User advice Portable Sat dish vs Auto tune Sat dish.
Submitted: Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 17:24
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Member - The Carman's
Hi, we currently use a tripod mounted portable Sat dish for our Vast system, sometimes its a bit challenging to tune.Are considering upgrading to an Auto tune Sat Antenna ( prefer portable). Can anyone help ?
Reply By: Member - Rod N (QLD) - Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 17:47
Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 17:47
I was considering such a system but the price put me off, auto tune sat dishes are at least $3000.
One I was considering using as a portable system, ie not mounted on the roof was the
Vansat Bluestar One advantage of this one is that you don't need a separate VAST decoder.
Be wary of flat panel types, particularly the Snipe. The coverage area of these is not the best and from reports I have seen you will have more problems getting a picture than with a manual dish.
AnswerID:
542948
Reply By: Kazza055 - Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 22:51
Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 22:51
I purchased one of the marriage savers (
http://www.accessantennas.com.au/perth-discount/satellite-products/satellite-alignment-tools/satlink-rv-caravan-satellite-alignment-meter-with-digital-screen-display-built-in-rechargeable-battery-12v-car-charger-and-240v-cable/) for $169.
Makes aligning the dish a simple and quick task when combined with Wikicamps app.
AnswerID:
542961
Follow Up By: Member - Woteva - Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 23:23
Saturday, Dec 13, 2014 at 23:23
Ditto Kazza055's comments , Marriage Saver does what it says and also makes dish set up easy.
FollowupID:
829737
Follow Up By: Member - Rod N (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 07:13
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 07:13
The link provided by Kazza055 did not work for me, it took me to Access Antennas
home page. May I suggest the 'Insert Link' tab at the bottom of the page be used to provide a clickable link such as
Satlink-ws-6933-satellite-meter Marriage Saver and then use the 'Preview' tab to make sure it works.
FollowupID:
829742
Follow Up By: Kazza055 - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 09:18
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 09:18
You mean like this?
Thanks for pointing that our Rod ;=))
FollowupID:
829750
Follow Up By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 09:19
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 09:19
Does the marriage saver give you the readings at the dish rather than having to duck into the van to see the TV screen???
Alan
FollowupID:
829751
Follow Up By: Grumblebum and the Dragon - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 10:29
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 10:29
I thought about the auto tune roof mounted jobs - but expensive and lots of moving parts to potentially fail in rough country.
Started out with a tripod system - absolute PITA to set up and get aligned with all the fiddly thumb screws etc. Junked it and went for the one with the triangular base that sits flat on the ground - swivel the whole unit to get correct azimuth. Then only one simple sliding adjustment for elevation - only one knob to secure.
Very quick and easy to set up. If it is windy I chuck the lift bars from the WDH onto the base to prevent a blow-over in wild weather - probably more stable than a tripod system anyway.
John
FollowupID:
829763
Follow Up By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 10:34
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 10:34
Alan H
The screen on the hand held device is a mini TV screen...you actually see the picture...they work a treat
FollowupID:
829764
Follow Up By: Kazza055 - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 12:29
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 12:29
It also give signal strength and quality on 2 bar graphs which you use to alight the dish. Best thing is that it is self powered so just plug into LNB and turn it on without needing the lead connected to the Vast box.
The old system I had came with the signal strength meter but this does not know which satellite you are locked onto - the marriage saver is tuned to the correct satellite so only looks for that signal.
I also use WikiCamps on my iPhone which by using the camera will show where in the sky the satellite is, thus allowing you to pick the best location through the trees to place the dish - takes all the guess work out of setting up the SATV.
FollowupID:
829770
Follow Up By: Member - Rod N (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 13:51
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 13:51
I am the opposite to Grumblebum and the Dragon. I started with the one with the triangular base that sits flat on the ground which I found to be a PITA. I now have an Azure Shine Caravan RV 80cm satellite dish from Access Antennas and a mast on the A frame and when this is not suitable because of trees etc I find a low tripod works
well for me. Horses for courses and a personal preference I guess.
I also use Wikicamps and a $40 Prof Tuners SF500 sat finder to set up the dish. Works
well for me.
FollowupID:
829779
Reply By: Racey - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 12:22
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 12:22
The image shown as the marriage saver WS6933 is not correct. A WS6933 looks likes like this
Satlink WS6933 I have a WS6906 which locks the same as the image on the ACESS site. If you go direct to Satlink
Satlink WS6906 you can buy it for $99-00.
The only pictures you can see on these units are the the uncoded channels, like the shopping channel. They certainly are a better option to the old screamer. Being self powered you connect them to the lead from the LNB and adjust away. The Wikicamps App has a sat locator function which will point you in the general direction
AnswerID:
542978
Reply By: Member - Ian F (WA) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 17:02
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 17:02
I have just upgraded from the old analogue system.
1 first experiment while you are
home by using info from who ever you bought the system off direction and elevation as a start, then use the sat finder or marriage saver for final adjustments.
2
check your elevation with the angle meter and write this down (
mine was two degrees less than the book reading)
3 I then moved the whole dish and with a compass worked out the approximate azimuth (direction), aimed the dish at this spot readjusted the elevation by the recalibrated angle of my dish then I checked it with the "marriage saver" and I managed a signal then made the final adjustments.
I have managed to get a signal in less than a couple of minutes.
It actually takes longer to put the dish and tripod together !
I have the Satlink 6933.
A mate of
mine has the fully auto tracking system on his Jayco Basestation which is very good but he has been caught by areas he has parked by trees etc...
the downside with portable is light fingered people.
cheers Ian
AnswerID:
542988
Reply By: Member - Tom L (WA) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 19:02
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 19:02
Hi Carmans, we have an IPad and downloaded Wikicamps app. For free. It has a satellite finder which enables us to set up in less than 5 minutes from when we have everything connected.
Regards, Tom
AnswerID:
542994
Reply By: Rob J8 - Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 20:31
Sunday, Dec 14, 2014 at 20:31
We have a length of pipe about 1.5 metres clamped to the drawbar of the van.
We carry the dish in the back of the vehicle. Access dish
We use wiki camps satellite finder as
well as an in line finder Open the front window and set decoder on signal detection and Bobs your uncle. Only use a tripod if there is a tree in the way.
Hope this helps
Rob J
AnswerID:
542998