Television reception

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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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So, basically, I can buy a sky box from ebay, and any dish aswell and a sky viewing card from sky, set it all up with the right cables that are needed and then call sky and get them to activate it, I can do that from home, then I can use it anywhere? As its just a matter of setting up in the caravan? Sounds simple enough but without discussing it with forum members id be none the wiser about the whole concept. from :silly: to :p lol
 
Dustydog

Dustydog

Jun 20, 2005
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http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/
David Sullivan started his own diy dish Web site.
This contains everything you need to know on setting up and the equipment to buy.
I have four sky boxes collected over the years as Sky have upgraded us.
yes the £20 for life free sat is excellent. As I said earlier we bring our current box away and enjoy sky+ hd.
Your choice but You will not be disappointed if you do it properly.
Good luck.Anymore questions?
 
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DeliDave_

Mar 2, 2010
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Another vote for Humax we use a humax hdr1000 which has catchup tv and can also record radio programs which our old skybox couldnt do
am set up in france at the moment with it on HD
 
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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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Hi Dusty,

Thanks for the web link, I've save it and will work my way through it!

So the receiver is either a sky, freesat, or free to air? So if you were to buy a freesat receiver it would be freesat you'd be watching and not sky? If I buy a sky receiver and a viewing card it will be sky? will that give me sky channels? if so, which channels do you normally get with a £20 viewing card?

I've got a small plasma tv with freeview built into it that I use in my kitchen at home. Would that work too? if so, would it work with a normal tv ariel for caravans?
 
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colin-yorkshire

Mar 13, 2007
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hi LW,
I see your getting the hang of this caravan lark now bud.well done!!
now the question.

1. So the receiver is either a sky, freesat, or free to air? "yes"

2. So if you were to buy a freesat receiver it would be freesat you'd be watching and not sky? "yes"

3. If I buy a sky receiver and a viewing card it will be sky? "yes but limited to freeview channels"

4. will that give me sky channels? "no because sky channels are on subscription and would be blocked"

5. which channels do you normally get with a £20 viewing card? the same ones as freeview.

6. I've got a small plasma tv with freeview built into it that I use in my kitchen at home. Would that work too? "yes"

7. if so, would it work with a normal tv ariel for caravans? "yes"
 
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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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Thanks Colin,
Cool beans B) coffee beans that is! lol. I used to have a small 7 inch plasma colour travel tv and if I remember correctly it had a switch on the back of it for 12v or 240v. Cost me about £70 and it was really cool. I bet now they make them with freeview? Think i'll get myself another one on ebay!
 
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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-INCH-LCD-TFT-SCREEN-16-19-CAR-ENTERTAINMENT-DISPLAY-/310989941393?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item486871ea91
These little gizmo's save so much space and weight, I'm trying to search for one that's 12v 240v dual power though.

Yeah this one is dual voltage.
Please note: The power supply can be transferred via the pin connector of the integrated rear cable or the built-pin connector found on the screen, to which you can connect a 12V cigarette lighter adaptor. The unit is shipped without its own power supply.
 
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colin-yorkshire

Mar 13, 2007
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I bought one of those cheap 15in flat screen TV's when they were on special (think it was ASDA ) about 5years ago cost around £100, secured to the wall above the fridge with a pull out angle mount. beauty of this type is all the connections on the back was the first television I had with HDMI and computer sockets it perminantly stays in the van.it is a simple job to connect the SKY box. or computer for live tv streaming via internet, should there be a problem with the dish (never has been).
there is no freeview on it but it has a DVD slot. if needed. have not bothered with terestrial TV since gettting sky in 2009, in fact the van does not have a ariel anymore it was removed so the van would fit in the garage.
 
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DeliDave_

Mar 2, 2010
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You might be interested to know that the humax box I use runs off a separate 12volt transformer so you could get a lead and use it off grid :)
 
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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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Thanks Dave was on the humax site just now looking, Yeah Colin, those 15 inch flat screens with freeview built in are nice and light too plus they have a scart fitting and hdmi slot, which unfortunately a 7 inch travel tv does not. :whistle:
 
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Woody3

Jul 11, 2006
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colin-yorkshire said:
hi LW,
I see your getting the hang of this caravan lark now bud.well done!!
now the question.

1. So the receiver is either a sky, freesat, or free to air? "yes"

2. So if you were to buy a freesat receiver it would be freesat you'd be watching and not sky? "yes"

3. If I buy a sky receiver and a viewing card it will be sky? "yes but limited to freeview channels"

4. will that give me sky channels? "no because sky channels are on subscription and would be blocked"

5. which channels do you normally get with a £20 viewing card? the same ones as freeview.

6. I've got a small plasma tv with freeview built into it that I use in my kitchen at home. Would that work too? "yes"

7. if so, would it work with a normal tv ariel for caravans? "yes"
Click to expand...


A few corrections:
The free to air channels all come from the same satellite cluster. If you are watching on a Sky box then you get the Sky-sourced EPG: if you are watching on a Freesat box (e.g. Humax) you get the Freesat EPG. If you use any other box you will either get the Freesat EPG or none.
There is no relationship between (terrestrial) Freeview channels and those available from satellite. There are around 72 Freeview TV channels (location dependent) and 10 HD channels, and 24 radio stations (but not Classic FM.) Freesat however provides around 225 SD TV channels and 11 HD, and 38 radio channels including Classic FM. Freesat also shows all of the BBC regions and by tuning to find additional services you can watch all ITV, CH4, and five regions as well. (Agreed you can watch all of the BBC/ITV/4/5 regions on Freeview as well but not from any location.
A Sky box will show all FTA channels without a card but BBC1 will be London and ITV will be Central West on 101 and 103 respectively.
A Freesat-fromSky card costs a once-off £25, not £20 as often misquoted.
I would be very surprised if the OP's small TV is plasma - they were uneconomical to make in other than large sizes (i.e. over about 40",) consume far too much power, and give off copious amounts of heat. It will likely be LCD but I could be wrong.
 
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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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No, You'd be right and I'd be wrong, It's probably a LCD ive got and I'm just calling it a plasma cause i don't know the difference, Anyone near and shop in ALDI's? In there little sales suppliment this week they produce that freesat HD Portable satellite dish offer is on this Thursday 26th June For 59.99 GBP, Sorry but my pound sign isn't working, need a new keyboard. Also while I'm on the subject there also doing a dual burner with grill all for only 24.99 GBP, A 2litre whistling kettle for 4.99 GBP, And lots more in there camping pages. The freeview advert says it's got 300 free to view TV channels and over 100 radio stations, Mains or 12v powered, records and pauses live TV. It sounds like Caravanning heaven. Yep, Theres a website address on the front cover, Could someone go to www.aldi.co.uk and click on the special buys tab and then select Thursday 26th June and it's 6th row down on the left of the page and let me know if its aldi :) lol, I mean Ideal. Don't worry, just my sense of humour kickin in.
 
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Woody3

Jul 11, 2006
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18,680
Avoid it like the plague.
It is not big enough to work all over the UK and certainly not across the channel - you need ideally a minimum of 60cms and a conventional dish is better than a Sky dish.
It will make marks on your car roof.
It may not stay stuck to your car roof especially in wind.
It will be a pig to align.

A better buy is the Ross deal from B&Q, or failing that buy the bits in France if you are going over there - much cheaper than here!

You can enter a pound sign by holding down the Alt key and entering 0163 on the numeric keypad.
 
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brianjw47

Aug 12, 2013
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The Aldi kit is generally pretty good value for money. Bought a DVD writer that was Aldi branded and it was a Sony.

Regarding the marketing blurb of 100's of channels, you can only receive what the transponder is transmitting.

Look on Freesat website for list of UK channels.

Also if you do buy it, as previously mentioned, there are a couple of sat finder apps for Android and iphone.

Also get a decent signal strength meter, it will help stop you going balmy trying to locate signal.
Stick it in line and leave it there.

You can get one in B & Q for about £12 -£15 quid.

Brianjw47 B)
 
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Len_Cuff

Aug 17, 2008
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Not sure if it's available for Android but there is a free app for Apple called 'dish align' which takes all the guess work out of where to point the dish. I still use a signal strength meter to get it exactly right but at least I've got the right starting point!!
 
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Len_Cuff

Aug 17, 2008
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I suppose strictly speaking they are the same but here we go --

Arrive on site and have no idea where to point the dish - nobody else has one already in use. So with a 'sat finder/signal strength' meter you have to keep turning the dish - very slowly - until you here a rise in the audible alarm. OK so you've found a satellite signal but it may not be the one you want!! You adjust for max strength only to find when you check the TV that it's the wrong one. Back out and start again. With the dish align app you select the satellite you are after - normally Astra on 28.2E and use the app the get the direction, then use the signal strength to fine tune.
 
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Len_Cuff

Aug 17, 2008
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It connects 'in-line' between the LNB and the sat box. Once set up it's removed and the cable from the sat box connects straight to the LB
 
Dustydog

Dustydog

Jun 20, 2005
19,789
5,140
50,935
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co...tm_term%3Dsat+finder

See page one of this thread!
Look at this app..
You need nothing else.
The in line sat finders are a waste of time and mean more faffing around and more joints.
In 15 years the compass and latterly even easier this app has never failed me.
 
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Lonesome-Whizkid

Apr 14, 2014
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Ok, here's another question, Dusty, your weblink was unobtainable buddy, I kinda think this question is going to be totally irrelivant but it's got me wondering so I'll ask it. If you have a satellite dish and your watching sat tv and you've found a satellite signal and everything going good and your sitting comfortably in your van, feet up with a nice warm cuppa and your in for the night, this world that we live in revolves once every 24 hours doesn't it? well don't you need to keep re-aligning your dish to correct the signal? :sick: or do you end up getting Australian tv half way through the night lol. Someone gimme some of what he's on lol :woohoo: :silly: :p B)
 
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