When setting up a satellite dish it is useful to have a satellite finder also known as a Satellite Signal Meter. Most satellite receivers have a built in function for this purpose. But this is not practical in most situations because the receiver is in the living room, while the dish is way upon the roof. There are two types of devices that can be connected near the dish; Analog and Digital. These devices will enable a single person to align the dish, which type to get depends on how much you want to spend and how good you are at aligning the satellite dish. Analog satellite finders are the less expensive of the two, while digital units especially digital Satellite Signal Meter devices cost much more.
When you are ready to align the dish, you will need to know the Elevation and the Azimuth of the desired satellite. The elevation can be thought of as its up and down location, while the azimuth is simply the location in east and west terms. Finding the correct azimuth will require a compass, which will come with the finder, in most cases. These two numbers can be obtained by using the receivers built in function based on your zip code, if you are in the United States. There are also many websites on the internet where this information can be obtained.
With an analog satellite finder you point your dish to the general area in the sky where you think the satellite is. Then the dish needs to be adjusted until the strongest possible reading is obtained. This can be a tedious and frustrating process as an analog finder will only tell you that you have found a satellite not which one. And there are a lot of satellites up there.
This is one of the benefits of a digital satellite finder. While the digital units are much more expensive they will tell you which satellite you are locked onto. As they are pre-programmed with locations of the most used satellites. If you are looking for the best deals and cheapest prices then shop online and compare the different models and prices easily and quickly. Make sure you take into account of any costs of shipping and handling when you order, some retailers may not mention this until the time of purchase.
Using one of these devices will greatly benefit people that use their satellite dish with a RV where it is frequently taken down and set up. Or when losing reception in bad weather, a satellite finder will help to get a more precise alignment to correct the problem.
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Tags: digital satellite finder, satellite, Satellite Dish, Satellite Finder, satellite signal meter