What dish should I buy?

[zaxxon2000]

I have just ordered a Panasat 2500a and I now need a dish and motor. What's the best to use? I see so many and I want to get 1 that will be of good quality and able to work with the least problems. I have gone to Comcast for cable and would like to have a fun new hobby.
I have a 18 inch Dish Network dish and a oval Direct Tv dish. I know both won't work but will I need any of this hardware or just take it down.
Please don't flame me. I DO NOT CONDONE hacking. Pay for what you watch.
My choice for receivers came down between this 1 and a Traxis model for starter systems.

 

[Mr Tony]

I have just ordered a Panasat 2500a and I now need a dish and motor. What's the best to use? I see so many and I want to get 1 that will be of good quality and able to work with the least problems. I have gone to Comcast for cable and would like to have a fun new hobby.
I have a 18 inch Dish Network dish and a oval Direct Tv dish. I know both won't work but will I need any of this hardware or just take it down.
Please don't flame me. I DO NOT CONDONE hacking. Pay for what you watch.
My choice for receivers came down between this 1 and a Traxis model for starter systems.

not a problem

The 18" Dish Network dish you can aim at Dish 119 and get the following for free
NASA
A couple of barker channels (info channels)
The Muzak audio only channels

If you aim it to Nimiq 1 at 91, you can get the audio only channels that Bell ExpressVu (Canadian DBS provider) has. They have about 60 audio only channels (including some radio stations)

The oval one will work unless its the one with the multiswitch built in

For the Free to air stuff, you would need at least a 30" dish and a special KU LNB. Winegard or Hot Dish are the 2 main ones. Sometimes the best thing to do is get the biggest dish you can get right away (either a 36" or 1 meter). For a motor, I use a SG2100.

You can get a 2X1 or 4X1 DiSEqC switch, and tie more than one dish to the receiver

My setup is a Pansat 1500 (the little brother to the one you have)
30" Winegard motorized dish
dish aimed at Evu 91
dish aimed at Dish 119
4X1 switch

PSB (Pete) lurks around here sometimes ...You might want to check with him to see what he can offer

 

[Cascade]

I recommend the Winegard 76cm dish and an SG2100 motor, if you can afford it go for a bigger dish.
msg PSB, he'll sort you out.

 

[PSB]

Most people are getting a Winegard 30" dish and an SG2100 motor, any bigger with the dish and it may end up in the next state : )

 

[zaxxon2000]

Super. Thanks. Now out to the hard and figure out where to put it.

 

[Mr Tony]

Super. Thanks. Now out to the hard and figure out where to put it.

somewhere you have the best view of the southern sky

 

[zaxxon2000]

Yeah! I have a great location.

 

[PSB]

Thats the main thing, you want to catch as many birds as you can in the Clarke belt, now the hard work begins!

"Clarke belt"

"The circular orbit at 35800 km (22247 Mls) above the equator where the satellites appears stationary to earth receivers. Named after its discoverer Arthur C Clarke."