Dish receiver

[darknephilim]

Ok, I bought an old dish satellite receiver at a garage sale because I have been wanting to get in the FTA thing. I don;t know anything about it though. I was hoping that some of you would know if this would work. here are some of the markings on it.

"HTS excellence by design" upper left hand corner in front.
"DVB Mpeg 2" Lower left of center
"Dish" Lower right hand corner

On back:

"Model: ISD 3200"

Thank all of you in advance!

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

The Dish receiver can NOT be used for any FTA channels, best thing it can be used for is to point to DBS satellites using the signal meter.

(You may get the NASA and Gol TV channels In the Clear)

For FTA you need at least a 30" dish, KU LNBF and a FTA receiver!

 

[Katrinasucks]

That's a Dish Network receiver which requires a subscription. FTA is something completely different... Hope you didn't pay too much for it.

 

[darknephilim]

Ok. Well Thank you for your quick replies. That really sucks but at least I only paid a dollar lol!

Can you tell me what the absolute cheapest I would be able to get into this little for?
Assuming I vould beg an old satellite off of some one. Are computer cards ok?

Thank you again.

 

[PSB]

A complete system can be had for as little as $194 shipped. (Or Cheaper,shop around)

But buying used may be an option, check the classified area here at SatelliteGuys often.


DVB PC cards are great but do not have Blind Scan, I would hold out for a receiver with Blind Scan as its a must have function these days. DVB PC Cards can get extra channels/feeds in the 4:2:2 format and HD.

 

[darknephilim]

I was actually thinking a little cheaper... If I got a free 30in dish somewhere and hooked it straight into a computer card would that work?
here is the card I was kind of looking at

what kind of dish that would be fairly common would you recommend?

EDIT
This is the right one-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815100133R

 

[PSB]

SO many dish out there, the BIGGER the better. But the Winegard 30" is a great dish for its size and price.


Here are the specs.....

http://dmsiusa.com/ds2076.htm

 

[darknephilim]

So Pretty much any dish over30 in? Also does the dish plug right into the card on a comp?

I really appreciate the time that you all are taking Thanks!

 

[LVFTA]

No. That card won't work for FTA. It works for getting local digital channels with regullar anttena. You should look at a DVB PC card like "Twinhan". There is a section about those cards here. They can be bought less than the price of the card you have linked if you shop around.

I was actually thinking a little cheaper... If I got a free 30in dish somewhere and hooked it straight into a computer card would that work?
here is the card I was kind of looking at

what kind of dish that would be fairly common would you recommend?

EDIT
This is the right one-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815100133R

 

[darknephilim]

So I can just plug the satellite into this card aim and then watch?

 

[LVFTA]

Yes, but it is not that easy. You need to read, read and read more. Look at FAQ at this site by iceberg. I am new at this myself. But was able to get it to work at first try, becouse of this site.

So I can just plug the satellite into this card aim and then watch?

 

[darknephilim]

Thanks. So do you know any tricks that would help make it easier and cheaper?

 

[123tim]

Part of what's cool about FTA is that it really isn't "easy" in the sense of Direct TV or the Dish Network It's not like you'll be you pointing your dish at a very strong (and easy to find) signal. You also wont be receiving a preset package of channels as you do with Direct TV or the Dish. But, that being said, with the receivers out today, and the knowledge available on the net, it is a very rewarding hobby. I've only had my receiver for a week or two, but I'm really glad that I bought it. FTA isn't hard - it's a rewarding challenge. I've really learned a lot (and need to learn a lot more).
LVFTA really knows what he's talking about when he said "You need to read, read and read more." That's the best approach to making it easier and cheaper. Iceberg's faq is very helpful. Research different receivers and systems on the net (There are quite a few links at the top of every Satellite guys page.) Read this forum. Read anything that you can get your eyes on Here are some things that you'll need to start:
You'll need a good idea of what satellites can be accessed from your area. You can find an excellent and free program here: http://www.arachnoid.com/satfinder/ (If you supply your zip code, someone might supply you with list of available satellite positions like they did for me.) You'll need to do a site survey (find a clear view to the satellite - no obstructions.) See this page: http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Dish-Pointing-Tips.htm You'll also need a compass and a good understanding of how to use it.
For your antenna setup, a power meter (Sat Finder) is nice. You can get one for around 9 dollars (maybe less?) if you shop around. Your receiver also will have a power meter in the setup. You'll need Patience to set up your dish.
By the way, I was originally going to buy a computer card as it looks like you're thinking of doing. I was persuaded to spend more money and buy a standalone receiver for my TV. I'm glad that I did in my particular case.
An idea of the channels that you might get can be found at the Lyngsat site here:
http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

Hope that this helps. It's a lot of work, but I can't tell you how rewarding it is to lock in your first satellite signal that first time.
Good Luck.

 

[Tron]

It is always good to have a stand alone receiver to start with. It's easier to bring it and a portable TV up to the roof to tweak your dish (although a notebook computer and USB box would also be easy to carry up there). More importantly, though, the stand alone receivers can have a blind scan function, which is almost mandatory. No satellite cards or USB boxes can do this feasibly.

Once you have a stand alone receiver, then you can add a PCI card or USB box to give your PC the ability to record the digital streams natively. Use the stand alone receiver to find your frequencies/transponders and enter that data into your PCI card or USB box capture program.