Multi Sat FTA setup advice

Fatscally

Hi.
It's a long time (20+ years) since I fiddled with this stuff and now I've moved to the countryside I need to get Sat again but I'm well out of the picture so hopefully you guys can help me get it right.

I'm in Ireland.
I want HD FTA.
I want the channels from the UK - BBC HD etc.
I want the Irish channels - RTE\Saorview etc. (Is this rooftop antenna only or is there a Sat supply?)
AND...
My wife is from Slovakia so I also want some .sk channels for her (Thor 2.3? 5/6?)
I want the system to move the dish as the channels are selected.

What do I need?

So far I this is my basket:
Triax 1.1M dish
Sky Quad LNB
Technomate 2600 H-H DiseqC Dish Motor
PHILEX 27860R METER- SLX SATELLITE FINDER

I have a Samsung HD 720p TV with digital receiver in it.
I appreciate reccommendations for all the gear but most of all what do I need for a Satellite receiver box? Can I get one that will move the dish and accept cards for SKY or whatever Slovak services? Also an option for one with hard disc recording might be in the budget.

That's all I can think to ask now. Maybe you know more.

Thanks

Johnboy1951

Fatscally wrote: »

Hi.
It's a long time (20+ years) since I fiddled with this stuff and now I've moved to the countryside I need to get Sat again but I'm well out of the picture so hopefully you guys can help me get it right.

I'm in Ireland.
I want HD FTA.
I want the channels from the UK - BBC HD etc.
I want the Irish channels - RTE\Saorview etc. (Is this rooftop antenna only or is there a Sat supply?)
AND...
My wife is from Slovakia so I also want some .sk channels for her (Thor 2.3? 5/6?)
I want the system to move the dish as the channels are selected.

What do I need?

So far I this is my basket:
Triax 1.1M dish
Sky Quad LNB
Technomate 2600 H-H DiseqC Dish Motor
PHILEX 27860R METER- SLX SATELLITE FINDER

I have a Samsung HD 720p TV with digital receiver in it.
I appreciate reccommendations for all the gear but most of all what do I need for a Satellite receiver box? Can I get one that will move the dish and accept cards for SKY or whatever Slovak services? Also an option for one with hard disc recording might be in the budget.

That's all I can think to ask now. Maybe you know more.

Thanks

The cheapest STB that comes close that I am aware of is the Ferguson Ariva 120 ...... Satellite and also DTT tuners ..... ability to control sat dish ... USB connector to provide recording to external HDD ....... limited in recording as there is only one tuner of each type in the STB.
Also has a card reader .... I have no idea what its capabilities are.

There is a long thread on this device in the terrestrial forum which no doubt holds a lot of info relevant to your needs.

Maybe reading the manual would give you a good grasp of its capabilities.

EDIT
Should have mentioned the Ariva does DiSEqC1.2 as well as USALS.
In the future there will be a Sat transmission of the Irish DTT channels, but presently they are only available through an aerial.

Peter Rhea

Don't use the Sky lnb with the Triax dish (Sky dish is elliptical).

Triax do quads too

steveon

Not many free slovak channels as far as I know, alot of them are not located on THOR1 and are scrambled so you may need a dedicated receiver for them, usually supplied by UPC over there..

There are a few channels but they are spread all over the satellite world which is a pain, its the same for many other our eastern Counterparts.

http://www.flysat.com/tv-sk.php

As previously said do not use a sky lnb for a triax dish, it will work but not properly as they are as in the name suggest designed for a sky dish.

byte

Also, for that combination of TD110 dish and 2600 motor, I suggest you have it setup in a sheltered situation. The TD110 dish is very heavy for those relatively weak motors, in my opinion.

With regards receiver, like Johnboy, bang for buck, that Ferguson 120 is hard to ignore. Very well priced for what I deem to be a well specced receiver for the price. Otherwise, I'd look at my personal favourite, Technomate (not as cheap as Ferguson), or even Edision Argus receivers.

Fatscally

Good stuff lads. Giving the wind+dish weight+location I think I'll have to simplify the setup and break it down into seperate services. I might save a few quid with this approach too, less sophisticated box and no motor.

#1 Antenne straight to the TV for Saorview. Splitter to PVR.

#2 Sky dish. An oval dish is on the roof already but no LNB or Box. They even took the F connectors ffs! So what HD box for the FTA channels would you guys recommend? Would the Dreambox be a good option?

#3 A complete 2nd setup for the Slovak channels. The Slovak boys here tell me that they're using Thor2/3 and a UPC service + box from home (.sk) for about €10 per month. They say a 110cm dish is necessary for a good reliable signal, 80cm drops out in bad weather. This box/service btw gives lots of channels that can be switched back into original english language, History, Discovery, Nat Geo, some movies, music and childrens I'll copy their setup.

byte

If it's just an FTA HD receiver you're after, then something like the Ferguson 120 Combo would do your trick. Stick your antenna into it too for the saorview channels.

If it's Thor you're after, then yes, 1.1m dish would be necessary.

http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/upcthor.html

You can see from the list that the K2 beam is the weakest of the two used, and it's also the one that the main channels are on!