First Strike Meters Tips from the Pros

These are tips and tricks sent in by professional First Strike Meter users.   Do you have a useful tip or trick that you would like to share?  We'd like to see it here.

Send me a email if you have a good tip and would like to share it.  
Tell us the model number of your meter and give exact details of your tip or trick.  We will publish your tip, your name, and business name unless your request us not to.  
Latest entry gets top spot!  
Meter owners can sign up for the Meter Owners Email and receive valuable information directly from First Strike Meters.  You can get new sat/transponder lists as soon as they come out.  The list saved me recently by listing a transponder that I couldn't find anywhere else.  
'Texas Installer'
Ref: Email Lists
I love my FS1.  It is truly a professional meter.  If you know and understand MPEG compression the FS1 is very easy to use.  (If you don't know, you have no business installing.)  FS1 lets you add or modify satellites/transponders on the fly.  
Here is my tips:  Prepare yourself BEFORE you go on a service call by knowing what satellites you may be aligning to.  Know the compass heading of those satellites.  Carry the FREE satellite/transponder list provided by First Strike.  Carry a good compass.  Move the dish close to the proper elevation and start swinging the dish.  BAM!!! you've got a signal...  I've used several meters but NONE of them come close this one and ALL of the others were MUCH more expensive!  

Some of my favorite online tools.
Dish Pointer Satellite Finder
Find the magnetic declination at your location
Satellite dish look angle pointer calculator

None of the other installers can set and align a dish faster than me!!!

'Installer Ron'
Make extensive use of the user database and save time changing settings. If you do regular installs for certain satellites such as Galaxy19/97W program in the LNB frequency and 22kHz command if applicable, and pick out 4 active transponders on the satellite, 2 horizontal, 2 vertical. Program them all in a row in your FS-1 so you can quickly switch between them. The first pair of H/V transponders should be ?stronger? ones in your area. Use these to quickly locate and zero in on the satellite. The second pair of H/V transponders should be moderate to weak. Use these to fine tune for maximum SNR and quality. Finally, flip between H & V and balance it out by adjusting your skew. By doing this you can quickly and very accurately aim a dish and you don?t have to change your meter settings on the fly.

A similar tip works for the C/Ku BSC621 or a 621-2D using a 22kHz switch. Program the C-band TP/LNB settings and Ku settings right next to each other for each C/Ku satellite you normally target. Then you can quickly flip between the two when installing or tuning your 621.

-Joe
http://store.FridgeFTA.info
From Tim Heinrichs of First Strike Meters:

Registered users can request a satellite/transponder list.  Lists are long, normally over 100 pages.  You may not want to print it out, but if you carry a laptop you will be able to look up any satellite and/or transponder while you are on the job.  "Ctrl + F" (find) and type in the satellite position (like 97.0) to quickly find any satellite.  
Want to see your "Pro Tips" here?  Send us a email.