Intelligent answers for stupid questions

[Sasqwatch]

I inherited Dad's Unimesh dish and a General Instrument Innovation 550i reciever. We live out in the country, no cable TV available. Not interested in paying a subscription to Dish (or which ever).

Question #1: Are there any satellites/stations still available with this equipment worth the trouble to reconnect?
We're not interested in MTV, HBO or similar types.
Question #2: Can we get programs like HGTV, National Geographic, History, Discover?
#3: Is this something I need an expert to align/adjust or simple enough for a simpleton to accomplish?
#4: Are there updates to this equipment that would get us HGTV, NGC, ect.?
#5: Is this all a waste of time and $$ better spent on hotel room with cable?
Thanks for you intelligent answers.

 

[Pixl]

WELCOME TO SAT GUYS !

Your questions are not stupid, but welcomed in here. For intelligent answers, well no one person can do that, but we have a good group to figure it out. How big is the Unimesh ? There is quite a bit of interesting programs to watch on C-band. I'm not familiar with the G.I. 550i but it will probably still be useful for moving the dish. Of the cable type channels you are looking for I only know of History and Biography but you will need a smaller Ku dish for those. On C-band you could get my favorite, MEtv, similar to what "Tv Land" used to be.
Where in Michigan are you?

Pixl
Traverse City

 

[Lone Gunman]

"Intelligent answers for stupid qutesions"? That's an oxymoron isn't it?

Short answer to somewhat complex questions. Unless you want to get into satellite TV/FTA TV as a hobby you'd probably be better off with Direct TV and be done with it. Most of us here do this as a hobby to supplement some other form of paid or OTA TV.

There is a BIG DISH paid service available but it's a mere shadow of what it once was as far as programming available and would require that you purchase a compatible receiver to even get it.

So unless you're a DIY kind of guy that loves to tinker with stuff, this FTA satellite TV may not be for you.

 

[rv1pop]

You can do it! and there are enough people here to help --- It will take time and effort. Read the many threads on these forums.

AND WELCOME to Satellite Guys

 

[Dishman Dan]

I inherited Dad's Unimesh dish and a General Instrument Innovation 550i reciever. We live out in the country, no cable TV available. Not interested in paying a subscription to Dish (or which ever).

Question #1: Are there any satellites/stations still available with this equipment worth the trouble to reconnect?
We're not interested in MTV, HBO or similar types.
Question #2: Can we get programs like HGTV, National Geographic, History, Discover?
#3: Is this something I need an expert to align/adjust or simple enough for a simpleton to accomplish?
#4: Are there updates to this equipment that would get us HGTV, NGC, ect.?
#5: Is this all a waste of time and $$ better spent on hotel room with cable?
Thanks for you intelligent answers.

Hello and a big welcome to you!

There are many tech gurus here that can help or perhaps confuse you.
Do not give up if that happens!
If you do not understand something just post it to let us know
so someone(s???) here can help you get your setup going.

And for you questions...

#1 Yes there is some neat stuff up there, it depends on what you like but it will not be a perfect replacement for that financy city tv.

#2 NatGeo and History are available for a small fee on the big dish but you will need a different receiver. Check out the 4DTV section on this website. (History channel is available in the clear on Ku band!)

#3 If the dish is still set up it will not take much effort (if any) to fudge it around yourself
to receive signals again.

#4 Yes there are a few upgrades like a receiver for NatGeo and History type stuff. Again check out the 4DTV area.

The 4DTV receivers were originally made by General Instruments and then Motorola took them over. Most prefer the DSR920 or the "newer" DSR922 for 4DTV reception. Try checking Craiglist and thrift shops too for bargains on these receivers.

#5 Most all of us here do not think that it is a waste of time and money or
we would not be here on Satellite Guys!!!
The ones that think it is a waste of money subscribe to the pizza services (Dish or DirecTV) and send all of their hard earned money to those companies and also have their own area on SatelliteGuys. Most people here try to support the sponsors of SatelliteGuys for their equipment needs but if money is an issue then try Ebay!

I do not know what kind of internet service you have available but a lot of us here also have Netflix to get movies which is an affordable option.

With the money you will save on TV with FTA and 4DTV service you can still afford to go to a hotel room and watch those crappy quality cable channels too!

 

[T4Runner]

Go to the top of this page, click on "The List". Then go down to C Band ad click on each satellite to find out what is available free. I ike 91W.

 

[Lone Gunman]

91*W, 87*W, 137*W, 101W, 72W Ku, yadda yadda yadda. Yeah, there's a bunch up there......BUT...... and I include this for my darling Wife as she can't even turn my system on, it's not something that's "always there" and you do have to keep up via websites like this one.

Do I watch FTA TV FREE? Yes. Does my Wife watch it? NO, not unless I turn it on and put it on a channel for her! As I said, she can't even turn the system on! So from these comments it's obvious that FTA TV is NOT for everyone. If your family is somewhat "tech savy" then you might be OK but DO NOT plan on FTA TV being your primary means of viewing TV programming!

On another note, I'm not the kind of guy that "follows the crowd" so to speak. That and I've got a hard on for D!ck Network since Echostar, which owns D!ck were the ones that for all practical purpose put 4DTV out of business. For that reason I'll NEVER, EVER, EVER have a sub to D!ck Network anything!!! Ok, so much for the rant, but you probably get the picture from this and other posts made on this thread. It's a fun hobby and I do enjoy doing stuff that most ppl have no idea how to do. And as mentioned up the page, there's a wealth of knowledge here that you can tap for most any problem you may encounter.

And a final FYI, I've had a 10 ft Winegard dish since 1988. I've added different receivers to that dish over the years and my latest setup includes an AZBox Ultra, which was $275 when I bought it last year. There are some DVB receivers out there now for around $125 but the AZ is the "king of the hill" about now. So even though you might not be paying for a satellite service, the equipment to get into FTA DVB TV isn't cheap and some of it isn't user friendly at times.

So now that you have some info you can decide if you want to "take the plunge" and join us to have some fun searching the sky!

 

[radio]

Echoing all the thoughts already posted of the membership being here to help! This site's the BEST for new satellite hobbyists and experts too!

Also of help since a big dish already exists for you may be a review of C-band (4DTV also known as Hits to Home or H2H) programming on skyvison.com or the satellite receivers Limited website. This may help enlighten you, as a new member regarding package subscriptions without contract from That seems to be a big factor these days with people I have installed recently.

Get the basic channels you want via subscription, learn more about the hobby, add FTA at ANY level to which you are comfortable, and ENJOY!
I recently brought a member into FTA, and now its the major source of entertainment for he and his wife! They're both hooked on it!

And, I also echo the "welcomes" already posted. We're glad you're here on this site!

 

[Lone Cloud]

I've had DirecTV. I've had Dish Network. I spent all my time trying to find something to watch. With however many hundreds of stations, most are utterly useless. Then I had to deal with the monthy fees.

For some time now, I have been happier with true FTA C and Ku bands. A partial list would be PBS (create, World, three other HD stations), History, Biography, FX, CW, Ion, (about five stations, two in HD), This, ABC, NBC, Fox, and feeds for sports events

I am just as happy with this limited but perfectly good lineup as I ever was with the big providers, Sure, it isn't predictable, but I personally think predictable is overrated.

Works for me.

 

[stanleyjohn]

welcome! besides getting some of what cable and dish has to offer today you get feeds that show things that you would not see on normal tv like a reporter talking to his camera crew while tapeing or going live.If the dish you have is 6 feet or larger you can get a ku/c LNBF on it to get both c and ku bands instead of two dishes.

 

[T4Runner]

Like Lone-Gunman, my wife des not even know how to switch the TV to FTA. So, I have to admit, while I am pleased and enjoy FTA, if I get run over by a truck today, my wife would sell or give away all the FTA stuff and have ONE REMOTE...;>)

 

[radio]

Ah, but don't let that scare you away from it! My newest convert to FTA has his wife hooked on FTA, the on-screen network listings of "what" they are make it easy to literally scroll, click, wait for the dish to move, and enjoy. Once the initial setup is done, its not that tough! Once you find your favorites and save 'em, its no bother at all!

 

[rv1pop]

My wife knows how to find her FAVS list, how to turn the system on and so she watches all the FTA she wants. Even when I turn it off to change inverters or charge batteries ! AWK! And she can not start the motor home - but she can drive it.

 

[gardenman2002]

Hey, gardenman2002 here.

I started out about a year ago . I used to install the big dishes(buds)about 20 years ago.. I watch history , patient channel, rtv-older movies/series like emergency incredible hulk, etc. tuff tv has some westerns and boxing/mma style shows.
you can watch the pentagon channel and watch " the grill sergents" a military cooking showand some really good phys-ed shows too.swing over to 97 w
and watch press tv, alzheera tv,russia tv (news channels for world events, ebru tv for movies like helicops,
spooks-about mi-5 , nature shows, and documentaries all on one channel. 60 plus christian channels in english,
that include amazing discoveries that inform people on te dangers of contaminants in our medicines, cooking recepies, watched a show last night about heading up a spring to recoup the water for usability. All free on ku band. Now you go to c band ,now you get ions,fx,reelz, some fox channels, rfd tv,107 has weather from canada but inncludes some of the usa. Also weather nation,on 87w c band is a weather channel for the usa listed on lynsat.com.
qvc, hsn is up further. also 99w you get some good channels and some lesea channels. rifleman,gunsmoke,etc.
and christian programming.87w has alot if you can put up a bigger dish. I was asking for an eight foot dish, and located one with weeds all around and it turned up to be a 10 footer. all free for the asking and the labor of taking it down. you can buy a basic receiver for 50-70 dollars like i did , but its best to invest in a receiver that is capable of dvb-s2 and convert the ac3 audio so you can plug and play to your tv.I eventually bought an openbox s9 hd receiver and have loved it. receiver for 135 with shipping, free dish, pipe to mount it,45. c\ku band lnb, about 25 to 30 dollars depending on the shipping. Im probably off on that since i bought mine last year.cable, and fittings. 220 to 250 to buy scrounge and install dish,forgot-cement. varies on the depth and width of hole you dig for the size dish. . compare that with a directv \dish sub and its no comparison.
40 a month? 480 a year for every year you have it. change packages, you can add even more. go with 4dtv
for any pay channels,and with free to air,well im pushing a couple hundred channels. all free.nothing is guarenteed but neither is dtv/dish, and you have to pay for them. I also have an outside antenna with an amplifier and rotor that i scrounged and get 30 to 40 digital channels also.Plenty to watch.tv like it should be free!!. Im hooked really bad,so is my wife and son. He watches cartoons on cw , and also on ebru tv. Not to mention all the wild feeds you can find to watch sports. welcome fellow fta
person.!!! Enjoy!!!!By the way there are plenty of companies that sponsor this website that will steer you in the correct way and they themselves promote fta pretty heavily.

 

[gardenman2002]

I apologize for the bad spelling. I am cooling off from working outside all day and am still in shock over the amount of free tv channels i can get. Also there is horse racing channels, nasa channels and a butt load of radio stations to listen to . any way welcome again!!!!!!

 

[Anole]

The OP, Sasquatch hasn't replied to all these answers above, so I don't know what to think.

But let me say this, what Lone Gunman said (I've quoted the relevant parts below) is a serious consideration.
FTA is a hobby, we play with it, we enjoy it, and if you are looking for a turn-key solution, this may not be for you.
Also, you will have to spend some money * to see any pictures.

Having said all that, if you have been discouraged, then now is the time to cut 'n run.
If you are still with us, then we're happy to educate and help you get a nice system set up. :up

* edit:
You may be able to get a couple of Analog signals on your system, as-is.

Iceberg lists Analog channels:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/237933-no-analog-channels-2.html#post2550265

Unless you want to get into satellite TV/FTA TV as a hobby you'd probably be better off with Direct TV and be done with it.
Most of us here do this as a hobby to supplement some other form of paid or OTA TV.

There is a BIG DISH paid service available but it's a mere shadow of what it once was as far as programming available and would require that you purchase a compatible receiver to even get it.

So unless you're a DIY kind of guy that loves to tinker with stuff, this FTA satellite TV may not be for you.

 

[rv1pop]

Looks like OP signed off as soon as posted and has not been back on.....

 

[navychop]

My two cents, FWIW:

You have to decide:

1. Do you want to watch TV, as in regularly following a series and not missing any, and maybe DVRing some shows, or
2. Do you want a hobby, that includes some TV watching?

As a hobby, you can watch a LOT, including a lot not on the "pizza dishes." It may take more work, and up front investment, and a learning curve, and perhaps a small monthly bill anyway. But note the "predictability" comment made earlier. And keep in mind, this is a field with a declining number of adherents.

If you or your family want to watch shows regularly, you might be happier with a Dish or DirecTV subscription. Yes, I know "Dish" is a dirty word in these FTA forums, but obviously not everyone feels that way.

If you want to explore, and find interesting feeds, then this hobby might be for you. But it won't be free, unless you will be content with a very small selection. And you will have to work at it- that's why it's a hobby and not just watching TV. And it is satisfying for many. And depending upon the size of your TV and other factors, you may see higher PQ.

My FiL had a nice FTA setup. Nice large mesh BUD, couple of receivers. He fiddled with it a lot. Something went wrong with his setup, and Alzheimer's set in, so that went away, and cable came in. I could not set up a BUD in the townhouse I lived in then. We couldn't GIVE away his equipment. And we tried. You see, we had to sell their house, and that BUD was a real negative for potential buyers, from the feedback we received. Later, I moved to a larger house but then decided I didn't need another hobby, what with the honeydew list and all.

Good to ask questions, and go into this with open eyes. There is no real wrong answer, it's a matter of preference. Best to you in making your decision!

 

[Sasqwatch]

What happened? I did quick reply last Sunday explaining that it's haying season and with a forty hour plus work schedule I don't get much of a window of opportunity to get back on here and play. Sorry. Since that quick reply of last Sunday we put up about twenty five hundred square bales of hay and I stacked another seventy plus round bales, beside all the other normal "chores" of the farm. So you see I haven't been slacking and did read all your replies. Now I'll have to go back and read them all again to remember who said what so I can replay again. Besides this "project" I've been surfing the web for pieces and parts to repair a GE fridge ice maker and a John Deere crawler loader, I been kinda busy. Thanks for you understanding. Let me go back and refresh my memory about what everybody wrote and I'll post another reply with an update. Thanks again for all your responses.

 

[rv1pop]

Most ice makers use the same parts. My spares are buried in my truck or I would offer you a good used one. But PM me with what you need.