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Topic:
Minimum AIM Meter reading for good DirecTV reception
This thread has 4 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Wednesday March 28, 2018 at 13:49
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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December 2001
30,104
We're about to add some DirecTV receivers in a commercial setup where the main dish feed already is distributed to three businesses. The question of actual acceptable signal level came up, and the answer is turning out to be hard to find. We need to know if we have to add amplifiers.

The AIM manual says to aim for the highest signal but says nothing about what's a good level to ensure reception.
Trilithic doesn't know offhand, though they'll have an answer for me by the end of the day. We start in an hour.
DirecTV thinks 55 on the meter will work, but they say that's the equivalent of about 60 on the transponder signal levels that you can get through the menu on the receiver. I've NEVER seen signals at 60 work!

Anybody know what's a good minimum level to shoot for?
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 2 made on Thursday March 29, 2018 at 00:23
burtont62
Active Member
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March 2011
591
With the aim meter we could usually get around 30-28 and it would pass everything the first time. I just hate the aim meter.
Post 3 made on Thursday March 29, 2018 at 09:02
Hertz
Active Member
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December 2007
657
I also never liked the aim meter. Felt the Birddog was faster.
Post 4 made on Thursday March 29, 2018 at 09:55
Fins
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June 2007
11,627
I thoughtthe DTV transponder signal needs to be 70 for HD channels. But at 60, any rain, or even fog will knock out reception.
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

OP | Post 5 made on Thursday March 29, 2018 at 12:33
Ernie Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
Joined:
Posts:
December 2001
30,104
Fins,
I've seen problems when DTV transponder signals are below 80. Since it's devlilishly hard to find out what channels are on what transponders, I don't try to refer to the behavior of HD channels... just channels, all channels, any channels.

You're not talking about the same thing, though. I'm talking about the AIM meter, which gives signal strength readings in dBmV, and in fact all the readings are negative. This means 35 on the AIM meter is 15 dB higher than 50. We're just used to not being careful to include either the negative sign or the unit of measure, dBmV. Incidentally, dBmV is the same measure used for TV antennas for years. The rule of thumb with the old analog TVs is that a signal of 1 dBmV was required for reception to be free of snow. And satellite reception pulls programs out of signals 30 dB lower than that!

Transponder signal levels are not actual signal levels. They are some kind of "quality" assessment that doesn't directly translate from signal levels. That's why someone could say that "55 on the meter," which is a signal level of -55 dBmV, roughly translates to 60 on the DTV transponder readouts. And they think that will work but we know it won't.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw


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