Satellite Signal Meter, Best under $200?
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Why not have one?
Well actually I would like to have one just to tinker with and besides may Dad is constantly knocking his out of alignment when cutting grass. And occasionally it would be nice to use at the hunting club.
I have been looking at them on e-bay and there are several right around $100 but I dont know much about them. I have seen a couple of the Birdogs for around $150 to $175 used. Just trying to weigh it out new or used and I do think those birdog's were older models maybe not the latest and greatest.
Well actually I would like to have one just to tinker with and besides may Dad is constantly knocking his out of alignment when cutting grass. And occasionally it would be nice to use at the hunting club.
I have been looking at them on e-bay and there are several right around $100 but I dont know much about them. I have seen a couple of the Birdogs for around $150 to $175 used. Just trying to weigh it out new or used and I do think those birdog's were older models maybe not the latest and greatest.
Why not have one ?
Because they cost $100-$200 and I wouldn't use it very often.
You can use the signal meter on the receiver or DVR.
Because they cost $100-$200 and I wouldn't use it very often.
You can use the signal meter on the receiver or DVR.
I dont have a meter, well actually I lied, I have 3 of them 
! But I use my spectrum analyzer the most! Why see one frequency when you can see them all!
! But I use my spectrum analyzer the most! Why see one frequency when you can see them all! 
There are signal meters that tell you what satellite you are on that are cheaper than the bird dog but not for under $200. I can see a meter being in that price range someday though that does just that. I thought I saw one for around $300. I bought one but it could not distinguish between 110 and 119 and a piece on it broke so I just shipped it back.
What meters have you found that tell you what Sat it is, by name other than the Birdog ?
I would be interested, I don't have a Birdog because I only do a few a year, not enough to make it worth my while.
In addition to the Birdog, the Applied Instrument SatBuddy 21, and the Sathawk will tell you which satellite you are on.
Sadoun is a stocking source of Super Buddy, SatHawk, and BIRDOG satellite signal meters
However, there might be other meters there that do that as well. I have found the SatBuddy 21 to be the most reliable of the bunch. It is made in the USA also.
Birdog and the SatHawk signal meters are made in England.
birddogs as far as i know are 399.99 brand new. i got two of them.. ones a USB and the other is USB Plus (capable of picking up SWM)
Directv has now created a new and their OWN birddog. its made ONLY for directv dishes. its called AIM meter. i hear its very hard for someone whos NOT a tech to obtain one. we are mayb gonna get them but again, we'd have to have training on it and buy it if we want one.
with birddog, you can do dish network/ directv and other companies that are in satellite business.
Directv has now created a new and their OWN birddog. its made ONLY for directv dishes. its called AIM meter. i hear its very hard for someone whos NOT a tech to obtain one. we are mayb gonna get them but again, we'd have to have training on it and buy it if we want one.
with birddog, you can do dish network/ directv and other companies that are in satellite business.
I googled the meter you mentioned above, since I wasn't aware of it. It is listed here: Field Operations Training
I have seen that platform of meters before (made in Taiwan or China). It is a difficult meter to work with. Too many button to push. You will spend more time on getting to the right satellite/TP on the meter than necessary.
Complexity aside, do you feel Direct made the right choice in vendors for their "company specific" meter?
i havent tried it yet. im used to my birddog.
however they say its suppose to be the best thing to use to dither your KaKu dishes. you have to manually punch in your dither number when your signal starts dropping and then go back to the other way until the signal drops and hen punch in that number. the AIM will then tell you how many turns to turn it back. I see errors with this tech bc the AIM is not detecting the satellite while you do this process. i can do this without the help of a AIM if you know math.
AIM is just another birddog in DIRECTV's name to make some money off the techs.
I'll stick to my birddog, its small and lightweight.
AIM is hefty and kinda heavy
Bah! I'll stick with my Acutrac III+. At least it can actually see the 99, 101 and 103...all at the same time.
Not to mention it does fall into the OP's criteria of $200 meter
I haven't used the AIM or hold it yet. But if it has the same cumbersome menu structure as the satvision (which I am familiar with and wouldn't touch with 10ft pole), I would not consider it at all. Yes, it is cheaper, but you get what you get.
If you have the Birdog or the Super Buddy with the 21V supply, that should be more than enough.
I have seen the Acutrac III+ for $195 plus free shipping and it does seem to be a good deal.
I have found others even cheaper, Accutrac 22+ for $55, Accutrac 22 Pro MKII for $98 and Digisat III Pro (which I saw on a DirecTv installation video) for $93 but I have not heard any first hand feedback on any of these. Also not sure if these will see all the sats I need it for.
Also if money were no object I would probably go with the yellow Birddog as it seems to be meter of choice around here by installers who do it for a living.
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