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Aldi Free To Air Satellite

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Comments

  • #2
    WeightierDisc
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 100 ✭✭WeightierDisc


    Nothing but a glorified Wok, won't get good reception but sure as hell makes a kick ass stir fry :)


  • #3
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,698 ✭✭✭tricky D


    Will it get Saorview too? We just got a combi box which takes Free To Air from the dish, but Saorview comes from the aerial.


  • #4
    steveon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,905 ✭✭✭steveon


    This will not give you Saorview.


  • #5
    Xmachina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭Xmachina


    Well ill be buying one..

    seems the camper van setup with the 45cm dish got a bad rap on here..

    this is 65cm, so other than it being a flimsy dish its still a good deal for the box etc..

    Saoirview IMO just represents the always backwards Irish upper echelons lame attempts to get some of the FTA market... preying on the ignorant... "buy our FTA boxes!! we will give you feck all channels!! and you will love it!! Didnt you see our advert!? stay away from the foreign systems!! your Irish for gods sake!! RTE is all you will ever need!!"

    It will work if you are prepared to make it work..


  • #6
    tryfix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,702 ✭✭✭tryfix


    It will do just fine and if it doesn't they will take it back and give a refund. It's a cheap way to get up and running and the experience of fitting it will do you good.


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  • #7
    polyfusion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭polyfusion


    WeightierDisc wrote: »
    Nothing but a glorified Wok, won't get good reception but sure as hell makes a kick ass stir fry :)

    The dish is fine in South Donegal at least, and is better than previous ones I've seen. Signal quality there is better than my 80cm 9-degree off-prime-focus in Dublin, and I only loose channels when torrential rain hits. So it should be perfectly fine at the OPs location.

    As soon as you're aware that it won't give you the Irish channels, or FTA HD channels, it's a pretty good setup for someone wanting to install their own system.

    Personally, knowing what I know, and if I was starting from scratch again, I'd get an 80cm dish and a HD satellite receiver, set it up for the UK FTA channels now, and add a suitable LNB for Saorsat when they're available.


  • #8
    Gonzo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,335 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gonzo


    Saorview is a waste, it's literally just the 5 Irish channels that everyone in the country can receive anyway. Saorview will only ever become decent if the likes of bbc, ch4, itv become available on it which is highly unlikely.


  • #9
    wandatowell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,433 ✭✭✭wandatowell


    Gonzo wrote: »
    Saorview is a waste, it's literally just the 5 Irish channels that everyone in the country can receive anyway. Saorview will only ever become decent if the likes of bbc, ch4, itv become available on it which is highly unlikely.

    which is why you should buy yourself a combo box so you can


  • #10
    Xmachina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭Xmachina


    well im in Waterford city and its impossible to get any reception whatsoever.. so not everybody gets the anologue "free".

    you only have to compare Rte player to 4oD to see the garbage the Irish are forcefed at the highest possible licence fee compared to an independent station..

    Even tv3 falls back on importing programmes to up the game, which blows rte out of the water with its proportionatly massive budget..


  • #11
    Cantona's Collars
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,709 ✭✭✭✭Cantona's Collars


    Xmachina wrote: »
    well im in Waterford city and its impossible to get any reception whatsoever.. so not everybody gets the anologue "free".

    you only have to compare Rte player to 4oD to see the garbage the Irish are forcefed at the highest possible licence fee compared to an independent station..

    Even tv3 falls back on importing programmes to up the game, which blows rte out of the water with its proportionatly massive budget..

    If you post the question of Saorview reception in Waterford City in the terrestrial forum I'm sure someone will sort you out.

    Aldi and Lidl systems seem like a bargain but how many end up left in sheds or hanging off the wall due to poor quality dishes and diy installs gone wrong.

    Trust me,if you have a look while out & about you'll spot them pointing downwards or falling off walls,I've seen loads and I'm sure the owners thought they were getting a great bargain.:rolleyes:


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  • #12
    rasper
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 796 ✭✭✭rasper


    tis grand for €60, but for the few quid more ya get a quad LND ,and better decoder but again if its only for 1 set, you can always upgrade those items later just run enough coax for later


  • #13
    Peter Rhea
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    Gonzo wrote: »
    Saorview is a waste, it's literally just the 5 Irish channels that everyone in the country can receive anyway. Saorview will only ever become decent if the likes of bbc, ch4, itv become available on it which is highly unlikely.

    There are only 4 Irish channels available FTA as terrestrial analogue broadcasts & TV3 isn't as widely available as the others. These analogue broadcasts will be switched off next year, Saorview is only the replacement newer technology.

    At this stage, anyone with any sense outside terrestrial overspill areas who wants free UK tv has had it for quite a while on satellite.


  • #14
    Odessa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭Odessa


    Do not buy the Aldi Standard definition sat kit unless you want a camping system.
    A better deal imo is the HD version around 100 euros with 45cm dish.The receiver is capable of being motorised but I found I needed to upgrade the dish to 90cms pull in some of the other satellites.If you go on that path make sure your dish is heavier gauge as some dishes out there are too prone to wind shake.


  • #15
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,175 ✭✭✭STB


    Odessa wrote: »
    Do not buy the Aldi Standard definition sat kit unless you want a camping system.
    A better deal imo is the HD version around 100 euros with 45cm dish.The receiver is capable of being motorised but I found I needed to upgrade the dish to 90cms pull in some of the other satellites.If you go on that path make sure your dish is heavier gauge as some dishes out there are too prone to wind shake.

    Do not buy ALDi satellite gear full stop.

    What you require.

    The Ferguson Ariva 120 combo is €81 delivered. This does Saorview and HD satellite in one channel list and plays mkvs and records via a connected USB drive.

    A Raven 2 60cm Dish with QUAD LNB can be bought for €30!


  • #16
    foxinsox
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,078 ✭✭✭foxinsox


    I got one of them - ages ago in Lidl - think it was about €60

    It sat in my house from about last October until about 3 weeks ago when I called a local TV guy and got a quote of €60 to €80 to set it up.

    I had been using rabbits ears and getting the 4 Irish stations - reception varying from great to terrible and would have to wiggle and perform acrobatic tricks to get clear picture.

    As mentioned already, it was explained to me that it is a camping set up.

    The back of my house is very sheltered as the gale force winds tend to hit the front of my house. He did explain that the dish was not great in wind because it is solid, rather than the perforated one is better in wind.

    Long story short - it's all set up now and I have 500 odd stations, all perfectly clear picture. A fair few of the stations are repeats of each other and a lot of crappy stations. I have set up favourites of about 50.

    The only thing I miss is the Irish news - I still have portable in kitchen so watch news on that.

    I can still get Irish stations by just switching off freeview box and using rabbits ears - I haven't bothered.

    I guess time will tell how I get through the winter if we get snow or mad winds?

    But all in all I'm happy with it. I wouldn't be bothered paying €30 or €50 a month on Sky or any others. I'll deal with the Saorview issue when it is out a while and I can see my options.

    :)


  • #17
    Xmachina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭Xmachina


    Update..

    bought one today, installed, tuned..

    very happy indeed, girlfriend sent me down to get her one..

    installed that tuned that she,s happy too..

    job done..


  • #18
    azzie23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭azzie23


    Xmachina wrote: »
    Update..

    bought one today, installed, tuned..

    very happy indeed, girlfriend sent me down to get her one..

    installed that tuned that she,s happy too..

    job done..

    :confused:

    Bought one today and can't get it to work! Probably more to do with me than the equipment in fairness! I've selected Astra/Euro 1 on the list of satellites (as that's what the documentation says to do - there is no Astra 2 option listed), and left the settings at default (LNB Type = universal, LNB Freq.1 = 9750, LNB Freq.2 = 10600) and I have 65%+ signal strength but 0% signal quality. It occasionally goes up to 2% but then drops out again - even though no one has touched the dish. We've moved the dish up, down, left and right and there is no improvement. I know it has to be pretty exact in where it points - but shouldn't I see some signal quality even if it's slightly off? And how can I have good(ish) signal strength but no quality? All a bit new to me (as you can guess!), so can anyone explain what to do in easy steps???

    Much obliged!

    A.


  • #19
    Peter Rhea
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    Take a look here.

    This site should also be useful. If you don't understand terms, try a search of this forum or Google . . . you might find some answers here too.


  • #20
    gnfnrhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,478 ✭✭✭✭gnfnrhead


    I got one yesterday. After reading the instructions I figured it would take less than half an hour to do. It didnt. I followed all the instructions and when I started a scan got three channels, two from Russia and one from China!?!?

    Went around various sites to get the exact direction and angle and whatnot. They were pretty close to begin with so after a little fiddling around I thought they were bang on but now I'm getting no channels at all.

    Got the satellite finder (Included in the package but with only one cable!) out and followed those instructions also. The positive side works perfect but I'm getting no response in any direction on the negative side. I assumed, it would start to sound out once it got close and then it was just a case of fine tuning it. Not so. I spent ages going through every possible direction I could point it in and am still getting nothing.

    Is anyone else having this problem?

    Much like azzie23, I'm also getting a decent enough signal strenght but but nothing on signal quality, regardless of where it's pointed.


  • #21
    polyfusion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭polyfusion


    When you found the channels, you should have searched for the channel on kingofsat.net to see what satellite you were pointing at. Some channels may be on multiple satellites, so you would need to check the transponder frequency and possibly other PID values to determine exactly where it was pointing.

    You can still check them if they were saved, but it's not much help if you've moved the dish far from where it was before.

    You have to remember that the satelllites are arranged up there in what's called the Clarke-Belt.

    ClarkeBelt070130.jpg

    That's the closest diagram I could find, it's for some location in Europe, but close enough for using here. The sat you want is Astra 2, which isn't actually indicated well, as the Eurobird label is covering it. So if you found that you'd found 19.2E (Astra 1H on the diagram), you would have to swing the dish further east (left) AND down to get to Astra 2 and Eurobird.


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  • #22
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,977 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    About half way down this page might be something to help ..

    http://www.techtir.ie/book/export/html/1003441

    It is rather disconcerting at first to realise the dish has to be near vertical and not aimed up at the sky!


  • #23
    tryfix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,702 ✭✭✭tryfix


    gnfnrhead wrote: »
    I got one yesterday. After reading the instructions I figured it would take less than half an hour to do. It didnt. I followed all the instructions and when I started a scan got three channels, two from Russia and one from China!?!?

    Went around various sites to get the exact direction and angle and whatnot. They were pretty close to begin with so after a little fiddling around I thought they were bang on but now I'm getting no channels at all.

    Got the satellite finder (Included in the package but with only one cable!) out and followed those instructions also. The positive side works perfect but I'm getting no response in any direction on the negative side. I assumed, it would start to sound out once it got close and then it was just a case of fine tuning it. Not so. I spent ages going through every possible direction I could point it in and am still getting nothing.

    Is anyone else having this problem?

    Much like azzie23, I'm also getting a decent enough signal strenght but but nothing on signal quality, regardless of where it's pointed.
    You might be on the wrong satellite, you should be pointing the dish at a position where the sun is at 11 o clock in the morning approxomately. If you can get a satellite there it would probably be one of three , ASTRA 1,German and French channels mostly, Hotbird , French, German and Italian, and beside them Astra 2 for the English ones. The 3 satellites are very close together within a few inches of movement on the disk.


  • #24
    gnfnrhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,478 ✭✭✭✭gnfnrhead


    I've gotten some channel's (E4, Channel 4 about eight times, ITV etc) but am still missing loads. If I move the satellite any more, in any direction, the signal quality starts going back down. Am I on the wrong satellite altogether or do I need to change settings or something?


  • #25
    polyfusion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭polyfusion


    You're on the right satellite.

    Have you tried skewing the LNB? As you look towards the dish from the front (viewing the back of the LNB), you need to rotate the LNB in the holder clockwise, typically around 15 degrees, but just rotate it until you maximise the signal on the channels you're already getting.

    LNB%20skew%20negative.gif


  • #26
    tryfix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,702 ✭✭✭tryfix


    Try tilting the dish slightly forward or backward to see if it improves the signal. You may have searched on just one transponder on the astra 2 satellite instead of the whole satellite . That would explain why you are only getting those channels I think they are all on the same transponder . Don't do a search by transponder , do it by satellite .


  • #27
    Paul Kiernan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,305 ✭✭✭Paul Kiernan


    STB wrote: »
    The Ferguson Ariva 120 combo is €81 delivered. This does Saorview and HD satellite in one channel list and plays mkvs and records via a connected USB drive.

    Where?
    STB wrote: »
    A Raven 2 60cm Dish with QUAD LNB can be bought for €30!

    and where?

    Thanks:).


  • #28
    Gryire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 251 ✭✭Gryire


    Paul Kiernan wrote: »
    Where?



    and where?

    Thanks:).


    http://www.satworld.ie/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=227


  • #29
    Minstrel27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,818 ✭✭✭Minstrel27


    Gonzo wrote: »
    Saorview is a waste, it's literally just the 5 Irish channels that everyone in the country can receive anyway.

    Saorview is a replacement for the analogue service which is being shut down at the end of 2012. So without Saorview not everyone in the country will be receiving them, only those with pay tv.


  • #30
    Antenna
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Antenna


    That Aldi satellite receiver looks suspiciously like being a rebadged version of a badly designed Ross 'SD' satellite receiver (DVB-S 5010) I once tried out -

    see here:
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69989314


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  • #31
    Why_So_Serious?
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 66 ✭✭Why_So_Serious?


    I'm hopin someone can help me out here pretty quick......I bought an SLx Complete Satellite Kit in Power City, Had too put the satellite together and now cant seem too get any quality when i'm looking around wit the satellite, I have the Finder (which has the most annoying sound ever) and have the compass but neither seem too be helping.....we cant seem too realise why the finder just stops making sound and its saying theres no quality.

    Can anyone please help??


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