What's that in the Sky (1 Viewer)

[Brakers]

Hi There
I’m considering a satellite dish 85cm with auto skew as I intend to go to warmer climes next year if everything goes OK,

I have looked for recent threads about this but they are older than when the satellite positions changed I think.

I know there are MHers out there who use crank ups and tripods etc, but I want an automatic system where I can press a remote and everything magically sorts the direction and auto skew out. I’m told the further down south I venture the LNB will need to be skewed by certain degrees.

I’m considering the oyster 85cm with auto skew, yes I know it’s a expensive but I’m open to anyone who has any cheaper systems with the reliability and updateable ability of the Oyster system.

Any comments decrying the Oyster system will be totally ignored LOL

No really any updated info on present systems will be much appreciated.

Let’s face it technology changes as we sleep so there might be something out there which can do a better job cheaper and further afield.

I await you intelligent replies.

Best Wishes Tony

 

[bertiebasset]

On our "new to us" Savannah we have inherited an Oyster 85 satellite. Woo Hoo I thought as we went south for a quick 3 weeks in France. When I activated it to catch the new in Royan we managed to get 3 channels on the Sky box, one of which was a chinese news programme,, cannot remember the other 2 but think they were music. As we travelled around I tried it several times with the same result. Just south of Abbeville I pressed the button and sat and watched the F1 GP on channel 4. I have now exchanged the Sky box for a Freesat box and hope when we go down to Spain next year I can at least watch the news.

 

[Brakers]

I have now exchanged the Sky box for a Freesat box and hope when we go down to Spain next year I can at least watch the news.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but I would not hold my breath, We can send a man to the moon but to get a decent TV reception in the far south seems imposible, but we can hope.
Thanks for your reply Tony

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[Brakers]

we have inherited an Oyster 85 satellite

Do you know if the Oyster you have inherited has Auto Skew or not as the further south you go the LNB needs to be skewed slightly, not sure how many degrees etc.
Best Wishes Tony

 

[Just smiffy]

I have an 85in oyster and we watched all uk channels at twin lakes which is just north of Bordeaux and we certainly had no trouble in Royan.

We had no trouble anywhere... turn it on and up to a minute and found sats and bingo...

For a new one fitted you'll be looking at around 2k

Edit... mines about 8-10yrs old..

 

[Brakers]

For a new one fitted you'll be looking at around 2k

I know, it hurts that price but to be free of messing about with meters etc it may be worth it. I'm a great believer that if you buy something which is a compromize then you will not be happy with it and will always wish you had bought the other item which might be a bit more expensive.
I have done this time and time again so you might think I've learnt my lesson and hopefully I have hence the top of the range Oyster system I'm looking at.
Best Wishes Tony

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[Just smiffy]

I know, it hurts that price but to be free of messing about with meters etc it may be worth it. I'm a great believer that if you buy something which is a compromize then you will not be happy with it and will always wish you had bought the other item which might be a bit more expensive.
I have done this time and time again so you might think I've learnt my lesson and hopefully I have hence the top of the range Oyster system I'm looking at.
Best Wishes Tony

@Badknee has just had one fitted by vanbiz, I'm sure he'll be along to give you a review shortly...

 

[bertiebasset]

We had no trouble anywhere... turn it on and up to a minute and found sats and bingo...

Is that with a Sky box or freesat receiver Sas.??

 

[bertiebasset]

Do you know if the Oyster you have inherited has Auto Skew or not Tony

Really dont know Tony, When down in Limoges, the sat system locked on and pushed the signal through to the Sky box,, think that may have been the problem as it kept saying "no satellite signal" or something like, but, as in previous post, we did get 3 channels so it had connected to satellite.

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[Just smiffy]

Is that with a Sky box or freesat receiver Sas.??

It was on an old Thomson sky box with no card, I have in the last few days connected a humax freesat box and got loads more channels and without all the other sky stuff that I couldn't get wasting unobtainable channels.

I now have HD on my avtex tv and the Humax was plug and play.... ofcousre I am at home now but I can't see why it would be any different half way down France...

 

[Brakers]

I now have HD on my avtex tv and the Humax was plug and play.... ofcousre I am at home now but I can't see why it would be any different half way down France...

Yes thanks for that I hope you are correct, it's only when we try these things out in warmer climes that they show their objections to us Brits trying to view UK tv over in their county.
I hope you are correct and you have no problem connecting to UK TV in the south but I suspect it will not be that easy. I wish you and your TV well.
Best Wishes Tony

 

[DanielFord]

Hi Tony, well the bad news is, since the old satellite was retired, the Astra 2 satellite (that's the UK one) has a very small footprint. It covers the UK, northern France, and the west of continental Europe. If you are going a long way south, the further you go, the worse the Astra 2 signal will be.
Eventually you will give up and go over to Astra 1, the channel list on this appears to largely be religious programmes and strange people shouting at each other.
We got as far south as Lake Como this year, and by that time, the only channels available on Astra 2 was Pick and I think it was Movies for men, but don't quote me on that. We have an Avtex Snipe 2, which I think is 65cm equivalent, you may get more with 85cm, but not much more!

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[seanoo]

If you get an oyster vision 3 with autoskew then it has intelsat 907 in the sat search menu. With a " suitable " receiver you can get your bbc, itv, chan 4 as far south as Marrakesh in morocco.

 

[jumar]

If you do your Fun searches you will see how well a 85 Oyster does as far as Spain, some posted by myself and some from Satandpcguy. Don't fancy going through it all again, with those who say its not possible.

 

[Badknee]

Garry Smiff @Sas r us is quite right, we had the Alden system fitted @eddievanbitz place a couple of weeks ago running through a Humax free sat box and cello tv.
It's a perforated dish like a sky dish and I am told is the equivalent to an 85cm though a little smaller. We have used it three times now and it's been great, locking on to Astra 28 straight away.
It has quite a few choices of satelite systems to search for and has twin LNB's so we can record and watch different channels.
Only time will tell as we head south next year if it is a success in Spain.

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[eddie]

On our "new to us" Savannah we have inherited an Oyster 85 satellite. Woo Hoo I thought as we went south for a quick 3 weeks in France. When I activated it to catch the new in Royan we managed to get 3 channels on the Sky box, one of which was a chinese news programme,, cannot remember the other 2 but think they were music. As we travelled around I tried it several times with the same result. Just south of Abbeville I pressed the button and sat and watched the F1 GP on channel 4. I have now exchanged the Sky box for a Freesat box and hope when we go down to Spain next year I can at least watch the news.

It needs fixing or you need to be shown how to use it lol one or the other

 

[eddie]

If you get an oyster vision 3 with autoskew then it has intelsat 907 in the sat search menu. With a " suitable " receiver you can get your bbc, itv, chan 4 as far south as Marrakesh in morocco.

But remember that it is illegal with serious potential consequences.

 

[seanoo]

But remember that it is illegal with serious potential consequences.

Cheers Eddie, I'll keep an eye open for the satellite police. Meanwhile I will enjoy watching my telly! Does it really matter to the broadcasters of the signal on intelsat who watches their channels? It's not as if it's a paid subscription service. Not having a go you understand but it is watching tv we are talking about, cheers sean

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[Theonlysue]

Have you considered a dome?
The time you may really want to watch TV because the weather is so bad, and you can't put your dish up, is when it's a godsend.

 

[seanoo]

Have you considered a dome?
The time you may really want to watch TV because the weather is so bad, and you can't put your dish up, is when it's a godsend.

A dome will be too small sue, if he heads to warmer climes i.e. Spain it will not receive many channels at all

 

[Theonlysue]

If he heads to warmer climes, he'll be out in the sun, not watching TV lol

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[Popeye]

I had an Oyster 85 autoskew as standard kit on my Frankia, I also enjoyed all Sky channels all the way to twin lakes including Royan and on down to the Spanish border and across the Pyrenees if I had a clear horizon.It certainly beats my old Dome except when the wind blows hard as Sue says.

I also have a freesat box as recommended by Andy (techno) I've only used that to check it is working and have had no problems whatsoever, until last weekend at the New Forest Meet where I had to move the van from under the trees to get a good signal.

 

[bertiebasset]

It needs fixing or you need to be shown how to use it lol one or the other

Looks like another visit to Vanbitz then Eddie. Will sort it for a trip down south next spring.

 

[eddie]

Looks like another visit to Vanbitz then Eddie. Will sort it for a trip down south next spring.

It would be worth getting sorted out, either "it" or "you" lol you have a great system

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[bertiebasset]

I realise the system is great. When we picked up the van we spent 4 days at Haven in Filey and tried out the Sat. It picked up very many channels and did so when we overnighted in Canterbury going and Calais home bound but, when further south we only managed to receive 3 channels although, when scrolling through on the sky box it did show channel number and name but put on the screen something about no signal ????
As I have never subscribed to SKY I admit to knowing three fifths of bug*er all of how to use the magic box. I have now removed the sky box and fitted a freesat box,, turned it all on and it locked and the TV started showing pictures. Removing the sky box has also free'd up a locker so win win.
When I collected the van there was a shortage of handbooks in the bag so have spent time downloading and reading so getting the hang slowly.

 

[eddie]

Cheers Eddie, I'll keep an eye open for the satellite police. Meanwhile I will enjoy watching my telly! Does it really matter to the broadcasters of the signal on intelsat who watches their channels? It's not as if it's a paid subscription service. Not having a go you understand but it is watching tv we are talking about, cheers sean

We always make people aware as there are dealers selling the Icecrypt box as a solution without advising people that it is illegal to receive encrypted digital signals unless you have permission to do so. It breaks European law and UK law under the Wireless and Telegraphy Act(s)

As the equipment can be "forfeited" if it is stuck to the vehicle, they have the power to take that as well!

We know it, and the people that sell it know it, but, if someone one played all dumb and innocent and claimed that they trusted "us" to install a system, no doubt we would be sued for the loss of the equipment/motorhome. So like the manufacturers that don't support illegal use of their equipment we refuse to set up or supply equipment that could land someone in hot water.

Bash an old lady over the head and you'll likely get a £100 fine and community order. Photocopy £50 notes and you be done big time if you get caught. Its messing with the system that keeps us all in check

I advise all my customers that do want to take the risk to keep it strictly to themselves