true newbie

**icu1954** · 09-02-2010 03:47 PM

hi,i am very new to all of this,i was thinking of buying a neusat ipro 2000 plus as my first receiver..is this a good receiver is it good enough for a beginner like me who knows nothing...i want to get into fta as a hobby..i want to learn all i can..thanks for your help

**brentb636** · 09-02-2010 04:53 PM

Get a proven FTA receiver like a Coolsat 5000 or 6000 for your first receiver. It will be cheap, teach you the basics, and with its blindscan , always be useful. You should be able to get one under $50 on ebay. Other good models are Fortec Mercury, Pansat 2700/3500, Traxis 3500 , Coolsat 7000, VisionSat iv200 . None should be over $75 delivered, mostly much less. I just bought 2 Pansat 2700's for 39.00 delivered , and I don't even need them.

**Anole** · 09-02-2010 06:47 PM

I have to agree with Brent.
Get an inexpensive starter receiver, one that has good switch and motor control, and get your feet wet.
I'm fond of the Coolsat 5000/6000 and Visionsat IV-200, but any he listed should present no trouble.

**icu1954** · 09-02-2010 07:47 PM

do some of the used receivers come preprogramed by its previous owners?

**brentb636** · 09-02-2010 07:53 PM

Yes, and you are usually better off by restoring factory defaults, and starting fresh at your own location. Making sure the unit has the most recent factory software is also a good first step. It's somewhat likely that YOUR hardware will not be the same as that of the previous owner, so setup information will also have to change.

**brentb636** · 09-02-2010 07:56 PM

Assuming you have no hardware , as yet. Your first best bet might be to buy a motorized 90cm dish , set it up intially as a standalone dish ( so you can get a little practice aiming, and playing with your new receiver ), then adding the motor to the equation, once you have the receiver kinda figured out. It's a constant learning curve .

**phlatwound** · 09-02-2010 08:12 PM

Check out this list to see what is available for FTA viewing;

SatelliteGuys.US_TheList - TheList

The Ku-band list can be received with a 36"-39" dish, the C-band channels generally require a minimum of 6' diameter for good reception.

There's more to be seen (sports and news feeds) but they are hit and miss.

**Tron** · 09-03-2010 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by icu1954

do some of the used receivers come preprogramed by its previous owners?

If the receiver has hacker firmware, it can be replaced with factory firmware without any problems.

**icu1954** · 09-03-2010 12:31 PM

hi all, ihave been getting some of my hardware togather,and wanted to know if i needed an inline signal amplifier if i have to run about 160 ft of cable from my dish to my receiver,the spot i selected has a clear line of sight to the south and seems perfect ? and would the RG6 coax be ok?

**Sambo2** · 09-03-2010 01:35 PM

You may be able to get by without an inline amplifier. I have a 200 ft run of RG6 and it worked fine without an amplifier. I'm using one now, mostly to overcome the losses in the switches and splitters I'm using. It does seem to improve things a bit. I'd suggest you try it without an amplifier first then add one and see if it makes a difference. They're cheap.