New to FTA - Want to receive Networks

[Dobs]

I have a cabin in NH with a fantastic ssw-to-w exposure and am extremely interested in setting up a system that will pull in the major networks. Since I'm not at the cabin as much as I would like to be, I don't want to "dish" out a monthly charge for pay satellite (pun intended).

From reading the great posts here, I'm setteling in on possibly ordering the Fortec Mercury II with a 90 cm motorized dish.

QUESTION: Before I do, though, will I be able to pull in at least the basic networks (in english)? NBC/CBS/ABC etc... It appears that the G10R satellite has several FTA stations broadcasting most of what I am looking for... but I want to be sure. My VHF/UHF set-up won't get much of anything where I'm at.

Yes, I realize setting up a motorized system, and even getting G10R may be taxing to the nerves... but I'm willing to go there if the end result is rewarding... And it sounds like a great hobby to boot...

What think?

Thanks for the help. -Brian.

 

[Mr Tony]

Fox, MyNetwork and ABC-yes
CBS, NBC-no...not on G10

There is one Fox Network and 2 ABC's (basically the same thing on both). There is also My Network TV and RTN (Retro TV Network) on G10

 

[Dobs]

Thanks for the quick response! Is CBS/NBC currently available on another satellite I'll be able to pull in?

 

[Mr Tony]

CBS-no
NBC is on another satellite (AMC1) but it is just the national programs and is in a format (4:2:2) that you would need a PC Card to tune it in

If you want to get a little bigger dish (say a 6 footer), all 4 nets are on G4/G16 C-Band. They are from Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands but are mostly the NY stations (minus some news and add local commercials)

 

[Mr Tony]

Since I'm not at the cabin as much as I would like to be, I don't want to "dish" out a monthly charge for pay satellite

That is a very smart idea. We do FTA at our cabin too. We can get CBS OTA so all we are missing is NBC

 

[updatelee]

Ive tried a few different irds and I have to say the fortec mercury II drives my motor faster and more accuratly then anything else I put on it.

 

[rdel]

You can build a mini bud and pickup ABC,NBC,CBS and fox on c-band without moving the dish.
Galaxy 16
http://www.lyngsat.com/g16.html

Just look around your neighborhood for a small (or any size) c-band dish
rdel

 

[DiscoLoveGrapes]

You can build a mini bud and pickup ABC,NBC,CBS and fox on c-band without moving the dish.
Galaxy 16
http://www.lyngsat.com/g16.html

Just look around your neighborhood for a small (or any size) c-band dish
rdel

Does the miniBUD concept (1.2m) work for these signals?

 

[rdel]

I used a five foot dish with a OLD c-band lnb and picked them up pretty well, If I would have changed the LNB to one of the newer, good ones it would have been great.
Instead I moved the dish to g10r and put a multi lnb setup on it. ( I wanted to get rid of the rain fade on g10r) I also get music from 119 and white springs tv on the same dish
rdel.

 

[kymics]

Intesting to hear that. In terms of microBUD, I mostly see comments on how the 1.2m is pretty much too small and that the 1.8m can be very good. There are some companies that produce 1.5m dishes, so I wonder in general which bevahior they lean toward.

 

[Dobs]

Thanks for the replies. Gave Sadoun my order today... Settled on the Fortec Mercury II rcvr; FSKU-2 LNB; HH120 motor; 120CM dish... Can't wait till it arrives!!!

 

[updatelee]

nice setup !

 

[Mr Tony]

VERY nice setup

by the way...is that "the cabin" in the avatar?

 

[Dobs]

Yup... that's "The Cabin"... It's actually on an island on an 850 acre lake in NH. The back side has a great arc of the ssw - n horizon. Can't wait to get this set-up going...

 

[drhydro]

Hi Dobbs,
I live in northern vermont and am able to get all the networks on c-band using a 6' dish, so if you can find a 6'er laying around somewhere you might want to consider putting it up and using it ;-)

 

[Sadoun]

Thanks for the replies. Gave Sadoun my order today... Settled on the Fortec Mercury II rcvr; FSKU-2 LNB; HH120 motor; 120CM dish... Can't wait till it arrives!!!

Thanks for your order.

BTW, nice cabin. I hope you will enjoy your new order.

 

[Dobs]

All said and done

Just a follow up...

First of all, thanks Sadoun...

My wife stayed home today. She didn't want to be near me when I connected the dish for the first time. Smart woman.

Actually, thanks to all the great info on this board and on Sadoun's board, the install went pretty smooth.

I set the 2" schd40 pole in concrete yesterday. Plumbed with the Johnson angle meter and level. Both instruments seemed to agree. 3.5' in the ground, 4.5' above ground. For the rest of the day, I pre-assembled as much of the dish as I could indoors.

Today, I mounted the dish, wired it to the MercII, and carefully set the dish to where I calculated my direct south satellite to be (AMC6). I think I was pretty close with azmuth, by my elevation turned out to be WAY off. I actually had the dish pointing somewhat toward the sky. Who would have thought that it would look like it's pointing at the horizon when it's really set near 40'. Darn offset.

Learning that my due south sat is in the middle of a huge pine tree, I proceeded to have the MERCII move the dish to the sat that I was really after (G10R). Unplugging the MERCII, I proceeded to hook up my cheap power meter... plugged the MERCII in, did a blind scan... and found signals all over the place on the power meter as I moved the dish around... but nothing on the TV back in the cabin.

OK, So I gave in and set the TV and MERCII next to the dish. After about 10 minutes of "adjusting" I found G10R (123W)... Yippie... Having only to do a fine tweek for IA5, I can now lock on everything down to G3C (95W). I start to lose it at 93.0W (and it will be that way unless I take the chain saw out).

After reading all the install - horror stories... I feel pretty good about my 1st time ever install in less than 3 hours... motorized too !!! Maybe it's a case of 95% of the installs go great, and you only hear about the 5% that don't.

Whatever it is... thanks to you all... for your posts on this board and Sadoun's board.

And thanks again for the package Sadoun... I'm wicked happy with it (ps, I like the "black" hat the best).

 

[Mr Tony]

COOL!

Glad you got everything working. Yes there are horror stories where people have taken weeks to get it working. BUt a little reading can go a LONG way

Welcome to the FTA family

 

[Sadoun]

Hey, congrats on your new installation.