Satellite TV / Freesat question

[Chris Wilson]

Since the channel changes of about 8 months ago we can no longer get some of the Freeview channels that come via a normal TV aerial. I am told that when our transmitter goes digital they should come back as the signal strength will be wound up. However, I have just had a look and it won't be until late next year. I am fed up with waiting and think a satellite set up will be better than messing with higher gain aerials. Currently the aerial is in the loft, and works fine for normal analogue TV.

 

Now, I won't currently pay for a Sky subscription, but `er indoors wants it. If I put up a dish can I buy a satellite receiver that will pick up both the Freesat channels and, if she badgers me to the point where I have to subscribe to the dreaded Sky TV for the sake of my sanity, I can just put the Sky card in and get the Sky channels? At the old house I had a 1.8 meter motorised dish on the flat roof, which I still have, but it's a monster and needs a serious ground mount which I can't be bothered digging, nor laying the cables from it back to the house. So a small dish it will have to be, wall or pole mounted, but is a 1 meter dish a better buy than a 65 or 80 cm dish? Any links to a decent kit that has a well made wall or pole mount that won't corrode away in 3 years? Do I need a dual or more band LNB to do the above future proofing? Thanks.

[neilp9876]

Get sky's freesat offering and then you can upgrade to a subscription service later.

 

Or if you put your own dish up they're not expensive, I got one off ebay for £15 and it's fine, a humax freesat box is about £80 and you may as well get a quad lnb.

[Pete]

I'm going to stick up a FreeSat myself too soon as my new TV supports it, at the moment I only use the cable box.

I'm not sure if just any box with a card slot will do for Sky - I thought they needed a Sky branded box? I hope someone will come along and confirm that.

I was just going to grab something cheap from Maplin.

[Pete]

you may as well get a quad lnb.

Does that just mean it provides four box feeds?

[danny1987]

We have freesat and I have installed them for work. A mini dish will work fine and if you can install it on a wall not a pole, because I have installed loads on a caravan site where we have to install them on poles to get them up higher enough but when the wind picks up the pole and dish shakes and it can cause it to lose signal, so wall mounted is best. A single LNB you can only run one box from it and not record, but if you install a quad you can run 2 digital recorders or 4 non-recorders. I do warn you they can be a nightmare to set up because they have to be millimetre perfect horizontally and vertically.

[Pete]

I do warn you they can be a nightmare to set up because they have to be millimetre perfect horizontally and vertically.

Do you suggest any installer tools to help with this alignment?

Chris - we could go half shares on one perhaps?

[danny1987]

I don’t bother using one because they only tell you signal strength and most of digital boxes have them installed on the boxes software, on only thing you will need is a angle finder to set the dish vertically, it should be set at about 15 degrees here in Norfolk but it may vary to where you live. E.g. the closer to the equator the steeper the angle (45 degrees)

 

This website may help you set up your dish, http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2007/08/01/the-perfect-satellite-dish-alignment-a-how-to-guide/

[Pete]

This website may help you set up your dish, http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2007/08/01/the-perfect-satellite-dish-alignment-a-how-to-guide/

Cool, thanks for that.

[Chris Wilson]

I have an angle finder and a signal strength meter. I set up my 1.8 meter dish myself, years ago, and that was an horizon to horizon, motorised jobbie. I reckon a smaller dish may be harder, I don't know, we'll find out You can borrow the tools with pleasure Pete.

 

 

Excuse my ignorance but what's the difference between a dual band LNB and a "quad" LNB? What's a decent make of 1 meter dish and LNB? What's a decent make and model of Freesat receiver? Will Freesat be around for a few years, or is it a flash in the pan?

 

Thanks, sorry for so many questions...

[danny1987]

A dual LNB only has 2 outputs and a quad has 4.

The best make for freesat is Humax ive got the humax freesat HD recoreder http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.206-3086.aspx

im not sure about 1 meter dishes because we only install mini ones like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/sky-mini-dish-50cm-(new-style)_W0QQitemZ110460433823QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=173309260093&rvr_id=173309260093&cguid=cf45641f12b0a0aa178384e3ffc4fe35

[merckx]

im not sure about 1 meter dishes because we only install mini ones like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/sky-mini-dish-50cm-(new-style)_W0QQitemZ110460433823QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=173309260093&rvr_id=173309260093&cguid=cf45641f12b0a0aa178384e3ffc4fe35

 

Yes, a sky dish will do the job, a zone 2 (scotland and the north) dish is a little larger than a standard dish and will help with improved performance in bad weather - may aswell buy the the zone 2 dish as it's only a few pound extra.

 

You should be able to get a descent one off ebay as they're all very much the same and last for years as they're relatively small and don't need particularly strong brackets.

 

We've used quite a few different makes of lnb over the years without really noticing any difference in performance or durability.

[supra_aero]

I found this website the other day.

 

Never using a freeview box again.

 

http://www.tvcatchup.com/

 

All freeview channels on my pc with no reception issues for FREE . Only problem is lack of remote control so I may invest in this.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-4G-2-4GHz-Wireless-Rii-Mini-PC-Keyboard-Touchpad-V2-B-/350410147524?pt=UK_Computing_ComputerComponents_KeyboardsMice&hash=item51961286c4

 

If you can link a pc to your lcd tv then you are sorted.