Satellite system (1 Viewer)

[ES Cumbrian]

I will be getting a motor-home soon and want to put an automatic satellite system onto it. So keeping in mind budget which system is better, 90% of the time will be in UK.

Dome or folding dish? is the snipe2 the way to go?

I know wind could be a problem with a dish and they tend to be more expensive.

How does a dome compare with the snipe?

Would like to budget around £1000 not including fixing.

Thanks in advance.

















5

 

[Clive]

I have a snipe, not the 2, and have never had a problem with

 

[Lenny HB]

Original Snipes had a few problems but reception very good and can leave them up in strong winds where you would have to put a dish down. Snipe 2 is getting good reports from Funsters and it is the quarter of the price of an Oyster.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[laneside]

we have had the snipe for two years and it has been trouble free and much better than a dish in windy gusts. We can get Astra 2 almost everywhere in France with it

 

[ES Cumbrian]

we have had the snipe for two years and it has been trouble free and much better than a dish in windy gusts. We can get Astra 2 almost everywhere in France with it

Thanks Laneside that is good to know.

 

[funflair]

If you are 90% UK why bother with a satellite system just stick a good ariel on the roof and use a freeview box, saves all the messing about trying to park away from trees and buildings and having to put it down in the wind.

Martin

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Think I prefer the Snipe 2 to the VDO (Camos / Roadpro) dome which our current van came with.

 

[Manic]

If you are 90% UK why bother with a satellite system just stick a good ariel on the roof and use a freeview box, saves all the messing about trying to park away from trees and buildings and having to put it down in the wind.

Martin

I agree with Martin, if you're in U.K.
90 % of the time I wouldn't bother with satellite as freeview is better than it used to be. Just my thoughts

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Terrestrial tv signal can be a bit patchy though, so can be good to have both options. But then it depends on where, so could be worth testing terrestrial first and seeing if you still need the Satellite?

That said, are you thinking of having Sky tv in van?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ES Cumbrian]

If you are 90% UK why bother with a satellite system just stick a good ariel on the roof and use a freeview box, saves all the messing about trying to park away from trees and buildings and having to put it down in the wind.

Martin

Maybe but there are a lot of places we go in the Lake district that have no land freeview.

 

[ES Cumbrian]

Terrestrial tv signal can be a bit patchy though, so can be good to have both options. But then it depends on where, so could be worth testing terrestrial first and seeing if you still need the Satellite?

That said, are you thinking of having Sky tv in van?

Not thinking of Sky just freesat.

 

[4maddogs]

I cannot receive terrestrial tv in many places. If you prefer out of the way camping then satellite is more reliable. My dome has been OK (apart from presently which I won't bore you with now!).

I have watched in high winds when I would have to put a dish down, but the extra height (and wind noise) could be an issue.

If I was buying now I would look at the Oyster Cytrak systems, but thesedmay be too expensive. The Roadpro or Maxview domes come in cheaper. I have a Maxview.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Khizzie]

Go for snipe 2 with your budget and you will have a great bit of kit and change if you buy from Germany.if you want to go posh then buy it at premium with the Avetex designer label on at a much inflated price....bought mine from Germany and had it fitted by local motorhome dealers for £80 . Total price < £650 .Roy

 

[ES Cumbrian]

Go for snipe 2 with your budget and you will have a great bit of kit and change if you buy from Germany.if you want to go posh then buy it at premium with the Avetex designer label on at a much inflated price....bought mine from Germany and had it fitted by local motorhome dealers for £80 . Total price < £650 .Roy

I was looking at the ones from Germany just wondering how the guarantee would work?

 

[Khizzie]

I was looking at the ones from Germany just wondering how the guarantee would work?

Not sure but have heard they will sort out any problems promptly.. So far touch wood two years down the line no issues whatsoever. Roy

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Kevan]

Just a word of caution, if you are going to fit a dome, then it may make your Motorhome higher than three meters, which will cost you more in tolls in France, for that reason i am taking my maxview auto dome off which is 40cm high and fitting a teleco flatsat which folds down 17cm.. keeping me under three meters

 

[Khizzie]

I was looking at the ones from Germany just wondering how the guarantee would work?

You could always message the supplier for info .they are great with response. ..

 

[ES Cumbrian]

Just a word of caution, if you are going to fit a dome, then it may make your Motorhome higher than three meters, which will cost you more in tolls in France, for that reason i am taking my maxview auto dome off which is 40cm high and fitting a teleco flatsat which folds down 17cm.. keeping me under three meters

Good point but the MH I am getting is an Apache 634 (Hi Line) 2.26m (7ʼ5”) wide 3.05m (10ʼ0”) high already.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Scout]

Go for snipe 2 with your budget and you will have a great bit of kit and change if you buy from Germany.if you want to go posh then buy it at premium with the Avetex designer label on at a much inflated price....bought mine from Germany and had it fitted by local motorhome dealers for £80 . Total price < £650 .Roy

do you have a link for german suppliers please

 

[Khizzie]

do you have a link for german suppliers please

Ebay !! ..several German suppliers on there with great feedback . Just search for Snipe satellite dish. . Roy

 

[Bill_OR]

@ES Cumbrian - I also have an Apache 634 and I have the factory fitted Maxview sat dome. If and when we change our motorhome I would probably not have a dome again as:
a) it means that the continental tolls always consider us to be class 3 - and every time I have to get out of the van to try to persuade the operator to change it to class 2!
b) it sticks out like a pimple on a bald man's head!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ES Cumbrian]

@ES Cumbrian - I also have an Apache 634 and I have the factory fitted Maxview sat dome. If and when we change our motorhome I would probably not have a dome again as:
a) it means that the continental tolls always consider us to be class 3 - and every time I have to get out of the van to try to persuade the operator to change it to class 2!
b) it sticks out like a pimple on a bald man's head!

Thanks Bill I am now convinced to get a snipe 2 just got to collect the MH on Tuesday.

 

[eddie]

Think I prefer the Snipe 2 to the VDO (Camos / Roadpro) dome which our current van came with.

The Satfi uk is from the same stable

 

[Kevan]

View attachment 147762 @ES Cumbrian - I also have an Apache 634 and I have the factory fitted Maxview sat dome. If and when we change our motorhome I would probably not have a dome again as:
a) it means that the continental tolls always consider us to be class 3 - and every time I have to get out of the van to try to persuade the operator to change it to class 2!
b) it sticks out like a pimple on a bald man's head!

My Maxview auto dome is coming of as soon as the weather improves, have bought a Teleco flatsat easy 65cm folds down to 17cm instead of the 40cm of the dome, and for the same reason as you, french tolls.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ES Cumbrian]

Looks like Snipe wins, now for the TV to go with it. Anyone compared an Avtex with a Cello? I expect to get a lot of I have a .......... and its good would prefer someone who has tried both, thanks.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Firstly, I've not tried both, so don't qualify. We've had Avtex before and recently wanted to change from an older 18.5" to a new 21.5" for the van, so tried to keep an open mind between Avtex, Cello and Vision Plus products. Spent a fair amount of time in Google land, the Cello products had a lot of detractors and tales of woe, but wasn't without proponents. A local MH dealer had both Avtex and Vision Plus in stock, the Avtex picture seemed sharper to my eye end the package just seemed better quality. Not much in the way of reviews for Vision Plus by comparison to Cello or Avtex. So long story short, we ended up with an Avtex L218DRS from John Lewis, as you get a 5 year guarantee. First impressions very positive, much improved over our previous Avtex model.

 

[Khizzie]

Currently got a 19" cello and very pleased with it ..once again Avtex got great backup but at a much inflated price. My friends have the equivalent avtex and to be honest I cannot see the extra cost .picture looks about the same. . My cello cost about 50% of the avtex but doesn't lack any quality imho. . Roy

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ES Cumbrian]

Is there any difference between Avtex and Cello regarding the satellite tuner and ease of use?

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Can't speak for Cello, the new Avtex free to air sat tuner / EPG is much easier and clearer than our older version. In fact it came pretuned for U.K. Astra 2 channels. However, keep in mind that unless you have Freesat tuner, the free to air satellite tuner EPG is limited to now & next. Nothing an interweb connected phone, weekend paper or radio times doesn't mostly cover.

There may be product review videos on YouTube showing both Cello and Avtex operation?

 

[ES Cumbrian]

Not really thought through the tuner side of things yet, are all TVs with satellite tuners built in free to air or can you one with freesat built in?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}