Newbie to FTA Satellite, need ur help with some questions

[shramj]

I was trying to figure out some stuff about this FTA stuff. I live in Phoenix, AZ and I want to get the local Chicago stations so I can watch the Bears games. I was reading up about FTA and I am confused with some of the stuff I have been reading. I hope I listed all the information that you may need in order to help me. Thanks for your help, i am just confused with all this FTA talk.

1. I was looking at the Pansat 3500 receiver, I currently want to get an 18inch dish because I am worried about my HomeOwners association because my building put a Coax TV outlet on the side on my house for a Satellite (faces southwest) and if I get a 30inch Dish, it will be visable above my fence line and I really do not have another place to put a 30inch dish (yards are small in Phoenix). Can I get the channels I want below with an 18inch dish and the Pansat or do I need a different brand receiver? Are they still FTA or would I be able to get them but would it be then considered illegal because I have a smaller dish?

2. Besides the Pansat and actual dish, what other equipment will i need? I keep reading about FBNF, would I need that. Can I watch two different FTA programs on two different TV's in my house?

3. I went to lyngsat/uslocal/index.html and I see under Illinois all the local Chicago stations that I could ever want, most of them are under Satellite AMC 15 & EchoStar 8, Can I get all these FTA? Under lyngsat they have locals, Net TV, Free FV, etc. Can I get all of these stations?

 

[Mr Tony]

Welcome

I was trying to figure out some stuff about this FTA stuff. I live in Phoenix, AZ and I want to get the local Chicago stations so I can watch the Bears games. I was reading up about FTA and I am confused with some of the stuff I have been reading. I hope I listed all the information that you may need in order to help me. Thanks for your help, i am just confused with all this FTA talk.

FTA will not be helpful in this situation…I’ll explain below

1. I was looking at the Pansat 3500 receiver, I currently want to get an 18inch dish because I am worried about my HomeOwners association because my building put a Coax TV outlet on the side on my house for a Satellite (faces southwest) and if I get a 30inch Dish, it will be visable above my fence line and I really do not have another place to put a 30inch dish (yards are small in Phoenix). Can I get the channels I want below with an 18inch dish and the Pansat or do I need a different brand receiver? Are they still FTA or would I be able to get them but would it be then considered illegal because I have a smaller dish?

A 18” dish will not work for most FTA. You need at least a 30” dish. A FTA box will not help in this situation

2. Besides the Pansat and actual dish, what other equipment will i need? I keep reading about FBNF, would I need that. Can I watch two different FTA programs on two different TV's in my house?

LNB is what picks up the signal. You would need a dual to see 2 programs on 2 separate TV’s

3. I went to lyngsat/uslocal/index.html and I see under Illinois all the local Chicago stations that I could ever want, most of them are under Satellite AMC 15 & EchoStar 8, Can I get all these FTA? Under lyngsat they have locals, Net TV, Free FV, etc. Can I get all of these stations?

No. It all depends on line of sight and footprint of the satellite.

But back to the original question, there are a some networks on FTA, but they are in texas and Arkansas so you’ll get the Cowboys and Saints on these. You can’t pick up Dish network stuff (sans NASA, Gol & Angel One) with a FTA box unless the box is illegally modified and we don’t condone that here.

 

[shramj]

Thanks Iceberg, you are a big help! I see you answer and help a ton of people on this board, I am glad I posted about this before I went and bought the FTA equipment. Thanks, Joe