Bits on the end I can change...

[dwelly]

Hi - this is my first thread started - though I posted an add to another post earlier. I've had a Sky box (analogue) for at least 12 years, with the dish out in my garden at ground level.

I have a problem. I'd now like to change my system cos I'm tired of Sky but I don't want to give up my sport. I still want to get footie - Setanta (SPL), Prem, Champs league, Spanish, German - but there's a lot of cable out there and I don't want to start laying more of it or moving what's in place.

What could I can buy that lets me get the footie, plus BBC, ITV, other news and golf channels for the wife, without moving the cables but adding on at the two ends a new box and a new dish/LNB? I'd prefer FTA but not massively bothered if monthly/annual cost as long as it doesn't add up to Sky's £30+ monthly sub! Your advice/help would be gratefully received.

[wod]

what dish is it and where is it postioned to which satellite ?

are you wanting to go motorised or have a dish with a few lnbs to get different satellites ?

[Mship]

Hiya m8,

1) Setanta is only available via subscription. Most STB's won't work with Setanta as it uses Sky's NDS/Videoguard
encryption system. Only the Dreambox and possibly the Vantage will work with this card AFAIK.

Can you get freeview? As Setanta is available through this, and slightly cheaper to boot.

2) DigitAlb looks likely to be the best option for footy next season. It shows Premiership, Champions League, Spanish and probably more. A couple of guy's on here have this card so they might be able to give you more idea of what it shows. The full DigitAlb package costs around £190 for 12 months and this includes films, documentary's (Discovery) and some naughty stuff :spite:

3) Not sure on the Golf Channels :? Are they part of the Sky package?

4) BBC and ITV are no problem but C4 and C5 are both encrypted on satellite. Again, I would say you're best bet for them would be Freeview. Or, if you get a receiver that works with a Sky card, you could pay £20 for a Sky freeview card.

5) You don't say where you are located so this is just a general idea. You need to be able to receive at least 28E (Sky satellite) and 16E (DigitAlb). You can either go multi LNB or motorised. Multi LNB would allow you to watch channels off both satellites at the same time, providing you had two receivers of course. Handy if you had, say, a receiver in the bedroom and another in the living room.

Motorised gives you more satellites depending on you're view from east to west. This is great if you want a wider viewing choice but you can only watch channels off any one satellite at a time.

An 80cm dish (£40 - £50) will probably do for either set up, although I'm not to sure about the 12* between satellites that you would need for the multi LNB :?

Motors are cheap enough to get hold of, STAB and MOTECH seem to be two of the more popular choices and would probably cost around £60. You would not need any more cables for this as they use you're existing coax

Technomate are a good value STB (I use the 1500CI) with a FTA 1000D around £60 and the 1500CI+super (built in card reader) for about £100. They also have good support ( i.e. ability to open pay TV)

Vantage seems to be getting a rave reviews lately with plenty of support. Not to sure on price but I think they're in the £200 bracket. I've heard these work with a Sky card.

If you're really serious about this hobby, are computer literate and have oodles of patience then you could always go for a Dreambox. They're around £300 for a 7000 but take some getting used to by all accounts. These also work with a Sky card.

So:

Dish - £50
Motor - £60
or Multi LNB £30 :?
DigitAlb sub - £190 12 months
Possible Sky freeview card - £20 (last about 5 years)
Setanta sub - £10 - £15 per month
Receiver - £60 - £300 depending on you're choice

Hope this rabble helps

Kev

[dwelly]

Thanks Wod and Kev.

DigitAlb sounds promising for footie but I don't have a clue where to find out more - think I need to google...! I live in the south of Scotland so would I be able to get 16e as well as 28e? Golf is part of the Sky Sports package and some of it also comes with Setanta. I've also just bought a new telly which gives me Freeview though I haven't checked out which channels I have yet.

How easy is it to install a motorised system? Are there many advantages over multi LNBs?

What do I measure on my dish to find out what size it is?

[Jimdefruit]

Welcome to the forum dwelly.

The basic differences between motorised and multi lnb are fairly simple. If you want to watch or watch/record programmes from two different satellites at the same time you need a multi lnb setup. If you only want to 'see' one satellite at any one time then motorised is best IMHO. The reason for this is that with motorised, you can get all the satellites from the farthest east to the farthest west that you can see. Usually all those from 45 east to 45 west. Unless you have some obstructions like houses, trees or similar.

Put a twin or quad lnb on a motorised dish and you can watch different channels in different rooms but on the same satellite.

You can do the same with multi lnbs as long as each is twin or quad but the switching is more complicated. have a search for diseqc switching on the forum and you will see it all explained.

[dwelly]

My current dish is in the garden at ground level. I occasionally have problems when it rains or when a bush which sits six feet in front of the dish decides to move around in the wind! How far is the arc of a motorised system and what would type (manufacturer/model) would you recommend?

[Mship]

An arc of about 45E to 45W is OK for most folk, their is not really much of interest past these and they become much harder to get. In fact, I find that I don't really go past 30W and 42E

I would imagine you're current analogue dish is pointing at 19E so, looking from behind the dish, you would be roughly looking at 30* left and 60* to the right. Anything over this is a bonus

As for a dish, Triax have a good reputation and are as cheap as chips. A TD88 will cost around £40. Gibertini have been getting good reports and are pretty well priced. At the top end you have the Channel Master but one of them would set you back upwards of £100 for a 90cm.

Stab and Motech are two of the popular DiSEqC motors and I think they are around the £60 mark.

I don't have any personal experience with any of these apart from the Channel Master so this is just based on other peoples comments

Kev

[nanochickin]

I'm using a Global Orbit 90R Dish with 0.2dB MTi Supremeline Twin lnb with a Moteck Digipower SG-2100A DISEqC H-H Motor with a 53°e to 45°w View of the sky

I have managed to get some of the verticals of Nilesat @7°w with my 90cm dish. I don't think its to bad at all for such a reletively small sized dish

I also get good reception off the Badr birds @ 26°e and i can also get some stuff of the Amos birds @4°w I'm guessing this is right at the top end of my dishes ability so a little bit bigger would probably be better if you watched these birds all the time :?

Personnaly i find theres nob all worth watching on them so i stick to mostly 19°e, 13°e, 28°e, 15°w & 30°w so my dish is perfect for my needs

I can definately recommend the Global Orbit dishes if your on a budget and the motor @ £39 off ebay was a bargain even though it took a week or so to come from Germany

The basic rule of thumb here is "Bigger is better"



Nano