Norcal SAT for FTA USA and Euro channels

[ESA1178]

Hi!
I currently have DIRECTV in Northern California.
Would like to dump it for a Satellite system.
My goal is to pull in out of market channels from the rest of California and USA.
I would really like to pick up Western Europe Channels also. (Can that be done).
I am a noob and would like to get some pointers regarding dish selection based on
the channels I desire. My zip code is 95831.
I live in the Sacramento Valley. Sierra Nevada's to the east of me and San Francisco Bay
to the west......

Thanks for your help!

Mark

 

[FaT Air]

http://thelist.satelliteguys.us/ is one good source to see what's on what satellite. Another would be MPEG . Out of market domestic channels, there's a few. Western European, Not much and I think you'd be out of the satellite foot print in Ca. 97W Ku, might be something, as there's about 260 "channels" on that one.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Mark,

Here is the bad news. Being in California, you are too far west to get anything directly from Europe and you are probably too far east to get much from Asia.

The FTA sats that would provide you with any signals from Europe directly would be well below the horizon and you will not have a LOS (Line Of Sight) for them. I am in Nebraska and the best that I can do here is Hispasat @ 30.0°W. That is my limit viewing sats towards the east with a motorized dish.

The FTA sats serving Asia and the south pacific don't beam much if any signals that reach California. You would have to check the footprint maps to study the sats to your west to know this for sure.

A good tip for you to determine what satellites you can view via LOS is to determine your longitude. Subtract 66°-68° from your longitude to determine the satellite furthest to the east that you can see with a motor (or add 66°-68° to your longitude to determine the furthest satellite to the west that you can see with a motor).

For a fixed point dish, add or subtract roughly 75° - 76°. A fixed point dish can see further because it doesn't have the physical limitations of the motor's rotation or travel.

You will have to keep in mind that even if you have a LOS to the satellite, it does not mean that there is going to be a signal available for you from that bird. The footprint may not cover your area, even though you can see the sat. If they don't direct the transmission beam towards your area or region, it doesn't do you a whole lot of good.

Good news here is that you can get 97.0°W and 125.0°W and anything in between with ease. That's for Ku band. There is also the C-Band which offers more, but you understand that you need a BUD for C-Band and that is often out of the budget or the space limitations for some people.

Hope this helps you out.

RADAR

 

[ESA1178]

Thanks RADAR...

Most of that was foreign to me

However, I took down a pine tree in the corner of my property a few years back.
This means that I have a nice clear area for BUD.
And an unobstructed view of the southern sky.
What are the advantages to installing a C-Band BUD over other compact dishes?

Many thanks again

Mark

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thanks RADAR...

Most of that was foreign to me

However, I took down a pine tree in the corner of my property a few years back.
This means that I have a nice clear area for BUD.
And an unobstructed view of the southern sky.
What are the advantages to installing a C-Band BUD over other compact dishes?

Many thanks again

Mark

Mark,

There are more ITC (In The Clear) channels available via C-Band as opposed to Ku-Band. ITC means that the channel is NOT encrypted and therefore not a PAY channel. So, you don't need a subscription to view the channel. It is "In The Clear" for everyone who has the equipment to pull the signal in.

You stated that most of what I said in my previous post was "foreign" to you. If you are very interested in pursuing this endeavor (FTA via satellite) you will have to become knowledgeable and accustomed to the buzz-words and phrases and acronyms of this industry. There are a lot of them! As well as the mechanics of dishes and the Clarke Belt and arcs and all that mumbo-jumbo. Don't let it scare you off, it's pretty easy, really. If you don't understand it right now, you'll catch on easily and quickly.

Use GOOGLE or Wikipedia and start looking up certain items that you are unfamiliar with. You'll manage, but there is a lot to pickup and learn along the way. It will be a fun learning experience all the way. Anything you don't comprehend, you can ask about here and someone will help explain it. Remember, there is no such thing as a "dumb question" except for the one that you didn't ask!

RADAR

 

[ESA1178]

Thanks RADAR.

If I get a Coolsat 6100 and a Winegard DS-2076 do you think that would do the trick?

Or perhaps this setup:

[TABLE="class: items"]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: name"]GeoSatpro 1.2 Meter KU OFFSET Dish
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: name, width: 100%"]GEOSATPRO DVR1100C - DVR READY USB 2.0 FTA / CAS
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="class: actions"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: name, width: 100%"]LNBF - SL2 BULLET - GEOSATpro DUAL STANDARD KU
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]



Mark

 

[AcWxRadar]

Mark,

You can do well with the DS-2076 dish for a starter, but I would drop the 6100 Coolsat IRD. Get a 6000 or 5000 model instead. They are older and out of production, but they are better than the Coolsat 6100, in my opinion. You would have to purchase them used on ebay. However, I would also be looking at the new receiver from SatelliteAV (see the thread about it in the FTA general chat section)

The 1.2 M GeoSatPro dish is a really great dish! I bought one and have been very pleased with it.

The SL2 is a great LNBF, although I am still using my Invacom QPH-031 LNBF. No real reason behind that. I used the Invacom when there were still (circular polarity) freebie channels (ITC) available from DN on 148°W. Now they are gone and so is the sat. But I haven't changed the LNBF out yet as it works fine for the LINEAR FTA signals, too. So, just chalk that up to either being lazy or having other irons in the fire.

I have an SL2 LNBF and have tested it, so I know that it is good. I would no longer recommend the Invacom QPH-031 as the only advantage to it is that is has a circular LNBF. Everything that I am aware of for circular polarization is now encrypted, so it is not of any advantage. Besides that, the Invacom is high dollar and it is also very heavy (over one pound).

The GeosatPro DVR100C IRD? I am not personally familiar with it so I cannot judge it + or -.

There are several IRD's available today that I have or would like to try. I am going to leave the comparisons of them up to others and to your own personal research. Azbox, S9, S10, MicroHD etc. Get one that truly has a GREAT blind scan function.

Does this info help you?

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Or perhaps this setup:

[TABLE="class: items"]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: name"]GeoSatpro 1.2 Meter KU OFFSET Dish
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: name, width: 100%"]GEOSATPRO DVR1100C - DVR READY USB 2.0 FTA / CAS
[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="class: actions"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: name, width: 100%"]LNBF - SL2 BULLET - GEOSATpro DUAL STANDARD KU
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]



Mark

Mark,

Is that a bundle kit? From Satellite AV? I'd probably go for that.

They have really good stuff and wont steer you wrong in any way.

The great thing about the package is that all the components are designed and meant to work together. That is a plus as it is a matched set. But, I would ask Brian when you place your order if it wouldn't be better for you to wait for the MicroHD receiver.

I edited my post here to include the link to the thread regarding the MicroHD GeoSat Pro IRD:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...w-geosatpro-microhd-receiver-coming-soon.html

RADAR

 

[ESA1178]

Not a package.
Most of the system packages I see are Glorystar.
Isn't that a Christian setup?

Thanks

Mark

 

[AcWxRadar]

The Christian network packages are just fine, Mark. You don't have to be a religious person to use the equipment that they sell. It may come preset for all the religious stations and sats, but you can easily toggle it so that it gets all the channels from any satellite you want.
The folks at Glorystar will explain how to do that. It is simple. You are not locked into the religious stations for eternity and the equipment is good. Last time I looked at their equipment they had reasonable prices and even PVR capabilities. I see no problem at all buying their equipment, I think they offer a really good deal and good products. I won't try to convince you to buy your system from them, but I would urge you to check their stuff out thoroughly and investigate it. Good equipment is good equipment.

Any company listed at the top of this page is trustworthy and reputable. They will all treat you right. I'd look them up before anyone else.

RADAR

 

[ESA1178]

Great news!! GloryStar is 30 mins from me!
So I am off to their office on Monday to get some face to face with a salesperson.
LOL I really don't care if it's a Buddhist satellite. I just wasn't sure about the programming and how that would effect my choices is all.

So if I picked this package, do think that is all I would need? No subscriptions?

http://www.glorystar.tv/shop/?ws_pid=839&ws_cat=413

Thanks

Mark

 

[AcWxRadar]

LOL I really don't care if it's a Buddhist satellite. I just wasn't sure about the programming and how that would effect my choices is all.
So if I picked this package, do think that is all I would need? No subscriptions?

Free Christian Satellite Television - No Monthly Fees from Glorystar Christian Satellite!

You got it Mark... No subscriptions, no fees. But, you have to set it up yourself. It is a DIY project as all FTA stuff is. However, they (glorystar) will help you with that and so will we. You won't be left in the lurch here.

I wish you good luck and happiness, but right now I must go because STAR TREK is on! LOL!

Star Trek Original Series Intro (HQ) - YouTube

RADAR

 

[ESA1178]

Live long & prosper!

 

[AcWxRadar]

Commercial break... It is the "SPORE EPISODE".... Now you belong to US! Hee hee hee! Spock was the first one infected. Now Spock has emotions! Oh my gosh, what is the world coming to? Spock? Spock? Snap out of it Spock!

Back to the show!

 

[AcWxRadar]

Yes. ESA. Live long and prosper.

View attachment 74533

RADAR

 

[SatelliteAV]

We look forward to your visit. I'll be glad to demo a FTA system for you on Monday in the afternoon. Mondays are usually very busy days especially in the AM. We'll give you a test drive on the new GEOSATpro microHD receiver and show you some KU and C-band programming.

You might want to consider starting with a single room system then as your interest and experience grows...... expand to add additional rooms, advanced receivers, motors, dishes, etc.

Like the other members have indicated, buying the system as a Glorystar experience will make your first FTA experience immediately successful and much easier to get you watching the Galaxy 19 satellite right away. You should be watching channels within an hour or two after opening the packaging. The Glorystar system comes complete with aiming coordinates and simple step by step instructions and everything that you will need to perform a standard installation. Hardware to mount the dish, cable, ground and connect the receiver to your TV. We even include a compass, cable ties, clips and a tube of silicon sealant in case you need to seal any bolt holes or around cables passing through walls. Glorystar systems are also provided with one year unlimited telephone support for reception of the G19 Glorystar channels. This will guaranty you success and that you will be able to talk to a customer support technician who knows how to install and operate the satellite equipment.

Once you follow the installation instructions for G-19 and understand the basics of aiming and receiver operation, you can then activate the receiver in the Hobbyist mode and scan whatever channels that you want, aim at different satellites, add a motor or additional dishes.

 

[ESA1178]

The GloryStar package includes 75 and 25 feet of coaxial.
However, the distance tween my dish and receiver will be more like 125'
Consequently I will be getting 200' at my local hardware store.
My question is: They have RG6 and RG6 Quadshield.
Should i get the Quadshield or is that a little much.
Also, because of the distance between dish and receiver, do I need a signal booster of
any kind along the way? Directv ran 2 lines and connected them.
I don't want any degrading of signal, so hence the one continuous line.
Is quadshield a good low loss cable?

Thanks!

Mark

 

[SatelliteAV]

If you plan on adding a motor at a future date, use quad shield RG6 and quality compression fittings.

An in-line amp will actually degrade the signal quality on shorter cable runs and typically should not be used. 125 feet is a short run and will not require any amps. It is better to use better quality coax like a RG11 for longer cable runs over 200 or 300 feet. Limit the number of connectors and barrels to a minimum, but be sure to ground the cable before entering the home to the main electrical panel's ground rod. Use products rated either 3GHz or minimum 2GHz.

 

[AcWxRadar]

ESA,

For your cable run of 125', I personally wouldn't opt for the added expense of the quad shield cable.

I have used both quad shield and standard RG-6 cable for roughly that distance (120' - 140'). I didn't observe any problems, even with a motor in the circuit. However, when I tried to run a line that was 185'-200', I started having trouble operating my motor and that was even with the quad shield cable. I had to go much further than this, so I knew this cable wasn't going to cut it. I ended up with RG-11 solid Cu center conductor cable at a run of somewhere around 285'. I use no signal conditioners or amplifiers.

I believe that the quad shield cable is more applicable if you have to route it near AC electrical conductors to help cancel any EMI from the AC power from being induced into the satellite cable. After using both types (standard and quad shield) for the shorter cable distance on my own satellite installation, I can vouch that it isn't necessary to get too gung ho with the cable, as long as it handles the frequency of the satellite signal from the LNBF it will be fine for that short of a run. If you were to get into much longer cable runs, I would be pondering the solid copper center conductor cable instead of quad shield or maybe both options. Then, if you get into really long cable runs, I would go with RG-11 cable and solid copper center conductor.

Here is one tip that I found along the way. If you always use the same IRD (receiver) and you are quite used to it and the readings you detect on your signal level and quality level, you can monitor the signal level bar graph and percentage. As you try different cable types and lengths, you can get a really good indication of what is happening on your cable by monitoring this reading. It not only tells you something about the RF signal, but it also adds in the DC current through the cable. If you were to use the same cable type, and just keep increasing the length, you can watch the signal level drop as the length increases. Similarly, if you keep the length of the cable constant, and change the cable type, you can compare the quality of each cable type against the others.

RADAR

 

[rrob311]

Thanks RADAR...

Most of that was foreign to me

However, I took down a pine tree in the corner of my property a few years back.
This means that I have a nice clear area for BUD.
And an unobstructed view of the southern sky.
What are the advantages to installing a C-Band BUD over other compact dishes?

Many thanks again

Mark

Hi Mark I see you are in the Valley. If it was me out there I would get a BIG TV antenna with an amp. Are you close to the Bay or Sac? You should be able to get a few channels this way. I would then get like a 7.5'-10' Cband dish on an actuator with an LNBF that does Cband and Ku band. Cband is where its at for FTA channels. Ku has some good PBS (which you could get with antenna) and 97w has a handful of interesting channels. Mostly foreign. Its nice and flat there so you can't go wrong with Cband as long as you don't mind having a larger dish. I would try to find something around 8-10 feet though. Openbox receivers have a good bang for the buck but in order to move a C band Big Ugly Dish you will need a separate box to control the dish or an older receiver that does this. With this setup you will be able to get most everything available FTA in your area. Definitely more programming on Cband aside from 97w.