Laserpointers for Satfinding!

Today i just found out another nice "not-freaky" use for Lasers: Sattelite Dishpointing!

As our DVB-C Receiver died recently, and we are thinking about swtichting to DVB-S2, i am doing the job to find if and which Orbiter we can receive from our ground apartment terrasse.
With the Gmaps based online tool dishpointer.com or even with a simplye compass you can find the directions of course. but how about the buildings, maybe blocking your line of sight?

So after a bit of thinking i had the idea:
Take a good 532' and a giant geometry triangle from your ol' school days. Wait until its getting darker but you still see your surounding. Now hold the triangle in the hight of your planned dish. lase to the horizon and adjust the base line on the beam. then turn the pointer around the 0 point while not moving the triangle, until you point at the roof of the building. Breath a bit haze to see the laser better and voila - you know the minimal elevation angle

That is a brilliant use of a laser! Great idea man! I have used lasers to adjust other equipment, measure areas of land and stuff like that, but I never thought about using simple geometry and a laser to get a good signal. +1

Seb

Thanks man!

maybe someday someone get the idea to simply integrate a 532nm module in one of these oldschool Satfinder Tools with azimuth-and-compass readings

Someone just did.