User advice Portable Sat dish vs Auto tune Sat dish.

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 theVansat 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.

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.

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

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

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

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