Avtex Snipe (1 Viewer)

Lenny HB

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Just as an update to my comments about the Snipe Pro Max-we stayed last night at a site near Dreux & within minutes were watching BBC East Midlands (Derby Fan) & Silent Witness. Now at Parc Verger in the Limousin & perfect reception of UK TV channels so well pleased. Well pleased.
With the standard Snipe we had reception as far south as northern Provence.
 

Techno

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Lenny HB

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Lenny HB

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The Aluminum base plate is lager than the base of the unit, 550mm x 360 (approx) the atenna/dish overhangs the rear of the base plate by 20mm clearance to bottom of dish is 140mm, overall height actually measures at 200mm.
 
Nov 5, 2011
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Lenny, was your excellent reception since they reduced the UK tv 'foot-print'?

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Lenny HB

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Locked onto Astra 2 in La Garde-Adhemar in Provance, 38km north of Orange.
All main channels OK, More4 & BBC3 a bit pixely. Tried it the following morning when we had a bit of rain too pixely to watch, but once the rain stopped picture clear even with heavy cloud.
Souillac in the Dordogne OK, 40 miles south it wouldn't lock on but I only tried it quickly at a lunch stop just to see, but I think there were some trees nearby, didn't lock on around Millau.

Performance is quite impressive for such a small dish.

Edit: Missread the question, yes with the new footprint, last September.
 
Last edited:
Nov 5, 2011
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Thanks for your reply, Lenny. We're at Parc Verger, Limousin Perigord, so not as far south as you were. Only lost the picture temporarily during an absolute downpour.

We may head south house-hunting if we can't find what we want here & I'll keep you posted-they claimed UK TV as far south as Toulouse & I think Gaillac is further south. It's certainly a great improvement on our last efforts using campsite wifi & the Expats Abroad server-drove us mad with 'loading' in the middle of something exciting. Slight snag is UK times watching telly (1 hour later) & French times getting up!

All the best,

Roger
 

Mack100

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I've just been informed by my fitter that Avtex no longer recommend the basic Snipe as a fixture, only as a portable unit. He says they are now suggesting the Snipe Pro if fitted to the roof. I think I may not go down this route because I think it will raise my height to over 3 metres and there is a weight issue as well.

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Landy lover

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I've just been informed by my fitter that Avtex no longer recommend the basic Snipe as a fixture, only as a portable unit. He says they are now suggesting the Snipe Pro if fitted to the roof. I think I may not go down this route because I think it will raise my height to over 3 metres and there is a weight issue as well.

Interesting comment - must admit that if you look here Broken Link Removed there is no information about the roof mounting plate. BUT we have 2 units in the family 1 for us and 1 for daughter both roof mounted and very effective they are. If there is a problem with them as a fixed unit then I would be very interested in the legal situation as they could be classified as not fit for purpose. Any one else heard anything about this ???????????
 

Lenny HB

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I've just been informed by my fitter that Avtex no longer recommend the basic Snipe as a fixture, only as a portable unit. He says they are now suggesting the Snipe Pro if fitted to the roof. I think I may not go down this route because I think it will raise my height to over 3 metres and there is a weight issue as well.
Marketing hipe to sell the Pro at twice the price.
Avtex have always tried to make to mounting plate only available to installers, so you could only buy it via an installer who would only sell it to you if you were having it installed by them.
When I brought mine there was only one company that I could find that would supply the plate. The German suppliers that sell the Snipe include the plate.
 

Mack100

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If they had been recommending roof fixing in the past I doubt whether they would now deem these installations as unsafe, as you say, the legal and subsequent financial penalties would be enormous. Be interesting to hear what they have to say about it, I'll contact them today and ask.

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Techno

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Interesting
I think if I were to want to fit one of these I would make my own mounting plate if I could not get one. Is it so special that it cannot be fashioned?

Amazon UK german seller £510.45 delivered. Should have decent buyer protection?
 
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Mack100

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I've just spoken to Avtex and it seems that this is simply positioning their products in the market and they are now recommending the Pro versions as fitments to roofs. I was told that because of this they will no longer supply the roof fitments but if they are sourced elsewhere and the basic Snipe is fitted then the warranty will not be invalidated.

Now to source the roof fitments!
 

Mack100

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Saw this on another site
The Avtex Snipe Pro has been developed from of the extremely popular Avtex Snipe portable satellite system. The Avtex Snipe Pro has a strengthened support and is specially designed for fixed installation on the roof or a motorhome or caravan.

The Avtex Snipe Pro uses the same type of dish as the standard Avtex Snipe system

So it would seem that it's basically the same dish operationally but its been "strengthened" and costs £400 more.
I've just spoken to technical support at Avtex and he confirmed that the Pro is identical except for it being "specially" designed for roof mounting.
 

Lenny HB

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Interesting
I think if I were to want to fit one of these I would make my own mounting plate if I could not get one. Is it so special that it cannot be fashioned?

Amazon UK german seller £510.45 delivered. Should have decent buyer protection?

It is just a flat plate with 8mm long shank rivet bushes. I brought their ridiculously priced one (£92) as I was shipping the Snipe to my dealer to fit on a new van. If I was fitting it myself I would have made one.
 
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Thinking of having the Snipe installed, called my dealer to get a quote for installation. £276 if they use the existing installed co-ax or £500 if they fit another cable, all plus VAT. BUT, if I buy the £500 unit from Germany the dealer won't fit it, they tell me its half their buy price and Avtex have explicitly said it isn't the right model for roof installation! :mad:
So, can anybody recommend a mobile installer around Hampshire that could fit it for me? Please don't suggest I do it myself, cutting holes in my lovely MH is the stuff of nightmares and fills me with dread :eek:
Thanks if you can help (y) Cheers. Terran

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Lenny HB

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Oct 18, 2007
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Thinking of having the Snipe installed, called my dealer to get a quote for installation. £276 if they use the existing installed co-ax or £500 if they fit another cable, all plus VAT. BUT, if I buy the £500 unit from Germany the dealer won't fit it, they tell me its half their buy price and Avtex have explicitly said it isn't the right model for roof installation! :mad:
So, can anybody recommend a mobile installer around Hampshire that could fit it for me? Please don't suggest I do it myself, cutting holes in my lovely MH is the stuff of nightmares and fills me with dread :eek:
Thanks if you can help (y) Cheers. Terran
My dealer charged me €300 to fit it I thought is was a lot until I came to running the reversing camera cables through the van then I realised how long it must have taken them.
The Snipe has 2 cables one for the LNB and one for the controller you won't be able to use the existing co-ax cable.
There are thousands of them out there fitted to roofs & the original Snipe promotional video says it's OK for RV roofs.
 
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Lenny HB

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Does it have automatic parking when ignition is switched on?
In a word no, but wouldn't be hard to rig up as if you turn the on/off switch off then back on it parks.
I doubt if it would cause much of a problem if you drove off with it up (providing it's solidly fixed to the roof) as it has such a small surface area no worse than leaving up in strong winds.
Had an Oyster 85 cm dish on last van always had to lower it in strong winds, never a problem with the Snipe.

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Techno

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In a word no, but wouldn't be hard to rig up as if you turn the on/off switch off then back on it parks.
However this may be why they now say it is not suitable. I'll bet the new dearer one does auto park. No doubt it is a safety consideration
 

Techno

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So now they are actively discouraging the use of the old model for fixed mounting. Back tracking to cover their arse

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Techno

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Are they all twin LNB?

Looks like a bargain?
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Scattycat

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I've just been informed by my fitter that Avtex no longer recommend the basic Snipe as a fixture, only as a portable unit. He says they are now suggesting the Snipe Pro if fitted to the roof. I think I may not go down this route because I think it will raise my height to over 3 metres and there is a weight issue as well.
So, why are they not recommending it for roof fitting?
 

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