Using & Programming the BirDog Satellite Meter

The BirDog web site provides many resources for BirDog satellite meter owners. Here is the URL for the home page: http://www.birdog.tv/default.aspx. The following menu items appear on the left:

Using the BirDog

When you press the ON / Down-Arrow key, a screen showing the version and battery level of your BirDog is briefly displayed, as shown above. If you continue to hold the key down, it will freeze on this screen, until you release the button.

Once you release the button, the Basic Startup Screen is then displayed.

The version of your BirDog is important to know, so you can determine the appropriate user Manual to download, from the BirDog web site.

Take note of the battery charge level, to make sure you have an ample charge before using your BirDog.

Basic Startup Screen

The basic startup screen shows the currently selected satellite profile, the polarity (vertical/V or horizontal/H) of the profile, and the satellite’s longitudinal location.

To change the selected satellite profile, use the right arrow on the meter. Only satellite profiles programmed on the meter will appear. How to program the meter is described later.

Also shown is the S signal level and that the meter is in the “ Searching ” mode, which means that you are not yet pointed at the selected satellite.

Changing the BirDog Configuration

The setup screen allows you to customize the meter settings. See the manual for a complete list of the available options.

For the easiest operation of your BirDog, make sure the following options are set:

Finding the Satellite

When you move the dish such that it is pointed at the selected satellite, you will be alerted with an audible beep and the text will change from “Searching” to “Found”.

You should now use the Q scale and peak to the highest percentage you can get.

Programming the BirDog

Here are the steps for programming your BirDog satellite meter:

  1. Go to the BirDog home page and click on Configure .
  2. In the list at the bottom left ( Available Satellites ), scroll down and click to select each satellite you want to load. Then click " >> " to transfer that satellite selection to the list on the right ( Selected Satellites ). You can select up to 32 satellites for BirDogs with a serial connector or 64 for models with a USB connection.

It is recommended that both the Horizontal (H) and Vertical (V) profiles for a satellite be downloaded from the Named Services section. This is because the naming conventions used are sometimes reversed and this could prevent the BirDog from “ finding ” the satellite.

You might want to also download the profiles shown in the section at the top of the list. These generic profiles are not related to specific services, but rather to the satellite itself. In the event that the StarBand or HughesNet network operations center (NOC) were offline because of bad weather, the generic profile would still allow you to “ find ” the satellite.

  1. Use the up and down arrows, to change the order that the satellites appear in the Selected Satellites list.
  2. After you have made your selections and put them in the order you would like for them to appear on your BirDog, click the Generate button. A pop-up screen will appear. Select Download Your File and, on the next screen, click the Save button. Choose a location on your computer and click the Save button.

If the Download Complete screen appears, click the Close button and then select Close Window .

If the file did not transfer to your computer (after you pressed the Generate button), look at the bottom of this page for text in red script which provides another download link.

If you prefer, you can receive a WinZip® file of your download. Just check Create Zipped exe file before you click Generate .

  1. Once you have the executable file on your computer, connect the computer interface cord which came with your BirDog, to your computer and to the BirDog. The BirDog should be turned OFF when connecting the interface cord.

Look at the display screen on the BirDog and insure the text Program mode appears. This verifies the cable connection. Then double-click the file you just downloaded. Press the Transfer button and the file list from the download will now upload into your BirDog. If the file doesn’t transfer, select a different Com Port.

The previous satellite menu (configuration) in the BirDog will be overwritten by your new configuration.

More detailed photos and drawings of these steps are in the BirDog manual.

Computers without 9-pin Serial Port and BirDogs with the Serial Connection

If you are going to use a USB-to-serial adapter, because your computer does not have the 9-pin serial port needed for the BirDog data transfer cord, you might find that the first time you use the adapter it will be assigned to a Com Port, other than 1 through 4. As a result, your file will not transfer. You will need to reassign the adapter to a Com Port 1 through 4, by accessing the ports in your computer's Device Manager.

Go to the System Control Panel and click on the Hardware tab and then on Device Manager .

Installing the Drivers for BirDogs

If Windows cannot find the proper driver for your BirDog meter, use this procedure:

  1. Download the Drivers, CDM 2.00.00.exe, from http://www.birdog.tv/default.aspx?page=10. Save to “My Documents”... Windows will not always find the drivers, if they are saved elsewhere, such as on the Desktop.
  2. The download should create and self-extract to a folder named birdog, under the root partition (i.e., 'C:\birdog'). This doesn’t always happen, so if you don’t find the C:\birdog folder, you will need to locate the still-compressed download and extract it manually.
  3. When you connect the Birdog to your computer, Windows will prompt 'Found New Hardware’ or a similar message, depending on Windows version. Windows needs to install driver software for your Birdog Meter.
  4. Select: “Locate and install driver software (recommended)”.
  5. Select: “Don't search online”.
  6. Select: “I don't have the disc. Show me other options.”
  7. Select: “Browse my computer for driver software (advanced)”.
  8. At this point you can browse to and select the extracted driver folder that you saved in “My Documents”. This will install the 'USB Serial Converter.' You will then need to repeat the above process for the 'USB Serial Port.' Upon successful completion of the driver installations, you will be able to download your config file to your meter.

    Be sure to download a new configuration file from time to time. The satellite signature can change and this can prevent your BirDog from “seeing” your satellite. If you run into a situation in which, no matter what you do, you cannot find your satellite with the BirDog, this could be what happened. Check on the News page of the BirDog web site, for recent satellite updates.