[flyingtigerfan]

So now that I've gotten the slimline to work well with the tailgate - I'd like to make it easier.

It seems that 101 and 119 are the only signals that matter when aligning this dish (I will avoid the term peaking for this case). It would be really useful if I had a signal meter to align this, as I'd like to set up the dish without pulling the TV out to look at the signals.

Any recommendations on a good inexpensive meter? Would prefer that it send the 18v/13v on its own so that I don't have to run the box on the line as well, but that's not a deal killer.

Thanks!

 

[BattleZone]

The cheapest meter I would recommend is the Accu-Track III. It does not ID the sats, so you would need to make sure you start with a plumb mast and the proper settings for the area, but it DOES read the Ka signals, so you can fine-tune the dish.

 

[jimirb]

I RV with a "portable" Slimline setup. Many weeks, I set it up in a different location daily. The AcutracIII was WELL worth it's cost. There IS no cheaper meter that will read the Ka......BUT, as IIP says, it does NOT identify the sat you are looking at, so you will still have to comfirm that you are initially looking at the 101. With a good digital compass and a little practice with it, you should be able to set the Slimline up with only it and the AcutracIII.

In spite of my male pride and the desire NOT to ask my wife to check a signal "what do you mean I still have to watch the screen after YOU spent $200 on that **%%* meter" I've found it's wise to just take a quick look at the 101 to be sure I'm starting on the correct sat, then just go with the Acutrac.

It REALLY simplifies the setup.

 

[eakes]

I have two in-line meters I have used, one from Monster and the other from Triplett (SatAlign). They are similar to the Eagle-Aspen meter at SolidSignal). They require the satellite receiver to be hooked up to provide power, but with the meter at the dish it is very simple to align. SolidSignal has the EA for $19. The Triplett was purchased at Fry's for $25 or so.

 

[todbnla]

I watched my tech use an Acutrac, 30 seconds and good to go! I could have done it, it was so easy to use

 

[Mertzen]

Can't beat an accutrac. I use AccutracIIPro Mk2.

 

[flyingtigerfan]

Thanks, y'all. Exactly what I needed to know!

 

[BattleZone]

I do all my work with a Birdog, which is considerably more expensive, but it DOES positively ID the sat you are pointed at. For a pro installer, it is easily worth the money, because you just won't always be able to use a plumb mast, and with a Birdog, you can KNOW that you are setup right and that you won't have to get back on the roof to repoint the dish. It also GREATLY simplifies signal-related service calls.

The downside is that it doesn't read Ka directly, so you have to use the dither method, but once you understand what's going on, dithering only takes an extra minute or two to get your Ka into the 90s.

 

[kevinm34232]

I do all my work with a Birdog, which is considerably more expensive, but it DOES positively ID the sat you are pointed at. For a pro installer, it is easily worth the money, because you just won't always be able to use a plumb mast, and with a Birdog, you can KNOW that you are setup right and that you won't have to get back on the roof to repoint the dish. It also GREATLY simplifies signal-related service calls.

The downside is that it doesn't read Ka directly, so you have to use the dither method, but once you understand what's going on, dithering only takes an extra minute or two to get your Ka into the 90s.

Agreed, I like the Birdog, I have all the DTV and Dish sats programmed in. Takes about 2 minutes to get a Slimline fine tuned. I bought a used one for cheap.