my first fta system was a drake receiver with a 13 feet dish steel back in the 1980 c band dish many memories satellite news channel (snc) bought by ted turner (cnn)many channels then open before the vc.cyher era .the w5 satellite now not there anymore.good old times.
Contest: Enter to Win an Amiko mini HD SE from Titanium Satellite - Ends 5/27/2014
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I got into FTA in 2010. With the help of another true FTA Website, I learned how to set up and operate a system. Now I have my own dish farm with 9 dishes to pull in everything KU offers and some C band as well. A very good hobby to compliment my amateur radio addiction
Back in 1980 is when I got started. My Dad found a used 10' system in a classified ad and we poured yards of cement to plant the pole. We had a book on how to set it up but it still took me a week of constant tinkering to get it to track the arc. It was like a new friend when we got it set up. For a while we just watched the fta stuff but after a while Mom wanted some premium programming but I still found the fta games for Dad. Every chance I had I was scanning the sky for new things to watch. I do admit we watched way to many infomercials, they were new back then so didn't know any better.
I want to say 1996 with a 2' Ku dish that had a circle base and an arm that folded down with a video plus receiver http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/232592-The-weirdest-thing-you-have-never-seen
My first would have been in August of 2001 with an old zenith cband system with a 6 foot dish which I still have
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The first I owned - and still own - has never been a working set-up. (It was a repo...)
Got KU band for 97W a few years ago - after I found this site and Glorystar with Brian. I have tried C-band several times, only to find them blown away. I am getting my building built and hope to have C Band sheltered from the wind by next summer.
Got KU band for 97W a few years ago - after I found this site and Glorystar with Brian. I have tried C-band several times, only to find them blown away. I am getting my building built and hope to have C Band sheltered from the wind by next summer.
I checked my join date: 11-14-2011. With the help of this site, my first FTA system, which consisted of my WSI 90x99 cm dish (still in use now!) and an Openbox s10 / Traxis 3500 (because I wasn't sure I was doing things right), first hit a transponder on 97W on Memorial Day weekend 2012. That means I've been in the hobby for a full two years now. How time flies, and yet it seems so long ago! I soon motorized the dish and with practice and better understanding of how everything worked, got it tracking the arc. Even tried experimenting on the C-band. I had no idea I would have this much fun with the hobby 
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I had my satellite system installed in Nov. of 1987 - which consisted of a 9' Design Homes spun aluminum and a GI2600R receiver. All cutting-edge equipment installed for a mere $2100. Electronics frizzled out (I dont recall what) in mid-90's and system sat idle for 15+ yrs. In 2008. I thought more than once to scrap the dish. Get out the sawzall and cut it in two and haul it away. What was I thinking?!
Everything is up and running now. I can't get enough of the hobby. I'm searching CL for dishes all the time.
Everything is up and running now. I can't get enough of the hobby. I'm searching CL for dishes all the time.
Got my first dish in 1985 it was a 7ft solid fiberglass. Then i found out a 10ft would be a lot better so this is when we had local dealer's so i traded my 7 footer back in for a 10 footer been scanning the sky's every since.
I started in 2008 after discovering SatelliteGuys while researching for SkyAngel. I was intrigued by the whole FTA thing and finally got up and running with an old BJ Link Channelmaster dish and a Visionsat receiver. Hope to get a C band dish someday. Great hobby!
I started building my first satellite TV system after reading the series by Bob Cooper in Radio Electronics Magazine back in 1979. I found a surplus terrestrial microwave dish and home brewed the feed, LNA, and receiver. The first signal I received was in December of 1980, a football game on AFRTS from Satcom F2 at 119 degrees. 33+ years later, it's still a great hobby.
Thanks for the contest Brian!
Thanks for the contest Brian!
Got a used 6' bud system in 1988 and tinkered with it for a couple of years. Got back into FTA with an old Primestar Ku dish about 10 years ago.
I started in the fall of 2002. The best entertainment money I have ever spent. Back then I was single and loved watching all the different games I could find. Now that I am married I still look for sports but also use my system for my 7yo to watch some kids programming (mainly PBS).
I believe it was the fall in 1985 when I got my first dish. It was a birthday present from my wife. I remember watching races and instead of going to commercial they would keep on showing coverage ( you would lose sound till they came off commercial). It sure beat the way they do it now. I've been doing my own setups ever since, the original setup was wiped out by hurricane Hugo in 1989 I believe it was. I don't think they used even 1 bag of concrete to do the original install.
DirecTV jacked up their prices (again) just over three years ago and I cut their cord. So in March of 2011 I went 100% FTA and OTA. I don't watch what I used to (which is a good thing) and have fun watching what I now get. I have 6 stationary KU dishes and have more than I could possibly watch. Still looking forward to C-Band someday
I got started in fta with old sonicview receivers and modded directv dish. I picked up ses1 and was happy when I picked pentagon channel and the dutch polish channels. Next one I got was 97w ku band love that one too. I tell people about this hobby they think I am crazy but I tell them who pays a 100 dollars a month to watch crap is crazy.
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