FTA setup help

[satweazel]

Okay, I have just moved to a rural area. Was on cable moved here, got directtv they didn't want to even come out and install. We canceled our direct TV needless to say. Anyway I went out and purchased a microHD receiver thinking it would work with the direct TV dish.... Its not working. Did I open a whole can of worms here? My grandma needs TV lol, please help me.

 

[LittleBear]

You may be able to reuse the dish.. With a proper lnb.. Please do not quote me on that one.. I have set up both dish and direct TV before.. Yet to try my hand at FTA. However if my understanding is correct you would have to change the lnb and realign the dish, and you might want a motorized mount to be able to aim the dish at other FTA satellites. Or have multiple sat dishes all muxed together. I ponder if that is still doable in the digital age.. Someone else here will be better able to answer..

 

[satweazel]

Thank you for your reply, the dish is mounted on the roof, I'm looking for just getting one sat (g18) for now. I well go up to the roof tomorrow and try aligning the dish it was installed by direct TV, and on the lnb side of things is there any specific one I should get?

 

[Titanium]

Not much on Galaxy 18. What channels are you hoping to receive?

 

[FTA4PA]

Okay, I have just moved to a rural area. Was on cable moved here, got directtv they didn't want to even come out and install. We canceled our direct TV needless to say. Anyway I went out and purchased a microHD receiver thinking it would work with the direct TV dish.... Its not working. Did I open a whole can of worms here? My grandma needs TV lol, please help me.

Welcome to Satellite Guys satweazel! Do you mean Galaxy 19? Not sure if anything on Galaxy 18 is doable without an upgrade to a larger fta dish but if you want to give what you have a shot then here is a thread to give you an idea what you may be able to get depending on which dish you have. http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/posts/2814364/

 

[KE4EST]

The DirecTV LNBF will not do you any good for FTA you will need to change out the LNBF ass. with a Linear LNBF.
Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/181269477814?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
You will have to fashsion a holder for it and make sure it is in the "sweet" spot for proper focus.
You may also purchase a universal LNBF holder and mount it in place of the current LNBF ass.

 

[lamp]

The typical Direct TV or Dish Network satellite dish is too small for Free to Air Satellite signals. You will probably just be wasting your time. Pay TV operates at higher power and that is why they can use such small dishes. You should buy a FTA dish with linear LNB. With all such dishes, bigger is better. I suggest at least a 90 cm dish. It should work well for Galaxy 19 at longitude 97 west.

 

[FaT Air]

What 'television' does your grandma need? Be advised that free FTA offerings are much different than a subscription.
Look over TheLIST or maybe Mike Kohls MPEG Central (Small dish is Ku band, 5 digit frequencies)

If you want the local networks (many have sub-channels)
Check Rabbitears.info (search) to see what available, then check TVFool to see where to aim the antenna.(s)
Then if antenna decision is a question put a link to your TVFool report in a post here:
Digital Over the Air Television Talk By RabbitEars

DTV dish is too small, even for 97W with modification of a FTA LNBF & holder for reliable reception. I do not even recommended it as a 'first time project'. Small dish experimentation is best left to those with prior FTA experience with 'proper' sized equipment.