Portable satalitte dishes

[lead]

Is it worth spending £1800 to £2300 on a sat dish when you can get a portable for £300

 

[Swifter]

Is it worth spending thousands or even hundreds when you can stream most tv channels via the internet .

 

[lead]

On the continent you have only an allowance of 20mb per month unless you are on a Campsite with WiFi, what experiences do people have?

 

[Lenny HB]

On the continent you have only an allowance of 20mb per month unless you are on a Campsite with WiFi, what experiences do people have?

Vodafone sims up to 100gb contracts you get the full amount roaming, unlimited contracts they restrict you to 25gb.

Three with their GoBinge now included in roaming so you can use unlimited data watching Netflix.

NoS in Portugal unlimited PAYG sim €15/15 days, €20/20 days, €30/30 days.

 

[TCG]

On the continent you have only an allowance of 20mb per month unless you are on a Campsite with WiFi, what experiences do people have?

i think you mean a maximum allowance (Fair usage) of 25GB per month while away in Europe... well you do with vodaphone

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

 

[lead]

Thanks all, is it worth getting a local Sim?

 

[busby]

On the continent you have only an allowance of 20mb per month unless you are on a Campsite with WiFi, what experiences do people have?

Who says? I get 100gb with Vodaphone.BUSBY.

 

[busby]

i think you mean a maximum allowance (Fair usage) of 25GB per month while away in Europe... well you do with vodaphone

Thats weird because i get 100gb..You only get fair user allowance if you buy the unlimited sim.If you pay for 100 you get 100.Had one two years now.BUSBY.

 

[TCG]

Thats weird because i get 100gb..You only get fair user allowance if you buy the unlimited sim.If you pay for 100 you get 100.Had one two years now.BUSBY.

yes i have unlimited data, calls and messaging... hence the 25gb

 

[faraway]

Vodafone saying they are no longer selling the 100 GB option

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

 

[Russell's Dad]

Thats weird because i get 100gb..You only get fair user allowance if you buy the unlimited sim.If you pay for 100 you get 100.Had one two years now.BUSBY.

It is bizarre, but I have just changed to Vodafone 100gb ( on offer until 3rd Sept at £20 p.m..Busby, you could possibly change if that is cheaper than you currently pay).
They confirmed full 100gb available whereas unlimited is capped. Also 100gb uses 'best available' speed whereas unlimited 'lite' is 2mps max. Also I was advised as it's a uk sim I won't need a VPN ( not sure I would need one anyway).

 

[busby]

It is bizarre, but I have just changed to Vodafone 100gb ( on offer until 3rd Sept at £20 p.m..Busby, you could possibly change if that is cheaper than you currently pay).
They confirmed full 100gb available whereas unlimited is capped. Also 100gb uses 'best available' speed whereas unlimited 'lite' is 2mps max. Also I was advised as it's a uk sim I won't need a VPN ( not sure I would need one anyway).

I pay 20 pounds a month,,,,Worked well all over France,Spain and Portugal last year..Its our only/main internet at home..Streams i player and Amazon ok on my telly. BUSBY.

 

[busby]

yes i have unlimited data, calls and messaging... hence the 25gb

Mines 100gb plus free calls and messaging,,20 quid a month. BUSBY.

 

[elamessa]

Just watch roaming charges re-appear next year... cynical me.

 

[Jaws]

Is it worth spending £1800 to £2300 on a sat dish when you can get a portable for £300

Being as we tour a lot and very often end up in beautiful remote spots ( with zero phone signal ) and the fact we do watch a lot of telly, we would be lost without a sat system
Portable ones are fine if you stay in one place more than a couple of days ( and you can set one up ok.. lost count of the times I have been asked to set one up. even did it for JJ once and he is far from wet behind the ears !! )
For me, I prefer an 80cm automatic dish.
Plot up, hit the button, and let it sort its self out, plus when it is time to go the same button get pressed and its all tidied away
Both my sons and our systems were bought second hand . Mine was £600 and his £300

Many folk would be happy to help with installation.. I have done about 20 or 30 now !

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

 

[Figaro]

The oyster are very useful when there is no mobile signal as I found out in wales last month

 

[David and Sally]

If you go satellite at least a portable one allows you to move it around a bit to avoid trees.
We have a Maxview and find it suitable in most situations.

 

[Wagoneer]

Is it worth spending £1800 to £2300 on a sat dish when you can get a portable for £300

A standalone portable dish is handy if you park under trees in the shade. As you are aware, the dish can be placed nearby to obtain line of sight to the satellite.

There is a standalone system which is partially automatic, available for about £600. You align the dish in the approximate direction of the satellite and press a button on a control panel (mounted at the rear of the dish) to home-in to the satellite. Can't remember the name of the system but it was demonstrated to me by a Dutchman in Spain. Obviously he only needed a relatively small dish to gather a signal (for his purposes), probably from Astra 1.

On my previous van, I used an 85cm roof mounted manual wind-up dish. With a bit of practice and cross-checking with the TV signal display and sat-finder gizmo, I normally got a satellite fix within 5 minutes.

I currently have an automatic Oyster system (came with van). Have had a few problems but quickly resolved by OysterTech UK - excellent service, refer Anthony OysterTech.

Am considering a backup system using mobile data but have been to quite a few places in UK where signal is virtually zero, depending on provider.

Summary: a ground mounted sat dish (less affected by wind), definitely has a price advantage, but bulky to store and more difficult to setup. Ideal if you stay in one place for a few days. My automatic (vehicle mounted) system requires using a compass to select a suitable pitch so SWMBO can watch her favourite programmes

 

[lead]

Many thanks for all your useful tips - very much appreciated.

 

[Badknee]

On the continent you have only an allowance of 20mb per month unless you are on a Campsite with WiFi, what experiences do people have?

Not true. I pay £10 pmth for 100gb with 50gb rollover to Virgin and while in Spain have used 122gb in a month.

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

 

[Ukbandit]

Thats weird because i get 100gb..You only get fair user allowance if you buy the unlimited sim.If you pay for 100 you get 100.Had one two years now.BUSBY.

Me too I get the full 100gb while in Spain over the winter. I won’t change to unlimited because its capped at 25gb in Spain.

 

[Campervan_man]

Avtex Snipe3
Either use out of the box or fit to your motorhome or caravan roof
£700 on ebay
German sellers.
Arrive in a few days.

 

[suavecarve]

Am i looking at the wrong set ups ?

They are only 57 nicker brand new 80cm dish on ebay including a finder https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...0&_osacat=15069&_odkw=portable+satellite+dish

I presume i just need an old sky tuner and i can get BBC whilst away ?

 

[OldWomble]

We had one of these and it was fantastic. Set up in seconds & worked every time. Selfsat Snipe V3 Single White Fully Automatic Satellite Antenna – White Line Amazon product ASIN B0779C6LK9

 

[SuperMike]

Many moons ago I put out a portable satellite dish, on a very long lead, because we were surrounded by trees, catching a signal at the site fence. Anyway the next day box was saying no signal, so clutching my super satellite meter I goes out through the trees to check. There it all was, laying on its side despite the tripod being pegged to the ground. Suss and frussan (bet thats spelt wrong) as Scoobie would say, bloody kids. So set it all up again and all was good.

The next day the same thing, whole lot on its side. Instructed number two son to keep an eye out, ask around and try and find out which little shit was doing this. Next day same again, now SuperMike is really pissed off and started setting up again, but then notices across the field in the distance a herd of cows, munching away. Ha Haaa things me and moved the dish away from the fence by a couple of feet and thereafter the problem went away. I spent a little while watching, behind the trees, as the cows reached over the fence to try and get it. Apparently they are very inquisitive about anything on their patch.

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

 

[lead]

We had one of these and it was fantastic. Set up in seconds & worked every time. Selfsat Snipe V3 Single White Fully Automatic Satellite Antenna – White Line Amazon product ASIN B0779C6LK9

 

[lead]

I saw this and was very impressed, do you know if it works in Southern Spain?

 

[Off da Grid]

We’ve got an Avtex tv with built in sat decoder for freesat.
I bought a cheap satellite dish kit from amazon and at first used it on an old camera tripod.
I know just clamp it to the bike rack or the front tow eye.
I use an iOS app called dish align which works brilliantly to point the dish.
I have modified the dish so I can take it off the clamp more easily for storage.
I’ve also got one of those stubby magnetic aerials for freeview.
Although I’m probably going to get a fire stick and stream tv when they are on offer next.
Might even get one of those gadgets that can boost ,clone Wi-fi or tether off my phone instead of a MiFi box.

 

[SteveRallye]

We often used to take 65cm dish as you say they can be set up away from cover.At that time we had the Glomex dome on van and could still get good TV down as far as Bessier south of France. However in their unrlenting quest to get you to pay for everything thru the nose in the UK they moved the footprint so you will be lucky to get signal now beyond the Loire area. So when we changed vans last year her who shall be obeyed wanted tv in Spain so went with Falcon onto a 85cm Autoskew dish with magic box recievers and got a dozen main UK channels down as far as Gibralter. We have 40 gb 3 mifi,s as backup which also works well.