Setting up with a satellite dish

[Geoff_5120515]

Hi

We are considering replacing the normal terestrial external A frame mounted aerial (usually used because the reception via the Status is so poor) with a satelite dish. What equipment do I need and how is it installed/connected? How easy is it to install the dish on the side of the van? I have a Sagem digibox can this be utilised?

 

[Essexeddie]

The digibox wont work unless its a sky box.

I have just bought a dish and sky box off e.bay for less than

 

[WatsonJohnG]

You can pick up digi boxes from car boots for

 

[JeremyClarksson]

EE

Sorry - a little correction - the digibox does not have to be a Skybox but does need to be one designed for satellite use not digital terrestrial (freeview). FTA satellite boxes will work as well.

Incidentally I have seen posts on forums where they say you cannot mix Sky and FTA dishes, LNBs and boxes.

Whilst Sky LNBs will only physically fit a Sky dish, a Sky dish and LNB will work with an FTA box and an FTA dish and LNB will work with a Sky box.

Geoff

They are easy to set up once you have the hang of them and this is normally after a couple of times.

Practising lining up at home can make things much easier once on site with the added benefit of time and nobody watching!

 

[WatsonJohnG]

The advantage of lining up at home is that you can copy the house dish direction before fine tuning the elevation(about 25deg)

Its very difficult to get one right if the others wrong

 

[Geoff_5120515]

Guys

You are talking to an electronic thicko. What are FTA's & LNB's? I assume that I need a satellite dish and a SKY (or satelite compatible) box, connect one to the other and then to the TV, switch on and point the dish towards the satelite. Can it be that simple??

I cant use the jockey wheel attachement as a fixing point as I have one of those ALKO chassis where the jockey goes through the middle of the A frame. I have seen someone with a dish mounted on a pole and the pole clamped to the side wall of the van. Accepted that this will put holes in the sidewall, does this have any benefit over the tripod floor mounted method?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Essexeddie]

Not a good idea to clamp to the van. Could be trees in the way for a start.

JC sorry, that was what I meant.smiley thingy.

Edd

 

[WatsonJohnG]

FTA is free to air signals

LNB (low noise block)is the thing on the end of the arm that receives the signal

The lower the value (say0.3) the better it is.

A tripod needs to be vertical and easy to turn as its only a fraction of a turn and you are off the satellite( thickness of a felt pen line)

I modified the legs on mine so that they screw out to make it easier to get it vertical on uneven ground

 

[WatsonJohnG]

FTA is free to air signals

LNB (low noise block)is the thing on the end of the arm that receives the signal

The lower the value (say0.3) the better it is.

A tripod needs to be vertical and easy to turn as its only a fraction of a turn and you are off the satellite( thickness of a felt pen line)

I modified the legs on mine so that they screw out to make it easier to get it vertical on uneven ground

http://www.leisurepower.co.uk/acatalog/Winegard_Tri_Pod.html

 

[Colin_374311761]

Hi Geoff

Look on http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/ it will explain all

Colin

 

[David_374301039]

Geoff, definately go to the site Colin reccomended. It is a must if you are new to sat. installations and David, who runs the site is so helpful if you need to email him. One thing to keep in mind "It is VERY important to angle the dish up to 25 degrees, in the UK,before moving the dish towards the south. Found this out the hard way!!!! Visit the site you won't be dissapointed.

David (from Kent )

 

[Darryl_5040003]

Look for a sat dish at your local Lidl store (ask when they expect them in) excellent value with dish,digibox,cable,signal finder, remote etc. and comes in a case. the dish can be fitted to your A-frame via your existing aerial pole.

Darryl.

 

[Katiebe]

Hi Geoff

Look on http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/ it will explain all

Colin

The satellite dish web-site was so informative, I,m suitably impressed with the contributors to this forum, what a complete wealth of experience, further reference and quality information.

kind regards to all.

 

[donald_374349160]

Look for a sat dish at your local Lidl store (ask when they expect them in) excellent value with dish,digibox,cable,signal finder, remote etc. and comes in a case. the dish can be fitted to your A-frame via your existing aerial pole.

Darryl.

My dish in a box from Lidl-I simply place on me camping (outdoors)table and off I go..no sweat.

 

[Nigel_374354889]

In which issue did you explain setting up satellite dish systems for caravans please?

 

[Reg]

In which issue did you explain setting up satellite dish systems for caravans please?

Go to http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

It explains everything.

 

[Appycamper]

Hi, Usually I am a serial luker to these and other discussion groups and I harvest information where I can. I have followed the information concerning satellite, TV and how to set it up. Brilliant!! within five minutes it works!! Well it does in the garden anyway So thanks guys ....you have very much helped a techiephobe.

Now I have a question, please. I have set the kit up to use the Astra 28E satellite. It works fine. I know now that there are lots of other satellites out there, will any of them give me different / more channels than I currently get? I speak only English, so I don't need foreign channels and I am not going abroad. Thanks in advance.

Mrs AppyCamper

 

[Reg]

If you are using a sky digibox then technically you can but the effort involved and the limited number of stations you can tune to is not really worth the effort.

I have a fully motorised system at home and when the novelty wore off I rarely bothered with it. There are english speaking stations on other satellites but the content is usually rubbish or news.

If you go to this website it gives the complete list of all satellites and their stations.

http://www.lyngsat.com/

 

[Stephen_374341239]

Hi

Free-to-air works great.

 

[mistermac]

Hi

Maplins are selling the whole caboodle for

 

[Ray R]

Have a look at this site it can come in handy when selecting a pitch, you can get the site on a google map and it overlays the direction of the satellite, the postcodes are a bit off but you can drag the point around the map. http://www.dishpointer.com/

 

[Johnh2]

I've just bought the Maplins kit. It works a treat. Over a hundred free to view English channels. Easy to set up. Easy to find the satellite. I just looked to see where my Sky dish was pointing; pointed the dish in that general direction and tweaked it a bit. I had one false start when I picked up the main Astra 28 E satellite; which only gave me foreign channels. I moved the dish slightly and bingo, up came all the English channels on the 2D satellite. I used the sucker provided and mounted the dish near the caravan door, so I could see the signal strength meter on the TV. I had 100% signal strength and 70% signal intensity.

Maplins do two kits. One made by Metronic which has a grey dish. And another made by ???; which has a black dish. The kit with the grey dish is the better of the two because the brackets/strutts are made of metal not plastic like the other kit.

It's my first attempt at portable digital TV and so far it's a doddle, and very reasonably priced. There are some kits out there which cost more and don't include the receiver.

The Maplins one has every thing you need in a one small suitcase. And no I don't work for Maplins.

cheers

John