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Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
Bought lots of neat stuff, but don't know what I bought...Can I make a FTA system?

Hi, I have been lurking around for a few weeks now and learned enough to be dangerous with my money. Well, what little money I had. Please tell me if I screwed up!

So I was at work today and the IT people at my work were having a garage sale of sorts in their office. I bought a bunch of Pentium II computers for my family members, a Sony PVW-2600 Beta Editor (to be sold on ebay or any interested party) and then I saw the Satellite Recievers...I had been wanting to get into FTA but didn't really have the money. But I was able to buy these recievers for really cheap:

Toshiba TRX 500
Toshibba TRX 2000
Monterey 100C Plus
General Instrument DSR 4500 NTSC

I don't have remotes for any of them, but I may be able to get them if I ask around. Are any of these recievers worth my time screwing around with? Can I use them to do FTA of any sorts?

I also have come accross a big roll of RG6 and a Dish 500 dish (no reciever). The dish is bigger than 18 inches, like maybe 20 inches. It appears to have a two LBNFs under a single shrough 110/119. (I have read the sticky on this dish but thought maybe it could work somehow to give me a little fun).

So, what kind of FTA system can I put togethor? If I can scrounge up A LITTLE money what should I buy to make this system work the best? Probably a bigger dish? What would give me the most bang for my buck. My wife won't let me have a big old school C band dish in the yard otherwise I would get one from my father in law--it is so huge. (My priority is paying bills and buying xmas presents for my family, so I really don't have a lot to spend.)

I am a software guy and this hardware stuff really boggles me until I actually DO IT. I can read all day long and not get it until I see and do it.

Thanks in advance, even if you don't have a good answer for me. I appreciate reading all of the other forums!
8 Replies · 1573 views
G
Thanks for the information. I am sad to hear that these are analog only receivers and I am doubly sad to find out that most of the analog available is on C-band. And as you say, what is available on Ku is mostly feeds. Hmm.

But I want to be a FTA guy, so it looks like I will have to bite the bullet and buy some new FTA stuff...perhaps piece by piece..but I will get it all. I just checked on ebay and the Sony 2600 Beta I picked up fetches a pretty penny (around $1,500 sometimes) --perhaps I can make a little money off of it, or at least recoup the $112 dollars I have invested in it and then use this money to buy my FTA equipment.

However, if I do this, I want to do it right. I have read too many posts on this forum (and others) where people have a hodgepodge collection of things they bought off ebay and cause themselves lots of added headache--from what I can tell it is pretty time consuming even if you have a matched set of equipment. I have hodgepodged enough computer systems to know that I don't want to trouble shoot a satellite system!

From what I can tell, the bigger the dish the more options I will have in the future. At the same time, I move around a bit and need to get a dish that is easily transported. I also want to get a reciever and LNBs that give me the most options in the future (and are easy to use/install). So, I am thinking about a 1meter or 1.2 meter dish and motor with DVB and DBS LNBs. Also, would I be able to piggy back an LNB and play with this crazy c-band frankenstein you guys are talking about? Could I get them all on one dish? I live in Michigan and am willing to drive to Ohio, or wherever I need to if I can save a buck and get a better dish.

I guess my question is this:

:confused: If you are on a budget and want to get the most possible FTA for your money (I don't want to be obsolete in two years, and I want all of Ku and to play with the C-band if I can), what components do you buy? Where do you buy them? Will my analog boxes work with such a system or should I sell them on fleabay?
PSB
PSB
You should BUY from one of our GOLD sponsors (top of the page) Support the guys that support us here at SatelliteGuys.US : )

Its VERY easy to slave one of your analog receivers to a new digital DVB receiver with a single coax run! LOADS of analog sports on weekendz!
drhydro
I would look for a used 6' dish, you will be able to get a lot of c band, and should do pretty well with ku band. The 6' dish isnt THAT large, compared to my 10' bud my 6' dish is kinda tiny, and if need be could be broken down and moved fairly easily. Of course the mount the pole rests on wont move easily (done right it wont move at all ;-) ) but the pole and dish can be moved.
G
Ok, so I posted a message the other day telling you guys about all the old analog recievers I bought and since them I came to the conclusion that I should just bite the bullet and buy a whole new digital Ku new set up. Becuase I am a newbie, I have read and read and read some more. Knowing that I will be be moving to a new house sometime, and that my wife will not want a BUD in the yard, and that 95% of things are on Ku, here is what I think I should buy. If I am wrong, feel free to tell me to keep doing research and reading!

Coolsat 4000 Pro (Should this come with a card reader? Will I really need it?)
SG 2100 motor
Invacom 0.3db LNB (or Xtreme .3db--which one is better)
1 meter Wineguard dish + ground mounting poles etc. which I haven't researched.

Should I buy a signal meter? Which one? I already a have a compas!

The way I figure it the dish is big enough that I will get a good Ku signal and can play with the C-band project that PSB and Cascade have started (if I buy a C-band LNB and some Duct tape).

I am so excited to order this stuff and my wife is already mad at me for reading this forum all the time---looks like I am off to a the typical FTA start!

So which one of our Gold Sellers will put me togethor the best package deal and give me the best service? All this should be in the $400 dollar range right?
ken2400
Oh ya get the meter. The SF-95 works ok for me. Around $20 on E-bay

garrelt1 said:
Ok, so I posted a message the other day telling you guys about all the old analog recievers I bought and since them I came to the conclusion that I should just bite the bullet and buy a whole new digital Ku new set up. Becuase I am a newbie, I have read and read and read some more. Knowing that I will be be moving to a new house sometime, and that my wife will not want a BUD in the yard, and that 95% of things are on Ku, here is what I think I should buy. If I am wrong, feel free to tell me to keep doing research and reading!

Coolsat 4000 Pro (Should this come with a card reader? Will I really need it?)
SG 2100 motor
Invacom 0.3db LNB (or Xtreme .3db--which one is better)
1 meter Wineguard dish + ground mounting poles etc. which I haven't researched.

Should I buy a signal meter? Which one? I already a have a compas!

The way I figure it the dish is big enough that I will get a good Ku signal and can play with the C-band project that PSB and Cascade have started (if I buy a C-band LNB and some Duct tape).

I am so excited to order this stuff and my wife is already mad at me for reading this forum all the time---looks like I am off to a the typical FTA start!

So which one of our Gold Sellers will put me togethor the best package deal and give me the best service? All this should be in the $400 dollar range right?
dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Stumbled across this ... http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_ZipSearch.asp
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy

Ethanol Free Stations

5561 Replies · 460986 views
harshness
I wonder if California is getting into the Winter formula.
harshness
I wonder if California is getting into the Winter formula.
It turns out I was justified in my suspicion.

Gavin Newsom somehow authorized the temporary move of the distribution date of the Winter blend to September 28th.
Foxbat
It turns out I was justified in my suspicion.

Gavin Newsom somehow authorized the temporary move of the distribution date of the Winter blend to September 28th.
Does that raise, or lower, the overall price? Our State Government has been doing everything it can to minimize the impact of the current situation and put a freeze on the State Taxes on fuel sales at the pump. That's why we're still under $4.00/gal. while across the border in Michigan it's much higher.
Bobby
Does that raise, or lower, the overall price? Our State Government has been doing everything it can to minimize the impact of the current situation and put a freeze on the State Taxes on fuel sales at the pump. That's why we're still under $4.00/gal. while across the border in Michigan it's much higher.
Winter blend is cheaper than Summer blend.
Bobby
Regular$5.839​
Premium$6.299​
Diesel$7.999​
at Costco, Rohnert Park.​
harshness
Does that raise, or lower, the overall price?
Winter blend is reportedly 10-30 cents cheaper, but I would point out that prices have dropped as much as 62 cents at RP.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68560 Replies · 2675089 views
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dishstaller
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
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sdfntx
Love Every Little Thing About You - Gallery
gms49ers
Where's My Thing? - Rush
harshness
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
Bobby
Good Golly, Miss Molly - Little Richard
R
· posted in DISH Network Support Forum
Every time my Dish contract comes up I weigh the options of keeping Dish or switch to streaming. Right now I can watch/record the OTA channels vis my HDHomerun. I also can stream CBS and NBC via the Paramount+ and Peacock apps. What I would need to find is how to watch the Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime channels plus a few more with an app or two. My current Dish bill is $118, so I should be able to get a few apps for a lot less.

Any suggestions? I would want the best picture quality and audio quality I could get.
0 Replies · 6 views
Former member 209992
Last reply · posted in SatelliteGuys Support Center
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
542 Replies · 18802 views
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Scott Greczkowski
Ok checked it out and for some reason the web server (NGINX) tried starting before the DNS resolver fully loaded. This is why it worked when I rebooted the machine.

Thanks to ChatGPT it had me change the NGINX config to prevent this from happening again.

With that said I can't prevent the ISP from doing emergency upgrades which was the cause of all of this.
navychop
Nature will develop better idiots.
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TRG
TRG
Nature will develop better idiots.
God help us.
Scott Greczkowski
I guess this is what the downtime was about.

IMG_0607.webp
Scott Greczkowski
Just a heads up... I just patched our PHP to close the major PHP exploit announced this morning.

Now on PHP 8.4.27 (cli) (built: Oct 20 2026 00:00:00)
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
3 Replies · 27 views
Jimbo
I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share

Walmart isn't the only one ...
Juan
I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share

When walmart set a price...they weigh the container and the product...the product label only shows the weight of the product...I am sure if you brought your own plastic baggies to bring the product home you could get the cheaper price
harshness
Walmart isn't the only one ...
I've been seeing this more and more on Amazon. Sometimes it seems there is no way they could have arrived at the number.

What rankles me even more is Costco changing units of measure between similar products, so you have to convert them to compare prices.
Gary Toma
Staff member Pub Member / Supporter Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV Technical Resources Forum
The TPN Map Excel Presents all DIRECTV Channels:
​
National (50-States or wide/NAT+PR beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
​
Additional tabs provide:​
OTA the (Over-The-Air) Database
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
​
Domestic Satellites
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8​

Understanding the TPN Map

Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
2147 Replies · 934720 views
K
WCWW/25 CW South Bend and WBKP/5 CW Marquette are now testing on the stream server. These are both already available on satellite.

Now live in the satellite guide:
663-2 PISTONS (663-1 is likely being reserved for an overflow feed of Detroit Sportsnet, if there's a 2027 MLB season)
675 THUNDER
693 CLIPPERS
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D
DirecTV Satellite Transponder Updates for Oct 21 2026

Comparison of Transponder Data for Oct 21 2026 vs Oct 14 2026:


No changes in system tables for any transponder tuning parameters.

Changes to the use of defined transponders:

1 Transponder cleared of all Streams::
Net 10 TID 126 Beam NAT is a National Transponder on D11@99cb, TPN 3

1 Previously unused Transponder with current APG records::
Net 15 TID 15 Beam NAT is a National Transponder on D12@103ca, TPN 16

Stream (PID) counts:

LIVE Streams​
National​
Spot Beams​
Count​
Change​
Count​
Change​
4K​
4​
​
​
​
HD​
264​
2​
1449​
​
SD mpeg4​
145​
​
194​
​
SD mpeg2​
433​
​
​
​
RB​
​
​
​
​
Audio​
89​
​
​
​
Push​
26​
​
​
​
Slate​
19​
​
1​
​
​
TEST Streams​
National​
Spot Beams​
Count​
Change​
Count​
Change​
4K​
​
​
​
​
HD​
​
​
1​
​
SD mpeg4​
​
​
​
​
SD mpeg2​
​
​
​
​
RB​
​
​
​
​
Engr Work​
38​
-2​
​
​
​


The PID count Excel workbook provides much more count detail.

Newly updated tables of Streams on each transponder are available in the DataDigesters TPN Grids

More details of changes in individual channels will follow in the Weekly Analysis
and Gary Toma's Domestic TPN Map Excel files

NBA Updates
Weekly Analysis soon
Enjoy
DataDigesters
D
weekly Analysis for 10/21/2026:
K
HAWKS, HORNETS, GRZZLIES, HEAT, MAGIC, CAVLIERS, TWOLVES, BUCKS, PACERS and SPURS channels have also been added, however they are pointing to a TV Promise slate, which says they are working with DAZN and others to strike a deal for those teams.

Some more TPN swaps
M
HAWKS, HORNETS, GRZZLIES, HEAT, MAGIC, CAVLIERS, TWOLVES, BUCKS, PACERS and SPURS channels have also been added, however they are pointing to a TV Promise slate, which says they are working with DAZN and others to strike a deal for those teams.

Some more TPN swaps
Wait…..
So even though DAZN keeps touting 'only way to see games' if you are a subscriber to Choice (like my stepdad) if an agreement is reached he can see the Wolfies on 668?
I know the Wild are in dispute and a slate is on 668-1.
Marques Brownlee
· posted in Marques Brownlee
0 Replies · 6 views
Howard Simmons
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
1 Replies · 56 views
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KAB
KAB
I don't get my hopes up for anything with Travolta these days.