Analog Satellite Signal Finder Strength Meter with LNB to REC Connector and dB Level Control

I was looking for a way to setup my RV satellite dish for my Dish Hopper, this dish setup picks up 3 different satellites so it can be a bit challenging to setup. I bought this finder and it has a nice tone and adjustable range so locating a satellite is pretty easy, my first attempt was very successful although it is sometimes difficult to determine if you are pointed at the correct of 3 satellites so I use an Android app called Satellite Finder to give me the approximate locations and determine if obstructing trees are in the way and setup the dish to get a clear view. I level the dish tripod and setup the angles for the location I am in and then power up the dish with this meter in the line to my "Solo node" box that is mounted on the dish itself. I can immediately locate the satellite with this meter, peaking the angles for highest sound (adjusting the knob to lower the level if too high) until I am satisfied, then I use the Dish receiver locater to tweak for best signal on all three satellites. I doubt that any of the meters like this work any better, so this is perfect and inexpensive, so buy it!

A couple of years back Dish Network sent a tech to convert my HD two dish system to a one dish system. The installer mounted the dish on the old second dish pole which was just beside and behind a Bradford Pear tree. Fast forward two years and the tree has grown out so much that it had begun to shadow the dish and I start getting rain fade in a sprinkle. So I decide to move the dish to a mount on the side of the house. Worked OK but still not good and still with easy rain fade. Rather than pay the $15.00 fee to have a technician re-aim my dish (and possibly get charged the full fee for having moved it myself) I decide to buy this meter. The meter arrived today and in 30 minutes I had the dish aligned and working perfectly again (azimuth and elevation were both off). The meter is easy to use and the tone is loud enough to hear outside some distance away. I highly recommend this product to all the other DIYers.

Update: I had some time to play with this meter and finally figured out how to use it. Once you've got it hooked up to your receiver and lnb, you turn the attenuation knob till the meter starts "squeezing". Keep adjusting the knob until it reads 5 or a bit more. Then aim your antenna until the reading jumps. You should be pretty close. You really need to have your antenna pre set to the elevation and skew angle (assuming multiple lnbs) and have the pole the antenna is mounted on as close to vertical as possible. Bought this to help align my Dish system while on the road with my RV. Could never find a satillite with it. I ended up guessing and running in and out of the camper until I got a decent signal on two birds. Hooked meter back in and it still did not do anything even when the dish was aligned and I was receiving programming. This is my third one of these cheapo meters that were completely useless. From now on I'm bringing my receiver our with an extension cord and a 5" HDMI monitor. I'll point the dish with the receiver. WHen I look at some of the "higher end" satilite finders ($100 and up), virtually all the reviews say "Does not work in North America"

This meter is excellent. I didn't know what I was doing since I did not use the meter before. The instructions help very little. I don't know who wrote them, but they look like a direct translation from Mandarin to English. I found a great You Tube video for installing a Dish 1000.2 where the installer is using one of these meters. After watching the video, it call came together. After I peaked the Dish outside, I went inside the house and check my Dish receiver. It was showing a 90% signal strength reading on satellite 119 and then 67-70% on satellites 110 and 129. As some wise person once stated: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.". I left it right where it was.

So let me tell you what this thing is/does. It is powered by you receiver. You hook it up between the LNB on the the dish and you receiver, you'll need a small piece of coax to do this. I used a 3' piece of RG-59 - no problem. The device has a back-lit meter, a buzzer and a knob. The knob adjusts the sensitivity of the device. Here are my instructions because the ones provided are only good for comedic relief. Turn the knob full clock-wise and hook it up. Set the dish to your best guess. If you are close at all it will start to buzz and peg the needle on 10. Turn down the sensitivity (counter-clockwise) until you get to about 5 on the meter. now move the dish on one axis to improve the meter reading. As you get closer you will peg the meter again, just turn the sensitivity down again until you get back to 5. Keep repeating util you can't peg the needle and get the biggest reading you can. Now lock down the dish in the axis and repeat with the other axis. Took me about 20 minutes. Do this on a clear day if you can, clouds will move the meter and make it hard to tell if you are moving in the right direction or that cloud just passed. I only gave this a 4 out of 5 because the meter doesn't work well below a five reading. If you adjust below five often the signal would disappear. This means you can only use it between five and ten which makes for more adjusting.

This item worked great, I had to set up a receiver and dish at my cabin in northern WI. It's remote everything runs off a generator. I had the elevation and azimuth setting from Directv. You have to have these to get some idea where your at. I hooked up the SF-95 and adusted first the azimuth, moving the dish alittle at atime until the needle hit 10, then I turned it down to 5 and adjusted it again until it wouldn't go any higher, then locked that setting down. I did the same with each adjustment on the dish, went inside my cabin and saw I had 95% signal strength. It doesn't get any simpler then that

Good working

My son had a Satellite finder app on his phone, he tried it on my dish and it didn't work. I used the Satellite finder I just bought, I started turning the dish till I started getting a signal. I stopped at the loudest signal and checked the percentage it was at on the tv. I had it at 95 % the first try, yes it does work very good.

That it is easy to work with but it didn’t do the job I was looking for it to do. Might work only on drict tv and not all dishes

Earlier I purchased a cheap item and it worked for two years. But this product couldn’t find signal… requested for exchange. Received the replacement item within 10 days, showing signal but not accurate… tried for 10 days but failed.. Later got the signal using mobile app Satellite finder. So hammered the item. Not recommended.

Has no sound. went hit good signal