Which meter for Direct TV

[RiverBird]

Bought a tripod and dish so we can take one of the tuners from home and have satellite TV in the RV. It works great when it works... but pointing the dish is time consuming. Bought a "Satellite Finder" on Amazon, but it didn't work (neither did the replacement unit).

Without a meter to assist, I'll eventually pull out the remaining gray hair. Ha

So which meter works?? I sure appreciate a bit of help here!


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[GASPEDDLER]

I use a similiar meter to this one Amazon.com: Satellite Finder Meter For Directv: Everything Else...but others will work. Have you used your meter with your home set up to see if it works/gets signal? Is your tripod perfectly leveled? Leveling the tripod is the biggest chore and the reason most fail at pointing the dish. I use a bubble level like this one. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-25573-Bu...s=bubble+level

I lay it on the tripod platform where the dish mast mounts as I adjust the tripod legs. Dumb question , but do you have your receiver plugged in and coax connected? Have you tried the signal meter built into the receiver to help point the dish? A little more difficult to dial in with the receiver meter but it can work.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by GASPEDDLER

....
I lay it on the tripod platform where the dish mast mounts as I adjust the tripod legs. Dumb question , but do you have your receiver plugged in and coax connected? Have you tried the signal meter built into the receiver to help point the dish? A little more difficult to dial in with the receiver meter but it can work.

I use "the signal meter built into the receiver to help point the dish."

[slide5r4fun]

Originally Posted by RiverBird

So which meter works?? I sure appreciate a bit of help here!

Is your receiver/dish standard def or HD? If you're trying to get HD I don't think those type signal meters will work.

[GASPEDDLER]

Meters will work with HD dual tuner receivers (two coax from dish to receiver) and slimline dish but not with the newer SWM single coax tuner/receivers. Do you have a SWM set up?

[donniedu]

Directv has for their installers that does a great job. Not cheap but worth it if you really want fast setup. Do an ebay search for directv satelite meters and you will find some used ones at decent prices. Birdog works well for all non SWM setups, and will woek after a fashion on SWM setups

[Jimmerinwi]

If you want a nice meter, search "Super Sat Buddy" they aren't cheap, but a real nice meter for ALL types of dish's. Might find a steal on eBay.


Somedays I wake up Grumpy, somedays I just let her sleep......(Ray Scott)

[fast murray]

We used to take an 18" dish camping to receive SDTV. I had it mounted in upside-down fashion and with the help of a compass and the receivers built in signal meter I could have it aimed in less than a minute. Once I traveled 1200 miles from home, plopped the dish on the ground in the direction I believed to be south, and had 96% signal.

[GASPEDDLER]

It definitely takes some practice to get a quick signal but anyone can do this.

[rracer5]

Originally Posted by RiverBird

Bought a tripod and dish so we can take one of the tuners from home and have satellite TV in the RV.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

So, which dish did you get, 18" round, Slimline w/3 LNB or 5 LNB with or without SWM? Which receiver are you taking with you and is it SD or HD?

[gmann32]

Go to the play store and download the satellite ar app. It will tell you exactly where in the sky the satellite is.

[TURBS]

After aiming a dish manually for years and could do it "normally " in under 10 minutes I just broke down and spent $300.00 for a Auto aiming dish and receiver from a great seller on ebay.
worth the investment.


TURBS.

[Longshotrb]

I tried them all and nothing work consistently , until I bought the Align - A- Site. It just works.

[cpaulsen]

Originally Posted by Longshotrb

I tried them all and nothing work consistently , until I bought the Align - A- Site. It just works.

X2!

[gmann32]

Hey turbs! Was that for directv or dish? Gmann55

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by gmann55

Hey turbs! Was that for directv or dish? Gmann55

Dish network.

TURBS.

[DAISY BOYKIN]

I sometimes use the same as MR. Dan, the meter built into the SAT receiver along with the AUDIO BEEP . I send the sound to the outside speakers for the BEEP, turn the sound up so you can hear it at your dish.
When you hit the SAT signal you will hear the beep increase at this time you can use the inexpensive signal strength mete to fine tune the signal.

Good luck

[howzball]

All I've ever used to align our SWM Direct dish is a compass app on my phone and the co-ordinance from dishpointer.com

Took me 15 minutes this past weekend, only about 5 minutes after I realized the power inserter wasn't plugged in.

[igor2brvn]

TRACKER LIGHT 3.0 SWM Compatible Satellite Signal Meter W/Compass OTM500 3.0 works well. Available from SatPro.tv. Works with either Directv or Dish.