taking the plunge

[Bulbman2]

I have been thinking about FTA for a long time. I really want hd but I understand that there is very limited amount of fta hd.
Sooooooo

I would like to start out with a basic system


I would like a basic receiver

I dish that would allow me to upgrade to hd at a later time. I still have a hd dishnetwork dish on my roof.

I would like a dish-I live in michigan- the best lnb

do I need a motor?

Most of my tv watching is major networks and hgtv food network etc


ANy suggestions would be appreciated

thanks


John

 

[turbosat]

starter sytems

You can get some of the major network programming from fta channels, but not sure how much network-hd stuff you'd get. I suppose you already have an outdoor tv antenna for your over-the-air signals? If not, it's something to think about, many of the tv-markets now have over the air HD signals in digital format. You'd need a newer tv with digital tuner, or a converter box. (Im using a dvd-recorder with dig tuner built=in right now)
Click on some of the sponsors here, top of the page. Some of them have complete systems or can sell you individual pieces. Also read the Equipment Review section for more info on some of the receivers that are available now.
Sorry, HGTV is pay-tv and not avail over free to air receivers.

 

[Anole]

-welcome-

I agree with TurboSat's comments above.
Our sponsors do offer some nice package systems.
You often get a break by buying all the pieces together, and you won't wind up with parts that don't really compliment each other.

Some of the receivers I'd put on the top of my shopping list would include:
Fortec Star Mercury II,
Pansat 3500sd,
Coolsat 5000 (now discontinued) but the 6000 is fine,

...or for one which you can add a hard drive to:
Visionsat IV200

You can find reviews and plenty of comments about pretty much all those receivers here on the forum.
Just ask if you need a pointer.

The bundled LNB and dish combinations are quite adequate.
Some users like to upgrade to hotter or specialized LNBs.
These two are quite common:
Invacom SNH-031, single output, Universal, 0.3db s/n
Invacom QPH-031, quad output, Standard, 0.3db s/n, two outputs linear, two outputs circular polarization
...but neither are required, by any means.

Shipping dishes usually gets more expensive if they're over 36", so that's a practical limitation when ordering.
Generally, 30" - 39" is the range most commonly found with the general population.
Size does matter, and bigger is always better. - :up

If you decide to shop piecemeal, we can point you to some attractive deals on individual parts.


Motors - I almost forgot.
Well, there's plenty to see just aiming at a single bird.
See some of these lists to get a taste: 1, 2, 3, 4.
(all list the same sats, but in different formats)
If you do choose to get a motor now or later, I'd still suggest you get started without it, to get familiar with the receiver, and aiming the dish.
There's a lot to learn, and adding a motor after you've gotten comfortable with your receiver will be a lot less stress.
On you, and on us !


Last but not least, there's more to FTA than just Ku-band (around 12ghz).
The C-band is still alive and well.
There, you'll want an 8 or 10 foot dish to get the signals in the 4ghz area.
The good news is, the receivers mentioned above will all work fine down there.

_____________________
Invacom SNH-031 & SKY Mexico DVB321-3, Fortec & 3ABN 36", Mercury II, Satpros DSR500s, Twinhan 102g & StarBox.
Thanks to Sadoun & SatelliteAV for good deals, & SatelliteGuys for good reviews.

 

[rv1pop]

Thanks Anole,
You have been another of the VERY helpful posters for me. I am learning a lot from reading "you".
POP

 

[Anole]

Thank you very much.
I owe what I know to reading all the great posts here on the forum.
Never know, some day it might come in handy.

Also, I know what it's like to try to learn a new subject where you don't even know what question to ask!
So, I'm following the lead of the best, and trying to help a few newbies.

 

[Bulbman2]

new guy to fta

yes I have a great hd ota antenna for over the air hd terestial signals its a cm 4228 with a pre amp. I do have two hd tvs One sony 34" xs55 and then I am currently using an old direct tv hd receiver with an optoma hd 70 projector showing a 160" screen
Can you get home and garden tv or food channel on fta.?

The questions I would like answered are
Is the 36" dish much better then the 30"
What is the best 36" dish

Is the inacom quad the best lnb for a stationary dish?
is the inacom quad set up for hd in the event I get a hd receiver Later?

Do most of the receivers have inputs for both circular and and linear?


thanks guys for all the input

John

 

[Anole]

When I first started here, I read reviews by Iceberg on the "larger" Fortec 36" dish, and the Invacom SNH-031 LNB.
In my opinion, those reviews showed that both the larger dish and the hotter LNB helped out reception a little bit.
So, I concluded that if I had both, I'd have that extra little "edge".

You can find all the reviews in our review section:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/fta-mpeg2-equipment-reviews/
While you are browsing there, you might find other interesting threads, too.

Can you get home and garden tv or food channel on fta.?

No, I don't think so.
Those may both be part of the basic cable or satellite service, but they're not freebie on FTA.

The Invacom quad is for receiving circular as well as linear polarized transmissions , and it is well suited for connection to two or more receivers.
Those are its claim to fame.
To benefit from these capabilities, you would want to put your dish/lnb on a motor.
So, no, the QPH-031 is not really practical for fixed-dish use.
However the SNH-031 which is linear only, certainly would be fine.

Also, reception of signals from circular (pay) satellites (they often have a few free channels) doesn't generally take a hot LNB nor a big dish.
Those satellites put out a strong signal, and are intended to be received on small (20") dishes, in most cases.

Any lnb is suitable for hi-def reception.
The LNBs don't "know" what they are picking up.
Similarly, the receivers don't "know" if they are hooked to a circular or linear LNB.
You can connect several LNBs to a receiver with any of the several types of RF switches (4x4, 22khz, diseqc).

I think that covers everything...

 

[Wescopc]

yes I have a great hd ota antenna for over the air hd terestial signals its a cm 4228 with a pre amp. I do have two hd tvs One sony 34" xs55 and then I am currently using an old direct tv hd receiver with an optoma hd 70 projector showing a 160" screen
Can you get home and garden tv or food channel on fta.?

The questions I would like answered are
Is the 36" dish much better then the 30"

YES - A 36" has 44% more area then a 30"

What is the best 36" dish

I like the 90CM from SatelliteAV.

Is the inacom quad the best lnb for a stationary dish?

It is good, but also heavy, so you need a sturdy mount.

is the inacom quad set up for hd in the event I get a hd receiver Later?

Yes

Do most of the receivers have inputs for both circular and and linear?

Yes
Bob

 

[Bulbman2]

great feedback

Guess there is no easy fix? inacom quad yes but with motor
new guy needs to learn system b4 using a motor
sounds like 36" dish is a good Idea along with the best lnb

Many years ago I had a 10' bud Liked the picture quality the best.
Didnt like moving the dish so I went to Dish network. Pq was terrible unless
it was on hd

ota on analog was better than DN

I like the pq on ota hd with 10 year old Direct tv hd receiver

Not sure now what I will gain by going fta other than another toy to play with

sounds sarcastic??

not trying to be

Just trying to justify spending about $400

thanks guys


John

 

[Tron]

There's PLENTY up there to see, but FTA is not really a substitute for a pay TV service if you need the premium channels. Yes, you'll get most if not all of the networks, locals from other markets, and lots of educational and religious channels on FTA. You won't get channels like Discovery, TNT, ESPN, etc. What you WILL get (and can't get anywhere else) are the undocumented "feeds" that are up there--tons of news feeds, uncensored, from all parts of the country. Tons of sports feeds, most sports including college football and even some NFL. Strange and bizarre channels often pop up. Also, there are plenty of international channels from other parts of the world. You never know what you'll find up there. That is what makes FTA a worthwhile investment

 

[SatinKzo]

yep, Tron basically expanded on what I replied to your PM about bulbman. FTA is fun and stuff you can't get elsewhere. Also, the amount of sports is great if you are into sports. Lots of college and some pro stuff. Heck, even high school at times.

Like I said in my PM, if I was having some remodling done and had to take my FTA setup down for a bit, I'd be more than happy to let you come over and see it. Also, I'll leave my offer open to help you out if you do get a setup and need some help. You don't live far at all so it's not a big deal.