two options available when you go about the antenna alignment: You can either switch to map view which comes with arrows (similar to DishPointer Maps) and superimposes the available satellite positions, or you activate the augmented reality mode which uses the iPhone camera to create a combination of camera view and Clarke Belt – complete with available satellites. We tried both options and both delivered flawless results which matched those of the
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1. Various settings that are available with Satellite Tracker 2. The plus version uses a map to indicate the actual footprint of a selected satellite
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DishPointer apps. The app also inserts a reticle in addition to the Clarke Belt, which makes it even easier to find the perfect antenna alignment. There are a number of optional settings and all iPhone models are supported. The app even works with the iPod touch, even though there might be some restrictions due to different hardware used by Apple. To sum up, the DishLoc leaves nothing to be desired. Price: DishLoc - 10,99€ (13,99 US$) Rating: very good
Conclusion
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DishLoc The DishLoc app sports a clever design and easy-to-use interface. It comes with an extensive database of all direct-tohome satellites, determines the current location by using the iPhone’s integrated GPS receiver and adjusts the list of satellites accordingly. We genuinely liked that approach because it just wouldn’t make sense for a German user to be shown satellite positions such as ECHOSTAR 14 at 119° West, for example. Unless you decide to dig a hole through the earth you’ll never have a chance of receiving signals from that position in Germany. As a next step, one or more satellites can be selected for detailed analysis. As soon as the current location is set either manually or determined via GPS all satellite entries come with correct azimuth, elevation and skew values. We found this to be a very convenient feature. There are
As you have seen, quite a number of apps deal with satellite antenna installation and alignment. Obviously, this overview can only provide a snapshot of what is available at a given point in time, as the number of apps increases almost by the day. Resourceful software developers are probably working on even better solutions this very moment and – as always – beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While particular features may be an absolute must for some, others will go out of their way to avoid them. We have tried to establish factual criteria for rating all apps in this overview, but we would still urge our readers to try out and see for themselves which app they like best. For a rough orientation have a close look at the screenshots provided or the information available on the iTunes store.
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3. Augmented reality view of DishLoc ■ 4. DishLoc only shows those satellites that can actually be received at the current location 5. The blue lines in the DishLoc app indicate the antenna’s position for receiving signals of a particular satellite. For illustration purposes we selected several satellites on this screenshot.
128 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 12-01/2011 — www.TELE-satellite.com
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