Virgin going into the FTA pool!! Please show me and be gentle!!!

[DallasNewbie]

Gentlemen and Ladies,

I am intrigued by the world of FTA and have decided to drink the Koolaid. However, reading countless blogs has got me worried about walking into the lions den.

I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about dish and was hoping some of my fellow brotherin could assist me.

I have a hdtv. And an unobstructed view of the south.

1. In your opinion, what is the best receiver out there?
2. What is the best name brands? coolsat? viewsat?
3. Should I get a receiver with a PVR or get a separate pvr unit?
4. What does hackware mean? (DON'T LAUGH)
5. I live in an apartment, does my dish need to have the movable motor?
6. I see the 1000.2 dish on Craiglist. Will that work?
7. Will the basic $150 receivers I see out there suffice?
8. Are the 3 knob looking things at the end of the dish 1 for every different satellite? (3knobs = 3 satellites)
9. Can you recommend anyone in dallas/ft worth?

I appreciate any and all help you can give me.

DallasNewbie

 

[Wescopc]

Gentlemen and Ladies,

I am intrigued by the world of FTA and have decided to drink the Koolaid. However, reading countless blogs has got me worried about walking into the lions den.

There is true FTA and hacker so called FTA. We support only true FTA here. "Hacker FTA" is stealing signal from a pay service such as Dish Network. We don't condone, support, or even talk about theft of signal in this forum. There is no "Koolaid" here!

I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about dish and was hoping some of my fellow brotherin could assist me.

Take a look at this link: FTAList.com - The easy list of North American free-to-air TV channels and you will see what is available in FTA.

I have a hdtv. And an unobstructed view of the south.

An unobstructed view is what you need!

1. In your opinion, what is the best receiver out there?

Fortec Mercury II

What does hackware mean? (DON'T LAUGH)[/COLOR]

Hackware is the software used for stealing signal.

5. I live in an apartment, does my dish need to have the movable motor?

Depends on how many satellites you want to see. But start out by aiming at one, and add a motor later.

6. I see the 1000.2 dish on Craiglist. Will that work?

You need a bigger dish for FTA, I recomend a 36" dish.

7. Will the basic $150 receivers I see out there suffice?

Yes

8. Are the 3 knob looking things at the end of the dish 1 for every different satellite? (3knobs = 3 satellites)

That is correct , the knob like things are called LNB's (or to be technically correct LNBF's)

9. Can you recommend anyone in dallas/ft worth?

Someone else will have to chime in here, I live in Oregon.

DallasNewbie

and by the way
Bob

 

[DallasNewbie]

Thanks Bob!! I appreciate the advice....

Thanks Bob!! I appreciate the advice....

I'm glad you told me about the dish. I have found a coolsat 6000 for $50. I was thinking about buying this for a starter... What do you think?

I've also heard about clones. How do you tell if one is a clone?

Thanks again...

 

[Mr Tony]

Coolsat is a nice receiver. I have a Coolsat 5000 (older model..pretty much same specs) and love it

 

[Cadsulfide]

Welcome Dallas!

Read, read, and read some more. The jargon hump once you get over it, is your biggest hurdle. If your balcony faces south and you have a clear view of the s-sw sky you can get FTA with very little trouble.

 

[txhepoker]

Thank you for the replies. I am very much a Newbie..... If i were to point my dish at 1 satellite, which dish should that be? I mean where can I get more bang for the buck...

Thanks...

 

[gillham]

Thank you for the replies. I am very much a Newbie..... If i were to point my dish at 1 satellite, which dish should that be? I mean where can I get more bang for the buck...

Galaxy 18 @ 123°W is one of the best places to start.
SatelliteGuys.US - 123.0°W Galaxy 18 Ku

 

[DallasNewbie]

If i get a FTA dish with 3 LNBs, do I need 3 different receivers???

Sorry, I know Stupid Question.....

 

[14karat]

Nope.
See this thread - it tells it all...
http://www.satelliteguys.us/fta-mpeg2-faqs/134124-switch-setups-simplified.html

 

[boomer_106]

Any Cowboy fan is a friend of mine. Welcome to the forum

 

[DallasNewbie]

Thanks Boomer!! All i got to say is HOW ABOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!

Thanks Boomer!! All i got to say is HOW ABOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!

 

[boomer_106]

Absolutely huge win last night. Let's hope it gets us on major roll

 

[DallasNewbie]

Retailer says 8psk is a mandatory thing? Do what??

I went to a local retailer trying to get info on the most current FTA receivers. This smelly guy told me that if i get a MAXHD that i have to get a 8psk. I told him i thought that was a no no and only for hacks. He said the module is where all all future receivers are going.

I know I am new, but I thought the 8PSK was only bad stuff. (and NO I DON'T WANT ONE!)

I guess my question is...

1 - is he right?
2 - Does the 8psk serve any other functional purpose besides the bad stuff....

If this is a necessity?

Thanks in advance..

Go Cowboys!

 

[SatPhreak]

I don't have a HD reciever but I know there are two types of 8PSK, turbo that is used by Dish and trellis that is used by true FTA. They are not compatible between the two different types so you need to know with type you are getting. Some recievers offer both types, some only one or the other. Save your money and research before you buy as some people get burned with the wrong type. Listen to the reviews from the people here as they let you know for sure the right one. Most sites are hacker sites and will inform you to get the wrong type, and possibly argue that the one you really need won't work (because they hack with the other type). This also goes for the recievers as some HD recievers don't offer the correct type for real FTA. As the saying goes, 'buyer beware'.

 

[GOsatelliteRob]

For now, I would only get a S-2 8PSK module if you were going to get a C-band dish, as that is where most of the HD content is for the time being. If you are going to go with a 31 inch dish or bigger with a KU Band LNB then you dont need an 8psk module.
J
ust keep in mind the 2 8psk modules that are available, but only one is for true free to air.
1) turbo 8psk (not needed for fta receivers, those are only for Dish)
2) s-2 8psk modules (pansat 9200 receiver has the s2 8psk available)

As for more HD channels, if you have a ATSC tuner on your hi-def tv, then you can use an over the air (ota) antenna to get your local channels if you are within approx 60 miles.