So...after Orby, what next?

I know for me it will be OTA, can't see paying over $100+ to watch commercials, that's about all you see anymore.
I wish I could do just OTA, but I'm in a strange situation. I live in the boons about 30 miles north of Cadillac, MI and can only get a few OTA stations.
In between Cadillac and Lake City there is a station that has about 12 good subchannels (Grit etc) but the problem is, it is a low power station that barely gets across the road. I could be wrong, but i think they are under 500 watts! Can't get em most of the year from my cabin here in the woods EXCEPT after the leaves are off the trees and have snow on the ground. In addition, when I CAN get em, about a week out of every month, I can't get em, and I don't know why, I suspect some kind of sun activity or something.
I keep hoping someone would buy them and boost em but hasn't happened. If I could get them reliably, I'd never pay another penny for sat or internet TV. Internet TV constantly buffers here and isn't worth having.
 
My, what a not-left-wing article that is!

As was touched on in the article, StarLink is aimed at rural. Simply will it have the capacity to serve so many customers as to threaten the cablecos.
 
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I wish I could do just OTA, but I'm in a strange situation. I live in the boons about 30 miles north of Cadillac, MI and can only get a few OTA stations.
In between Cadillac and Lake City there is a station that has about 12 good subchannels (Grit etc) but the problem is, it is a low power station that barely gets across the road. I could be wrong, but i think they are under 500 watts! Can't get em most of the year from my cabin here in the woods EXCEPT after the leaves are off the trees and have snow on the ground. In addition, when I CAN get em, about a week out of every month, I can't get em, and I don't know why, I suspect some kind of sun activity or something.
I keep hoping someone would buy them and boost em but hasn't happened. If I could get them reliably, I'd never pay another penny for sat or internet TV. Internet TV constantly buffers here and isn't worth having.
I live out in the sticks as well, and down in a valley with trees all around. I put up a 110 inch antenna with a televes amplifier, 35' tower and so far I've been able to pull OTA signals from about 63 miles away. we'll see how that works when the leaves come out.
 
My, what a not-left-wing article that is!

As was touched on in the article, StarLink is aimed at rural. Simply will it have the capacity to serve so many customers as to threaten the cablecos.
Yah, bitter clinger living in flyover country, my zip code here is EiEiO, and darn glad of it.
All the tech stuff is way over my head, I can find a bird and point a dish, but really just want to watch TV. Orby fills that bill nicely; be great if they can hang in there.
 
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I live out in the sticks as well, and down in a valley with trees all around. I put up a 110 inch antenna with a televes amplifier, 35' tower and so far I've been able to pull OTA signals from about 63 miles away. we'll see how that works when the leaves come out.
Amped here too but can't get above the trees. 30-35 miles is it, even with this huge thing.
20210227_111512.jpg
 
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Yah, bitter clinger living in flyover country, my zip code here is EiEiO, and darn glad of it.
All the tech stuff is way over my head, I can find a bird and point a dish, but really just want to watch TV. Orby fills that bill nicely; be great if they can hang in there.
Yes it does, I sure hope they get things together soon.
 
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I have internet through our Power Company 54mps at $64.00 a month unlimited so have all the free streaming channels out there PLUTO, ROKU and a number of others. Just put my name on the STARLINK waiting list and paid my $99.00 upfront fee (this will be the game changer). I also have DISH and pay $149.00 a month they just went up about $3.00 this last billing. There are specials out there VIDGO (streaming) is doing a special for $10.00 a month for the first 2 months then you can keep them or cancel I am on my second month.

Any of ya'll in the Miami area? This company just opened a new store there doing installs and there is a list of cities they are servicing around Miami:
kiwisatfl com From Mobile looks like sat SES-10 is almost over head but they are only doing the Miami area they did reply to an email sent see below:

Morning,

if you need more information or assistance, please call our main office ask for Yasmine.

Attached is our channel list. Most channels are in English.


"I am curious, do not speak Spanish. How many of the channels in your KP3 package for South Florida are English speaking? I see you have opened a store up in MIAMI and now have a website KIWISATFL

Looks like same type setup as ORBY I think around $113.00 for Dish 1 Receiver and a free month of programming plus 72 hour install time then you prepay every month after.
 

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Nah. Starlink is Internet. And from what I've heard from locals with no cable/fiber options out in the sticks, Hughesnet and the other satellite 'net providers are in for a big slap in the face.
Where they cap your data, Starlink won't. And once the beta testing is complete and available to everyone. Starlink will rule. Period. Elon isn't putting all of those sats up to just clutter the sky.
One couple can't steam Netflix on their Hughes sub. Nor Prime. And if they try, the data cap kicks in with 1mbps speed until the next billing cycle. They just told me that they put up a few hunters during deer season and their data was capped in a few hours. I showed them my Starlink invite. They immediately signed up.
$99 per month is steep, yes. But with no data cap and very high speeds. The only stick in the spokes is the initial equipment purchase. $500 plus shipping and tax if you get approved.Self install (which is virtually painless). It still sounds tasty.

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I was intrigued by Orby but failed to see the value. Dish network with a Wally imo is a much better value. You can buy the equipment for less than Orby, install it yourself and get more channels with the Flex Pack. No need to pay for locals either.
 
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Wow, really low power station.
It has a construction permit to go to 15kw. That should allow reception at 35~ miles, IF a person is using and HDB91x antenna, at least 30' up a pole. Likely would need a KT-200-COAX preamp also. How do I know this? I'm doing this exact thing with a 10kw LD station (WFFC-LD) in Saginaw that's 32 miles away from me, as the crow flies. I also have trees, but still can get my station with this setup. KT-200 TV Booster

I've tried other preamps, (including the newest TELEVES one) and the Kitztech preamp readily beats it hands down.

Yah, bitter clinger living in flyover country, my zip code here is EiEiO, and darn glad of it.
All the tech stuff is way over my head, I can find a bird and point a dish, but really just want to watch TV. Orby fills that bill nicely; be great if they can hang in there.

It's locked solid, but I'm real close to the digital cliff.
 
It has a construction permit to go to 15kw. That should allow reception at 35~ miles, IF a person is using and HDB91x antenna, at least 30' up a pole. Likely would need a KT-200-COAX preamp also. How do I know this? I'm doing this exact thing with a 10kw LD station (WFFC-LD) in Saginaw that's 32 miles away from me, as the crow flies. I also have trees, but still can get my station with this setup. KT-200 TV Booster

I've tried other preamps, (including the newest TELEVES one) and the Kitztech preamp readily beats it hands down.



It's locked solid, but I'm real close to the digital cliff.
Thanks for the link on the KT200, I see it's 24 db gain, I'll have to see what I'm using is rated for.
 
Thanks for the link on the KT200, I see it's 24 db gain, I'll have to see what I'm using is rated for.
The more important part, is that it's only .4db noise. I've tried higher gain pre-amps, BUT, nothing beats that .4db noise level on the Kitztech. You need the lowest noise pre-amp you can find, to get a LD station at 30~ miles away.
 
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The more important part, is that it's only .4db noise. I've tried higher gain pre-amps, BUT, nothing beats that .4db noise level on the Kitztech. You need the lowest noise pre-amp you can find, to get a LD station at 30~ miles away.
I've got 3 or 4 amps laying around here, I'll check their specs, but with so much stuff made by the C. H. Ina company, you don't know if what's listed is actual or not.
 
I've got 3 or 4 amps laying around here, I'll check their specs, but with so much stuff made by the C. H. Ina company, you don't know if what's listed is actual or not.
I like the televes 560383 it's made in Spain, rated @31dB for uhf and 22 for vhf. Not sure about the noise ratio rating at the moment, so far it's done really well for me.
 
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I like the televes 560383 it's made in Spain, rated @31dB for uhf and 22 for vhf. Not sure about the noise ratio rating at the moment, so far it's done really well for me.
I tried the newest Televes 560483, and though I can't really find exact specs on it's noise rating, It's got to be OVER 4db, from my tests. That's WAY too high, IMO. The Kitztech KT-200-Coax pre-amp beats it without even breathing hard.
 

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