 5 ranges from 40DB. Our BowTie Winegard ( Not the older Wings) picks up and shows a signal (pixelated) at around 50db, but it could be in the range or say 48 to 52db.


Peter

[BruceS]

Same one a bit cheaper on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SF3239-DITIG ... 27d11e6a75

[Craig]

I have a cheapy similar to this

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SF95-Pocket- ... a95&_uhb=1

It is simple to use. I have never had any problems with it.

Bruce, if you get the signal for the satellite next to the C1, very slowly turn the dish to the right until the satellite finder just stops squealing and then slowly move the dish down. It is as you say, those 2 satellites are very close to each other.

I have found that I use the sat finder more now for the digital network due to how it simply says "signal found, searching for channels". With the old analogue set up it would bring up the channel and show the signal strength. Therefore I didn't use the finder, I would simply turn the TV volume up so I could hear it from outside when I pointed the dish to the satellite.

Craig

[bob r]

For digital tv we use an app on the I phone, for vast we use wikicamps they have a sattelite finder.
Bob

[Craig]

I also have Wikicamps, but it only gives you an indication of where it is. Unless I have missed something