Looking for suggestions for FTA satellite dishes

[Route66Fan]

I'm looking to get my first FTA satellite dish within the next year & am looking for suggestions on which one would be big enough to get SES-1. I am in Carrollton, MO, about 65mi Northeast of Kansas City, MO. I have seen a video on YouTube in the past where a guy in St. Louis, MO picked up SES-1 on a 1.2m satellite dish. I am looking for one that is the least expensive, easier to set up & could be ordered off of the internet & shipped to me. I've checked around & found a 1.2m dish for around $369. Anybody have any suggestions?

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[comfortably_numb]

I am not far from you. What are you trying to receive on 101?

 

[Route66Fan]

Mostly stuff like Heroes & Icons & other diginets.

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[comfortably_numb]

I've experimented with a 1.2m for C-band and had limited success with 101. Feeds received were Golden Eagle Broadcasting, the ME TV mux, MOVIES! and Decades.

You need a bigger dish to get H&I and the others.

 

[comfortably_numb]

You should be able to get some diginets from Columbia and Kansas City with a good rooftop or attic antenna-

 

[Route66Fan]

Would a 1.6m dish be able get them better?
I do have a outdoor TV antenna, but I am far enough away that the low power TV stations don't come in usually.

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[comfortably_numb]

Why not just get a proper C-band dish? These mini-bud experiments are fun, but for reliable reception you need a BUD.

 

[Route66Fan]

I would like to, but I am looking for one that would be easier to set up & no more than 6ft.

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[GetBit03]

I have a 6ft. I'm not using anymore since I swapped to a 8ft. I'm in STL. I agree a 6ft. for C band is minimal, you will still miss out on some weak signals but not a lot if it is properly tuned. The mini bud is fun to experiment with but not everyday use. My 6ft. did me very well for 8 years until I got a good deal on a 8ft. My HOA left me alone on the 6ft for so long one afternoon I snuck up the 8ft. IDK if anyone even noticed LOL. Anyway the 6ft. I have is torn down right now, It will need some new bolts that snapped when I took it apart. I have a good working LNB and a new mover. I even have a pole sitting around that should be plenty long to concrete in. so it would be a complete package close.

 

[Route66Fan]

I have a 6ft. I'm not using anymore since I swapped to a 8ft. I'm in STL. I agree a 6ft. for C band is minimal, you will still miss out on some weak signals but not a lot if it is properly tuned. The mini bud is fun to experiment with but not everyday use. My 6ft. did me very well for 8 years until I got a good deal on a 8ft. My HOA left me alone on the 6ft for so long one afternoon I snuck up the 8ft. IDK if anyone even noticed LOL. Anyway the 6ft. I have is torn down right now, It will need some new bolts that snapped when I took it apart. I have a good working LNB and a new mover. I even have a pole sitting around that should be plenty long to concrete in. so it would be a complete package close.

Just wondering, are you ToddHa on YouTube? If so, I think it's your video that I saw on YouTube.

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[GetBit03]

No, Not me.

 

[Route66Fan]

No, Not me.

Oh, Ok.

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[cyberham]

What they said.

Forget a 1.2m dish to receive 101W C-band reliably, especially if you're looking for an easy setup.

 

[Route66Fan]

Could I probably use a 1.6m or 1.8m satellite dish to get SES-1?

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[Titanium]

While you currently should receive most services with a 1.8m reflector, the wider beamwidth of this undersized dish will also be receiving signals from adjacent satellites. A 2.4m dish would provide the narrower beam to reject adjacent satellites. This is likely to become more of an issue in the near future as more services will use the same frequency range of 4.0-4.2GHz utilizing higher FEC rates, which will require better signal quality.

 

[Route66Fan]

I'm on a budget right now & can only afford a cheaper dish (One that I can order off of a online store.) around $350 to, maybe, $600 right now, which is why I was only considering a 1.6m to, maybe, a 2.1m dish for now. I am also interested in picking up stuff on Ku band as well.
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[cyberham]

I'm on a budget right now & can only afford a cheaper dish....

Did you see this?: FREE DISHES

 

[Route66Fan]

Did you see this?: FREE DISHES

Thanks for the link, the only problem though is that I can't drive, so I won't be able to pick up the dishes. Thanks anyway.

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[Route66Fan]

While you currently should receive most services with a 1.8m reflector, the wider beamwidth of this undersized dish will also be receiving signals from adjacent satellites. A 2.4m dish would provide the narrower beam to reject adjacent satellites. This is likely to become more of an issue in the near future as more services will use the same frequency range of 4.0-4.2GHz utilizing higher FEC rates, which will require better signal quality.

Would this be a good satellite dish? Or even this one?

 

[pacificrim]

I recommend that you take the advice to look for a free 10ft mesh as these members have suggested. Having myself gone the long route of 3ft Ku -> 4ft Ku -> adding mini bud hardware and tweaking -> 7.5ft primary Ku with sidecar Cband -> 10ft dual Corotor. Everyone gave me similar advice early on. I'm not saying I ignored it as I was initially focused on PBS and music channels on Ku, but there is so much more on Cband. Find the dish you actually want / need and save time and money early on. Sometimes just paying the shipping will get you a part that you need.