Getting Started with FTA - What u need/how 2 start - a brief overview

[Hyper]

Getting Started with FTA: Overview

Copy and Paste from FTAList.com. All credit to Michael

http://www.ftalist.com/started.htm

What you absolutely need:

A clear view of the southern sky
A dish, 30 inches or wider
A Ku-band LNBF
A Free-to-air DVB receiver

To hit multiple satellites from one dish, add:

A dish-moving motor

Really helpful stuff for installation:

A compass with degree marks
A level
True RG6 coax cable
A 7/16-inch wrench, for most dishes
A portable TV
A signal strength meter

The four simple steps:

1) Find a place for the dish. It has to have a clear view to the south, although the exact direction varies.

2) Get your equipment. Choose what you want, see who sells it for a good price, and go get it.

3) Install. You can do it yourself with a few helpful tools, or you can pay someone else to do it.

4) Find your channels. Use FTAList or SatcoDX as a guide to where to look for the channels you want.




 ;)

[satstud-ent]

It is a great set of instructions.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!!  ;D

[SWHouston]

Fellas,

When I was trying to set my system up before, I used what is called an "Inclinometer".
I have a picture of it, and will link it in here.

It's basically screwed to a piece of Board, with two screws which allow me to hang it on the Dish.
I know it's not a very accurate way to site in on a Sat, but it gets you in the ballpark, what do you think ?
Has anyone tried this besides me ?



Have a good Day !  :)
S.W.

[bynch]

i have they work good

[ftasniper]

 Thanks SWHouston for the pic,I recently perchased a dish that does'nt have the degrees scale imprint so your idea will be very usefull to me. 8)

[ftabrat]

hopefully you know the dish to LNB offset if its like SWHouston's pic (notice its not in the center of the dish)

ie.
if your dish has a 20 lnb degree offset
and you are trying to see up at 45 degrees

you would subtract the offset whrn looking at the refleector angle
45
-20
------
25 degree angle on reflector to see 45  degrees in the air

[Hyper]

I say to hell with the board and all that work,

I do it like this and it works great every time, i mean i never have to reset elevation after doing it this way

http://legalfreetoair.com/index.php?topic=450.0

[Macaroni]

With 'clear view of southern sky,' I have successfully aimed Direct TV dish for years and it worked great.  I live in the woods, however, and wonder if the Direct TV dish aiming will work with the FTA dish, or whether the aiming requirements for that are more stringent.  I know I can't cut down the trees because they are so beautiful and some of them are NOT on my property as well.  So if Direct TV works, will a Ku Band dish work?  Thank you. 

[Hyper]

Its a yes and no answer really. Most directv dishes aimed at 101.0W so if you have a clear view of that you could certainly get 101.0W AMC 4 Ku no doubt. Probably 97.0W, 99.0W, 103.0W, anything near that but it depends on the trees. But having had Directv in the past you certainly could get at least some satellites for sure. And AMC4 101.0W is a good one to get too.

[ric161]

I was given a dish network 500 dish which is about 22" an a dish pro digital LNBF which has 4 hook ups  one side says 110W an the other side says 119W.. Can you tell me if this will work or is there a complete setup i can buy..

[ftabrat]

I was given a dish network 500 dish which is about 22" an a dish pro digital LNBF which has 4 hook ups  one side says 110W an the other side says 119W.. Can you tell me if this will work or is there a complete setup i can buy..

nether will do you any good getting FTA
you need a:
-a dish at least 36"
-and linear LNB the one you have is circular (for pay systems)

hyper has some packages here
http://www.hypermegasat.com/Package%20Deals.html

I know he's been real busy with orders lately, but this is what I would piece together

HD receiver
OPENBOX S9 HD PVR FTA Receiver
http://www.hypermegasat.com/Openbox%20S9%20HD%20PVR.htm

for Ku band

LNB
Spitfire Elite Single Output 0.1dB Universal LNB
http://www.hypermegasat.com/Dish_LNBs.html

HotDish 90 36" Inch (90cm) FTA Dish
http://www.hypermegasat.com/hotdish_90.htm

SG9120 Heavy Duty DiSEqC Dish Motor with Metal Gear & 55 mm Tube
http://www.hypermegasat.com/SG9120.htm

and or

for C band
hyper sells BUDs (bid ugly dish)
message or call him for this info

or

check out your area for old BUDs that are not used anymore..
sometimes you can get them free if you take them down for them!
10' is great! but I would not pass up a 6',but the bigger the better!

these will need to be upgraded for the modern digital receiver with this:

DMX241 Digital Ready 13K C-Band LNB
http://www.hypermegasat.com/Dish_LNBs.html

V-Box X DiSEqC Positioner/Controller
http://www.hypermegasat.com/v_box_6.htm
to control the dish mover

and IF the actuator (motor) is not good, hyper has them too

TA-24 24 Inch C Band Dish Actuator
http://www.hypermegasat.com/24_inch_actuator.htm
or
TA-18 18 Inch C Band Dish Actuator
http://www.hypermegasat.com/18_inch_actuator.htm

I know its a lot but thats for both bands and a HD receiver!  ;D
you can always start with Ku, and later add C band

[ric161]

Thank You
I see Hyper has a complete setup with a motor, and would that be the way to go an add the c band to that disk?  I don't have the room for a bud. Would i also haft to upgrade the receiver

[Hyper]

What kind of receiver do you have now ric161? Any FTA receiver shoul;d work for C and Ku. If you want HD channels you will need a HD receiver. You can add C Band to a 36" dish, you need a Conical Scaler Kit and a C Band LNB. But my personal opinion is use a motorized dish for Ku, then get a 2nd dish 36" for mini-bud. I think thats the best way to go.

[ric161]

Hello Hyper
I don't have a receiver only the dish that was given to me but wont work for FTA, so I need a hole system. This is all new to me..

[overhead]

 Hi there  everyone i,m from the northern , part of Canada  i used too belong to another site they no long operate sense N3 . honestly and i do not want to sound optimistic or i should say a stick in the mud   what is left ? for free to air on a 27 in even if i had a 30+ dish north east of the city of Toronto ,Ont, Canada . all i hear is fta are gone move on , i do not mean to boar anyone  i guess what im trying to say is where are the facts what is there .  thank you for your time . and Happy new year