Renewbed again. :)

[revanche]

Well its been awhile but I'm getting ready to jump back into the hobby. So with that said I'm asking for opinions on the best pure fta receiver. I want blind scan and I'll be getting a new motor and 30 inch. Also is the Invacom still one of the better lnfbs or is there a new king? Thanks in advance.

 

[Tron]

Not much has changed with regards to LNBFs. Many of us are using bandstacked LNBs now, but those have been out for some time now. The Invacom QPH might not be as popular as it was before, as most of the free stuff on the DBS channels is now scrambled, but it is still a solid LNBF.

The receiver world has changed quite a bit. DVB-S2 and HD are now the big things, and for those you'll need capable gear. The forerunners in the receiver category are the AZBox and the Openbox (which is also known as the Sathawk, the Solomend, or by some here, the "SSO"). AZBox will display 4:2:2, but is more pricey. The Openbox is fantastically cheap (~ $140), but has some bugs, as do all receivers. I would suggest reading some of the many threads that discuss these receivers to make an informed choice.

 

[revanche]

Thank you for the info Tron, it was most helpful.

 

[Tron]

Welcome (back) to the hobby!

 

[Anole]

Dunno how long you'be been away, so here are a few more recent happenings:

- all the popular Ku channels have moved/changed/died/etc in the last couple of years, so which birds you look to may be different
- there's more HD; you can get PBS and NASA in HD for starters.
- I recommend 36" minimum for Ku, but 30" will get you going
- plenty of good choices for LNBFs; I have an Invacom, but also many others
- analog C-band is mostly dead
- digital subscription 4DTV on C-band has curled up in the corner (see the 4Dtv forum for more info)
- in spite of Tron's enthusiasm about bandstacked lnbs, there are limited choices; you'll get plenty good support for 'em here anyway
- agree completely on receivers
- the several AZbox models have their own subforum here, are more expensive and challenging to operate
- the SSO (Openbox S9) or possibly the new S10, would be my first choice for S2, mpeg4, and HD operation (PVR fails, though)
- we should have somewhere an FAQ on motor setup by AcWxRadar, should you need it
- there is an illlustrated FAQ on multiple LNBFs and switches which I put together

 

[revanche]

Ok so after reading I've decided I need to do more reading lol. I've settled on an openbox s9, and a 36 inch dish with a motor. But from what I've read it seems to me that bandstacked is for multiple receiver setups, so I was thinking of getting the invacom single linear from sadoun with the .3 db. If my reading on the bandstacked is off please let me know. Also I never really got if I'm allowed by FCC rules to go up to a meter or not in the city without permission. Oh how I'd love to have a nice 90. Thoughts? Corrections? Thread links? Lol.

 

[Tron]

According to OTARD, you may install up to a 1 meter dish, even if a HOA or municipal code enforcement tries to tell you otherwise. The only exceptions are certain historical districts.