WHY YOU NEED A DIGITAL SATFINDER / TRACKER TO TRACK YOUR CHANNELS

The world is evolving, new technology is making things easier day in day out.  Gone are the days when you are restricted to using a satellite receiver whenever you are meant to track a satellite package/ position.  With the advent of DB satellite finders which debuted several years ago(though just becoming popular in Africa recently), You can now easily single-handedly track any channels of your choice.  Prior to this development, you can only track sat channels with the help of at least one person and only when there is electricity.  Now you can track alone, track without electricity and track conveniently. 

NOMENCLATURES OF SATFINDERS

WHY SHOULD I BUY A SATELLITE DIGITAL SIGNAL FINDER WHEN I HAVE MY DECODER? 

By the time am through with my analysis, you will know that a sat finder is way far more useful to the owner that using the receiver to track. 

Mobility: You can change a satfinder on your neck and climb the ladder with it something you cannot do with a receiver

A good sat finder like kpt-698G can also be used to configure ccctv cameras

You have little on no risky of damaging your device or electronics using a sat finder.  I have ha da situation whereby an installer accidentally smashed to pieces his client’s flat screen tv because he had to bring th tv outside in other to track dstv.  With a satfinder, you are insured.  In fact, most household will not patronise you if you request for their tv before you are able to track the channels for them. 

Terrestrial channels are even easier to track with a compatible sat finder. 

You do not need to worry about where to get power from as most modern sat finders come equipped with their inbuilt battery. 

You can also track a dish even without electricity and at your leisure

The beeping or equivalent indicators make it easier to know when to stop toggling your dish

For those who always have problems with big dish, sat finders are way easier with it. 

TYPES OF DIGITAL SATELLITE SIGNAL FINDER METER

This is subdivided into two groups namely Analogue satellite finders and Digital.  We are in the jet age I mean the digital age so we will focus our attention on Digital sat. We have various types of sat finders as follows(note Some call dvb-s2 mpeg-4 or HD while dvb-s is called mpeg-2 t2 is terrestrial channels that do not use parabola dish but internal or external UHF / VHF antenna):

DVB-S FTA Sat finder

DVB-S2 Sat FTA finder

DVB-S2 and DVB-T2 Sat finder

DVB-S2 and HD sat finder

DVB-S2, T2, HD Sat finder

WHICH SAT FINDER IS BEST FOR ME?  WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

It depends on who you are.  I mean are you a professional satellite installer or a freelance, an amateur or an enthusiast.  Whatever you go for(barring financial constraint) should reflect the following;

If you are a professional and you want to be ahead of your competitors at all times.  Buy a sat finder with DVB-S2(Note; dvb-s2 will get a signal from DVD-s but not the other way round), T2, and HDand in addition, you can buy a compass separately or install a compass app on your mobile phone.  A good example of a sat finder with such feature is: Satlink WS-6979 DVB-S2 & DVB-T2 Combo Digital Satellite Finder Spectrum Meter Analyzer.  The picture is shown below

If you are a professional installer with a tight budget and you want to be able to track the most basic channels you can buy ws-6933, ws-6920, ws-6916, KPT-968G, And any similar DVB-S2 /MPEG-4 Sat finder.  Note: Any mpeg-4 sat finder will be able to get the signal of any HD satellite channel but you will have only the audio on the device, not the video.  Pictures of such sat finders are below:

*3.5 Inch High definition TFT LCD Screen which Can Play Channels(DVB-S)

HOW DO I USE A SATELLITE FINDER TO FIND SATELLITE SIGNAL? 

It depends on the one you acquire.  Most analogue satellite finders require external power sources while digital finders like all the ones reviewed above come with an inbuilt battery some of which can last a whole day on a single charge.  Be that as it may, the following instructions will help you use these wonderful devices. 

1.  First you connect a cable from the dish LNB to the “LNBF IN” port of the satellite finder. 
2.  Now turn your sat finder to tv Mode so that the lcd screen is activated for you to monitor events.  However, if you are using a sat finder without LCD, You will need to now connect another wire from the satellite finder to your satellite receiver’s “TO DISH” or “LNBF IN” or “SAT IN” port. 
3.  Take the satellite FINDER and put it on its highest sensitivity setting. 
4.  Move your dish up/down/left/right until the finder starts beeping. 
5.  When the satellite finder starts beeping turn its sensitivity down slowly (A Volume Type Button) until the beeping just stops. 
6.  Move your dish up/down/left/right again until the finder starts beeping. 
7.  Repeat the process until the LCD or TV screen(in case of manual) gets a good signal. 

Warning: a cheap meter is a cheap meter.  It will indicate signal level from the LNB and nothing else.  So Buy only branded meters.  A good brand name is Satlink and KPT

WHERE CAAN I BUY THESE SATELLITE SIGNAL FINDERS? 

It is easier for Lagosians to get them in Alaba International market or computer village.  People from other parts of the country can also check computer shops.  You should, however, know that the more features it has the higher its price.  You can also get these online.  If you need help, you may contact me on online purchases only. 

Related

I am a satellite hobbyist, Gadget freak, Public Administrator, product review specialist and also a university graduate with an irrepressible passion for sharing latest and trending tech-related ideas and information.  You can follow my tweets on Twitter or add me to your circles on Google+!  You can as well grab my feed and get updates through emailGoogle+