C**N
Not cheap, and a real problem solver
While a relatively expensive piece of unique electronics, it has already helped me identify 2 issues with my Over-The-Air (OTA) TV setup.The coaxial cable on one antenna is (apparently) pretty old and may have had water infiltration, degrading its performance. In addition, the connector at the antenna was slightly corroded. I verified the cable issue by hooking up inside the house and recording the signal levels for three separate transmit sites, then trimming off about 3 meters of cable and comparing the results. There was a 2dB difference, showing definitely that the cable is in need of replacement.On a separate antenna, I was able to watch simultaneously 6 stations and see a HUGE difference in signal levels on a couple of channels. I've yet to confirm this, but the likelihood is that either one of the transformer connections might be loose, or some elements of the antenna might be loose. But, I know where to start looking!For weaker signals that are not yet off the "digital cliff", the unit could use a bit more sensitivity. Also, I have a couple of really booming signals that exceed the device dynamic range, so the built-in attenuator is a real help in that case.I also used the unit to help get a better signal level on some marginal stations while not sacrificing the signal on the stronger stations. That was a real plus as well.USA only: The unit does NOT reveal the channel numbers assigned in the USA. The physical channel and the virtual channel might be the same, or they might be different. For instance, my Channel 4 (KCNC-Denver) is on physical channel 35. So the unit must be set/programmed to look at physical channel 35 to evaluate the signal for KCNC-TV, Denver. I put a label on the unit that provides the translation between the Virtual and Physical channels so I can keep track!The user's manual is accurate but not really revealing about exactly how to use some of the functions. That said, it does appear to be complete. You have to download it from the website as it was not included in the box with the unit. No problem - it's not that many pages!There are a couple of things that would make the unit more flexible (in the channel groups capabilities) but it does what it says, and well.Is this a bit of overkill for a homeowner? Perhaps. If you were to pay someone to optimize your setup, however, you can count on at least a couple of hours at $50-$75/hour. Half the cost of the unit. But it is NOT for someone who doesn't have at least a basic understanding of radio frequency and ATSC modulation fundamentals. I'm going to offer an evaluation to my neighbors and friends (for nothing). It's fun for me!Update 7/8/2017: I live in an area with both string and weak TV signals, and a commercial FM transmitter is located about 3 miles and line-of-sight from me (100kw+ ERP). I attempted to make some measurements, and was confused by the inconsistencies in the readings as measured at the antenna and at the end of the cable (at the TV). For example, at the antenna one signal measured -40 dBm, while at the TV, the signal measured -62 dBm. But only on one specific channel. If I had actually lost 18 dB of signal in the cable, it would have applied to ALL the nearby channels.Here in the basement, using the spectrum analyzer mode (all frequencies), and a small piece of wire for an antenna, one of the strongest TV stations comes in at -67 dBm, while the FM station comes in at -41 dBm, This nearly 30 dB difference is, I fear, overloading the front end of the instrument. I stumbled on this because while connected to the TV antenna, the lowest power reading on an unused channel was -57dBm, where in the basement, the floor is -77dBm. So, where did the 20dB of signal come from? I fear that it is direct overload of the front end of the meter. What this will mean to you as a user is to make sure there are no commercial high power transmitters nearby to you that can interfere with your measurements. I have an FM trap and will attempt to do the measurements over again using the trap to eliminate most of the FM station interference.
M**W
Great for aiming the antennas, perfect for setting up a complex system
Hard to decide how many stars to give a product such as this. It's not perfect in its execution, but it is good, especially given the low price.First the pluses:I've used this to tune a couple of antennas since getting it. The best two features for me are the MER reading, and the spectrum display. The MER (modulation error ratio) is the digital quality, and the higher the value the less likely you will have uncorrectable bit errors.While the six-channel analog strength display might seem to be the most useful, in reality it only gives a starting point. You really need to measure the MER of the weakest channels that you want to receive. Unfortunately you can only read the MER for a single channel at a time, but the display updates at about once per second, so it's pretty quick to find the best direction for each channel.The spectrum display is great for setting up amplifiers and channel injectors. You can see if you're getting what looks like a clean signal or a bunch of noise. You can also ensure that injected channels are not overlapping the OTA signals, or each other, so you can get sufficient spacing without guessing. For the latter you'll use the (undocumented) zoom function, by pressing the OK key, as mentioned by another reviewer.No channel scanning is required to use this meter. Just plug it in and go. This makes it a lot quicker to use to set up a system than using any television set. But you do need to know the physical numbers or frequencies for your channels, as it does not tune by logical channel.Now for the minuses:Occasionally the receiver stops receiving, for no reason that I can determine. Power-cycling the meter brings it back in every case so far. Perhaps it is a defect in my device. If it gets worse, I will consider getting it fixed or replaced under warranty.The device shows only real-time data. There is no way to capture anything, such as the spectrum display or MER values, and download them for later comparison. Taking notes (or a photo) is your only option for making a record.The user interface is somewhat clunky, which is largely a result of controlling so much functionality with only six push button controls.As an example, there is a built-in attenuator which you will almost certainly need to use for some channels, as input rating of 25-100dBuV assumes that the attenuator is disabled for a 25dBuV input, and enabled for a 100dBuV signal. However, the attenutor setting is only available when viewing any single channel's analog strength. If you're using another mode (such as the spectrum display) and need to switch the attenuator off or on, you need to change modes, switch the attenuator, and change modes again. This takes at least six button presses (I didn't count) and it is somewhat annoying. A dedicated attenuator button would be very nice.The battery meter is also only visible in the single-channel analog display. A larger display would likely make the battery level viewable anywhere.And some final notes:For the price, I'll take the minuses. It's a great meter, and saved me a lot of time already.The rubber case is black on the unit I received. I don't care about that much, but it does show scratches more than a red case would. As other users have noted, the carry strap goes through holes in the rubber case only, not leading to high confidence. I put a piece of polyethylene sheet between the rubber and the strap to reinforce it and prevent tearing of the rubber.The antenna power is selectable, 0, 5, 12, and 24V. 24V is not shown in the Amazon ad, but you'll want that if you're feeding an amplifier with an integrated voltage regulator. On the other hand, it cannot power the inexpensive RCA TVPRAMP1Z preamplifier, which requires a 9V supply - the regulator is in the power injector and the transistor within (BFG198) is rated at only 10V.The meter does get hot with use. I didn't run the battery down, but I'm not shocked that they say two hours of runtime, given the heat it gives off. The manufacturer's site says that it comes with 1200mAh cells and takes 500mA. The cells supplied are Energizers marked 2000mAh, so I expect to get better than two hours of use (without providing antenna power).Other reviews have said that the charge cycle is very long, but I removed the cells and put them into a standalone charger. That's a lot faster. If you're using it a lot, you might want to carry extra pre-charged AA NMH cells.The manufacturer's page for the meter is http://www.emitor.se/prod_digiair_pro_atsc.htm. It's a Swedish company. They also make meters for satellite and DVB-T, both handheld like the Digiair Pro ATSC, and larger professional-looking units for a lot more money (and Solid Signal does sell these too). For ATSC, this handheld meter is all they seem to offer.
W**.
Didn't work too well for m.
I bought this meter to align terrestrial TV antennas. There are some channels in the Raleigh Durham area that are hard to receive. Prior to receiving this unit I was using the built in signal strength meter in the TV. What I found was that the two meters did not correspond to maximum signal strength. The built in TV meter peaked in a much different location that the Digiair Pro. This was the whole point for buying the Pro. Where the Pro had the signal peaked I couldn't get a picture.Secondly, the unit got excessively warm around the F connector. I should hasten to add that I was not running any voltage to the antenna from the Pro. When I did try and run 5 volts to a Winegard mast mounted amplifier the unit would beep and drop back to zero volts. Clearly there was something wrong there as the USB Wingard supply is having no problem powering the amp on the mast.I was disappointed after having read the other reviews of this product. I may try ordering one of these in the future if a new model is introduced.
Trustpilot
4 days ago
1 month ago
