So as the manufacturers won't give you decent instructions, I suppose I shall have to do it for them.
The first thing to recognise is that Astra 28, the satellite system that carries the UK channels, isn't the only system up there and ordinary signal meters can't distinguish between them. Secondly, Astra 19 and Hotbird both punch out a stronger signal than Astra 28 does. Therefore if you simply turn the dish until you get the strongest reading on the meter, the chances are that your dish won't be pointing the right way.

The other point to make is that although a meter will sometimes react to a signal coming through trees, the digibox won't. If there are trees in the way, you won't get a picture so make sure you position the dish so that it has a clear view round or over the obstacle.

This is how to use the meter:
The meter will have 2 screw sockets on it. Use a short length of cable to connect one side of the meter to the dish and connect the other side to the digibox. There will be a symbol to indicate which socket is which. The meter won't be harmed if you get it the wrong way round, it just won't work. Now switch on the power. An electric current goes along the cable to the dish to operate the LNB and this same current also powers the meter. If the meter has an audible tone option, turn it on. You'll hear a steady buzz from the meter.

Switch on the TV and digibox and pull up the Signal Test screen (Services, 4, 6 on the remote control on a Sky box or Menu/Information on a Freesat box).

Now set the rim of the dish roughly vertical (or if it's a Multimo or Arcon type, aim it to the elevation indicated here). 'Roughly vertical' is OK for the British Isles or the Low Countries etc., but if you're further south you might have to raise the rim higher. (But don't go mad! Most dishes are of the offset kind and are not aimed directly at the satellite but some way below it so that the signal hits the dish at a downward angle.) At this stage it's a matter of trial and error.

Point the dish towards the east and then slowly turn it southwards until you hear the meter's tone begin to rise in pitch. If there's no change in the pitch and the meter has a sensitivity adjustment, turn it up to high. You should eventually detect a rise in pitch and the dish should be turned until the pitch is as high as you can get it (reduce the sensitivity if necessary). If you still don't detect any change in the pitch, you'll have to try altering the elevation a little.

Once you have a tone peak, clamp the dish horizontally and raise or lower it until the pitch reaches a new peak. Now look at the TV screen. If it says 0002 and 07d4 (Sky box) or 003b and 0802 (Freesat box), you're in business. If it doesn't (if it still shows zeros or it now shows a numeric display that isn't 0002 or 003b), then you're pointing at one of the other satellite systems, not Astra 28/Eurobird.

Remember I said that Astra 19 and Hotbird have stronger signals than Astra 28? Try turning the dish back towards the east again. (You'll need to reset the digibox first by powering it off for 30 seconds.) The tone will drop initially but should then rise again, though not as high as it was. Again adjust the elevation until the pitch is as high as it will go (see the next paragraph), and then check the screen again. With a bit of luck, you should now be looking at Astra 28 and you'll be able to back out of the Signal Test screen and return to the main screen. You will see a message saying 'Searching for listings' and then the Sky Welcome screen will appear.

If you initially hit Astra 19 or Hotbird, in addition to moving the dish eastwards to Astra 28 you will also need to lower its elevation slightly, typically by 3 degrees from Astra 19 and perhaps 4-5 degrees from Hotbird. This is because Astra 28 is further round the curvature of the earth as viewed from Europe and therefore lower in the sky.

Even with a signal meter, searching for Astra 28 can be a hit or miss affair. I personally have tried aiming my dish with and without a meter and most times I've done it faster without (taking into account the extra time needed to connect and disconnect the meter). So the moral is not to give up too quickly. If you don't get a signal first time, just persevere. Take it slowly and don't be tempted to rush things; you'll get there in the end.

Just occasionally I come across a gadget or an idea that makes me go Wow! (One is the inclinometer shown in here). During the summer of 2010 I received an email from a Brian Walters. Like many of us, he also had struggled with a conventional signal meter and was looking around for something better. He found this gadget, a 3.5" LCD display satellite finder and bought one immediately. There's also this one, , which is very similar in its functional characteristics but is handheld and therefore might be easier to use. Brian bought his from an eBay trader but unfortunately, these traders come and go and the link I originally published no longer works. However, put 'satellite finder 3.5" screen' into Google and you'll find both types. The beauty of this gadget is that as soon as it detects a valid signal, it displays both image and sound so you know you're on the right satellite system immediately. Brian reckons it reacts instantly and he can aim his dish accurately within a minute or 2 every time. Indeed he's trained his 12 year-old grandson to do it! The greatest problem appears to be making sense of the Chinese English instructions!

I did receive an email from a Mike Murray who bought the second (handheld) type and he made a point worth repeating here. His gadget did not work straight out of the box; he had to calibrate it first using his fixed dish at home. He says: 

Finally, there's now also the Rockdale ROC-DSFD2 meter, which Tony Cavill told me about. He bought his via eBay, where it cost him just over £70 but again, try a Google search first. Now I have to make it clear that I personally haven't tried any of these meters so I can't vouch for them. Nevertheless all 3 appear to be the nearest that a reasonably priced gadget comes to being a true satellite finder rather than just a signal meter. The price varies widely but if you shop around you should get one for around £70 incl delivery.