Setting up without TV - Techwatch: Satellite TV forums, FTA, Cable, Hardware, & Tech forums

lesgardes · 17-10-06, 02:23 PM

I am a complete newbie here and am about to set up to receive only BBC Radio in France from Astra 2D.
I have purchased all of the kit and have a Technomate 1000D receiver. On looking through the manual for the receiver I have the distinct impression that it assumes an attached TV. Is there any way in which I can set up this kit without laying hands on a TV? It is clear that satellite kit providers never imagine that anybody would want to go without TV!

Thanks for the help

BGonaSTICK · 17-10-06, 04:54 PM

Hey, welcome lesgardes!

This is a very interesting question

In all the hundreds of thousands of questions I've ever seen posted on dozens of forums over several years, I have never heard of someone wanting to do this, but why not? it's a great idea!

For the price of the receiver, it still makes a good value for money digital radio, and STILL better quality than DAB.

Now, to the question itself. It's certainly possible to use the receiver to receive radio only. It is also possible to operate the equipment with no TV attached. It's even possible to install the dish and align it with the receiver and no TV (if you have a meter or a bleeper).

However (hmmm, you knew this was coming I suspect...) setting the receiver up, tuning the channels, arranging them, configuring satellite locations etc. is going to be very tricky without a television.

Having said that, setup is pretty much a one-time operation, so there is no reason you can't do this elsewhere on a dish already pointing at Astra 2 (and with a TV available), and then just unplug it and plug it back in at your TV-less location. You might have to memorise some remote control button-pressing sequnces though!

I would be interested to hear how you get on with this near-unique setup. And well done for picking up on the idea in the first place.

STICK

jontydog · 17-10-06, 05:16 PM

Hmm that is interesting but as I know nowt about it I would like to ask wouldn't the sound from the radio station have to come thru the TVs speaker or does the technomate have a built in speaker?

lesgardes · 17-10-06, 06:03 PM

Thanks Stick for the idea of borrowing an already aligned system and grafting on my receiver to set it up. I thought of setting up in the UK with my existing TV which already receives French TV from Atlantic Bird but that dish is fixed and cannot see Astra 2D from its position down the end of the garden. I'll see if there is anybody nearby who is using Astra 2D.

I will explain here how I intend to use the audio signal from the receiver as it may interest others although it is far from original.

I have bought a FM transmitter now commonly available to permit audio streaming (relaying) from MP3 /iPod players. I shall feed the receiver audio output into this device and then I (or rather my wife, as she cannot live without Radio 4) will listen on any radio receiver in the house tuned to the transmission frequency of the relaying transmitter. This is set to a quiet part of the FM waveband.

Jimdefruit · 17-10-06, 06:23 PM

Weyhey, pirate radio francais.

You will have to let the neighbours know the frequency and charge them a fee to listen.

diapason · 17-10-06, 06:31 PM

I have outputs on my box which are connected to an amplifier and four speakers, so I can listen to very good sound from radio. I only use the TV to determine what channel I am hearing, then switch the TV off and enjoy glorious sound without any screen to watch. But I did have to use a TV initially to set everything up.

lesgardes · 17-10-06, 06:42 PM

I am hoping to avoid local ether pollution by folding the thin wire aerial on the FM box so that a radio taken outside the house cannot pick up the signal. As the nearest neighbour is at about 200m this should work. At least I hope so, Jimdefruit! It shall be a small BBC radio bubble in the French country side.

BGonaSTICK · 17-10-06, 09:15 PM

Excellent.

Is the transmitter you intend using one of the newly licenced devices mentioned here?

If so, I take it that the licence only covers use in the UK, hence your sensible radiation power reduction proposal?

lesgardes · 19-10-06, 07:04 PM

Stick, I suppose the short answer is I do not know but it performs similarly to my iTrip. I took a look at the Wireless Regs proposed amendments and they mention a range of 'a few metres' as acceptable. I shall try to keep my equipment to that limit. As to whether it is acceptable to use them outside of the UK (assuming the proposal is accepted) I see from the above mentioned regs that it is intended to harmonise the proposals within Europe so maybe use in France will be OK.

17-10-06, 02:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
lesgardes Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Setting up without TV I am a complete newbie here and am about to set up to receive only BBC Radio in France from Astra 2D. I have purchased all of the kit and have a Technomate 1000D receiver. On looking through the manual for the receiver I have the distinct impression that it assumes an attached TV. Is there any way in which I can set up this kit without laying hands on a TV? It is clear that satellite kit providers never imagine that anybody would want to go without TV! Thanks for the help

17-10-06, 04:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Super Murderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 10,627 Thanks: 3 Thanked 76 Times in 41 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV Hey, welcome lesgardes! This is a very interesting question In all the hundreds of thousands of questions I've ever seen posted on dozens of forums over several years, I have never heard of someone wanting to do this, but why not? it's a great idea! For the price of the receiver, it still makes a good value for money digital radio, and STILL better quality than DAB. Now, to the question itself. It's certainly possible to use the receiver to receive radio only. It is also possible to operate the equipment with no TV attached. It's even possible to install the dish and align it with the receiver and no TV (if you have a meter or a bleeper). However (hmmm, you knew this was coming I suspect...) setting the receiver up, tuning the channels, arranging them, configuring satellite locations etc. is going to be very tricky without a television. Having said that, setup is pretty much a one-time operation, so there is no reason you can't do this elsewhere on a dish already pointing at Astra 2 (and with a TV available), and then just unplug it and plug it back in at your TV-less location. You might have to memorise some remote control button-pressing sequnces though! I would be interested to hear how you get on with this near-unique setup. And well done for picking up on the idea in the first place. STICK __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

17-10-06, 05:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
jontydog Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,242 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV Hmm that is interesting but as I know nowt about it I would like to ask wouldn't the sound from the radio station have to come thru the TVs speaker or does the technomate have a built in speaker? __________________ TM 1000D Super. SS2 PCI. Echosmart Dsb 791 1M Dish. Edon 2120 Positioner. 80cm Mesh Dish Motorised. 28E to 30W

17-10-06, 06:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
lesgardes Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV Thanks Stick for the idea of borrowing an already aligned system and grafting on my receiver to set it up. I thought of setting up in the UK with my existing TV which already receives French TV from Atlantic Bird but that dish is fixed and cannot see Astra 2D from its position down the end of the garden. I'll see if there is anybody nearby who is using Astra 2D. I will explain here how I intend to use the audio signal from the receiver as it may interest others although it is far from original. I have bought a FM transmitter now commonly available to permit audio streaming (relaying) from MP3 /iPod players. I shall feed the receiver audio output into this device and then I (or rather my wife, as she cannot live without Radio 4) will listen on any radio receiver in the house tuned to the transmission frequency of the relaying transmitter. This is set to a quiet part of the FM waveband.

17-10-06, 06:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jimdefruit Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,808 Thanks: 10 Thanked 120 Times in 111 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV Weyhey, pirate radio francais. You will have to let the neighbours know the frequency and charge them a fee to listen. __________________ Dreambox 800 HD; Dreambox 7000s + VBox + Channel Master 1.2 with 36v actuator CM120 feedhorn and Invacom .3 LNB Skystar 2 PCI card with links to my Dreambox If you like what you see here, tell your friends.


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17-10-06, 06:31 PM	#6 (permalink)
diapason Resident Organgrinder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Paisley, Scotland Posts: 528 Thanks: 11 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV I have outputs on my box which are connected to an amplifier and four speakers, so I can listen to very good sound from radio. I only use the TV to determine what channel I am hearing, then switch the TV off and enjoy glorious sound without any screen to watch. But I did have to use a TV initially to set everything up. __________________ An eight foot long diapason sounds bottom C Technomate 1000D Super, Two dishes receiving three satellites

17-10-06, 06:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
lesgardes Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV I am hoping to avoid local ether pollution by folding the thin wire aerial on the FM box so that a radio taken outside the house cannot pick up the signal. As the nearest neighbour is at about 200m this should work. At least I hope so, Jimdefruit! It shall be a small BBC radio bubble in the French country side.

17-10-06, 09:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Super Murderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 10,627 Thanks: 3 Thanked 76 Times in 41 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV Excellent. Is the transmitter you intend using one of the newly licenced devices mentioned here? If so, I take it that the licence only covers use in the UK, hence your sensible radiation power reduction proposal? __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

19-10-06, 07:04 PM	#9 (permalink)
lesgardes Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Setting up without TV Stick, I suppose the short answer is I do not know but it performs similarly to my iTrip. I took a look at the Wireless Regs proposed amendments and they mention a range of 'a few metres' as acceptable. I shall try to keep my equipment to that limit. As to whether it is acceptable to use them outside of the UK (assuming the proposal is accepted) I see from the above mentioned regs that it is intended to harmonise the proposals within Europe so maybe use in France will be OK.