Contest: Enter to Win an Amiko mini HD SE from Titanium Satellite - Ends 5/27/2014

[Titanium]

Here is your chance to win an Amiko mini HD SE from Titanium Satellite including Free Shipping to North America and the Caribbean! $130+ value!

The mini HD SE is an powerful MPEG2/4 High Definition DVBS/S2 satellite receiver with DVR capability and streaming! Easy and intuitive menus, fast / accurate blind scans, rock solid performance packaged with quality accessories and a two year warranty! A new app called Big2Small allows live streamed satellite programming to be viewed on Android devices. This is an inexpensive way to watch live 4:2:2 programming!

I have tested and developed many receivers over the years and this is now my daily use STB. I highly recommend the mini HD SE. An excellent performer and a great value!

For more Amiko mini HD SE information: Click Here!

How to Win: Reply to this thread and tell us what year you owned your first Free To Air satellite system. Maybe it was back in the early days of satellite and you had the first BUD in your neighborhood or maybe you are just starting now?

Small print: This contest is open to any SatelliteGuys member or staff who is in good standing. One entry per Member. Contest ends 11:59 pm, PDT, 5/27/2014. One winner will be selected at random from valid entries on May 28, 2014 and posted on this thread. If a winner does not respond to the SatelliteGuys posted winning notification within 10 days of the winner notification posting, the prize will be forfeited and will be offered to another randomly drawn contestant with a valid entry.

This prize will be shipped free of charge to any residential or commercial address in North America or The Caribbean. The winner is responsible for all brokerage and/or customs fees.

Good Luck! Be sure to check back after May 27th to see if you won!

I appreciate your continued support of Titanium Satellite and the opportunity to provide innovative and quality satellite products!

*Contest SatelliteGuys approved

 

[Magic Static]

My first foray into the FTA hobby was in 2003. I was looking for deals at a surplus computer site and found a Twinhan 102G DVBS PCI card cheap. I didn't know you could use the computer for that and I was intrigued. I bought the card and was hooked

 

[77TA]

[FONT=&amp]I’ve been the proud owner of a free to air system since 2012.[/FONT] I had been fascinated by fta since the 80’s and after cutting the cord and having very limited success with ota decided it was time to give it a try. After a little research I decided on a mini bud. I started with an Openbox s9, 1M channel master, sg2100, and esx241 lnb with conical scalar. Quickly got hooked and the obsession has grown from there.

 

[Frijid]

I got my first FTA system in 2000. The 76cm dish is still in use today. The Samsung DSR2700 is gone.

 

[Mr Tony]

My first foray into FTA was late 2003. Found out that the Bell ExpressVu audio channels and radio stations were in the clear. Figured "why pay 7.95 a month for the radio stations when I can get them for free?". Bought a real basic receiver for $60 that was a pain in the ass to program.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/15314-Viacast-Vistar-2000

upgraded a couple months later to a Pansat 1500 and a "Hotdish 76cm dish" and the rest is....well.....history

edit: My 1st time into FTA was actually 1997. My dad bought a lakehouse and there was a 5 foot dish and an old Rat Shack G5 only receiver. It was somehow subbed for about 2 years until the dish fell in the lake (they put the dish near the lake and I guess all the years of eroding the shoreline did it in)

 

[stargate5]

I got a klm receiver and a 8 ft. stainless dish with hand crank in 1981 when every thing was free. it didnt take long to get a motor.

 

[FaT Air]

Analog days 1985. Shaun Kenny show, SatVision show, MUCH Music, Outdoor Ch. 'The Gold Prospector' being a few FTA 'satellite' shows to watch. Oh, "time again for Basil Basset Bingo!" Oh - the shyster Gary selling his 'ICE' LNB's. Would scan for hours on end for just about anything else. Only 24 channels on a sat. First 'really big' story was watching the gulf war (Operation Desert Storm '90-'91) coverage on the Atlantic satellites. The 'behind the scenes' was just as, and many times more so, interesting as 'the story' fed out. Some only B&W and rolling as they were PAL. Should still have some recordings on VHS [remember them?] Just don't know where they're stored.
Can't remember what exactly my first DVB receiver was, It was JUNK compared to a blind scan receiver, so left the hobby for a few years because found less and less in analog and NO blindscan on the DVB, until I bought a Pansat . Found it on this 'new' thing they called the internet. Was C band only for a LONG time. Then found an unused old primestar 84e dish. And upgraded to a Pansat3500- (STOP - didn't ask for 'the whole history') Ok.

 

[migold]

I've had a BUD in my yard since 1994. FTA since 2006 with a Pansat 3500SD, followed by others.

 

[Satftafan]

Back in 2009 I bought a fortec 90 CM dish motor and ird. Then I bought a 76 metal dish on the cheap I got more channels then the 90 CM dish. Now I have a 1.2 meter channel master dish I just need a motor

 

[jmc98]

my first foray into FTA was the summer of 2008 with a fortec star 90cm with a dg280b motor and a fortec mercury ii receiver i bought from sadoun my first bud install will be summer of 2014 with a recently acquired laser 7.5' bud

 

[scarecrovv]

In 2010, 97w with a starchoice dish and a coolsat 5000. Got bit by fta bug and been at it ever since. Now I have a motorized ku band dish, an offset 2.4m c band pointed at galaxy 16 and if it ever stops snowing a 10 foot mesh with h-h motor I have to plant.

 

[SatPhreak]

My first foray into FTA was in 2003 when I found out you could get a couple FTA channels on 97W with a BELL ird and a starchoice dish. I ordered a pansat receiver within a week.


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[kodaz]

i started in 2007 ish, 2008 . my first dish set to 101 and then 97. from there i graduated to minibud and went straight downhill with multiple buds in the yard after that!!

 

[jduffin]

I first got into FTA back in 1995 with a 10 ft C-band dish.

 

[chadg2]

My first FTA was back in 1990 with 10ft. C-band analog only Uniden receiver till Houston Tracker System 70 & then 4DTV and Pansat 3500SD and Openbox S9 & S10 and Pansat 9500HD and would love to have a Amiko Mini SE!

 

[chaskuchar]

I got my first system from sadoun in 2009. geosatpro 90cm dish with geosat 200 rcv and dg280 motor. great system to start with but when pbs started dbs2 I got my first s9 from sadoun. the s9 is now my secondary receiver as the microhd is primary. I use the s9 when I need an output which is not hdmi. chas

 

[channel master]

I started in this around 1980.A Janiel 12 ft dark star dish with a uniden 7000 receiver.The 12 ft. Dish is still in use for the western satellites.Also,have 2 unimesh 7 ft. Dishes in use and multiple stationary ku dishes.Plus 2 prime stars and a motorized dish.Whew!

 

[gpflepsen]

2012 saw me foray into FTA with a Geosat Pro 90cm dish/MicroHD package from Brian. Found an eight foot Channelmaster to get into the BUD phase. Still waiting to get a 2013 harvested 10' and 12' planted this year...

 

[Lucky53]

Started in 1984 with a fiberglass 10ft.dish,STS receiver and dish drive..still have the 10ft.dish,driving it with a Echostar SRD 4000..current receiver is a MicroHD which I really enjoy...have three Ku dishes and the 10ft.to a 4x1 switch,all working great..would really like to give the Amiko Mini SE a try..sounds like a nice stb..

 

[ancient]

The year was 1995 - big old C-band dish and receiver I bought used from a guy on a farm that had converted to Dish.