Signal strength meter
 

Colleagues,

If Bill lived in East Anglia I'd shower him with gold and ask him to install
my new aerial.

As it is, I don't feel I can trust any of the installers in my area to do a
really meticulous job (I realise there will be some really good guys around,
but the last two were both rubbish), so I'm gonna do it myself.

When I set up my Sky dish I used one of those signal strength meters you can
get from B&Q. They are only £15 but work amazingly well. As an aside, I
discovered the Sky installer had left it a bus ride away from the proper
alignment.

Is there an equivalent portable, low cost meter I could use to measure the
signal strength picked up by the TV aerial? Perfectly adequate would be a
wideband meter covering 20-63, I think, as there is only the one transmitter
anywhere near within range.

Yes, I do realise that its the SNR you need for Freeview, but all I want is
a meter which lets me align the aerial directly at the transmitter.

Of course, I could mess about with an assistant watching the signal strength
meter on the TV and talking to me on the roof with a mobile phone, but I'd
much prefer to do it myself. I've noticed that the TV meter is often quite
slow to refresh and rather jerky.

Any thoughts? Or should I offer Bill an all expenses paid holiday in sunny
Felixstowe? :-)

Thanks,

Staiger

Signal strength meter
 

"Staiger" wrote in message
...
Colleagues,


When I set up my Sky dish I used one of those signal strength meters you can
get from B&Q. They are only £15 but work amazingly well. As an aside, I
discovered the Sky installer had left it a bus ride away from the proper
alignment.

Is there an equivalent portable, low cost meter I could use to measure the
signal strength picked up by the TV aerial? Perfectly adequate would be a
wideband meter covering 20-63, I think, as there is only the one transmitter
anywhere near within range.

No - well not that I have found anyway!

I think you choices are either using a Freeview STB (or digital TV) or watching
the picture of an analogue TV.



Yes, I do realise that its the SNR you need for Freeview, but all I want is
a meter which lets me align the aerial directly at the transmitter.

Of course, I could mess about with an assistant watching the signal strength
meter on the TV and talking to me on the roof with a mobile phone, but I'd
much prefer to do it myself. I've noticed that the TV meter is often quite
slow to refresh and rather jerky.

I just made a note of the quality and strength of the digital signal as I
rotated the aerial and then set it to the optimum position.


--

Michael Chare

Signal strength meter
 

"Staiger" wrote in message
...
Colleagues,

If Bill lived in East Anglia I'd shower him with gold and ask him to
install
my new aerial.

As it is, I don't feel I can trust any of the installers in my area to do
a
really meticulous job (I realise there will be some really good guys
around,
but the last two were both rubbish), so I'm gonna do it myself.

When I set up my Sky dish I used one of those signal strength meters you
can
get from B&Q. They are only £15 but work amazingly well. As an aside, I
discovered the Sky installer had left it a bus ride away from the proper
alignment.

Is there an equivalent portable, low cost meter I could use to measure the
signal strength picked up by the TV aerial? Perfectly adequate would be a
wideband meter covering 20-63, I think, as there is only the one
transmitter
anywhere near within range.

Yes, I do realise that its the SNR you need for Freeview, but all I want
is
a meter which lets me align the aerial directly at the transmitter.

Of course, I could mess about with an assistant watching the signal
strength
meter on the TV and talking to me on the roof with a mobile phone, but I'd
much prefer to do it myself. I've noticed that the TV meter is often
quite
slow to refresh and rather jerky.

Any thoughts? Or should I offer Bill an all expenses paid holiday in
sunny
Felixstowe? :-)

Thanks,

Staiger

I did a lot of research into this some weeks ago on this NG. A suitable
meter will cost £250 see:
http://www.brymar.co.uk/acatalog/Ter...nt_Meters.html

In the end I used the signal quality indicator on the DTT (with an
assistant, use a mobile phone if necessary)

Signal strength meter
 

In article , Staiger
writes
Colleagues,

If Bill lived in East Anglia I'd shower him with gold and ask him to install
my new aerial.

He's got a brother somewhere up in Narfolke:)


As it is, I don't feel I can trust any of the installers in my area to do a
really meticulous job (I realise there will be some really good guys around,
but the last two were both rubbish), so I'm gonna do it myself.

There are a lorra of 'em about!.


When I set up my Sky dish I used one of those signal strength meters you can
get from B&Q. They are only £15 but work amazingly well. As an aside, I
discovered the Sky installer had left it a bus ride away from the proper
alignment.

Well thats 'cos you didn't offer his horse any oats when he called, so
he took umbrage and fecked up your dish!..


Is there an equivalent portable, low cost meter I could use to measure the
signal strength picked up by the TV aerial? Perfectly adequate would be a
wideband meter covering 20-63, I think, as there is only the one transmitter
anywhere near within range.

Use the TV..


Yes, I do realise that its the SNR you need for Freeview, but all I want is
a meter which lets me align the aerial directly at the transmitter.

Of course, I could mess about with an assistant watching the signal strength
meter on the TV and talking to me on the roof with a mobile phone, but I'd
much prefer to do it myself. I've noticed that the TV meter is often quite
slow to refresh and rather jerky.

Yes nature of the beast... Still what's less expensive?, about 10 mins
of your inclusive mins or a sig meter?..


Any thoughts? Or should I offer Bill an all expenses paid holiday in sunny
Felixstowe? :-)


I should think Bill would love that, all that bracing sea air c/w the
diesel for all those container lorries and ferries;!.....


Thanks,

Staiger




--
Tony Sayer

Signal strength meter
 

"Staiger" wrote

Is there an equivalent portable, low cost meter I could use to measure the
signal strength picked up by the TV aerial? Perfectly adequate would be a
wideband meter covering 20-63, I think, as there is only the one
transmitter
anywhere near within range.

Yes, I do realise that its the SNR you need for Freeview, but all I want
is
a meter which lets me align the aerial directly at the transmitter.

Of course, I could mess about with an assistant watching the signal
strength
meter on the TV and talking to me on the roof with a mobile phone, but I'd
much prefer to do it myself. I've noticed that the TV meter is often
quite
slow to refresh and rather jerky.


A few months back the picture on one of my set top boxes went titsup, I
suspected the wind or a feckin big bird had moved the aerial (it was
pointing in a different direction from everyone else's).
I used Google earth to pick up my house and the Emley Moor transmitter. I
plotted a line between the two, and then zoomed in to see which way the
aerial should be pointing. Sure enough when I got up on the roof, it wasn't
correctly aligned, but I knew which way it _should_ be pointing (at the
midpoint of the house over the road, and, no, I couldn't see EM, it was a
misty day). So slacken off the bolts, point it where Google Earth said it
should and down the ladder to a good picture again.
We're actually within about 10 miles of Emley Moor, so a bit of wet string
should suffice, but the rooftop aerial goes through 2 passive splitters to 3
tellies (I know.....) so signal at any one telly is OK as long as the aerial
points the right way, but won't cope with any reduction of signal strength.
hth
Neil

Signal strength meter
 

Gripper wrote:
"Staiger" wrote

Is there an equivalent portable, low cost meter I could use to measure the
signal strength picked up by the TV aerial? Perfectly adequate would be a
wideband meter covering 20-63, I think, as there is only the one
transmitter
anywhere near within range.

Yes, I do realise that its the SNR you need for Freeview, but all I want
is
a meter which lets me align the aerial directly at the transmitter.

Of course, I could mess about with an assistant watching the signal
strength
meter on the TV and talking to me on the roof with a mobile phone, but I'd
much prefer to do it myself. I've noticed that the TV meter is often
quite
slow to refresh and rather jerky.


A few months back the picture on one of my set top boxes went titsup, I
suspected the wind or a feckin big bird had moved the aerial (it was
pointing in a different direction from everyone else's).
I used Google earth to pick up my house and the Emley Moor transmitter. I
plotted a line between the two, and then zoomed in to see which way the
aerial should be pointing. Sure enough when I got up on the roof, it wasn't
correctly aligned, but I knew which way it _should_ be pointing (at the
midpoint of the house over the road, and, no, I couldn't see EM, it was a
misty day). So slacken off the bolts, point it where Google Earth said it
should and down the ladder to a good picture again.
We're actually within about 10 miles of Emley Moor, so a bit of wet string
should suffice, but the rooftop aerial goes through 2 passive splitters to 3
tellies (I know.....) so signal at any one telly is OK as long as the aerial
points the right way, but won't cope with any reduction of signal strength.
hth
Neil


Lovely bit of lateral thinking there Neil. DeBono trained?

--
Please do not reply to this Email address,
as all Emails are deleted before opened.

Signal strength meter
 

"Broadback" wrote


Lovely bit of lateral thinking there Neil. DeBono trained?


well... I've read his original book if that counts....

Signal strength meter
 

As an aside, I
discovered the Sky installer had left it a bus ride away from the proper
alignment.
************************************************** ****

As they say, "a little learing....."!

I have to comment that the previous installer may well have used a device
which showed bit error rate which may (probably isn't) anywhere near the
position of maximum signal strength!

THAT is why the signal strength meters sold cheaply are for experienced
users only and is also why DIY isn't as easy as you think!

I feel better now!

--
Rob.

Signal strength meter
 

I have to comment that the previous installer may well have used a device
which showed bit error rate which may (probably isn't) anywhere near the
position of maximum signal strength!

Rob, surely that isnt' true? Surely you want the dish aligned dead onto the
satellite, at which point you will get the highest signal strength and the
lowest bit error rate.

I'm gonna need some convincing that it is otherwise!

THAT is why the signal strength meters sold cheaply are for experienced
users only and is also why DIY isn't as easy as you think!

I bought the widget because some of the channels were suffering break up.
The digibox signal strength indicator was about 40%, and the signal quality
indicator about 30%. After I'd realigned the dish, both the signal strength
and signal quality indicators were about 65 - 70%, and there is no break up
on any channels.

Isn't that QED??

Staiger

Signal strength meter
 

Surely you want the dish aligned dead onto the
satellite, at which point you will get the highest signal strength and the
lowest bit error rate.
************************************************** ****

That's the whole point you want maximum signal from the WANTED satellite!

Take an average dish and it will get signals from the side lobes of the
other birds each side (often from up 8 degrees away with a small dish not
just next door). Now you point your dish for "maximum signal" and you have
no idea where that is coming from. It might even be radiation from an
external source of microwaves. The signal checker is UNTUNED remember.

Yes, you'll still get pictures, until it snows!

So yes, in the olden days (with little interference around) signal strength
equalled best signal to noise ratio. No longer is this true.

Yes some Sky engineers are slapdash, but for the dish to be THAT much off
I'll bet that much of the signal is now coming from another bird.

Also remember the tester is only checking signals from one polarisation and
one band (at one time) and it is easily possible that other constellations
are giving a bit more at that time - badly explained.

I tried one of my dishes just now, maximum signal from an old tester was 2
degrees off Astra (probably a side beam from Hotbird or one of the Arab sats
although I didn't check)! Also direct sigs can be attenuated by trees etc
but you STILL want the sigs from Astra.

--
Robert