Perfect 10 Satellite Distributing Birdog User manual

Thank you for choosing our newest and most innovative satellite identification and alignment meter. This device
far exceeds the capability of any alignment tools we have offered to date.
While most pointing devices only give you a general idea that there are indeed satellites in the sky, the BirDog
takes you one step further by positively identifying some satellites. This meter was specifically designed and
intended to assist in simplifying the DirecWay alignment procedure; however, a secondary advantage lies in it’s
ability to identify some other satellites as well.
The BirDog satellite menu can be reprogrammed to include only the satellites you are interested in or to search
for satellites which are not found in the default menu. The procedure for making the modification is discussed in
this document.
Please note that this manual was current at the time of publication, however, the latest news and updates are
available from www.perfect-10.tv/meter.
®
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Ds\davesgraphics\manuals\birdog
Warning: the neck strap can present a choking hazard. Use only when falling or slipping is not a possibility.
Specifications
Battery Pack 2.4 A, 7.2V Ni-MH
Intelligent Charger with delta V delta T detection Fast charge, then Trickle
LNB supply voltage 12Vdc for V/R, 16 Vdc for H/L
LNB supply current 250 mA max
LNB short circuit protection 500 mA automatic limiter
RF input range 950 ~ 2150 MHz
Input dynamic range -65dBm~-25dBm
Universal charger input range 80 Vac ~ 250 Vac
(UL approved)
Battery Run time with full charge (single LNB): 3 hours
Number of satellite data lines available in memory: 32 lines (32 sats, one polarity)
Unit Discharge time (idle state) ~24 days
Computer interface: Serial Port (COM 1,2,3 or 4)
Ver 1.3
®
With DDSI
DDS Iigital ata tream dentification
Perfect 10 Satellite Distributing 1-800-205-8620
3901 Progress Street
North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114
© Copyright, 2002, Perfect 10 Satellite Distributing. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect 10
Satellite Distributing, 3901 Progress Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Your BirDog is supplied with this manual, the meter, a protective case, an auto charge cord, an A/C charge
cord and a computer download lead (serial port).
®
A/C charger cord
D.C. Auto charger cord
Computer interface cord
Charging The Battery
The meter’s battery will be charged when you receive it. We recommended that you charge the unit overnight
to fully energize the batteries. If you absolutely can’t wait that long, at least give it a four hour charge. Overnight
charging will allow some trickle charging which Ni-MH batteries need to come up to full performance.
The batteries will need to be recharged occasionally even if the unit has not been used. Recharge batteries
approximately every three weeks to keep the battery pack charged .
not
Notethatitis possibletousetheBirDog whenthebatteriesarebeingcharged.not ®
Charging with the A/C cord
Charging from a Vehicle (D.C. Auto charge cord)
Open the flap on the back of the BirDog to
access the A/C charge port. Plug the A/C
charger cord into this port and into a standard
110 Vac outlet.
.
®
The battery is fully charged
when you see the words “Trickle Charge” on
the screen
The Vehicle (12 Vdc) charge port is on the right
side of the unit. Plug the ‘D.C. Auto Charger
cord’ into the bottom socket and then into a
‘lighter’ socket in your vehicle. The ‘D.C. Auto
Charger cord’ supplied with your BirDog is the
only lead to use for car charging. The use of
any other lead can damage the meter and will
void the warranty.
®
2
In The Box!
BirDog Meter with Internal Battery,
Protective Case & Neck strap
The BirDog can remain connected to either power source, in a “Trickle Charge” state, for an extended period of
time without damaging any internal components.

OFF
ON
OFF
ON
Horizon LTD.
(c) 2002 V2.01aUS
00120d
Battery 85%
Press and
Hold 5 seconds
First screen indicates version
number, satellite list code and
battery strength. The meter
scrolls to next screen
automatically.
The second screen indicates the
first satellite in the menu, the
longitude of the satellite, raw
signal received, battery strength
and “Searching” since the
satellite has not been found yet.
K V GE3 81
S55
Searching
To Turn The Meter ON
Aligning the Dish On The Selected Satellite
Getting close, the dish is pointing
at the edge of the
DirecTV satellite. Note that the
word “Found” appears. Keep
moving the dish until the “Q” and
“S” levels are maximized.
®
“Q” is now maxed out,
“S” is maxed out. That’s it......
Tighten the mount bolts.
You are done.
Move the dish until “Found” S 165
Q25%
Found
Maximize signal and Tighten Bolts S 175
Q95%
Found
Type Satellite
B = Circular
C = C band
K = Ku band
Satellite
Name Longitude
Note “S” = Raw Signal Level
Battery Strength
Correct Satellite
Is Confirmed
Connect a RG-6 jumper from the BirDog “INPUT” jack on the front of the meter to the LNBF on the antenna.
Generally point the antenna in the azimuth (magnetic) direction specified by the software in your satellite receiver,
or in the case of a DirecWay installation, a laptop, or customer’s PC.
®
3
Polarity
Selecting A Satellite
The display indicates a weak raw
signal “S” and the text message
“Searching”. Keep scanning the
sky until the “S” increases and the
“Q” bar appears.
Find the satellite you are
interested in by scrolling through
the stored memory. In this
example, the DirecTV satellite
located at 101° is selected.
®
B R DirecTV 101
Right & Left
arrows scroll
satellites
Searching
S55
Searching
S55
B R DirecTV 101
B R DirecTV 101
B R DirecTV 101
Note “Q” = Inverse of Data Error Rate

OFF
ON
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
Signal to Noise Ratio
If you would like to look at the
signal to noise ratio, the BirDog
can provide that information.
With the satellite “Found”, press
the bottom (ON) button once.
®
B R DirecTV 101
S 175
Q95%
Found
B R DirecTV 101
C65
V95%
Found
Press
The “S” changes to a “C” and now
reflects the C/N or signal to noise
ratio in db.
The V indicates inverse Bit Error
Rate after error correction.
4
Shutting Down
Press and
Hold 5 seconds
To turn the BirDog off, press and
release the upper (OFF) button.
The display will indicate “Shutting
Down” and then the display
screen will go blank.
®
To Turn The Meter OFF
Other Features
Exit
Backlight on
Clickingoff
Sleep 9 Mins
The BirDog must be turned to
access the optional setup screen.
To access other features, press
and hold the up arrow. You will see
this screen.
®off
Press
and Hold
Up or down
to select
Options
In this example we have selected
the “Sleep” timer adjustment and
changed the “Sleep” mode to 15
minutes.
Press left or right
to change the
option setting
To save the selection(s) you have
made, press the upper button to
position the arrowhead on “Exit”,
then press the right button.
To ‘Save’ and
Exit, Press
the right
button.
To Change and Save a Feature
Press down or up keys to select the
required function. The arrow head
will indicate the selected item. The
Auto Shutoff timer adjustment is
selected in this example.
Exit
Backlight on
Clickingoff
Sleep 9 Mins
Clickingoff
Sleep 15 Mins
Defaults
English
OFF
ON
Exit
Backlight on
Clickingoff
Sleep 15 Mins
To return all adjustable options (other than language) to their original
factory setting, select “Defaults” and press the right arrow.
Continue scrolling down to reach the “Defaults” and Language selections.

OFF
ON
To Reduce the Raw Signal “S” Bar Graph
If the “S” (raw signal) bar graph is
maxed out, press the bottom
(ON) button once.
Press
B R DirecTV 101
S 200
Searching
The screen will then indicate
“Auto Ranging” where the bar
graph was located. The meter is
re-centering the raw signal
strength.
Auto Ranging
Searching
When the bar graph reappears, it
will be reduced in length and the
digital strength will reflect the
reduction.
.
The Auto Ranging only
works if the satellite has not been
“Found”
S 100
Searching
5
(Attenuate Display Sensitivity)
Overview of Downloading & Uploading Satellite Lists
You can change the pre-loaded satellite list which is currently in the memory of the BirDog to a custom list of your
choosing by going to www.perfect-10.tv/meter. The instruction set which follows in this manual, “How To
Download from the Website”, was current at the time of this manual’s printing but is superceded by any revisions
found on the web site.
The default satellite list which is pre-loaded at the factory will be overwritten by any uploads you perform.
However, the factory default list is also available from the web site and can be reloaded if desired. Note that the
satellites you choose need to be selected in the sequence that you want them to appear in the BirDog . If, for
example, you select a satellite located at 119° and then select one located at 101°, the 119° satellite will come up
first as you scroll through the list of satellites in the stored memory. This can be handy knowledge as you may
prefer to have the satellites you use most, located at the first of the list and less needed ones at the end of the list.
You can load from one to thirty two satellite data lines in memory. The fewer lines you select for your custom list,
the quicker you can find the one you want when lining up antennas. Just keep in mind, only one list will be retained
in the BirDog memory. The previous list is overwritten by the next upload you do.
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Note that the BirDog may not be able to positively identify the correct location of satellites other than those in the
default menu (Default = G11, Satmex5, DirecTV 101 and DirecTV 119). Some of the satellites available for
download from the website do cause the BirDog to indicate “Found” in locations. You may download
any of these other satellites but they are to be used with the understanding that misidentification may result. A
thorough knowledge of the magnetic heading to the satellite you are attempting to can help you
resolve some of the duplicate satellite locations.
one or more
positively identify
B R DirecTV 101
B R DirecTV 101

To change the satellite menu in your BirDog, go to “www.perfect-10.tv/meter” and press the “News” button to see if any
current news will affect your download. Then press the “Configure” button. Scroll down the page until you see the following
screen:
6
This feature requires a Microsoft Operating system of Windows 98, Windows
98 ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP. You will also need an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) connection to the internet and an active,
available 9-pin (COM 1,2,3 or 4) serial port connection on your computer.
Please note that Perfect 10 will advise you on how to modify the software or
bios settings of your PC. Contact your computer provider if you have any
questions concerning COM port setups.
not
A Serial (COM) Port
How to Download from the Website
Computer Requirements for Download and Upload
Select the satellite lines you want in
your list, in the order that you want them
to appear in your Birdog. As you select
each satellite, press the right arrow key
to insert them into the list on the right
side. Remember, you can pick the
sequence they will appear in the BirDog
at this time.
In this example, I have selected Satmex
5 as the FIRST satellite to appear when
I turn the BirDog on. Galaxy 11 will
appear second.
The BirDog can hold a configuration file
with a maximum of 32 lines.
Press the “Generate” button when you
are done. An email will be sent directly
to you with the zip file attached.
Select the
satellite
lines you
want
Right arrow key adds them to your list
Send the list
to yourself
2
1
3
This screen will appear. Click on “Download your File”.
4

7
How to Download from the Website
Continued
This screen will appear. Click on the “Save” button.
A screen similar to this will open. Decide where you want to
store the download. In this example, the file will be stored in
a “Temp” file.
After you have made your choice of the storage point, press
the “Save” button.
This screen advises you that the file has been downloaded and
lists the location where the file is now stored.
Press the “Close” button.
This completes the “Download” or Configuration process. The
next step will be uploading the new menu into the BirDog.
5
6
7
You might want to keep track of the executable file number just in case you want to download a different satellite
list from the website at a later date, the file name will be different each time. That way you can pick and choose
from the previous downloads that you have already stored on your computer.
This example, ‘rad5D67D.exe’ has only Satmex 5 and G11 in it. I might have two or more executable menus
previously downloaded . Each would have a different file name and contain a completely different list of
satellites.

8
Then
This Screen Will Appear
Program mode
Turn the BirDog “off”.
This Text Will Appear if
the connection is complete
Press The “Transfer” Button If you see this screen you are .
Your upload to the BirDog is completed.
Press the “OK button and
Disconnect the Cable
Done
COM1
COM2
COM3
COM4
If you get this Error message, change your COM port selection by checking
the COM number.
Then try to “Transfer” again. A failure to achieve “Transfer Complete”
indicates a COM problem.
correct
The COM port selection is important, not the specific IRQ or address of the COM port. If you get in a hassle
trying to get the COM port working, use a different computer or laptop for downloading and uploading.
number
How to Upload the new Menu into the BirDog
Look at the Face
of Your BirDog
OR
Then
1
3
2
Connect
the
Cable
Double-click the new file
Find the .exe file you just downloaded from the website. Double-click on that file.

The BirDog was specifically designed as a measuring device to greatly simplify the DirecWay , 1-way and 2-way
installation process. You will find this instrument does an excellent job of identifying DirecWay satellites and
optimizing the installers ability to see the “cross-pole”.
The BirDog looks at several data stream features broadcast from the satellites. Some satellites (like DirecWay
birds) transmit data which is unique and identifiable. The “Found” indication is a positive and error free indication
of the satellites identity. However, there are a few broadcast satellites which have exactly the same data stream
and are not unique. In that case, a “Found” indication can be the desired satellite or one of several duplicate
satellites. The BirDog can still be helpful on duplicate satellites as your knowledge of the magnetic azimuth to the
satellites will be the key to sort out the duplicates. Please refer to www.perfect-10.tv/meter for the most current
information on duplicate satellite transmissions:
You must have a clear shot at the satellite for the BirDog to work. Trees and buildings violate the rules. Try to have
a clear sky shot initially so you can identify the satellites true location. Then you can work on manipulating the
hole-in-the-trees shot for the tough installations.
Note that the BirDog is very frequency specific on the LO (local oscillator) of the LNB. You must be using common
LNBFs for the device to work. If, for example, it is a C-band bird you are trying to identify, use a common 3.7~4.2
LNBF with an I.F. of 950~1500. It may be necessary for you to install a common LNBF to identify the satellite, then
install any ‘special’LNBFs when you have finished aligning the antenna.
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There is no “constant” maximum signal number you should try to achieve. The LNBF, antenna and geographic
location will vary the maximum signal level. Each installation is unique with variable conditions.
The BirDog does control polarity motors like those found on C-band dishes. If there is a polarity motor on the
feed horn of dish you are aiming, use the receiver to set the polarity of the rotor motor, or, manually rotate the LNB
and horn to the proper polarity before attempting to find the satellite. The BirDog does control circular polarity
voltage controlled LNBFs like those found on DirecTV and EchoSphere antennas via it’s internal voltage driver
control.
The BirDog will not control built-in switches on the Dish500 system or the all-in-one LNBF on DishNetwork
antennas.
The ‘Backlight’ feature draws more current from the battery. Therefore, this should only be turned ON when it is
needed and normally left in the OFF to preserve run time. See “Other Features” on page 4.
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not
Pay particular attention to the menu where it specifies the type of data stream; ‘B’=circular, ‘C’=C-band linear and
‘K’ =Ku band linear. See page #3 under “To Turn The Meter ON” for the location of this critical data. If the data line
indicates that it is for a ‘K’ data stream, the BirDog be attached to a Ku LNB on the dish you are aligning in
order to receive the correct information. In other words, don’t select a Ku band (linear) bird from the menu and
then connect the BirDog to a circular polarized LNBF.
must
9
The satellite programmers have complete control of the data stream information. They change the
data stream methods and technology at will and for their own purposes. Perfect 10 has no control
over the evolution of data streaming. While we will make every effort to provide you with current
satellite identification downloads, this device could loose it’s ability to identify specific satellites by the evolution of
technology.
Basic Operation and Characteristics
Utility of this Device

10
Warranty
Perfect 10 Satellite Distributing will, at our option, repair or replace any BirDog meter found defective in
manufacture within a warranty period of one year. This warranty period is determined from the date of
purchase. Keep your receipt as proof of purchase date. Otherwise, the warranty is determined by date of
manufacture. This warranty does not apply to damage caused by accident, misuse or tampering with the unit.
Removal of tamper seals voids this warranty.
© Copyright, 2002, Perfect 10 Satellite Distributing. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect 10
Satellite Distributing, 3901 Progress Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Perfect 10 Satellite Distributing 1-800-205-8620
Replacement Part Numbers
A/C Charger Cord LDSM020
Computer Interface Cord
Rechargeable Battery Pack BDSM072
LDSM232
D.C. Auto Charger Cord LDSM12DC
Protective Case CDSM
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Sr. Vice President
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2 Power Supplies
& 2 100’ Cables
Fits 38” Broadband
Elliptical Dishes
DIGISAT™
MULTI-SWITCHES F-CONNECTORS RG-6 COAX CABLE
Verifies Antenna Is
Accurately Aimed
Measures Signal
Strength with Digital
LED Readout
Select Any Off-Air
Or Satellite Channel
47~2050 MHz
LCD Display
Silicone Sealant
Internal “O” Ring
Plastic
Fingerprint
Overlays Make
Signal ID Easy
AC-DC Operation
Reel In A Box
Fully Automatic De-Icing Operation
Safe Low Voltage
Checks LNBF Current Level
Simplifies Wiring
Process
Dual Satellite
Signal Strength
Measurements
Bag Of 100
Crimp-On Brass
950~2150 MHz
1000 ft. Spool
Swept-Tested
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Fast & Easy Peel-n-Stick Application
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