Sat Sites
Our first tool, and the one you are likely to need first in your normal sequence of activities, is the Sat Site. It is a highly accurate guide for site selection. It helps you to choose Dish sites with unobstructed Satellite reception. At some sites, there are inescapable obstructions. Your Sat Site can help you find a site where the obstruction blocks only the Anks or some other birds which, with program guide in hand, the client agrees he can live without. Your Sat Site takes the surprise out of such compromised reception. If a Satellite unexpectedly cannot be picked up on a new system, you know that's suddenly the most important bird in the sky.
Sat Sites are custom built (to order) for your given location. They have a 100 mile range of accuracy around their design spot. The compass is mounted with the magnetic declination already allowed for, so that when the instruction reads: "Put the Compass on South", you split the "S" like a dollar sign ($). All of the Satellite locations are arrayed on the back panel, in their proper relative positions, so that by looking through the small front sight, to (and through) the circles over the Satellite labels, you have the lines of sight to each of the Satellites, all at the same time. Hold the front sight away from your eye, so as not to lose focus -- a slightly bent elbow will do. You hold the Sat Site up and orient it with the compass, and then the levels to be sure that the back panel is vertical. Then simply move your head, side-to-side to see the sky through the transparent Sat Site. You move your head, rather than the Sat Site, so as not to change the compass or level orientation. If there is a tree, building, or other obstruction, between you and the sky position of a Satellite, that shows that reception of that bird will be compromised at the location of your eye.
It is inteded that Sat Sites be hand held. It may seem a bit tricky
at first, but like riding a bicycle, you get the hang of it, and then
it seems both easy and natural. On most sites you hold it up and
quickly see if there is a potential obstruction. If there is, then you
get serious, hold your breath and use both hands to see for sure if you
will clear it. Sat Sites are highly accurate. The sight circles are
less than one degree in radius; and the compass capsule is the highest
marine grade we can find, with each one individually callibrated before
mounting.
Sat Sites can be tripod mounted with the adhesive velcro patch, but
hand holding provides you with the flexibilty
to move around choosing your site, where as a
tripod tends to have fixity. Further, you are
less likely to forget that your dish will be
looking at the Satellite with its entire face.
If you are close to an obstacle (less than 20
dish diamters) you need to get down on one
knee to be sure that the bottom of the dish
will see over the obstical, or sometimes up on
a ladder to be sure that the top of the dish
face is not blocked by an over-hanging
obstruction. Last but not least, tripods
frequently have a steel ball in their head
which exercises an effect on the magnetics
which orient the compass, throwing the compass
off its pointing consistancy. A more useful
application of the velcro patch, is to put it
on the top of the inside of your vehicle so
that you can store your Sat Site safely up,
out of harm's way between uses. If you sit on it, it will break.
A Sat Site is so simple and obvious in its usage that even a salesman can use it. If you feel that you need to shroud your salesmanship in High-Technology mysticism which a humble customer could not possibly understand, then a Sat Site is not for you. Your client can easily understand the Sat Site. You can put it in his hand so that he can more easily see, and understand what the situation is. In fact it can be used as a robot salesman. Many of our "friends", throughout the country, send a prospective client home with the Sat Site having taken a modest deposit. That gets him out of their hair with all his socializing questions, and actively gets him involved in the selection of his site, for his dish, allowing for his neighbors' trees, and his wife's kitchen window. When he comes back he is sold. All he wants to question is which electronics, and how soon "we" can get started with the actual installation.
Sat Sites were invented in 1983, and have finally won Patents. They have made friends for us throughout the world, because they work.
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