Peaking your dish with the "Satellite Finder

With receiver power off, hook the satellite finder between the Receiver and the LNB on the dish that you wish to peak or find the satellite with, keeping the satellite finder close to the dish. Observe the connection markings, "To LNB" to your LNB and "REC" to the receiver. Set your receivers "menu" to antenna/Dish setup, and then to the satellite you are going to peak/find and that the satellite finder is connected to. In the receivers setup be sure that the LNB power = "ON". LNB frequency = 11250 for Circular LNB's (and 10750 if linear LNB's).

Start by marking the dish clamp to the pole with a marker so you can return to that setting.Loosen the dish to mounting pole clamp bolts. Power up the receiver, the internal light in the satellite finder should light up. Turn the "DB" knob on the satellite finder until the meter reads aproxmately half scale (between 4 and 6 on the meter). Slowly sweep the dish, Right and then left of the mark, and go the direction the satellite meter increases, once the meter goes to aproxmately 8, stop and set the meter down with the DB knob until about half scale. Repeat the process until when you turn the dish to the left OR right the meter goes DOWN in either direction. Peak the meter and lock the dish to pole clamp bolts down. Repeat the process using the Elevation adjustment. Go to the receiver and the satellite setup for that dish. See if the receiver setup is displaying the correct satellite name/number and that you have good signal strenght and quality.

I find that the satellite finder is more senstive to the satellite signals than the receiver and is portable. The draw back is the the satellite finder does not identify the bird.

Using the "SATELLITE FINDER" meter and making a portable battery pack:

How to use and make your own battery pack for your low cost "Satellite finder". That is commonly available at most satellite stores and on most on-line auctions for around $10.00 USD. In a satellite dish installation I have found this to be a very valuable tool. Its pluses are, it is low cost, very sensitive, portable, it works very well. Its drawbacks are, It does not identify the Satellite, needs a STB (receiver) to power it (there are some recent models that do have a battery pack accessory, but more than doubles the price).

MAKING YOUR OWN BATTERY PACK for the SATELLITE FINDER
If you are a do it yourselfer you can make a external battery pack that allows you to peak the dish in remote locations (your roof) with out having to bring the STB and TV to the dish site, or having to power up/down the STB each time you connect/disconnect the cable(s). My pack is 9 each AA Alkaline batteries in a battery holder, with battery holders positive hooked to one side of a toggle (On/Off) switch and the other side of switch to the center conductor of the RG-6 Cable with a standard "F" cable connector. The outer shield of the RG-6 cable is hooked to battery pack negative. To use, I have the ON/OFF switch "OFF". I connect the Battery pack "F" connector to the “To REC”eiver" side of the Satellite finder, I then connect the “TO LNB” side of the Satellite finder to the Dish LNB, and turn the switch to “ON”.

TO USE:
To use the Satellite finder, adjust the knob for half scale on the meter, make an adjustment on the dish, and re-balance the meter to center, repeat the process, keeping the meter in the center.