Satellite Finder, How well do they work?

Whats the easiest way to tweek your you Dish Signal or realign your Dish. I don't like hollaring from my roof to my wife in order to do this, has anyone ever used one of these? How well do they work? Could anyone give me a brief description how it works?

http://www.dishdepot.com/Cart/description.php?II=109&UID=2002060611015663.188.97.127

TIA, Jeff

[DishDude1]

works great, much better than the onscreen bar because it is more sensitive and quicker to respond. However, that analog style will not work with a twin or a quad, but will work with a single or dual LNB.

[MarkA]

They are great with one major problem - they don't tell you WHICH satellite you have found:)

Why wouldn't they work with a twin or quad?
I have a Quad, Does anyone have any suggestion what I could use with a Quad?

Originally posted by Jeff Grendela
Why wouldn't they work with a twin or quad?... Does anyone have any suggestion what I could use with a Quad?

Because in order to get a quad or twin to output signal from the 110 degree satellite, its internal computer must be signaled by a data stream from the receiver. Until that happens, then I'd say that the twin or quad will only output from the 119 degree satellite, which is better than nothing, but not what you want.

I think all you would have to do is put a power-passing, high frequency splitter onto a coax from one of the twin's or quad's ports, and then have the receiver call for a program from the 110 degree satellite, or perhaps select that satellite in the dish-pointing test, and hook your Sat Finder to the splitter's other port to enable you to peak the 110 degree LNB. One possible complication here could be that your receiver might have to have sensed both satellite LNB outputs during "checkswitch" before it can send commands to call for the 110 degree LNB in the twin or quad, but I'm not certain of that. It might just have to detect a Twin or Quad computer.

In any case, if you make the mast plumb and set the skew angle as instructed, you should get detectable signal from the 110 degree satellite as soon as you have found the 119 satellite, so at that point, your receiver will see signals from boith satlllites

[sadoun]

Satfinder works great for fine tuning the signal. First, read the instructions sheet that comes with the sat finder carefully. Follow the operation instructions.

Get a good compass. Align your dish using the proper Azimuth and Elevation for your area. Connect your Satfinder. Power your receiver and fine tune the signal.

[John Corn]

I've been noticing I've lost some signal strength.
I had my 119 around 120 -125 and my 110 around 100-105, now my 119 is 100 and my 110 is 80, is this worth messing with?:shrug:

[MarkA]

Yes John, that's a sign your DISH isn't tighted, or the mounting surface isn't secure (I had this problem with a purly decorative wood panel on my house I mounted the dish to - 2 screws and a handful of little nails fixed that good!)

[Bardman]

Why do people insist on pointing their dishes the hard way? on my last 3 installs (mine, my fathers, & my inlaws), we took the TV and receiver into the yard, set'em up on a lawn chair, and ran an extension cord to the house to plug them in.... drop the coax from the dish to the lawn chair and proceed to align your dish while watching the TV yourself. Once you peak the signal, tighten all the bolts and then beautify the coax.

No yelling into/out of the house, no walkie talkies, etc, just a quick alignment....

[John Corn]

I tweeked my signal last night, I probably should by one these things , it would be easier using it.