Can't figure out what to get for Galaxy 19 setup

[apsinkus]

So I already have a dish I bought back in 2008. It is one of those Angel Broadcasting Network ones you could get "back in the day" cheap.
I also have TechSat Tracker II+ LNB.
Now that my landlord finally softened up, he allowed me to mount it.

Galaxy 19 is what I am planning on pointing to, but I would still like to have motorized setup, in case I want to play around and check out other sats.

Here is where I have spent hours researching, but can't make up my mind
1. What receiver with PVR I should get which does not cost a fortune like AZbox, but at the same time is not cheap and buggy knock-off that will frustrate my wife. PVR ability is a must.
2. Is the LNB good enough? I think I have decent LOS, but it rains and snows heavily in Boston, so I would like to get solid signal.

When you give me your recommendation, can you also tell me where is the best place to buy that stuff?

 

[KE4EST]

1. I would wait a few weeks and get the new GEOSATpro microHD receiver that is just about to be released. It will do all you want and have PVR. It will even have a Glorystar (G19) Mode if you want. If want more it will drive a motor etc. This receiver is almost ready and their is a whole thread about it
if you click HERE.
It will be going for about $125 plus shipping and you can get it from SatelliteAV who is a sponsor at the top of the page. It is designed with the American FTA hobbyist in mind and will work right out of the box, with out headache.

2. I personally am not familiar with this LNBF, but you can read a review about it HERE by Mr FTA himself Iceberg. From reading a few lines of his review it appears he really liked it. The dish you have will work just fine.

Hope this helped!!

 

[rv1pop]

1st: WELCOME !!!
2nd: I think the concensus will be in this thread = http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...w-geosatpro-microhd-receiver-coming-soon.html
the microHD from SatelliteAV aka Glorystar.
3rd. the dish has been improved, and you might do well to check the ebay specials listed in SatelliteAV's posts. If your dish has the braces from the edges of the dish to the LNBF arm, you have the better one, though the best one has stronger "tin".

 

[FaT Air]

1. I think the GEOSATpro microHD will fill those requirements. Others that may, an openbox S9 or 10, (be careful of clones) a Manhatten or the new Pansat 9500HDX (but I think the microHD is going to be the friendliest. And the least buggy, if not completely bug free, by what I've read in the thread) It's been developed with input from members here.
2. The dish size probably plays a bigger role. How wide/tall is it? Bigger is better.

 

[apsinkus]

But aren't I going to have to buy separately controller to run the positioner motor?

Also, any feedback on LNB? Should I get something else? The antenna is 90cm.

 

[KE4EST]

But aren't I going to have to buy separately controller to run the positioner motor?

Nope not to run a motor for a Ku set-up.

 

[TRG]

But aren't I going to have to buy separately controller to run the positioner motor?

Also, any feedback on LNB? Should I get something else? The antenna is 90cm.

Diseqc motor's are driven directly from the receiver. You don't even need to run separate motor wires. The power to run the motor runs on the same coax line as the digital video signal. That makes for a nice clean install.

Your question about the LNB was answered in the first reply from ke4est. In short, that LNB will work fine. Sounds like all you need is a receiver, some coax and a diseqc motor. Obviously the motor is optional should you decide a fixed dish approach at first (recommended).

 

[Babadem]

So I already have a dish I bought back in 2008. It is one of those Angel Broadcasting Network ones you could get "back in the day" cheap.
I also have TechSat Tracker II+ LNB.
Now that my landlord finally softened up, he allowed me to mount it.

Galaxy 19 is what I am planning on pointing to, but I would still like to have motorized setup, in case I want to play around and check out other sats.

Here is where I have spent hours researching, but can't make up my mind
1. What receiver with PVR I should get which does not cost a fortune like AZbox, but at the same time is not cheap and buggy knock-off that will frustrate my wife. PVR ability is a must.
2. Is the LNB good enough? I think I have decent LOS, but it rains and snows heavily in Boston, so I would like to get solid signal.

When you give me your recommendation, can you also tell me where is the best place to buy that stuff?

The MicroHD by SatelliteAV would be your best bet as mentioned by others, and should be ready in a few weeks or so. The 3ABN (I have one of those) 90cm dish and the lnb you have should be fine. Do you already have RG6 cables? If not you can combine you order with the MicroHD when you place your order with SatelliteAV. As for the motor, I would suggest you first install a fixed dish, then you may upgrade to motor setup after you're comfortable with a single dish setup.

As for the weather...........I know what you mean, as we're in the same boat so to speak.

 

[freezy]

If you program in favorite channels besides dish-move-lag it will be a pretty user friendly set-up.

I'm not running USALS for the positioning system. I have something wrong...but it is the way to go.

DiSEqC 1.2 is kinda sloppy and needs realigning all the time...but it has a wider arc. You can use a combo of both if needed.

Does she speak something besides English? There are great Spanish and Arabic channels on 30W

 

[apsinkus]

So I asked in MicroHD thread and looks like it is unlikely we will see those units until May or later. Don't really want to wait that long.

What is my viable alternative and where should I buy it from? Really don't want to spend above $150 on it.

 

[cyberham]

If another voice will help...wait. Believe what everybody says. There really aren't ANY decent FTA receivers available now, for a beginner, for under $150, that support the newer technology since most have technical issues or glitches or problems. Get your dish ready, run your cables, read-read-read on forums like this. After you've done all that, the microHD will be available.

 

[apsinkus]

Does the fact that I am a geek (my phones and tablets do not survive 10 minutes out of the factory box without getting rooted) make me less of a beginner?

 

[cyberham]

If you've never installed a satellite TV system, doesn't matter if you've made your own space ship, you're a beginner. Lots of totally new things to learn and ideas to understand when starting this activity. If you add to the mix an old receiver with bugs, crappy instruction manuals, it's a perfect storm for you losing interest and giving up.

 

[KE4EST]

Agreed.

 

[freezy]

I was going to suggest a non=HD receiver like the Coolsat 6100 (with a usb Hard drive) or a Coolsat 7100 PVR.

The recorded programming from those boxes are transferable to your computer using the k-lite codec pak and enabling mpeg-ts files. Buuuuut.... Without a functioning Electronic Program Guide (epg) you are limited to recording what you are watching at that time...unless somebody knows how to record without that function

 

[Bob2011]

There are plenty of standard definition DVB-S PVR receivers on ebay for around $50. Really there are only a handful of channels on Galaxy 19 that need the more expensive HD or DVB-S2 capable receivers. Some of the lower end boxes record in custom formats or require you to watch the videos on a PC so ask here first before buying a specific model.

Use the receiver for a few months then resell it on ebay when you are ready to upgrade to something like the MicroHD. The way the used prices have seem to gone up lately you probably should get most of your investment back.

 

[apsinkus]

Hmmm... ok, so that makes sense. Get SD receiver with PVR and upgrade later. I really would like it to be capable of Electronic Program Guide.

Any suggestions for the makes and models that would work?

Also, with my setup, I am going to be attaching the antenna to the top of the flag pole that is attached to the wall of the building. I really can't be going up and down the ladder constantly to adjust. Wouldn't a motor be helpful in this case for fine-tuning? Set it to the channel I know and tweak the position of the dish?

 

[SatelliteAV]

A great SD receiver with DVR capabilities is the Visionsat IV200. Usually on EBay $35-$50 shipped.

Why mount the dish on top of a flag pole? Do you have problems with line of sight caused by trees or buildings? Satellite dishes do not need to be mounted high in the air. They only need to have an unobstructed line of sight to the desired satellites. Mounting the dish unnecessarily high in the air will only cause more work and installation issues.

Motors are for moving between satellites and for slight fine tuning the dish aiming. Motors do not adjust for mechanical movements of an incorrect mounting. HH motors only follow an arc of satellites in the sky and do not adjust azimuth and elevation angles. These angles are fixed during the installation and the motor then traces the arc set during the set-up.

 

[Conky]

99% of channels have no EPG. If you're lucky they might have listings on TitanTV or their own website

many FTA receivers also have difficulty keeping the correct time, impairing PVR features

 

[SatelliteAV]

Conky is correct. If you want a SD DVR that will keep exact time, the choice narrows to the GEOSATpro DVR1100c. When GMT time mode is selected, time reference is only updated from the channel placed in the #1 position. As long as the time is set correctly for channel one, the time will stay correct.