New Meter

[excollier]

Well I used the Satlook Micro G2 meter for the first time last night.
I was trying to find Astra 3B, 23.5E, which is a new satellite, for Slovakian customers. This satellite is not in it's database yet, so I found a corresponding transponder on 28.2E, and used the spectrum analyzer to find one at the same frequency and then I moved the dish west, watching the spectrum. First result was 19.2E and it quickly identified it on the constellation screen, so the I moved the dish back east slightly, and up it came, went into constellation to identify it, and then saved it to the memory.Then I re-aligned two more dishes shorly after using the Easyfind feature with the new info in the meter- very easy!!
My only gripe is the battery life is short, by the time I got to the third dish the battery died and I had to use the meter with the charger attached in the pouring rain.
My Lacuna would never have been able to find this sat. I tried in vain last week.
So all in all, a very effective piece of kit, and I had only ever used a Lacuna before this!! Shame about the battery it takes so long to recharge it.

 

[Lazarus]

If it's a Lithium Ion battery, they benefit from "Conditioning" ie three or four really deep discharge and charge cycles

A fair few instances of disappointing endurance stem from failure to Condition.

 

[satelliteman]

Saving into the memory is fine to recall another time. Recognising the spectrum fingerprint is another way to get alignment along with the added feature of NIT.

 

[excollier]

All the transponders look alike to me, whichever satellite they belong to. But this is the very first time I have seen, let alone used a spectrum analyzer function!!
NB
I must delete the existing 23.5E memory entries as they are for 3A which is not possible to get in Ireland, only 3B.

 

[Robbo]

W
My only gripe is the battery life is short, by the time I got to the third dish the battery died and I had to use the meter with the charger attached in the pouring rain.

It would depen how long you had it switched on for I suppose. But Ive not noticed short battery life at all.

 

[satelliteman]

I'm sure you'll get to recognise the trace between satellites once you get familiar with them. You can of course adjust the sweep time and amplitude of the spectrum.

 

[excollier]

It would depen how long you had it switched on for I suppose. But Ive not noticed short battery life at all.

Probably longer than I thought, as it was the first time I had used it. I was forever cross checking the info on different screens to make sure I was getting it right. I will get quicker, I suppose, with more experience of the meter.
I am well pleased though.

 

[Huevos]

identified it on the constellation screen, so the I moved the dish back east slightly, and up it came, went into constellation to identify it

Doesn't the Micro have NIT identification from the spectrum screen?

 

[satelliteman]

Doesn't the Micro have NIT identification from the spectrum screen?

Not from the spectrum screen.

 

[Huevos]

Not from the spectrum screen.

Ok. My Satlook does have it so I was confused.

 

[excollier]

Well I don't know how long the battery should last, but an hour is not long, especially if you have a couple of jobs in a day, or are trying to connect several rooms in a house and you need to isolate 1 cable in a bundle in a couple of rooms.
Seems poor to me, the Lacuna has a much better battery life, but I suppose it is very basic by comparison.
I will have to get (much) faster, if this is to be my primary meter!!
You live and learn...

 

[Huevos]

Well I don't know how long the battery should last, but an hour is not long, especially if you have a couple of jobs in a day, or are trying to connect several rooms in a house and you need to isolate 1 cable in a bundle in a couple of rooms.
Seems poor to me, the Lacuna has a much better battery life, but I suppose it is very basic by comparison.
I will have to get (much) faster, if this is to be my primary meter!!
You live and learn...

For me the Lacuna battery life is terrible. I carry an inverter and charge it between jobs. By comparison the Satlook could probably go a week without a charge (not the same model as yours though). I guess it depends how you use it though. Personally I just lift the dish up vertically until I hit any satellite and then just go left or right down the arc as necessary until I hit the satellite I want. Normally it takes less than a minute to get to the satellite I want and just a few minutes to fine adjust it. If I stop to fiddle about with the dish I turn the meter off.

 

[excollier]

Thanks for all the pointers everyone, now I start learning how to use a proper meter!!

 

[excollier]

Right, problems!
The Satlook G2 is now giving me a hard time!
It now has started to show very low RF signal readings for all TPs on all sats. On EasyFind,Digital and Analog screens.
For instance on Astra 2 28.2e it should surely give quite a high RF reading, but it is almost zero, but the snr is around 6.5-8.0 dB. I also realigned a 1m dish from 1w to 39e and was expecting a good high reading but that was very low too, but reception is great, judging by the picture from Diema yesterday, in heavy rain.
I recently updated the firmware from the Emitor website, I don't know if this has anything to do with it.
I checked each time with my Lacuna, and that is givng good strong signal radings and high PQ %.
I have tried it on various installs that I have done, and get the same results.
Any thoughts anyone? I am baffled.
The attenuator is turned off, If I put that on I lose all signal.

 

[Huevos]

Low signal at the dish? What dBuV readings are you getting, and on what transponder/satellite/dish combination?

Could be a plug on your flylead or the termination at the meter.

Lacuna signal strength seems pretty meaningless to me. Bottom line on the Lacuna is BER and that's only a relative reading so it's pretty meaningless too without a reference.

 

[excollier]

Yes low readings at the dish as well as at the receiver, and at most transponders, and three different satellites ( 28.2e, 23.5e (3, and 39e) all of which are fairly strong normally.
Astra 2 was measured on a 60cm Televes dish and Astra 2 and Hellassat were on separate 1m dishes.
The readings for Astra 2 were showing (barely) on the RF signal thermometer scale on the meter, only a couple of dB on the scale.
Reception in all cases was very good.
Some of the higher frequencies are slightly better, which seems strange to me.

 

[excollier]

Low signal at the dish? What dBuV readings are you getting, and on what transponder/satellite/dish combination?

Could be a plug on your flylead or the termination at the meter.

Lacuna signal strength seems pretty meaningless to me. Bottom line on the Lacuna is BER and that's only a relative reading so it's pretty meaningless too without a reference.

Changed the flylead, and new plugs, it was nearly the first thing I ruled out.

What happens if I hit the reset button?

 

[Huevos]

Can you post a photo of the display.

Maybe you are using the wrong units after the firmware update. Make certain the units are dBuV for signal strength.

 

[excollier]

How do I change the units on the meter?