which satellite set up (1 Viewer)

[Ivory55]

Hi we have been reading about satellite dishes for motorhomes. The fully automatic roof mounted ones are to expensive which leads us to the tri pod set up. I understand we need an 80cm dish for south of France and top of Spain. Is there much difference between a max view model at over 200 quid and some on E bay at just over the 100. Also would these 80cm dishes pick up euro sport free now the last analogue satellite has been switched off. Cheers ivory 55

 

[TheBig1]

the difference is that if you choose carefully with the ebay option, you can get far better quality. Personally I use a triax folding arm dish £40, an aluminium speaker stand tripod (£25) and a decent quad LNB £10. Then add a sat meter and 5 meter cable for under £20 and you have a decent set up. Can even take the sky plus or HD box from home to record programs whilst were out.

The maxview tripod is slightly lighter and shorter and it comes with a single LNB oh and you get a pretty bag. sorry forgot to mention the flimsy dish

I know which way I recomend people go, and have had numerous people ask me on site about my setup

 

[pappajohn]

you should be OK with an 60cm dish in southern France and northern Spain.
once below Barcelona area the size does need to be bigger and any further south you need a 1mtr dish minimum to be of any real use for UK channels.

as long as the dish is big enough then any will do...the cost is in the name, not the dish.....

I use a SKY mk4 50cm mini-dish with a quad LNB (i use two receivers at the same time..one up front, one in bedroom) in the UK....£17 off eBay, mounted on a old camera tripod.

a mid price receiver may be better than a budget one as the tuner may be better quality with more functions...better EPG, faster channel changing etc.

I believe a 'freesat' receiver will get more of the channels you get on your home TV but a 'free to air' receiver will show all the mainstream channels...ITV/BBC/CH5/Film4 etc and their derivatives

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[Ivory55]

which satellite

Hi we brought the Avtex tv with it all built in so as to save carrying a free view box as well as we are not sky subscribers. Me and electrical work are not the best is it as easy as you make it sound putting it all together. It is only the normal channels we need euro sport would just be a bonus, we had it for free till April when the satellite was turned off. Cheers ivory 55

 

[pappajohn]

Hi we brought the Avtex tv with it all built in so as to save carrying a free view box as well as we are not sky subscribers. Me and electrical work are not the best is it as easy as you make it sound putting it all together. It is only the normal channels we need euro sport would just be a bonus, we had it for free till April when the satellite was turned off. Cheers ivory 55

Now you've lost me.....Which satellite was turned off ?

Astra 2D was decommissioned but replaced with Astra N at the same location and there should have been no break in transmission...basically just replacing an old satellite with a new one.

I didnt know Avtex had a built in sat receiver....only a freeview terrestrial receiver (digibox)

"freeview" is terrestrial through an aerial, "free to air" and "freesat" is free satellite through a dish

 

[TheBig1]

wiring up is as simple as you want to make it, with the easiest being just put the wire through an open window and plug in. to lock onto the sattelite, put a sat meter in line near the dish, using a seond short piece of coax, swing the dish to the general direction of the sat and then VERY slowly sweep it left to right, raising the elevation a small amount each time. When you find the sat, the meter will show a high reading and/or bleep with a higher pitch. sounds harder than it really is and once done a few times takes a couple of minutes including seting up the tripod. My best time so far was 1 1/2 minutes from getting the gear out of the van to a picture on tv. really is easy if you know the general direction to point. Either base your direction on others on site or invest in an electronic sat compass which you select which sat your after from menu and then turn round until the screen says its right

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[pappajohn]

not 100% sure but i think Eurosport is a premium channel and you need a viewing card and subscription.

 

[Ivory55]

Hi yes the avtex tv is for satellite we brought it at peterbourgh show we tried it out on home free sat and seems all to work. We had a very old analogue set up and could get euro sport free on it till this April also had rtl 2 on it so you could watch f1 all be it in German but free. That’s why I wondered if anybody new a way of still getting it for free. Cheers Ivory 55