To dish or not to dish?

[Kups]

IF and its a big IF, I crossed back from the WiFi tv side to installing a sat dish (again), what's the best dish to get. Reason for looking back to a dish is several frustrating episodes of WiFi crap TV reception evenings in the UK. Tonight I've resorted to smartphone and 4g as the ZTE router with motorhome WiFi roof aerial and Smarty sim have provided a miniscule signal. I've read the Starlink thread with interest but prefer the kit glued to the roof.
The sat dish market seems to have moved on to include Sky Q reception on a Telco dish. Oyster seem behind the curve in that respect although we've had two Oyster V dishes previously.
So is £2.5 grand worth it nowadays given the sim data issues ( I'm ex Tiekom as well).

 

[JockandRita]

You can buy a lot of data over the years with £2.5K.

We have a working Oyster 1 system, and will hang on to it whilst it serves us well, but once it goes "belly up", it'll be coming off the roof.

We also have the ZTE MiFI, with a roof mounted Poynting antenna, (not the Puck), and had great results with a Vodafone sim card and Firestick, even in remote areas, both here and abroad.
We are looking for another data only sim ourselves, since Vodafone now apply a £2.00 daily charge when abroad.

Have you looked at RWG?

Unlimited mins, SMS & 200GB data £20/month

Our £20 SIM gives you a combination of unlimited mins, unlimited SMS & 200GB per month. This will renew each month until cancelled. This product includes EU Roaming which is restricted to 20GB when roaming.

www.rwgmobile.wales

There has been quite a bit of chat about it here on the forums. They do a Global sim card too, for not a lot more per month.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Neil S]

Just back from Spain and likewise had multiple instances of buffering even when the router showed 100% signal strength on 4G
resorted to using my Maxview Connect 85 autoskew and Intelsat 901 receiver for uninterrupted television viewing
in fact I used the dish frequently over the the 3 months we were away
Streaming is great if you have a guaranteed hardwired strong Wi-Fi signal but if your reliant on the cellular network it’s not always consistent
I won’t dispense with the dish for the foreseeable future

 

[busbuddy]

I was camped next to somebody this weekend who were on their first shakedown weekend with a new van, they were experienced motorhomers.
They said their last van was fitted with mifi with all the best tech but they were disappointed with the general reliability of the service, their brand new van was fitted with an oyster 5 dish (I think).
They did give a lot of detail on techy stuff but I was drunk and have no idea what they were on about

 

[Wh05apk]

We have a mecatronic sat dish, with humax box which is great, but couldn't use over Easter at all, as winds were too strong, last year we bought a cheap £10 magnetic aeriel from amazon and have never failed to get decent reception in the UK, it is amazing, you really can't beat watching TV through an aeriel or dish, no buffering, or having to change apps when changing channels.

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[JockandRita]

We also have the ZTE MiFI, with a roof mounted Poynting antenna, (not the Puck), and had great results with a Vodafone sim card and Firestick, even in remote areas, both here and abroad.
We are looking for another data only sim ourselves, since Vodafone now apply a £2.00 daily charge when abroad.

BTW Kups, at home, we use a 4G TP Link Router with a Vodafone sim card, and we are getting double the Mbps download that we were getting with our BT contract, and hardly any buffering at all compared to previously.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[BikerGraham]

Never used the fitted tv aerial on the van. Just stream using a firestick and either tethered to the phone or a small Huawei mifi. Two different networks (O2 &Vodafone) always got a decent signal.
This has been in U.K. and France and Spain to date

 

[Manic]

I have a KVH Tracvision dome and Humax freesat box on my Motorhome, at the moment it not working but I will be sorting it hopefully and wouldn’t be removing it because I know if I have clear view of sky I’m going to get a signal. I prefer the dome because it’s not affected my the wind but does get affected by really heavy rain.
At the moment I’m use a RWG 200gb for £20 sim and that’s working well in France( touch wood )

 

[Lenny HB]

On our current trip not bothered to put the dish up just use streaming. Sometimes get a bit of buffering or the quality is not that good but as is net based doesn't matter just watch it when we have a better signal.

 

[MisterB]

They did give a lot of detail on techy stuff but I was drunk and have no idea what they were on about

Well, I won't be explaining it all again to you ... Try listening next time instead of drowning your sorrows that my van is bigger than yours AND I have a satellite dish !!

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[BikerGraham]

On our current trip not bothered to put the dish up just use streaming. Sometimes get a bit of buffering or the quality is not that good but as is net based doesn't matter just watch it when we have a better signal.

And when the signal is shite we have to resort to that old fashioned thing - talking to the wife. Of course and looking like we are listening when it’s their turn

 

[busbuddy]

Well, I won't be explaining it all again to you ... Try listening next time instead of drowning your sorrows that my van is bigger than yours AND I have a satellite dish !!

The extras fitted on the van cost more than my van, I know they have warranty restrictions but ...obviously my face gave my thoughts away and I was told 'it's only money'

 

[dunnah01]

You can buy a lot of data over the years with £2.5K.

Not if there's no reception

 

[MisterB]

The extras fitted on the van cost more than my van, I know they have warranty restrictions but ...obviously my face gave my thoughts away and I was told 'it's only money'

You're better off spending your money on drinking ... Lol

You probably did really well to stay awake !

 

[busbuddy]

Vodka is free....I make my own

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[Kups]

Never used the fitted tv aerial on the van. Just stream using a firestick and either tethered to the phone or a small Huawei mifi. Two different networks (O2 &Vodafone) always got a decent signal.
This has been in U.K. and France and Spain to date

Yes, we've got O2 and EE Just at a location for the last two nights where both had rubbish signal strength. Still as I've said many times you can buy a lot of data and wine for the rubbish nights for £2.5k! Off to Peterborough show next weekend so I'd best leave the credit card at home.

 

[BikerGraham]

Yes, we've got O2 and EE Just at a location for the last two nights where both had rubbish signal strength. Still as I've said many times you can buy a lot of data and wine for the rubbish nights for £2.5k! Off to Peterborough show next weekend so I'd best leave the credit card at home.

We treat the tv when in the van as a luxury as an essential. Neither of us watch the soaps.
If we have a poor signal on a site then it is for a day or two at most before moving on. In which case we then tend to talk to each other and listen to music. With lots of wine of course

 

[JockandRita]

Not if there's no reception

I have to assume you didn't read my post in full, but instead chose to quote only part of it, which incidentally is the part that Kups agrees with.

Still as I've said many times you can buy a lot of data and wine for the rubbish nights for £2.5k

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Carpmart]

I’ve bought Starlink and I’m removing the sat dish and replacing with an extra 200w panel, all of which is waiting at home for me when we get back across the Chanel.

IMHO, satellite TV is as good as redundant now and I feel will seem more so over the next few years.

 

[dunnah01]

Read

I have to assume you didn't read my post in full, but instead chose to quote only part of it, which incidentally is the part that Kups agrees with.



Cheers,

Jock.

Read your post but still not sure how you get TV without reception. OK in most of the EU but try Sandringham CCC

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[Kups]

I’ve bought Starlink and I’m removing the sat dish and replacing with an extra 200w panel, all of which is waiting at home for me when we get back across the Chanel.

IMHO, satellite TV is as good as redundant now and I feel will seem more so over the next few years.

Maybe then I'll just put up with poor WiFi at some locations until you've been using Starlink for 6 months and given us your opinion. On a new site tonight with good 4G. It is next to an atomic power station (hint 'B'). Can't win them all.

 

[dpsuk999]

I have just replaced my Oyster Vision II for an Oyster Vision V so Iam in the “to dish” camp, however I stream a lot (Netflix etc) so have both.

The way I see it is a few years ago people decided the way to go was to ditch satellite tv in favour of streaming. All well and good until the phone companies ‘shape’ your broadband speed until such a time that it spends more time buffering than playing. Then you spend more time cancelling contracts and ordering more SIM cards in the hope when you get abroad all is well.

So what is the solution?? well it seems StarLink is and guess what, that’s a dish which points to a satellite, same as your trusty Oyster dish

And remember StarLink has finite capacity before speeds will reduce and currently the capacity is approx 25 million users (or was when I read it).

 

[Fdhadi]

We don’t have a dish on this van, yet. I pay a fortune to sky to watch live football so I might as well watch it in the van whilst I’m away. Cannot stand watching live tv with buffering, honestly does my nut in.

I will probably go down the cheaper route with a Maxview Crank Up like we had on our last Motorhome. Very reliable, no updates needed and could get a signal within 30 seconds, and about 2k cheaper than an automatic set up. Also easy enough to fit myself. Works around most places in Europe without any extra charges.

 

[sgl5gjr]

We had Smarty....then GiffGaff..... both hopeless ...especially GG in the EU.... my EE phone was a great tether for EU....we used the Snipe dish more..... now we have gone popit so should be better in the EU for those...fed up with normal tv times. Used the Popit in the UK and it was great....

 

[Otter Spotter]

Starling, £300 for kit and £95 per month, signal anywhere and 5 star so I am told

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[Kups]

I have just replaced my Oyster Vision II for an Oyster Vision V so Iam in the “to dish” camp, however I stream a lot (Netflix etc) so have both.

The way I see it is a few years ago people decided the way to go was to ditch satellite tv in favour of streaming. All well and good until the phone companies ‘shape’ your broadband speed until such a time that it spends more time buffering than playing. Then you spend more time cancelling contracts and ordering more SIM cards in the hope when you get abroad all is well.

So what is the solution?? well it seems StarLink is and guess what, that’s a dish which points to a satellite, same as your trusty Oyster dish

And remember StarLink has finite capacity before speeds will reduce and currently the capacity is approx 25 million users (or was when I read it).

Had a look at Starlink and yes the price is much lower than a roof mounted dish etc but where to store the dish? looks a bit chunky and then there's the faff of cables etc. Time will tell.

 

[Otter Spotter]

Had a look at Starlink and yes the price is much lower than a roof mounted dish etc but where to store the dish? looks a bit chunky and then there's the faff of cables etc. Time will tell.

I believe they are fixed on roof so should not take up cupboard space.

 

[Kups]

I believe they are fixed on roof so should not take up cupboard space.

Delving deeper into the advertising and website they say that it can be mounted flat on a vehicle but I cannot find the mounting kit anywhere. https://www.starlink.com/roam

 

[Otter Spotter]

Delving deeper into the advertising and website they say that it can be mounted flat on a vehicle but I cannot find the mounting kit anywhere. https://www.starlink.com/roam

I suspect that if you order the van version it will come with the mounting bracket instead of the tripod