srinivas33
Member
- Joined
- 9 Sep 2013
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I ordered SF-12 meter from shopclues.com,
received it two days back. Yesterday i used it to align both Ku band dish and C band dish. C band dish is which i bought recently from shopclues.com.
Its a Solid 180 cm C band dish.
My doubt previously was, it is written on the instructions of Db meter as you should use a 5 db attenuator for LNB with gain more than 60db. So i removed my 0.1 Noise figure, 70 Db gain Solid ku band LNBF and replaced it with 0.5 noise figure LNB and connected the SF-12 meter and worked with it,
here is my thread for 0.1 noise figure LNB and 0.5 db LNB review
Review of Solid 0.1dB Universal Ku band LNBF
the lights indicating 13v, 18v are good, but the LED indicating 22khz, 0Hz are not stable. but its not a problem, My receiver is SOLID 9030 its signal level indicator is not much responsive, till now it is very difficult to align my dish. This db meter is so sensitive, I found the best signal with 0.5db type, which i never got in my dishtv elliptical dish. Till now i used to have 64% or 42% quality and 70 or 80% strength, after tuning with SF-12 meter, the quality raised to 85%. All this is for INSAT-4B ddfreedish. Even after connecting Diseqc switch the signal quality stayed at 85%. So dont blame diseqc switch for signal quality loss, there will be less drop if you align dish perfectly, by using db meter.
Meter has audio buzzer, its pitch varies with signal strength, its directly proportional to signal strength.
Meter has a light bulb also, it illuminates the pointer and scale arrangement, its useful at night time alignment.
How i used the meter:
1. First switch off the STB connect the wire from STB to meter, at the back of the meter, it is labelled as "TO REC" at that teminal connect the wire from STB. Other side its written "TO LNB" connect a small wire from LNB to the labelled side terminal of meter.
2. Rotate the sensitivity knob to minimum(Anti clocwise rotation), now it is safe to turn on STB, go and turn ON STB. Now the light bulb illuminates dial, 13v or 18v LED, 22khz or 0 hz LED will glow.
3. Now goto back of the dish and loose the nuts of elevation and azimuth, not completely loose, just loose it. Remember meter should be operated by sitting on back of the dish. Now slowly rotate the sensitivity knob on meter clockwise at one point you observe the pointer raises on the scale an you hear a audible pitch which is of low frequency. Turn the knob until it reaches 5 on the scale.
4. From dish pointer website align the dish approximately to satellite you want. Once confirm it by looking into its transponder on TV quality should be there. Then for fine tuning for maximum signal, first turn azimuth my moving dish side ways when you do this, the pointer which is at 5 will increase of decrease, slowly move mm by mm on both ways, you will find in one direction the pointer will raise to maximum and pitch will also raise, if the pointer is at peak, decrease the sensitivity to 5 and again tune until you hear peak pitch and pointer position. Now tight the Azimuth nut and bolt.
5. Follow the same procedure to elevation.
6. Now move the LNB inward and outward see for the peak signal, rotate the Skew and find peak signal. All this is by making loose the screws of LNB holder. When you find the peak in this also then tight the screw.
7. Now observe in STB you will have best signal quality and strength. After you confirm switch OFF STB, remove the meter, and connect the wire coming from STB directly to LNB like before, or if you use diseqc switch connect it accordingly. Then SWITCH ON STB. Enjoy the signal. I did like this and now im very happy with the meter.
SF-12 Meter - VS - C band 65db gain Universal LNBF:
I want to see what happens if i use LNB of greater than 60 DB gain, so i connected the meter to C band 65db gain lnbf on Solid 6 ft C band dish. For INSAT-4A, by doing the same steps above,
In instructions its written not to use > 60 db gain lnbf directly with meter, use a 5db attenuator, but the signal of INSAT-4A is weak, so i dared and connected meter directly by the same steps above. The meter worked nothing happened, but if the satellite signal is strong, use a long cable about 40ft between LNB and meter or use 5db attenuator, here are pictures of 5db attenuator which i found in google image search
dial analog - Google Search
5db attenuator
You may find it in ebay.
Till now some transponders use to freeze and pixelate because of approximate alignment to INSAT- 4A Cband, after tuning with SF-12 meter for peak pitch, The signal is stable even after connecting to techvision diseqc switch. Pixelation and freezing gone now.
Cons: 22Khz, 0Hz, LED strobe randomly and doesn't indicate stable, SOLID Manufacturer if you are reading this one please improve this functionality to make it best analog meter. Although it doesn't hinder signal finding.
Overall the meter is good for a Home user and enthusiast. Im very satisfied with it and recommend it to all.
received it two days back. Yesterday i used it to align both Ku band dish and C band dish. C band dish is which i bought recently from shopclues.com.
Its a Solid 180 cm C band dish.
My doubt previously was, it is written on the instructions of Db meter as you should use a 5 db attenuator for LNB with gain more than 60db. So i removed my 0.1 Noise figure, 70 Db gain Solid ku band LNBF and replaced it with 0.5 noise figure LNB and connected the SF-12 meter and worked with it,
here is my thread for 0.1 noise figure LNB and 0.5 db LNB review
Review of Solid 0.1dB Universal Ku band LNBF
the lights indicating 13v, 18v are good, but the LED indicating 22khz, 0Hz are not stable. but its not a problem, My receiver is SOLID 9030 its signal level indicator is not much responsive, till now it is very difficult to align my dish. This db meter is so sensitive, I found the best signal with 0.5db type, which i never got in my dishtv elliptical dish. Till now i used to have 64% or 42% quality and 70 or 80% strength, after tuning with SF-12 meter, the quality raised to 85%. All this is for INSAT-4B ddfreedish. Even after connecting Diseqc switch the signal quality stayed at 85%. So dont blame diseqc switch for signal quality loss, there will be less drop if you align dish perfectly, by using db meter.
Meter has audio buzzer, its pitch varies with signal strength, its directly proportional to signal strength.
Meter has a light bulb also, it illuminates the pointer and scale arrangement, its useful at night time alignment.
How i used the meter:
1. First switch off the STB connect the wire from STB to meter, at the back of the meter, it is labelled as "TO REC" at that teminal connect the wire from STB. Other side its written "TO LNB" connect a small wire from LNB to the labelled side terminal of meter.
2. Rotate the sensitivity knob to minimum(Anti clocwise rotation), now it is safe to turn on STB, go and turn ON STB. Now the light bulb illuminates dial, 13v or 18v LED, 22khz or 0 hz LED will glow.
3. Now goto back of the dish and loose the nuts of elevation and azimuth, not completely loose, just loose it. Remember meter should be operated by sitting on back of the dish. Now slowly rotate the sensitivity knob on meter clockwise at one point you observe the pointer raises on the scale an you hear a audible pitch which is of low frequency. Turn the knob until it reaches 5 on the scale.
4. From dish pointer website align the dish approximately to satellite you want. Once confirm it by looking into its transponder on TV quality should be there. Then for fine tuning for maximum signal, first turn azimuth my moving dish side ways when you do this, the pointer which is at 5 will increase of decrease, slowly move mm by mm on both ways, you will find in one direction the pointer will raise to maximum and pitch will also raise, if the pointer is at peak, decrease the sensitivity to 5 and again tune until you hear peak pitch and pointer position. Now tight the Azimuth nut and bolt.
5. Follow the same procedure to elevation.
6. Now move the LNB inward and outward see for the peak signal, rotate the Skew and find peak signal. All this is by making loose the screws of LNB holder. When you find the peak in this also then tight the screw.
7. Now observe in STB you will have best signal quality and strength. After you confirm switch OFF STB, remove the meter, and connect the wire coming from STB directly to LNB like before, or if you use diseqc switch connect it accordingly. Then SWITCH ON STB. Enjoy the signal. I did like this and now im very happy with the meter.
SF-12 Meter - VS - C band 65db gain Universal LNBF:
I want to see what happens if i use LNB of greater than 60 DB gain, so i connected the meter to C band 65db gain lnbf on Solid 6 ft C band dish. For INSAT-4A, by doing the same steps above,
In instructions its written not to use > 60 db gain lnbf directly with meter, use a 5db attenuator, but the signal of INSAT-4A is weak, so i dared and connected meter directly by the same steps above. The meter worked nothing happened, but if the satellite signal is strong, use a long cable about 40ft between LNB and meter or use 5db attenuator, here are pictures of 5db attenuator which i found in google image search
dial analog - Google Search
5db attenuator
You may find it in ebay.
Till now some transponders use to freeze and pixelate because of approximate alignment to INSAT- 4A Cband, after tuning with SF-12 meter for peak pitch, The signal is stable even after connecting to techvision diseqc switch. Pixelation and freezing gone now.
Cons: 22Khz, 0Hz, LED strobe randomly and doesn't indicate stable, SOLID Manufacturer if you are reading this one please improve this functionality to make it best analog meter. Although it doesn't hinder signal finding.
Overall the meter is good for a Home user and enthusiast. Im very satisfied with it and recommend it to all.
