FTA questions/advice

[O'Doyle]

hey there, I am working on setting up my first fta system, was looking for advice on a good fta receiver? I am going with a 8ft. mesh dish also, what type of dish mover is recommended? any input would be appreciated, thx! and if there is anything else I would need for this set up let me know.

 

[KE4EST]

Welcome again to SatelliteGuys and to FTA O'Doyle!!

Currently the best FTA receiver on the market is the Amiko Alien 3 or A3 for short. Very solid Android based receiver. You also get the added benefit of being able to use your favorite android apps. Has an awesome air remote with voice commands. Very easy to stream your FTA channels to your tablet or computer also from the receiver.
If you are more on a budget the Amiko MINI HD SE is an excellent choice. Very solid receiver that works great just as a basic FTA receiver.
As far as a Dish mover the Titanium ASC-1 is by far the best out there. Not only will it move your dish it will also reliably control a polarotor (Polarity and Skew Control) if you go with a co-rotor or simalar Feed horn.

 

[bpalone]

KE4EST answered while I logged in.

Are you just setting up for C Band? If so, then would recommend the C-1 PLL by Titanium for your LNB. If you are planning on trying to use for both C and Ku, then be prepared for many hours of tweaking (unless you're really lucky). I personally haven't done it, but have read several accounts of frustration. It can be done, but it does take some effort.

Welcome to the fold and good luck getting it all to come together.

 

[T134]

I agree with bpalone on the Titanium C1 PLL LNBF if you are going the LNBF route. I would not recommend even trying Ku on a BUD unless it is in brand new, perfect condition. Anything short of that will get poor to no Ku performance. Many guys set up a separate 1m or 1.2m motorized for Ku.

For the controller I'd agree ASC-1 is the way to go if using a rotor. If running LNBF, you could get away with a cheapie positioner like VBOX.

I won't recommend a particular Amiko since I am the NA distributor but I'll expand on KE4EST's comments. Amiko A3 is a hybrid satellite and internet Android STB. While it does have great FTA satellite I only recommend A3 to people if they have good high speed internet access and/or are doing a bunch on networked home media stuff. For strictly satellite use A3 is a waste since it is meant to be an everything box. For True FTA satellite where you won't be needing much or anything content wise from the net the Mini HD SE is a much better and affordable choice.

 

[O'Doyle]

I am looking at a brand new 8ft. Dish that according to the seller can be used to receive both C and KU bands with no issues, is there more of a chouse of channels on C or KU?

 

[Magic Static]

right now c-band has the better choices for most folks. But I'm real glad my dishes do KU as well. I have a fixed Ku dish on 103W because of the skew issue. The rest I get with my C/Ku setups

 

[O'Doyle]

Sweet! Thanks for the input

 

[T134]

For the average American or Canadian True FTA guy Ku is mostly for some decent sports, concert and event wildfeeds. Most other things of interest that can be found on Ku are also available at various C-band locations. I'd recommend doing both. It is always nice to have too many options rather than not enough.