In Portugal on usual 3 FTAs....but now bitten by the bug!

[BGonaSTICK]

LOL, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The Technomates have pretty good tuners, and if you want a cheap patchable box, then that could well be the one for you. The Vantage also has an excellent tuner and is patchable but is a bit more expensive.

There is a 'sensitive' version of the Technomates (prefixed TMS-1xxx) but they are problematic when it comes to scanning and maybe patching too.

My point about Astra 2D was more to demonstrate that sensitive tuners can pop up the the most unlikely of places

People on the extreme fringes of Astra 2D (southern Spain for example) almost exclusively use two or three specific Sky boxes - OK, Channel4 and FIVE being encrypted and on a different beam may have a bearing on this too, but nothing beats them for BBC and ITV reception from 2D.

The fringes of other footprints might respond better to other tuners. It's all a case of trial and error.

Frankly, the sensitivity of the tuners shouldn't necessarily come top of your list of must-haves. Sticking 10% on the diameter of your dish will almost certainly wipe out any differences you come across between receivers, with a few exceptions maybe.

The Triple Dragon has a very good tuner in it, and is a high quality piece of kit. A Linux box really is something that will give you a lot of pleasure once you master it. Maybe you could trade-up from a Techno once you've played with it for a year?

[Loathecliff]

Gordon Bennett, I thought the decision had been made! :.....wrong!!!

Funny you should mention sticking 10% onto a dish cos I have some old zinc coated tin sheet & a 95cm dish which gets all BBC & ITV1 all the (dry) time here in the Algarve with no probs using the Comag; but verticals 10729 & 10758 forget 'em in the evening.............So I thought with the price of a 1.4M wok being loaded because of us foreigners(?) ........why not try adding on some tin to the edges? -- Go on laugh -- see if I care -- I can take it

The other thought I had over a good lunch was what would I actually receive (headache apart) after the steep learning curve of a Dreambox intro? - sats here AFAIK are 28.wotsit; 13; 19; Hispasat (where the might of TV - "we have vaste teams of folk tracking you down even tho' our new encryption system will be uncrackable" - Cabo, lurk; what else?? -- & if i take my questions any further I may need to go underground?

ARGH.....Now I've forgotten why a Dreambox is better than patching!!!!!!!!!! -- I need a drink to 8) me down

[BGonaSTICK]

It's my job to drown you in options and information, and yours to make the decision

If you'd like me to make a decision for you, I can do that, but I accept no responsibility for what you think of my analysis!

Seriously, If you'd like me to guide you, I'd buy a Technomate TM-1000D to see how you go. Enjoy it, and see how the hobby takes you.

You'll either end up buying a Linux box or going back to reading the paper.

As for modding your dish, it's unlikely to work but don't let us stop you trying. If your sheetmetal skills are exceptional, then you have a chance. From what I've seen of your van you've obviously got an appreciation of what it might take, but the surface has to be mathematically perfect or very close to it. Otherwise you'll just introduce a load of unwanted noise.

You'll receive many more satellites than that - maybe 20 more of interest. You've mentioned the biggies, but there is loads more to see, even if much of it is obscure and wacky. A lot of live feeds for example.

You'll miss out on much of what the Dreambox can do via card sharing for example unless you have a permanent Internet connection. As for going underground, you can say what you like here as long as you don't break our simple rules

Anything we don't want the search engines to pick up is subtly modified by the automatic board censor.

[Loathecliff]

Yep, & I is drownin'

Tis a hard hard road that I travel

The Techno felt right, so thxs Stick & Yorks ...... Great ...

......until a fellow solar power user near me started asking about power supplies... & the Techno is just not our scene -- (I'm not trolling, honest ...I'd ban me, this is ridiculous......well, this is the Banana Republic of Portugal)...... Guy & me both prefer not to use an inverter if poss. (LCD tv, super-smooth 12 volt amps for hi-fi; weird stuff, but sounds superb)....

...So, Dreamboxes (well the baby one anyway....outboard mains box; wonderful; purist level ), Comag & clone portables & no doubt some others are 12vdc ...... but not the Technomate he has just told me GRRR.....So I'm being dragged towards a Dreambox ..(or a Comag with the right chip after reading Yorks great sticky on patching one).

Time for tea.....& apologies for what is (when I'm posting) a somewhat boring thread?...hope not)

PS the tin ware dish mod idea has been shelved ops:

[Loathecliff]

Originally Posted by BGonaSTICK

LOL, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The Technomates have pretty good tuners, and if you want a cheap patchable box, then that could well be the one for you. The Vantage also has an excellent tuner and is patchable but is a bit more expensive.


My point about Astra 2D was more to demonstrate that sensitive tuners can pop up the the most unlikely of places



The Triple Dragon has a very good tuner in it, and is a high quality piece of kit. A Linux box really is something that will give you a lot of pleasure once you master it. Maybe you could trade-up from a Techno once you've played with it for a year?

Final Push (part2):-

A German dealer (HM) has a cheap Vantage, X101S for a mere 69 euro, & also a few other bits that I want at fair prices.......but what is the back up like patch wise? -- -- I guess I know the answer...TM 1000D?

Here is my only problem with one. It's not 12 volt. This is ok providing it does not mind being switched off when done with. It cannot be left on standby like a 12 vdc box as the 12/230v. pure sine wave inverter would be on all the time, & I'd rather avoid that.
The concern is that by switching it off some of the software mods may become corrupted (possible??) which would somewhat defeat the whole exercise.

Yes I know it's my fault for not having mains electric, but if you'd seen the quote to have concrete poles & wires all over the land.....!!!!

If only the darned Techno was 12vdc like the Silvercrest/Comag & baby Dreambox, then one would have been delivered by now!
When/if the 3G internet ever works in the house then the Dreambox might be the way, but it only works reliably in a caravan on high ground, not in the house, & it would take a long long USB cable to alter that....& most likely it would not work then

So hence dear folk I am going around in circles ......
Technomate..not 12volt ---
Linux based receiver..no permanent net conn. in house.
---------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, but I have to ask this:-

I don't suppose a Vantage or Triple Dragon have 12vdc capability?? ?

If not then it's a Comag or variant, I have no other choice that I can see?

Gentlemen I crave your indulgence once more; & you must have better things to do, so one word direct answers will be understood.

PS:- Stick, loved your "Astra2D sensitivity/ unlikely places" remark

[BGonaSTICK]

OK, quick-fire time!

If you can afford the Dreambox 500/600 - buy it. Even if you can only manually xfer key data every couple of days, it will blow the socks off everything else.

Techno TM1000D or TM1500CI+ Supers are fine if turned off overnight, so don't sweat it.

I'm completely with you on the inverter thing - far from ideal. 12V stuff is cool with me.

The Vantage X1's are not patchable AFAIK, and neither the Vantage boxes or the TD's can take 12V, again AFAIK.

Consider your cravings indulged!

[Loathecliff]

What a guy Thxs Stick. I really appreciate the time & consideration you give.

Not many folk 'get' my feelings about 12vdc operation.............though one or two have been blown away by the silky smooth audio quality (I find most so-called Hi-Fi amps offensive), but that's another story, & is my main interest.

I really do have to do a lot of reading as I'm still not sure the Dreambox learning curve is one I could cope with...............you guys have been into computer tech for so long it's second nature to you; not so me

.... will it ever happen? ....... & will my questions ever really stop?! .... some more are forming in this creeking mind as I type.... "Get a grip man"....... I'm trying ... I'm trying. (Indeed u r Loathcliff)