I was in aldi's today and i seen a crackin freesat small satalite system for 69.99 with hundreds of channels and it made me ask myself about television reception when on holiday. So do you need to have a satelite dish or do you get a good enough reception with a freeview tv and a normal caravan ariel? :silly:
Television reception
- Thread starter Lonesome-Whizkid
- Start date
It depends on exactly where you are.
I used to live half a mile from where I do now, and my television didn't need and aerial plugged in to get all the channels (BBC1, BBC2 , ITV, and Channel 4 UHF channels pre digital)
After moving and still at the same level with no hills in view, I needed a full outside aerial with booster to just get adequate signal strength ( again pre digital) So theres no universal answer to your question.
BUT with satellite there is a better chance of signal pick up provided you have wide open sky above, but not always so good under lots of trees or right next to a tall building
I used to live half a mile from where I do now, and my television didn't need and aerial plugged in to get all the channels (BBC1, BBC2 , ITV, and Channel 4 UHF channels pre digital)
After moving and still at the same level with no hills in view, I needed a full outside aerial with booster to just get adequate signal strength ( again pre digital) So theres no universal answer to your question.
BUT with satellite there is a better chance of signal pick up provided you have wide open sky above, but not always so good under lots of trees or right next to a tall building
Lonesome-Whizkid said:
Ideally you would have both, but I just manage with the standard fit Ariel, and avoid any site with out a suitable reception.
It did say on the box, View channels anywhere in the UK, and it turned my head, Tidy little system so it was, I think i'll get it. 
hi LW. I use a dish with the sky box from home, because i got fed up of the hit or miss of terrestrial TV,Lonesome-Whizkid said:
I have never had a problem getting a signal on any site, because of two things, first choose the pitch carefully, you get to know where the sight line is, so pick a pitch with one, second I carry a spare cable that is 10mtrs long so the dish can be sited away from the van in a suitable location.
also if there is nothing on I can watch pre recorded programs,
one other thing, the kit you speak of will probably be free to air, and not free sat,or sky, there is a difference in that they use different satellites systems and the two types are not compatable.
We had Sky 20 years ago because of poor home terrestrial t v.
For the last 13 years we have 66cm semi elliptic Max view dish, quad LNB.
Like Colin we take the Sky box away with us and have everything .
Never failed to get a signal yet even in the remote Scottish Highlands.
I have a Sat Finder app on my phone which is brilliant.
what you are looking at may not be as easy to use as advertised.
For the last 13 years we have 66cm semi elliptic Max view dish, quad LNB.
Like Colin we take the Sky box away with us and have everything .
Never failed to get a signal yet even in the remote Scottish Highlands.
I have a Sat Finder app on my phone which is brilliant.
what you are looking at may not be as easy to use as advertised.
Too true.
I was amused to see a chap prat about with his dish for ages on one site, he ended up shouting at his wife in the end. There was a good Ariel signal anyway.
I offered no help as I'm as clueless as him, never used a dish.
I was amused to see a chap prat about with his dish for ages on one site, he ended up shouting at his wife in the end. There was a good Ariel signal anyway.
I offered no help as I'm as clueless as him, never used a dish.
I alsway carry a sat system like the one you describe from aldi. It wont work if there are trees or obstructions in the line of site of the sateltite tho. This can be minimsed with a bit of thought before choosing your pitch. If i cant get a signal from the van aerial i can usually get one with the dish & vice versa. The sat system comes in handy if you tour abroad as well - can still get english tv.
Right, let me understand this, Colin you said you take your sky box from home with you and use that, I didn't think you could do that, But if you have a sky account I don't see why not. I can't do that I have a cable account with Virgin and I get my home tv through my set top box.
So, If the dish I'm looking at in the store is possibly not free sat. Then should I be looking at getting a free sat one? I don't want to buy it if it's going to be no use. I guess it will probably work but could end up being like the mobile internet connections, Hit and Miss depending on area and obstructions?
Ideally, I should be looking at having both options at my disposal? terrestrial TV & Free Sat? With also a spare cable of considerable length?
So, If the dish I'm looking at in the store is possibly not free sat. Then should I be looking at getting a free sat one? I don't want to buy it if it's going to be no use. I guess it will probably work but could end up being like the mobile internet connections, Hit and Miss depending on area and obstructions?
Ideally, I should be looking at having both options at my disposal? terrestrial TV & Free Sat? With also a spare cable of considerable length?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caravan-S...llite_TV_Receivers&hash=item41631a83eb[/quoteLonesome-Whizkid said:
It is stupidly and unnecessarily high so will be very prone to every wind gust. The signal has come from some 35 miles high well to the east over the equator, coming down a few feet to closer to the ground will make no difference to the signal strength. You only need height where looking over hedges etc, but normally you can position to avoid such issues. The signal here in the UK is coming down at a one in two angle.
I use a swat ground hugging one for this very stability reason, plus its tripod contributes very little weight and the whole folds very compactly;
http://www.satelliteonline.co.uk/portable_satellite_dish.htm
Almost any dish is going to work here in the UK now, the choice IMO ought to focus on its in use and in storage practicality.
I don't know what the aldi system offers but you need: a dish and some way of fixing it, a cable from dish to decoder box and a connection from decoder box to tv. Some modern tv's have the decoder built in. Again if you go off grid you need a 12 v decoder. Many are 12 v and have a mains converter to change the 220v to 12. In the UK the new astra satellite gives a better signal and so small dishes should work here. However in Europe you would need a bigger dish. The problem with satellites is purely whether you can "see" the satellite. Look south and slightly left. The satellite is about 25 degrees above the horizon so that line needs to be clear sky. Even if there are trees you might get a signal through gaps. I have found many sites to be difficult because of trees so choose a pitch carefully- the warden will know which are the best. Freesat is excellent.
To clarify, there is Freesat - in essence the satellite equivalent of Freeview - and Freesat-from-Sky, but ultimately they all come from the same satellite cluster (there are several in roughly the same location in the sky.) You can also buy sat receivers that are programmed with thousands of channels so you can use any one of a number of satellites but you will only be able to watch the free-to-air channels. The Aldi device will likely be a Freesat unit.
My solution was to get a secondhand Sky multiroom box with a Freesat-from-Sky viewing card (multiroom box because it is small but still gets HD.) In fact mine came with an expired subscription card in it which will authorise the FTA channels and quite a few free-to-view (FTV) channels as well. (FTV channels do not require a subscription but are encrypted so need a viewing card.) Cost me £15 from Cash Converters.
Whilst the Aldi kit will do the job, a 60cm dish from somewhere like Screwfix will ensure good signals everywhere in the UK and for at least the northern half of France. It will probably cost less overall. You will also need a good optical compass and a signal finder can also be useful as Sky boxes are notoriously deaf and slow to respond to signal level changes.
My solution was to get a secondhand Sky multiroom box with a Freesat-from-Sky viewing card (multiroom box because it is small but still gets HD.) In fact mine came with an expired subscription card in it which will authorise the FTA channels and quite a few free-to-view (FTV) channels as well. (FTV channels do not require a subscription but are encrypted so need a viewing card.) Cost me £15 from Cash Converters.
Whilst the Aldi kit will do the job, a 60cm dish from somewhere like Screwfix will ensure good signals everywhere in the UK and for at least the northern half of France. It will probably cost less overall. You will also need a good optical compass and a signal finder can also be useful as Sky boxes are notoriously deaf and slow to respond to signal level changes.
I wanted to buy the complete package all in one go everything I need cause I don't know anything about decoders and viewing cards etc. Is the viewing card a one off payment?
Hi L-W
I can't remember the price we paid but i think it was around £20.00 for our Sky freeview card & i bought this type of set top box from e-bay for use in the van
I can't remember the price we paid but i think it was around £20.00 for our Sky freeview card & i bought this type of set top box from e-bay for use in the van
Just a word to the wise, nowadays your Sky card is paired to your home box, Im fairly sure you cant use a second box just for the caravan without having your card paired to that.
Thanks Sproket,
So let me get this right, You can actually become a sky subscriber without a man coming out to your home and installing the dish on the wall and drilling through your wall, cabling up and setting up your set top box? So you can buy an independent sky box? Does it need to a specific model number? And you can buy a Sky viewing card for around 20 pounds?, How long does that last?, a month? a year? Indefinately? And you can buy your own satelite dish? Will anyone do? Does it need to be a particular diameter? I have Virginmedia at home for my cable tv and they've just started advertising, Virgin tv anywhere. But i think it's through your laptop, Which i must add that wouldn't work too well with a mobile internet connection or a weak wifi signal with another 10 users using the same signal, The traffic would cause it in either case to be ever so slow. But i stand corrected if im wrong or there's another way i dont yet know.
Just think what the next ten years will bring in the way of modern technology, We ain't seen nothing yet. Oh by the way, Flying cars are coming soon and I'm not kidding lol. :silly:
So let me get this right, You can actually become a sky subscriber without a man coming out to your home and installing the dish on the wall and drilling through your wall, cabling up and setting up your set top box? So you can buy an independent sky box? Does it need to a specific model number? And you can buy a Sky viewing card for around 20 pounds?, How long does that last?, a month? a year? Indefinately? And you can buy your own satelite dish? Will anyone do? Does it need to be a particular diameter? I have Virginmedia at home for my cable tv and they've just started advertising, Virgin tv anywhere. But i think it's through your laptop, Which i must add that wouldn't work too well with a mobile internet connection or a weak wifi signal with another 10 users using the same signal, The traffic would cause it in either case to be ever so slow. But i stand corrected if im wrong or there's another way i dont yet know.
Just think what the next ten years will bring in the way of modern technology, We ain't seen nothing yet. Oh by the way, Flying cars are coming soon and I'm not kidding lol. :silly:
When you buy another box like I did you tell them if is for use in your kids bedroom as you don't need all of the extra packages that they will try to sell you...
And yes they will have to pair it up to the box when you are at home or be it in the caravan like i did or from a portable dish set up in the garden it 's very easy to set up as they will talk you through it on the phone but it will need connecting to a tv & set up correctly to receive the signal from the satellite for it to work, one other advantage with doing it this way is that you will receive all of your local programs where ever you are in the uk.
Read this about Freesat Terms and Conditions
as you don't need all of the extra packages that they will try to sell you...And yes they will have to pair it up to the box when you are at home or be it in the caravan like i did
or from a portable dish set up in the garden it 's very easy to set up as they will talk you through it on the phone but it will need connecting to a tv & set up correctly to receive the signal from the satellite for it to work, one other advantage with doing it this way is that you will receive all of your local programs where ever you are in the uk.Read this about Freesat Terms and Conditions
OK so I hope this helps! We use a SKY box in the van when free view is useless. We bought a card from SKY £20 - FREESAT FROM SKY which is supposed to last forever(?). Works fine on all the free channels on the sky box we use. NOTE this is NOT connected to our SKY subscription from SKY.
You can buy an HD Freesat (not from Sky) box from www.humaxdirect.co.uk as a Manager's Special for £69. It will do pretty well everything the Sky box will do and is a darned sight more sensitive too.
If you want to use Freesat-from-Sky it will cost you one off £25 for the card which lasts indefinitely - although sometimes Sky will send you an updated card for free. It does need to be activated in a Sky box (they ask for the off-screen serial number) but thereafter it will work in any box. You can call from a mobile so you can be anywhere when you activate it: simplest method is to take your box to a friend or neighbour's and attach it to their dish whilst you go through the activation process. Coming live can take anything between 20 mins and 48 hours so don't hold your breath!
Note that if you don't use the Sky box for a period - say over winter - when you next connect it up some channels that you know should/did work do not. Just leave the box on and they will eventually come to life but may be up to 48 hours. Thereafter they will keep working as long as the box is not unpowered for more than about 2 months. Does not apply to any Freesat box.
If you want to use Freesat-from-Sky it will cost you one off £25 for the card which lasts indefinitely - although sometimes Sky will send you an updated card for free. It does need to be activated in a Sky box (they ask for the off-screen serial number) but thereafter it will work in any box. You can call from a mobile so you can be anywhere when you activate it: simplest method is to take your box to a friend or neighbour's and attach it to their dish whilst you go through the activation process. Coming live can take anything between 20 mins and 48 hours so don't hold your breath!
Note that if you don't use the Sky box for a period - say over winter - when you next connect it up some channels that you know should/did work do not. Just leave the box on and they will eventually come to life but may be up to 48 hours. Thereafter they will keep working as long as the box is not unpowered for more than about 2 months. Does not apply to any Freesat box.
I remember having a conversation with my neighbour as he has sky and one night there was a bad storm and it knocked his sky dish out of line from the satelite and he said that everytime the sky dish gets knocked out of line by strong winds he has to call the sky man out to realign it with the satelite again and it costs him 60.00 for every call out. Is that true? Doesn't seem to be true as everyone with a caravan/campervan that has freesat and sky are all setting up there own dishes and getting receptions?
Hi LW
Most satellite dishes on houses are mounted high up so it needs a ladder to access it, working on a ladder may come naturally to some but making the fine adjustment to align as Sat dish must take some nerve, so for some people the only option is to call out the fitters.
You have to set up your own caravan Sat dish, but as its at walking height it shouldn't to much of a problem provided you follow the instructions.
Most satellite dishes on houses are mounted high up so it needs a ladder to access it, working on a ladder may come naturally to some but making the fine adjustment to align as Sat dish must take some nerve, so for some people the only option is to call out the fitters.
You have to set up your own caravan Sat dish, but as its at walking height it shouldn't to much of a problem provided you follow the instructions.
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