Sat Dish ? Options

[nimrod]

Hi guys, where I go bermagui well Cobargo to be precise the TV reception is absolute crap and on some channels it's just a white foggy blurred screen, mate is very old fashioned and won't even buy set top box, so has old TV ( colour at least ) but not too often can you see any coloyr on the screen.
I was wondering IF I bought this sat dish or one similar and installed it for him, would this get a better picture on the TV ? I am also thinking of buying him a modern flat screen TV so he can go crook at all the crap on the TV these days, he lives in the past when bonanza and gunsmoke and all the great old westerns were on TV.
Anyhow would a satalite dish work as a normal channel TV or are they only for Fox and such ?.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Large-Dynasat-S...=item27c320055b

[Fed]

I think they're only for Fox stuff via satellite mate.
I doubt a set top box would help being digital they either work perfectly or you get ZILTCH, same with a digital TV. (I'd expect you would get nothing)

Ask around the neighbour's places and see what they're doing.

[storms72]

Yep you can do it Frank, Free to air satellite service is called VAST, carries all FTA channels for remote areas.....can be tricky to align dish as the satellite it comes from is a bit of a pain to locate without expensive satellite meter......Go with Fed's advice and see what his mates nereby are running, VAST complete set-up would cost between $700-$1000+ depending on who does the install and what gear they use.

A link for you to read.......
http://www.digitalready.gov.au/government-...idy-scheme.aspx

[nimrod]

Yep you can do it Frank, Free to air satellite service is called VAST, carries all FTA channels for remote areas.....can be tricky to align dish as the satellite it comes from is a bit of a pain to locate without expensive satellite meter......Go with Fed's advice and see what his mates nereby are running, VAST complete set-up would cost between $700-$1000+ depending on who does the install and what gear they use.

A link for you to read.......
http://www.digitalready.gov.au/government-...idy-scheme.aspx

OK nothings ever simple is it. Guess it's always best to ask questions before wasting money and buying stuff on impulse.
Thanks guys I'll just let things remain as they are.

[Fed]

I didn't know that Storms thanks for the heads up.
I think I've mentioned this before, my BIL had rotten reception & the best he could do was to put up a very high mast that rotated to align to the TV transmission towers from a controller down in the house.
It was a huge improvement but far from perfect.

[storms72]

Did you check the link Frank, your mate may be eligable for the gov't assistance scheme-only $200 for complete set-up including install and lesson on using.....

[nimrod]

Did you check the link Frank, your mate may be eligable for the gov't assistance scheme-only $200 for complete set-up including install and lesson on using.....

Thanks Jas but my mate won't spend $34 on a cheap set top box so can't see him forking out money for an antenna.
Just thought IF the dishes worked with TV's and such I would buy a cheap 2nd hand dish for him.
When we were camping down at Burrinjuck, mate had a dish set up on his caravan and said it gets great reception anywhere in australia, except the olgers for some reason.
He was talking about $700 for his set up and that encluded a homing device that pin pointed the satelites.
No way I am spending that sort of money.
Thanks anyway.

[kkw]

Frank.
I have a decoder (Strong brand) and also a Sat dish if you need one. Don't know if you need a card for the decoder, but thinking if you want free to air, then it doesn't require one. As far as the finder goes, here is an article for you.


" IN THE LATEST issue of Caravan World we will be running a very informative
article on how to use the new VAST (Viewer Access Satellite Television).

In a nutshell, this new, free service will allow you to watch every
available digital TV channel from anywhere in Australia. The picture quality
is just superb plus you can even get the nightly news from your hometown
area. There are actually 20 extra news channels covering Tasmania, Mount
Gambier and Cairns to name a few.

Now I hear you say that satellite is just too messy for you. Yes, it used to
be - in the days prior to the invention of the smartphone. Everything has
changed, however, and it is now possible to find a satellite in just 30
seconds.

This occurs by way of these little programs called "apps". Nowadays, when
you rock up to a campsite, you simply get out your iPhone and open
iSatFinder ($1.19 from the app store). In seconds, it works out your GPS
position and then tells you the angle to set your dish. All you need to do
then is move your dish in the direction of north. Can't find north? Go into
Utilities in your iPhone and use the electronic compass.

This is the bit of magic. For $10 you can buy an app called DishPointer.
This would have to be the cleverest thing I have seen in years and it
doesn't need the internet to work. Tell it you want Optus C1, hold it
horizontally until the compass reads 156 then press "Lock compass". Raise it
up above head level in front of you and you will see a bright red arc with a
big red blob. This is the satellite. The clever bit is that the camera is
on, so you get a real time picture of anything that is blocking the view to
the satellite.

This has wonderful possibilities. You can now park in forests and simply
look for a gap in the canopy. When you arrive outside a caravan park, walk
around first and find a vacant site that works fine with satellite.

Even the humble satellite finder has moved on. The Digi 7 is a state of the
art device and can be bought for as little as $65 from Access Antennas. When
nowhere near a satellite, it sounds like a badly tuned outboard motor, but
as you get closer it starts to purr. It has two red bar graphs. The more
illuminated they are, the closer you are to C1."

[storms72]

what model strong box is it kk?
Dish-any dish should work fine.
I am happy to supply you a LNB Frank-its the bit that goes at the front of the dish, can supply you cable-any length required with connectors attached if you like. Can also supply you a mount, easiest for your mate would be concrete a metal pole in the ground to attach dish too, unless you want to climb the roof and mount a gutter or tin mount-just be careful of the molly meldrum syndrome!

Happy to set it up at your place first so you know what you're doing and where to poinnt the dish....signal can be found using the decoder box-simply put the tv and box near you while aligning and when the signal bar goes up you're in business.

This post has been edited by storms72: Feb 9 2012, 11:36 PM

[kkw]

I have 2 x SRT4800 ll boxes.

[NetPez]

the strong boxes useualy require a card
not sure how much for a proper one but after!!! market ones used to go for about $25

[storms72]

Would have to confirm but you should be able to tune in to any free services, its usually just the subscription services where a card is required...Am currently working on a indian sat contract and a card is required for some channels, others work without the card inserted.

[NetPez]

Ah Cobbargo
spent many a long day chaseing rabbits around yowrie (cobbargo)
in my younger years
shooting mornings or afternoonsthen out to bermi spearfishing for a change
brings back memories for me