SATGEAR portable 44cm square dish

[otherclive]

I am thinking of buying a satellite system and have looked at the Satgear Portable 44cm dish, which is said to equate to a 65cm round dish. On our last caravan we used small 50cm round dish which sat on the ground. It was marketed by Melksham satellite services and its performance was very good, even down into southern France. I know that with the change to the satellite footprints effectively rules out much of a signal in southern France without larger dish. However the Satgear 44cm square is said to be okay down to mid France which is fine anyway.

Has anyone used Satgear equipment and in particular the 44cm square dish.

 

[Dustydog]

Maybe have a chat with Melksham Satellites.
I'm still using their 66cm semi eliptic ,15 years on, with success. But it is bulky.
Can't help with the Satgear one .

 

[otherclive]

Maybe have a chat with Melksham Satellites.
I'm still using their 66cm semi eliptic ,15 years on, with success. But it is bulky.
Can't help with the Satgear one .

Dusty, thanks for the lead but they went into liquidation, and have moved and renamed the business, but now deal in more high tech installations for home and business. But an interesting snippet on the new company's website informs about the problem of 4G interference with terrestrial tv as experienced by on e member of this Forum.

 

[Grey13]

OK Guys, what is this dish for? What should I use if I want Sky and Netflix access? Any comments

 

[otherclive]

OK Guys, what is this dish for? What should I use if I want Sky and Netflix access? Any comments

Have a look at the Satgear website they have a number of different dishes and complete kits compatible with and some not compatible with Avtex TVs. The website has lots of info and I’m sure if you telephoned they will give a definitive answer to your question. We haven’t used our old sat system since the full changeover to digital. But going abroad next year we do like to view some UK only the major channels and pick up radio. So a compact sat kit would be useful. And I can use it at home to watch WRU club matches too.

 

[Dustydog]

I didn't know Melksham had gone. Thanks Clive.
I and Sproket have bought LNBs and Sat Finder meters from these people. Worth a look perhaps in your quest?
http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/dishes.htm

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

I am thinking of buying a satellite system and have looked at the Satgear Portable 44cm dish, which is said to equate to a 65cm round dish. On our last caravan we used small 50cm round dish which sat on the ground. It was marketed by Melksham satellite services and its performance was very good, even down into southern France. I know that with the change to the satellite footprints effectively rules out much of a signal in southern France without larger dish. However the Satgear 44cm square is said to be okay down to mid France which is fine anyway.

Has anyone used Satgear equipment and in particular the 44cm square dish.

Hi otherclive,

After struggling with other round satellite dishes they always seemed near impossible to set up & find the satellite without very expensive professional satellite installers satellite finding equipment, I finally bought at satgear 44cm system, once you know the Astra satellite elevation (info readily available from any good sat finder app on your mobile phone, I use Satfinder).

From fitting the dish to the tripod I can be watching Sky TV or Freesat within a couple of minutes! set up is a doddle!

Not sure how far south in France you can receive a decent signal on it, but can say as far south as Charente is OK

 

[otherclive]

I am thinking of buying a satellite system and have looked at the Satgear Portable 44cm dish, which is said to equate to a 65cm round dish. On our last caravan we used small 50cm round dish which sat on the ground. It was marketed by Melksham satellite services and its performance was very good, even down into southern France. I know that with the change to the satellite footprints effectively rules out much of a signal in southern France without larger dish. However the Satgear 44cm square is said to be okay down to mid France which is fine anyway.

Has anyone used Satgear equipment and in particular the 44cm square dish.

Hi otherclive,

After struggling with other round satellite dishes they always seemed near impossible to set up & find the satellite without very expensive professional satellite installers satellite finding equipment, I finally bought at satgear 44cm system, once you know the Astra satellite elevation (info readily available from any good sat finder app on your mobile phone, I use Satfinder).

From fitting the dish to the tripod I can be watching Sky TV or Freesat within a couple of minutes! set up is a doddle!

Not sure how far south in France you can receive a decent signal on it, but can say as far south as Charente is OK

Georgie
Thanks for the feedback, guess owners of Superb 4x4 think alike, and it is not for lack of space in the car! We are off to the Ardennes and Vosges next year so the 44cm dish would be absolutely fine. Guess what might be going on my Christmas list?

 

[Grey13]

Hi Clive, OK now please tell me, I looked at a Satgear Premium Portable Flat Dish 44cm Compact Satellite Kit but are not sure exactly what I will get channel wise. If I buy a Samsung Smart TV with Freeview channels built in, will I be able to see all those using that dish? What about BBC I player etc? If I wish to view Netflix will it work using the dish, or will I need an internet connection as well? Has anyone hooked their mobile up and watched Netflix etc using that connection. Is the Mobile data transfer fast enough?

OK Guys, what is this dish for? What should I use if I want Sky and Netflix access? Any comments

Have a look at the Satgear website they have a number of different dishes and complete kits compatible with and some not compatible with Avtex TVs. The website has lots of info and I’m sure if you telephoned they will give a definitive answer to your question. We haven’t used our old sat system since the full changeover to digital. But going abroad next year we do like to view some UK only the major channels and pick up radio. So a compact sat kit would be useful. And I can use it at home to watch WRU club matches too.

 

[otherclive]

Hi Clive, OK now please tell me, I looked at a Satgear Premium Portable Flat Dish 44cm Compact Satellite Kit but are not sure exactly what I will get channel wise. If I buy a Samsung Smart TV with Freeview channels built in, will I be able to see all those using that dish? What about BBC I player etc? If I wish to view Netflix will it work using the dish, or will I need an internet connection as well? Has anyone hooked their mobile up and watched Netflix etc using that connection. Is the Mobile data transfer fast enough?

OK Guys, what is this dish for? What should I use if I want Sky and Netflix access? Any comments

Have a look at the Satgear website they have a number of different dishes and complete kits compatible with and some not compatible with Avtex TVs. The website has lots of info and I’m sure if you telephoned they will give a definitive answer to your question. We haven’t used our old sat system since the full changeover to digital. But going abroad next year we do like to view some UK only the major channels and pick up radio. So a compact sat kit would be useful. And I can use it at home to watch WRU club matches too.

Hi Grey,

You asked similar question a few posts above and I recommended that you should talk to Satgear for technical advice on their dish and system. I only watch Freeview channels and of those its mainly the main BBC ITV and Ch4/5 anyway. Netflix et al have little interest for me as we find it difficult to even keep up with the good programmes on Freeview, such that I have even cancelled my daily paper subscription as I find i am reading it two days after printing!

 

[logik]

if you want Netflix or amazon prime and good wifi you need to buy a EE mobile broadband box. These are great my friend got one we used on Eurostar train and in Europe just fine, they are faster than your home broadband often and same price pretty much. Its a no brainer. Now they just brought out a new one the Netgear Nighthawk, it has a fee to buy it , but also allows a hard disk to shared and a network port for printers or home pc network. Its worth looking at.

 

[Woodentop]

A bit of digging shows the gain of the Satgear 'dish' to be 33dBi - that is 33dB relative to a theoretical isotropic radiator. In terms of dBd - dB gain relative to a dipole - it is roughly 31dB. A 60cm dish has a gain of about 39dB which is a difference of 2.5x signal voltage. This is achieved by the simple fact of the 60cm dish having a narrower beam which gives more gain. 8dB is the difference between a usable signal and nothing.

When I see a 'dish' advertised as' HD ready' I would run a mile as it makes no difference whether the satellite signal is SD or HD, any dish will work. This suggests marketing speak by people who don't really know what they are talking about from a technical standpoint. (I speak as a retired broadcast engineer.)

I would get a 60cm dish, ovoid will do and a tad smaller than a round dish, and an Inverto Black LNB. Look around and you should be able to find a lightweight tripod easily enough (probably on eBay) - mine is a Konig and cost less than £20.

 

[Anseo]

A bit of digging shows the gain of the Satgear 'dish' to be 33dBi - that is 33dB relative to a theoretical isotropic radiator. In terms of dBd - dB gain relative to a dipole - it is roughly 31dB. A 60cm dish has a gain of about 39dB which is a difference of 2.5x signal voltage. This is achieved by the simple fact of the 60cm dish having a narrower beam which gives more gain. 8dB is the difference between a usable signal and nothing.

When I see a 'dish' advertised as' HD ready' I would run a mile as it makes no difference whether the satellite signal is SD or HD, any dish will work. This suggests marketing speak by people who don't really know what they are talking about from a technical standpoint. (I speak as a retired broadcast engineer.)

I would get a 60cm dish, ovoid will do and a tad smaller than a round dish, and an Inverto Black LNB. Look around and you should be able to find a lightweight tripod easily enough (probably on eBay) - mine is a Konig and cost less than £20.

I did not understand any of that Woodentop but I am sure it is good advice, when I reach that particular problem I know who to call on

Thanks, another example of the technical know-how on here, B)

John