FTA Satellites

[kmac1914]

So I've been looking into this free to air satellite thing, where basically you have a receiver and a dish, and you can pick up all the unencrypted satellite signals...kinda like open-source satellite tv. Anybody have any experience with one of these?

Along the same lines, how hard is it to install a satellite dish? Could it be self-installed, or is it better to have it done professionally?

 

[AdamSnow]

They are really popular around my area... Everyone seems to have one, beceause when they go down I hear everyone moaning at work... :laugh:

 

[91TTZ]

Yeah, I have my own satellite. I didn't have enough money to put it into orbit, so I hung it from the tallest tree I could find.

 

[eelw]

Yup. Have a Pansat 2500a and Twinhan DVB-S PCI card. Only using a 18" oval dish. So not currently getting the true FTA channels. But you will need a 30"+ with a linear LNB to receive them. And you would also want a H-H motor to move between all the various FTA satellites.

Worth every cent and hassle to initially set them up. But once you have done it a few times, it becomes very easy to set them up.

 

[kmac1914]

Originally posted by: eelw
Yup. Have a Pansat 2500a and Twinhan DVB-S PCI card. Only using a 18" oval dish. So not currently getting the true FTA channels. But you will need a 30"+ with a linear LNB to receive them. And you would also want a H-H motor to move between all the various FTA satellites.

Worth every cent and hassle to initially set them up. But once you have done it a few times, it becomes very easy to set them up.

Yea, in the little bit of research i've done so far, i noticed it seemed like the motorized dish is the way to go.

With the dish you have now (18"), how many/what kind of channels are you getting, since i notice you said not getting 'true' FTA channels?

 

[ThaGrandCow]

FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Yeah, I have my own satellite. I didn't have enough money to put it into orbit, so I hung it from the tallest tree I could find.

You could have taken up a collection. We would have helped.

 

[shabby]

Dish installation is simple, you just have to know where to point it. Then you move it in the x/y axis to get the best signal strenght.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

I would think cable channels would be encrypted.

 

[GreenGhost]

And what kind of stuff you get? Who broadcasts for free, nowadays?

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

I would think cable channels would be encrypted.

So what can you get? 15 channels of PBS doesn't really pique my interest.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

I would think cable channels would be encrypted.

I would think cable channels would be over cable... and not satellite.

 

[GML3G0]

According to Wikipedia:

The most common North American sources for free-to-air DVB satellite television are:

* Ethnic-language broadcasters such as Globecast World TV on Intelsat America 5 (97°W)
* Christian broadcasters promoted by Glorystar Satellite Systems TV on Intelsat America 5 (97°W)
* Individual local stations of major US terrestrial TV networks, such as the Equity Broadcasting stations on Galaxy 10R (123°W)
* Public educational broadcasters including PBS on AMC3 (87°W)

No thanks.

 

[InlineFour]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

I would think cable channels would be encrypted.

I would think cable channels would be over cable... and not satellite.

there's still an encryption. i have one set up at home. you need to change the keys once in a while.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: InlineFour

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

I would think cable channels would be encrypted.

I would think cable channels would be over cable... and not satellite.

there's still an encryption. i have one set up at home. you need to change the keys once in a while.

So are you getting the satellite feed that the big guys send out the the regional companies?

 

[InlineFour]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: InlineFour

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
FTA? Can you pull in stuff like comedy central or is it weird/out there channels?

I would think cable channels would be encrypted.

I would think cable channels would be over cable... and not satellite.

there's still an encryption. i have one set up at home. you need to change the keys once in a while.

So are you getting the satellite feed that the big guys send out the the regional companies?

yes. i'm getting dish network's channels. you should PM me if you have any further questions.

 

[mrrman]

the coolsat 5000's work great...everything you need to open the unit up is on the net

 

[tweakmm]