Beginner installing motorised system, dish size?

dnme

Dear friends,

I am thinking of investing in a motorised kit and upgrading my existing fixed dish. I live in a rented cottage, I have permission to install a sat dish but have limited access to due south. I may need to place a pole on chimney.

I dont want to abuse the place or make it look awful, not do I want to piss off landlord.

What size dish can I get away with? would 80cm work instead of 1m ?

snaps

Never ever mount a satellite dish on a chimney. Even a small sky dish is a dangerous thing to do. The wind load on a 1m motorised dish in an 80mph gust is up to 4 tonnes. Dont think your landlord would be happy with the chimney coming through the roof??

dnme

my current dish is on the chimney, has been there for 3 years, but point taken, I have a small gap from the gable end. I could use that for limited access.

Original question still applies, any advice folks?

snaps

perhaps some photos may help us help you? I always mount large motorised dishes as low as possible to the ground

dnme

Hi Snaps,

I live in a rural cottage, next door to a two story house. I currently have fixed dish in chimney. The only way to face south, due east etc is either from front or one gable end. The gable end is beside neighbours with a small gap (6 - 8 feet). Their house is 2 story etc.

These 2 images should explain it, you can see current dish on chimney. I am now thinking of a pole on the house gable end. (please note, the shed gable end in the foreground of image 1, IMG_5405 is not an option as it is right on the road).

snaps

Whats to the front there where the dish is looking? Can you put a dish where the car is?

redout

If your Sky dish is pointing at 28e as is standard then pretty much most other sats (ie:13, 16, 19, 23) are going in roughly the same direction. Even 1 W aint hugely different. Unless its 30w you are after your current position is about right.

dnme

snaps wrote: »

Whats to the front there where the dish is looking? Can you put a dish where the car is?

God no, that's the front of the house looking right onto the road, very picturesque area, house is right on road etc

dnme

redout wrote: »

If your Sky dish is pointing at 28e as is standard then pretty much most other sats (ie:13, 16, 19, 23) are going in roughly the same direction. Even 1 W aint hugely different. Unless its 30w you are after your current position is about right.

so how does this relate to my original question? can I put a dish on chimney? what size? or should I go with dish on gable? what size?

redout

dnme wrote: »

so how does this relate to my original question? can I put a dish on chimney? what size? or should I go with dish on gable? what size?

From looking at the picture my opinion would be if you put a large dish on that chimney it would have next to no protection against wind at that height and I personally would not do it.

What about putting it on a pole between were the house meets the shed in the first picture ? That will definitely offer more protection.

snaps

how much space do you have at the back of the garden? could it possily go at the back and look over the house?

dnme

No, back garden slopes downwards away from house. I think my only option is a pole off house gable between me and neighbour.

so what's the smallest size dish can I get away with?

redout

dnme wrote: »

No, back garden slopes downwards away from house. I think my only option is a pole off house gable between me and neighbour.

so what's the smallest size dish can I get away with?

Well you need to tell us what satellites you want first ?

dnme

redout wrote: »

Well you need to tell us what satellites you want first ?

I have no idea, anything that's free really, and as much/many as I can get. I am a total newbie and am doing this purely for kicks / fun and interest

anyways, doesn't a motorised system allow me to see them all ?

redout

dnme wrote: »

I have no idea, anything that's free really, and as much/many as I can get. I am a total newbie and am doing this purely for kicks / fun and interest

anyways, doesn't a motorised system allow me to see them all ?

I would go with an 80cm - that will get you 13e and 19e no problem.

Lots of FTA stuff but it nearly all foreign.

It depends on the size of your dish - the bigger it is the more you see.

dnme

redout wrote: »

I would go with an 80cm - that will get you 13e and 19e no problem.

Lots of FTA stuff but it nearly all foreign.

so in an ideal world, why are so many people going for motorised systems? is there any stuff on there worth watching besides sport?

redout

dnme wrote: »

so in an ideal world, why are so many people going for motorised systems? is there any stuff on there worth watching besides sport?

A lot of people buy foreign subscription cards off the internet so they can watch foreign tv packages.

watty

dnme wrote: »

so in an ideal world, why are so many people going for motorised systems? is there any stuff on there worth watching besides sport?

very few people have Motorised systems.

The reasons are

1. Hobby. Modern version of SW DX listening, feed hunting etc..
2. Having Radio and TV news, or other programs in English from other countries out of interest
3. Wider range of niche Music (Dutch 70s hits, German Jazz etc)
4. Specific languages other than English
5. Free Porn or Free Sport
6. Cheaper or different subscription Sport or porn to what Sky has.
7. Even Religious Channels (Christian, Muslim, Mormon and other)

My reasons are 1, 2 & 3. But I don't bother much. #1 needs a Blind Scan receiver, bigger dish (as non-DTH feeds are usually 7/8 FEC and lower power) and maybe 4.2.2

I've watched Zorba the Greek on Turkish TV (English with Turkish Subtitles). Do the Turks show it to laugh at the Greeks?

dnme

watty wrote: »

very few people have Motorised systems.

The reasons are

1. Hobby. Modern version of SW DX listening, feed hunting etc..
2. Having Radio and TV news, or other programs in English from other countries out of interest
3. Wider range of niche Music (Dutch 70s hits, German Jazz etc)
4. Specific languages other than English
5. Free Porn or Free Sport
6. Cheaper or different subscription Sport or porn to what Sky has.
7. Even Religious Channels (Christian, Muslim, Mormon and other)

My reasons are 1, 2 & 3. But I don't bother much. #1 needs a Blind Scan receiver, bigger dish (as non-DTH feeds are usually 7/8 FEC and lower power) and maybe 4.2.2

I've watched Zorba the Greek on Turkish TV (English with Turkish Subtitles). Do the Turks show it to laugh at the Greeks?

thanks for this, clears it up a bit. My reasons are 1,2,3,5,and possibly 6.

Can you explain this sentence - non-DTH feeds are usually 7/8 FEC and lower power) and maybe 4.2.2

redout

dnme wrote: »

thanks for this, clears it up a bit. My reasons are 1,2,3,5,and possibly 6.

Can you explain this sentence - non-DTH feeds are usually 7/8 FEC and lower power) and maybe 4.2.2

You wont find much free premium sport unencrypted on satellite - majority of the big stuff around europe will require a sub. Even porn is mostly encrypted.

watty

DTH = Direct to Home
FEC = Forward Error Correction
At 1/2 FEC, a weaker signal will give a steady picture, but a larger data rate is needed for same quality.
At 7/8 FEC, a very good signal is needed as there is not much error correction, but a much lower data rate gives the same quality, if dish is big enough.
Lower data rate costs less and dish size is not an issue for Studio to Studio links not intended for Home reception.

Duh, should be 4:2:2. It's the digital format for colour sampling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4:2:2

Ordinary DTH receivers mostly don't do 4:2:2, but "feeds" for broadcasters often are.

There is plenty of real sport apart from the financial madness called Premiership etc.

Some satellite positions have lots of channels you want to delete after finding them. Some satellite have channels that are innocuous during daytime and that you delete when you go to them later.