[Viewsat] Trying to get started on fta cheap.
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to the forum Jchenry The simple answer, technically yes. But once you understand what it takes and what you'll get, it ain't worth it. The receiver is out of date and won't receive a lot of what is available and the dish is the wrong kind, too small for useful FTA reception. It also has the wrong LNB(F) for FTA. You would need a standard ku LNBF and figure out how to fasten it correctly to the arm on that dish in the right spot aimed the right angle.Thanks for the heads up magic static. I figured I would get a taste of what fta is like with what I could find laying around. To be honest with you, I'll probably good crazy trying to build a bigger and better set up as I go. For now I am tinkering with what I find. If I make this setup do anything it will just fuel the fire. So what would you suggest to get what I have functional?
Knowledge will be your biggest need if you persist at trying to make the dish work. You are right about this being an interesting hobby. But I recommend you get a dish that works the way it is without complicated modification. Dish and DTV dishes have the wrong LNBFs on them and you can't find FTA replacements. You have to engineer the thing yourself. Unless you have skills and tools to modify the dish this is not a beginner FTA project. Once you really get into the fun of FTA you would toss that dish out anyway. There are a lot of good usable dishes taken out of service in retail businesses for credit card machines. Now it's all on the internet the satellite dishes are unused or discarded. Look on Craig's list for free dishes. If you were in Montana i'd fix you up with more dishes than you would need 
At a minimum you would just need a LNBF like this: https://estsatellite.com/shop?olsPa...te-mk1-pll-ku-band-pll-lnbf-standard-10750-lo
The Viewsat VS2000 will pickup DVB-S, but not DVB-S2 which is what most FTA channels are. If you want DVB-S2 I would recommend this receiver: Welcome to Michael Electronics
Welcome to Satellite Guys jchenry! If you do go ahead and try to modify your dish I would recommend these:
Welcome to Michael Electronics
Welcome to Michael Electronics
Make sure you take exact measurements of the original lnb location and install the new holder/lnbf so it is exactly there. You can likely get channels on 97w and 95w that are DVB but you will not get any DVB-S2 channels. There are several threads here about modding DISH/Directv dishes. Do a search and you should find them.
Welcome to Michael Electronics
Welcome to Michael Electronics
Make sure you take exact measurements of the original lnb location and install the new holder/lnbf so it is exactly there. You can likely get channels on 97w and 95w that are DVB but you will not get any DVB-S2 channels. There are several threads here about modding DISH/Directv dishes. Do a search and you should find them.
The receiver will work for DVBS video and most of the audio, But not DVBS2 which is preferred by broadcasters today. And now we have DVBS2X
Okay, so the lnbf is my starting point. Now, I see that most of the ones suggested are pretty much a fairly reasonable price. Am I right that my biggest expense will be the receiver? And with a new lnbf, will I get enough signals to keep me entertained?
Yes, a receiver is likely the biggest expense followed by a larger dish if you decide to go further. Depends on your interests as to whether you will be entertained.
97w has a lot of international programming in many languages, several news channels and a quite a few religious programs. 95w has a news channel and a documentary channel from China (with English language). You may be able to get a few other channels on other sats but dish size will limit you. Getting a 90cm or larger dish will increase the number of channels available and adding a motor will allow you to move from one sat to another automatically to making scanning for channels easier. Personally, I watch c band much more than ku. There are many good entertainment channels there that we enjoy but you should have at least an 8 foot dish (10 foot or bigger is better) for that.
Okay, I want to thank all of you for your help. You have given me a lot to think about. Now I have a big question, do any of you know of a brick and mortar shop that I can visit to find parts and equipment? I'm a hands on kind of guy and I like to see what I am buying when I buying it.
Nope, there aren't any. It's all mail order. There might still be a few still in Canada, but none that I'm aware of in the USA.
Have several walk ins each month for equipment demos or order pick up. Yes, there still is a brick and mortar shop, but we are a few miles away from Missouri... LOL!
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