Basically you tap in your location by name or postcode and then move the marker on the google earth map to where you campsite is. You then get the elevation and azimuth bearing of the satellite! (you can pick all known satellites - not just astra)
hope this is useful to people and apogies if it has already been mentioned!
Hi scrufts, good post but I think I will stick to my compass.
I find it quite amazing the amount of posts regarding getting a signal via dish ! it is not rocket science,all you need is a compass and a little experience which comes from doing it just the once.All the gizmos you can buy are normally a waste of money and you will not use them more than once.
I can arrive on a site set up my sat dish, tv and all connections and get a picture within 10mins and you will be doing the same very soon.
I don't see how it's better than a compass . On the other hand it is very useful to look at before you set off to know where NOT to park (eg behind a tree or a building.)
There's nothing more annoying than getting the awning erected, only to find you've pitched right behind the only tree within 5 miles
I had tthe satellite lined up and working in under 5 minutes without a satfinder. (even the bloke next door was impressed)
Before we left I enlarged the picture of the site we were going to. The web site provided a bearing line from which I picked out suitable landmarks as reference points. The hardest bit was getting the elevation right. I did have a compass as back up but it was one of the cheap black plastic types which takes ages to settle so I didn't bother with it!
As a newbie to satellite I struggled to get the quality signal when I first tried my Aldi kit 2 weeks ago, I must have been trying for over an hour. Since then I've bought a tripod and on Saturday had another try. To help me I pointed one of the tripod legs in the direction of the satellite using a compass then I set the dish square to that tripod leg. The elevation was set from the previous attempt but as soon as I fired it up I had a picture straight away, all I then had to do was fine tune the LNB to get a slightly better quality signal. I was chuffed to bits to get it so easily, will take it with us next week when we go to York and have another bash at it.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Easy way to line up your satellite dish!
