satellite dish installation

[devonwoody]

I am thinking of using a satellite dish for a bedroom TV.

The reason for wanting a dish is that our bedroom wall faces open space whereas a TV aerial fitted to a chimney would be at the other end of the bungalow.
This is not an ideal location because even after fitting to a mast there are trees etc. shielding the tv transmission location.
( I use cable tv for our main tv viewing).

Can anyone with dish installation experience tell me if it is possible for a novice to set up these dishes or is instrument equipment needed, hence professional set up?

Not wanting Sky .

 

[TrimTheKing]

Hi DW

It is possible for you to do this yourself, but I have found it a little hit and miss.

You can buy a satellite locator from Maplins quite cheaply and you cable it into the LNB. You need to know the coordinates of the satellite you want to point it at, then move the dish until you get a response from the locator. Once you have a response you can tweak it by having someone inside watching the TV and telling you how the picture changes when you move the dish.

HTH

Cheers

Mark

 

[OLD]

The dish will point south and is aimed quite high in the sky although is may not look like it is so the shot may not be affected by nearby trees. a dish pointing at the sky astra sat. will receive freesat giving the same channels as freeview plus bbc high definition dishes can have 4 outputs cabled to your rooms you need a freesat box in each room once its all installed there is no more to pay its free.
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/
http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=whatson.Main

 

[llangatwgnedd]

Beg steel or borrow a pre-tuned receiver either $ky or Freesat and just move the dish very slowly until you get a picture, a new freesat box needs tuning in.

Trouble is with sat meters is you don't know which sat you are picking up as they are all close together,ok for fine tuning though but then there are signal strength and signal quality meters built into the software on most receivers.

Not that more expensive to purchase a quad lnb, giving you the opportunity to run three more receivers in the future.

Astra 2D (28.2°E)
http://www.dishpointer.com

 

[Digit]

Me and the lad installed our own DW, took about 20 minutes of 'no! back the other way. Whoa, hold it there!' etc
We didn't have any choice, the Sky installer informed us, 'that tree will have to come down! It's in the way of the signal!'
I told him that the satellite was 'over there', and pointed.
So he checked and agreed, so I suggested that he mount it on the chimney stack and run the cable down through the loft.
'Don't do lofts, too dangerous!'
'Well mount the damn thing and I'll run it through the loft for you!' I suggested.
This guy was half my age I might add.
'Can't mount the dish on the chimney!'
'Why not?'
'With the wind round here it would blow the bungalow over!' and he left.
It's true, I swear!

Roy.

 

[newt]

I know they will not go near a loft ( I assume that they used to regularly put their feet through the ceiling or was it the scratches to their tender limbs that sky had to pay for), we had the same issue. They now lay the cables in the gutter, bloody hopeless.

 

[Digit]

Health and Safety rules, Okay?! :roll:

Roy.

 

[devonwoody]

Many thanks all above, you can now see why I want to do a self installation, the cable from the satellite is going though the wall into the loft and then drop into the bedroom.

We have got a modern digital tv with a recorder doing hdmi etc.

Do I still need other bits of software, doesnt the satellite lead go straight to the TV/recorder?

I appreciate you are saying that I need something to find the signal, but I assume that is a one off use?

 

[TrimTheKing]

DW

Any kind of sat finder is, as you say, a one off use. The cable will go from the dish into the the receiver (whichever kind you opt for) and then an HDMI/SCART/whatever from receiver to TV.

Nothing else should be required.

Cheers

Mark

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks,And what will I get the 16 freeview channels that my digital tv has installed?

 

[TrimTheKing]

You would still need a digital terrestrial aerial plugged directly into the TV to take advantage of the internal freeview tuner, if thta's what you asked :lol:

As an aside, I have just re-read your original post and wondered why do you feel that you would need the aerial on the chimney? If you are just looking to make use of the freeview tuner in the TV then could you not mount a digi-terrestrial aerial on a pole bolted to the bedroom wall end of the house ro reach above the roofline? This is how mine is installed and work perfectly.

Cheers

Mark

 

[RogerS]

I think dw had another thread on how difficult it was for him to get digital terrestrial.

As an aside, wonder how many people have a TiVo and don't realise that it will soon be so much junk? There's a business model with a very definite 'end-of-life'.

 

[devonwoody]

Yes, I get perfect BBC1 on the digital loft aerial, but the other digital programs keep breaking up, admit there is only low signal at the present time on those channels.

I dent really want a terestial aerial fitted to the outside wall its my main wall to the frontage of our bungalow. (although I am a corner plot and have two frontages.
I am in dispute with Virgin media at the present time because they have upped my monthly charge although it was supposed to have been a 12 month contract.
They have had all the threatening letters etc. but short of going to court (and I think even if I won I wouldn't get a refund out of them with present financial climate), it costs quite a bit to go back to court to claim monies even if the original decision is in my favour.
You cant get blood out of a stone is my feeling at the moment.

 

[RogerS]

Small claims court is not that expensive and you can now do it online at www.moneyclaim.gov.uk.

 

[devonwoody]

Yeah but when you win it doesnt mean you get a cheque automatically, so then you go back again with another payment to secure the cash.
And seeing I am being done for £72 I am doing without a few bottles of wine instead and wont renew with that Mr. B.......d