Signal meter for 99/101/103

[jfalkingham]

Any experts here regarding meters?

I need a meter for the upcoming camping season, and before buying the typical cheap inline 101 meter, I thought I would look into a more expensive unit that could do all of the Directv birds.

I found the Acutrac 22 on eBay for $99:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Acutrac-22-Pro-Signal-Meter-Satellite-DBS_W0QQitemZ200105845729QQihZ010QQcategoryZ11726Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is this a good unit? Is there another less expensive meter available?

It will be used for 101 most of the time, but now that I have a new 5lnb dish, I want to use it to find spots around my house to pick up the new sats, since the installers up here won't spend more than 5 mins on 'line of sight' issues...

Thanks in advance!

[veryoldschool]

Any experts here regarding meters?

I need a meter for the upcoming camping season, and before buying the typical cheap inline 101 meter, I thought I would look into a more expensive unit that could do all of the Directv birds.

I found the Acutrac 22 on eBay for $99:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Acutrac-22-Pro-Signal-Meter-Satellite-DBS_W0QQitemZ200105845729QQihZ010QQcategoryZ11726Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is this a good unit? Is there another less expensive meter available?

It will be used for 101 most of the time, but now that I have a new 5lnb dish, I want to use it to find spots around my house to pick up the new sats, since the installers up here won't spend more than 5 mins on 'line of sight' issues...

Thanks in advance!
I see you're around the corner from Pease [spend a few years there].
If you just using it for camping, why not use the receiver?
This meter will not pickup the Ka SATs [but the receiver will].

[Tom Robertson]

And if you get 101 (correctly), getting 99 and 103 is almost guaranteed.

Cheers,
Tom

[BNUMM]

Any experts here regarding meters?

I need a meter for the upcoming camping season, and before buying the typical cheap inline 101 meter, I thought I would look into a more expensive unit that could do all of the Directv birds.

I found the Acutrac 22 on eBay for $99:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Acutrac-22-Pro-Signal-Meter-Satellite-DBS_W0QQitemZ200105845729QQihZ010QQcategoryZ11726Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is this a good unit? Is there another less expensive meter available?

It will be used for 101 most of the time, but now that I have a new 5lnb dish, I want to use it to find spots around my house to pick up the new sats, since the installers up here won't spend more than 5 mins on 'line of sight' issues...

Thanks in advance!

Most good meters will cost more. The only thing I didn't like was that it was not very rugged. If you are just using it for camping it should work fine.

[carl6]

The 22 Pro is a decent meter that lets you select even or odd transponders, and lets you select 101 or 110/119. In other words, you can select 13 or 18 volts, and you can select the 22KHz tone off or on.

That is everything that you need in order to align a dish for 101 only, or to align one of the 5-LNB dishes (as all of the alignment procedure uses 101 and 119).

It does not receive 99 and 103, however the alignment procedure does not actually use those signals.

Can you get by with less? Probably. Do you need more? No. Will this do the job. Absolutely.

Carl

[Mertzen]

All I can say is that I use a Accutrac 22 Pro every day as a DBS installer. It works great every day, rain or shine

[Tom_S]

And if you get 101 (correctly), getting 99 and 103 is almost guaranteed.

Cheers,
Tom

Better be 100% guaranteed since this is how all the installers do it!

[CobraGuy]

I have the acutrac III. I really like it. The KA hi and lo signals are also shown...but you don't align off them.

[veryoldschool]

I have the acutrac III. I really like it. The KA hi and lo signals are also shown...but you don't align off them.
Why not [for the fine adjustments]?

[jfalkingham]

Great info, thanks so much!

Tom - You say getting 99 & 103 is almost guaranteed. I've read a lot of that, and I have to say, standing at my dish, pole mounted in the back yard, and using the sun, it looks like I should be able to get 99 & 103 from that spot, but installers that have come here tell me otherwise. I'll know for sure with meter in hand. (of course installers just say "nope" without actually trying to find the signal).

[jfalkingham]

I see you're around the corner from Pease [spend a few years there].
If you just using it for camping, why not use the receiver?
This meter will not pickup the Ka SATs [but the receiver will].

I remember going to pease on jr high field trips, back when it actually had fighters on the ready. It's a shame to see it now, just another industrial park, the school house, commissary and movie theater are still intact. The housing was turned over to low lease or rent housing. Only thing going on the airstrip now are cargo/private planes, although there is a new low cost start up airline doing flights out of there now.

Plenty of daily sorties for the KC-135's always catch them overhead, about the only aircraft I see overhead here! You do also get a chance to see marine one, once and while, especially rolling into the summer! The hangar that was set up for air force one is now a "Pan Am" maintenance wing.

I think I will use the receiver. I noticed Directv has an "emergency" kit for $49 that is the dish, lnb, tripod, might get that too.

73's

[Tom Robertson]

Great info, thanks so much!

Tom - You say getting 99 & 103 is almost guaranteed. I've read a lot of that, and I have to say, standing at my dish, pole mounted in the back yard, and using the sun, it looks like I should be able to get 99 & 103 from that spot, but installers that have come here tell me otherwise. I'll know for sure with meter in hand. (of course installers just say "nope" without actually trying to find the signal).

Once you have 101 precisely aligned, all you need is tilt, which comes from your receiver anyway.

DIRECTVs own installation procedures only align the 5lnb to 101 as 99 and 103 don't have CONUS beacons that can be used for alignment nor do all areas have signals from both satellites since they are currently all spotbeams.

Cheers,
Tom

[veryoldschool]

I remember going to pease on jr high field trips, back when it actually had fighters on the ready.
Those weren't fighters. They carried bombs & Short Range Attack Missiles. Those "birds" on alert could ruin your day with their four 15 kilo-ton "eggs".

[jfalkingham]

Once you have 101 precisely aligned, all you need is tilt, which comes from your receiver anyway.

DIRECTVs own installation procedures only align the 5lnb to 101 as 99 and 103 don't have CONUS beacons that can be used for alignment nor do all areas have signals from both satellites since they are currently all spotbeams.

Sorry if I seem like a dee dee dee on the subject, but if I get 101 at 98/99 on my receiver signal strength, then I should be good for 99/103 with the new dish? I believe the boston locals are on one of those birds which is really what I am after now. (btw I don't have anything lower than a 95 on my receiver signal strength)

[Tom Robertson]

Sorry if I seem like a dee dee dee on the subject, but if I get 101 at 98/99 on my receiver signal strength, then I should be good for 99/103 with the new dish? I believe the boston locals are on one of those birds which is really what I am after now. (btw I don't have anything lower than a 95 on my receiver signal strength)

You should be better than good, you should be great! :)

Cheers,
Tom

[compnurd]

Boston is on 99

[veryoldschool]

Sorry if I seem like a dee dee dee on the subject, but if I get 101 at 98/99 on my receiver signal strength, then I should be good for 99/103 with the new dish? I believe the boston locals are on one of those birds which is really what I am after now. (btw I don't have anything lower than a 95 on my receiver signal strength)
"The what" between the 101 & 99/103 is the spot beam from 99/103 is narrower than the beam from the 101, so you can have a good signal from 101 but not be "peaked" on the 99/103 [since it is narrower].

[Tom_S]

"The what" between the 101 & 99/103 is the spot beam from 99/103 is narrower than the beam from the 101, so you can have a good signal from 101 but not be "peaked" on the 99/103 [since it is narrower].

Agreed, you have to use the dither method whereby you get an identical signal strength on either side of the peak and move the dish half the distance back to get what is the "True" peak. I got it on the first try, just go slow, it's easier than it sounds.

[veryoldschool]

Agreed, you have to use the dither method whereby you get an identical signal strength on either side of the peak and move the dish half the distance back to get what is the "True" peak. I got it on the first try, just go slow, it's easier than it sounds.
Sometimes, I almost know what I'm posting about [it may be rare but... ].:lol:

[CobraGuy]

Why not [for the fine adjustments]?

Well, I guess you COULD do that...but none of the procedure manuals or guidelines have you do that. Also, I'm not sure you would be successful doing that the way the birds are aligned. What you do is align off 101 and 119 and use the design and shape of the dish to pull in the others. The way the alignment procedure is designed, you don't actually peak any given bird. What you do is find the "center" so to speak after a coarse alignment that you do peak. I believe that if you tried to peak any individual Ka bird after you have it properly aligned would reduce reception of the other birds. Does any of this make sense? I guess what I'm trying to say is there is no way I can see to peak every satellite. The design of the dish and your alignment procedure you use gives an optimum reception of all the birds...but none may actually be perfect. It's a compromise on some to get the rest.

[carl6]

What you do is align off 101 and 119 and use the design and shape of the dish to pull in the others.

And it is important to remember it is BOTH 101 and 119. If you only peak (or find the center of) 101 and don't also do the same for 119, you may not be properly aligned for the Ka beams.

Carl

[veryoldschool]

The D* training video is for installers that don't have Ka meters.
There are five "targets" so it will be a juggling act to find the optimum adjustment.
Now, since the Ku beams are broader & the Ka aren't, I would get the Ku SATs "balanced" and then fine tune the dish for the Ka SATs. Getting them nailed should still have the broader Ku SATs still "within" their beams.
It's like using two sized circles, where you "center" on the bigger one and the fine tune to center on the smaller one. They "should be" concentric, much like a target with the "10 ring" for the Ka and the Ku being something like the "6 ring". [assuming I remember what a target still looks like].

[dave29]

i have an accutrac iii. it is simple to use and works great. not really that expensive either. i think i got it from solidsignal.com for $229