Meter recommendations

W

waggys

Member
My Satellite Setup
win xp and USB sat Rec
My Location
Derby
Hi,

I am looking for a meter to assist me in setting up a tripod mounted 65cm dish on a regular basis. This system is used while out in the motorhome.

I have tried to use the dam bleeper but to no avail (Its cra*!!!)

So I am looking for a meter that will identify the bird for me (NIT??)

I have a limited budget of about £130 - £150 so second hand is a real bid option.

I have looked on ebay but it is full of Horizon v2.5's.....I am sure these are good meters but a lot of people are selling them.

I have posted a reply for a Satlook Lite that is for sale in the adverts on here but the chap has not come back to me.

Power (240 and 12V) is not a problem in the motorhome

I have also posted a wanted ad as well.

Any advice would be great

Cheers

Waggys
 
Hi,

Your cheapest bet to invest money wise is in a second hand EMITOR SATLOOK MARK III DiSEqC. These devices can be bought on eBay from 100-200 Euro, sometimes a little less if you don't mind fixing a minor fault.

This device is a fully ANALOG meter, but it features a analog spectrum analyzer, too, which works in real-time. A satellite will make spikes appear on the screen far before any image can be produced, making alignment extremely easy and quick. After some time, you will actually be able to recognize a satellite by its spectrum, so this meter is all you need.

If you don't mind paying a bit more, you can manage to buy yourself an EMITOR SATLOOK DIGITAL NIT, second hand at eBay. These go in the range from 300-500 Euro. Advantage: you get the same real-time spectrum, plus you can actually do digital measurements (MER, BER and Constellation Diagram), plus the satellite will be normally identified automatically due to NIT function. Finally, it will show you the DVB-S channels present at a given transponder.

If you can invest more money, go for the Rover Instruments series. You will get a load of extra functionality, plus you get a much more precise meter. It may, however blow you away in terms of functionality and quality, as these devices are meant for installers.

Finally, you can search me on Youtube: search for "dazed1970" and take a look at my different meters, to get an idea. Old analog satellite meters with spectrum analyzer can be bought at eBay at very good prices, because the don't measure digital signals. This, however, doesn't matter when it comes to dish alignment for amateurs, as all you really need is a real-time spectrum analyzer.

I would NOT buy a meter without a spectrum analyzer and don't waste your money on those portable Chinese "meters": they are nothing more than a satellite receiver with a low resolution LCD screen and a battery.

All my references go to the German eBay at _http://www.ebay.de.

Please note that the UK version of eBay has a different range of meters commonly on sale and from what I have seen, most come in poor condition.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
vma
 
I'm using a Setsat meter from Merseysat

-http://www.merseysat.co.uk

NO screen or NIT, but bang on every time.

They have NIT with screens but look to aimed at professional riggers
 
Check your ad reply...
 
Satlook lite is only about 160€ brand new and has digital demodulation, spectrum and NIT. For occasional use I can't see how you could go wrong with this. I've got the DigiAir Pro which I guess is the terrestrial equivelant and I would certainly buy it again. Emitors are great meters for the money.
 
Ebay Item 330441165417. Digisat Pro

A little basic, but its a 100% better than a beeper. I've got one which i use just for checking dish alignment with on service calls as i can just leave it in my pocket.

Saves me going back to the van for my Rover or Satlook G2.

Its a very good piece of kit for under forty quid :D

Nano
 

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Hi,

I have the option to buy a Satlook MKIII but I am concerned that battery life may be a problem with these old meters?? Also I will only be using once every couple of weeks......But I have had a lot of people say that aligning via the spectrum is the best way to go.
 
The digisat PRO won't give a NIT readout.
 
waggys said:
Hi,

I have the option to buy a Satlook MKIII but I am concerned that battery life may be a problem with these old meters?? Also I will only be using once every couple of weeks......But I have had a lot of people say that aligning via the spectrum is the best way to go.
Click to expand...

Don't think twice.

The battery can be replaced with ease and costs about 20 Euro in any electronics shop. It is a standard lead 12V battery. Can be bought at eBay as well, plus the meter runs on any 12V source, so if you're in a caravan anyway, you might as well remove the battery completely.

And yes, a real-time spectrum is the easiest way to finding a satellite. As this meter is analog, you will need to learn what the spectrum of a given satellite looks like. You can visit my website (_http://vempire.dyndns.org) to get an idea of what different satellites look like on the spectrum analyzer.

Good luck.

Cheers,
vma
 
Don't bother buying an analogue meter, you would be wasting your money. If you can afford the Satlook Lite go for it.
 
Hi Huevos,

Where can I buy a Satlook Lite from for 160€ please.........looks like I may go with that!!

Cheers

Waggys
 
Huevos said:
Don't bother buying an analogue meter, you would be wasting your money. If you can afford the Satlook Lite go for it.
Click to expand...

Can you at least argument that? I do disagree with you.

In a scenario where you want to quickly align a dish for a given satellite, I would always prefer to do it using a spectrum than any other way.

Remember that all digital measurements have a delay (lag) due to the fact that the signal needs to be locked first.

Of course, if you actually want to measure the installation, you should buy a digital meter nowadays.

Cheers,
vma
 
vma said:
Can you at least argument that?
Click to expand...
I didn't say don't get a meter with spectrum (the satlook has spectrum), I'm saying don't get a meter without digital demodulation. Spectrum is great for quickly locating satellites, but the point of maximum signal is not always the point of maximum MER/minimum BER. For example now that there are problems with the interaction between 10729V on 28E and 10729V on 26E you need the dish aligned for minimum interference and that is not always the point of peak signal. Without a meter capable of digital demodulation that ideal position would be next to impossible to find.
 
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