Measuring "Link margin" -Quick n Dirty!!

Have Internet on your Ku 4 footer dish that has a "3-legged" feed support?

Your modern improved modem has only the "idiot LEDs", and you have no way to access real numbers for your "link margin"?

Just did some tests on my Ku 4 footer, putting some metal accross the center of the dish, resting on the edges of the reflector and on the 2 side legs:

1-quality I-beam aluminum 4 ft level (with magnetic strip), section of 1" x 2 1/4. The I-beam web has large openings in it.

2-cheap hardware store 4 ft alum ruler, section 2" x 1/8


>>>The level causes a 1 n a half dB loss in the Eb/No, whether lying flat or standing on edge.

>>>The ruler, lying flat, causes slightly more than a dB loss. The thin ruler does sag slightly toward the reflector surface...

Laying BOTH down, on either side of the legs, possibly gives a 3db loss -very approx, as in my case that puts me in the noise/unlock territory.


At any rate: if you loose your Internet with either of these tests, at any time, THEN: time to worry, as you are "living dangerously", quite close to the "threshold", and something has been happening for sure. 

I hope this can help the "end consumer" who is stuck in the middle of nowhere, with merry "idiot LEDs" for company.

Cheers

Christian

PS: too bad I don't have 2, 3, 4 of them rulers, for "precision" link margin measuring, the new formal unit being a "ruler", as in: "3 ruler" link margin on this dish here...