[Jsolts]

Well after a few rather windy days last week, I noticed that my satellite signal wasn't as strong as it used to be and some of my channels were not showing up properly.

So I got out the ladder and climbed up on the roof.

Low and behold my dish had worked its self loose and would wobble when touched thus degrading my signal strength.


Now of you have ever installed a satellite dish, you know that pointing and setting up for the best signal can be tricky and there's really only a few ways to do it.

1. Pay someone to do it.
2. Get a sat finder
3. Use the old, "how about now" scream tactic to someone inside
4. Haul a reciever, tv and power up to the roof and watch the signal as you point.

Well, im a diy'er so I'm not going to pay for something I can do myself.

I don't have a sat finder, they can be expensive, and depending on what satellites you are looking for, you may need different ones.

I was home alone and had no one to scream to to help me, and I was too lazy to haul that all up on the roof, so I thought there has got to be another way.

After a few minutes, the lightbulb came on.


I grabbed my wife's playbook, aimed it at the tv and fired up the video chat.


Climbed up on the roof with my playbook and used it as a portable monitor to check the signal as I made adjustments.

Worked like a charm, and from now on I will use this method whenever I install a dish.

Most of you are probably thinking..... Big f deal.... But i just found it awesome I was able to find another maguiver use for my playbook and thought I'd share.

[goku_vegeta]

Well after a few rather windy days last week, I noticed that my satellite signal wasn't as strong as it used to be and some of my channels were not showing up properly.

So I got out the ladder and climbed up on the roof.

Low and behold my dish had worked its self loose and would wobble when touched thus degrading my signal strength.


Now of you have ever installed a satellite dish, you know that pointing and setting up for the best signal can be tricky and there's really only a few ways to do it.

1. Pay someone to do it.
2. Get a sat finder
3. Use the old, "how about now" scream tactic to someone inside
4. Haul a reciever, tv and power up to the roof and watch the signal as you point.

Well, im a diy'er so I'm not going to pay for something I can do myself.

I don't have a sat finder, they can be expensive, and depending on what satellites you are looking for, you may need different ones.

I was home alone and had no one to scream to to help me, and I was too lazy to haul that all up on the roof, so I thought there has got to be another way.

After a few minutes, the lightbulb came on.


I grabbed my wife's playbook, aimed it at the tv and fired up the video chat.


Climbed up on the roof with my playbook and used it as a portable monitor to check the signal as I made adjustments.

Worked like a charm, and from now on I will use this method whenever I install a dish.

Most of you are probably thinking..... Big f deal.... But i just found it awesome I was able to find another maguiver use for my playbook and thought I'd share.

Is that a Bell Express VU satellite service by any chance?

[00stryder]

A novel way of using Video Chat, nice! With the security that RIM offers with their service and the Armed Services' eagerness to utilize BlackBerries, I wonder if they should pursue a partnership to offer deployed servicemen PlayBook/phone combos to keep in touch with family back home? Though this could be done with any mobile device with a ff camera, I doubt the military would trust their security.

[TheScionicMan]

That's a great idea and usage.

The PB saved me tonight too. We were at dinner and the food was taking a long time. I broke out the PB and we played Backgammon and in what seemed like no time, the food arrived. Crisis averted.

[jafobabe]

Excellent story OP!
Wish I had the PB back then when I was the one to shout my lungs out in the same situation... LOL

[jafobabe]

A novel way of using Video Chat, nice! With the security that RIM offers with their service and the Armed Services' eagerness to utilize BlackBerries, I wonder if they should pursue a partnership to offer deployed servicemen PlayBook/phone combos to keep in touch with family back home? Though this could be done with any mobile device with a ff camera, I doubt the military would trust their security.

The only drawback on that would be wifi signals, but an excellent idea.

[00stryder]

The only drawback on that would be wifi signals, but an excellent idea.

Ah, but that's the beauty (and draw) of Bridge: you can use cellular data! Though, I'm not familiar with military practices so I don't know if they'd authorize that...

[Jsolts]

Is that a Bell Express VU satellite service by any chance?

Yes you are correct!

[rotorwrench]

Good job! But I don't think that idea originated with you. I believe since 2.0 that the PB is sending subliminal messages to owners, influencing them to use their PBs in non-standard ways. I bet if you were hypnotised, you would recount hearing "Hey bonehead, use me, use me!". I remember reading in my Area 51 newsletter that QNX is actually a beta AI system. Just a thought.

[Chaddface]

$200 for a video baby monitor with poor picture quality or another PB.
PB is by far a better value.

[LimeTripBlog]

After a few minutes, the lightbulb came on.


I grabbed my wife's playbook, aimed it at the tv and fired up the video chat.


Climbed up on the roof with my playbook and used it as a portable monitor to check the signal as I made adjustments.

Worked like a charm, and from now on I will use this method whenever I install a dish.

Most of you are probably thinking..... Big f deal.... But i just found it awesome I was able to find another maguiver use for my playbook and thought I'd share.

I'm starting to get some great ideas on how to exploit my playbook. Thanks op for sharing your story.

[Jsolts]

$200 for a video baby monitor with poor picture quality or another PB.
PB is by far a better value.

I did the same thing. Also went a step further and bought some cheap ipcams, and I can use those as portable (over wifi) baby cameras.

[PatrickMJS]

That's a great example of how the PB is remarkably useful & versatile. Recently we went out for dinner with friends. Before we left for dinner it was too early for our friends to do their online check-in (earliest was 24 hours before their departure). They didn't want to bring their ipad2 cuz it was too big. I slipped my PB in my jacket pocket and did their online checkin while we were waiting for our table to be ready. All were impressed.

[Jsolts]

I keep finding so many new uses for the playbook.

We just had a baby boy may 24th, during my wife's pregnancy she developed what we called pregnancy brain. Basically it's when a pregnant woman's brain turns into mush and can't retain or process information rationally. (if you've ever spent an extended amout I found time around a pregnant woman, you'll understand.). Anyhow my wife would go to her doctors appointments, only to forget what they discussed 5 minutes later. So we started recording the visits using the voice notes. That way if she is ever confused on what was said, she could go back and listen to it again.

Came in real handy a few times.

If you haven't tried it yet, the playbook records amazing audio quality.

I recorded a concert when I first got my PB, and was blown away by the quality.

[Ben1232]

Picturing someone hauling their tv and sat box up onto their roof made me giggle haha.

PB uses are never ending and keep getting funnier.

Thanks OP

[Fuzzballz]

pretty cool OP