Done with FTA for a while

[Blindowl1234]

It's been an interesting 4 or 5 years with FTA but I think I'm done for a while. The parts are getting hard too find in my opinion. Seems like no one stocks that much anymore. I can't blame them in this economy. Last month I'd spent far too much in shipping just getting spare parts from multiple places. I prefer not to deal with Ebay do to lack of support after the sale. The quality of most off shore products are not that well made. The exception is the Micro Hd. Anyone thats been in this for a while can tell you that realistically there's less to watch than there used to be too. That's due to a variety of things I know. I seriously thought how I've sunk more $$$ in this one hobby than any hobby I've ever had. The number of receivers I've owned is probably 10...the number of motors almost as high. Some lasted a year some less. Had a few D.O.A. too. Its true I guess we spend more time tinkering than watching. I can't count the hours spent in the freezing cold fixing something. I remember the heyday of the big dish too. Putting up ten footers in a cornfield in zero degree temps..brrr...Guess I'm getting older and less patient too. I'll keep the equipment going for as long as I can with what parts I have and then that's it. Thanks to all for their help over the years and hopefully I've helped someone along the way too. So for a while I'm gonna sit back on the sidelines and watch I guess. Thanks to all....Blind AKA Jeff

 

[rv1pop]

I do NOT know where you live, HOA restrictions, etc. But wind and weather have restricted my FTA hobby advancement. I have 6 fixed KU dishes up, ZERO C-band working, and with the fixed dishes, there is very little extra time involved - except for any the time in front of the "boob-tube". In fact I can not tell you which sats I aim at, except for 97W, so I am not the normal SatGuy. With 2 TVs right now, I am out of room (OK, and power) for TVs, but plenty of room for dishes and switches.

So, Jeff, maybe slow expansion of the hobby to match the budget, but I have enjoyed your input here. AND stay on the forums and speak what you need - some one may have a part you need in their storage unit and they need to have it put into use.

My internet (and my keyboarding -that used to be called typing) are so slow that I will not search to find what you are looking for, but what do you need? OK, service after the 'sale' may not be even as good as ebay, but help on here has been excellent for me.

 

[icu1954]

i think i am going to stay with it,because i like the surprises that come with this hobby.I have spent quite a few dollars when i was new to this,but the last year or two i have just been blind scanning and watching tv with what i have now,which is a 6 foot dish with c and ku lnb and the old reliable openbox S9.I have not spent money in a long time,because i get all i need with my simple basic equipment.

 

[PopcornNMore]

I still enjoy FTA satellite, but lately I'm more into online streaming using ROKU and Internet TV + available on Optibox receivers. A lot of good programming can be found if you look good enough.

This new hobby would be great for someone like Iceberg who no longer doesn't have the room to place dishes. You still search for programming just like you do while blind scanning with a FTA receiver with no equipment necessary. Lately I've been testing services and apps such as PLEX, Amazon Cloud, PlayON, HULU, Netflix, VUDO, Amazon Prime, ROKU private channels, etc.

 

[migold]

Does anyone have experience dealing with IMPAKT products and distributing, an online satellite products store based in Columbus, Ohio?

 

[rv1pop]

Internet is fine ... unless ... ... some can not stand the 10 seconds it takes the dish to move to a new satellite. How would they do with pressing the "next Thread" button, here, and waiting 4 minutes for the next thread to load? Or at bad times four timeouts before you get it.... Or wanting to watch a 30 minute program on the internet that you missed on TV, start the download and 5 hours later a popup says "unable to save file - reset by server before download completed".

So, I look out the window at the herd of 16 deer browsing on the hay we put out for them - between the motor home and the car -- 20 feet away. Or go out to the power shed and steady myself by putting may hand on the back of a nice sized buck eating his dinner.... Better than a lot of internet... I am glad to WATCH "FTA" TV.

 

[FaT Air]

I bought a lnb and, I thought, feedhorn (LNB Holder) for my 84e a while ago. Shipped and received just the lnb. Called to ask "here's ith feed/holder" as it wasn't spelt out that it was 'without'. They shipped it out pronto. And at no charge. Think now the page says "without holder".
Would I buy from them again? Yes, if they have something I need.

 

[JFOK]

Jeff,

I think you might want to adopt the phrase everything in moderation.
This can be a very expensive hobby if its allowed to get out of control.
I'm in awe, but don't envy, those with satellite dish farms. I have one 7.5 KTI mesh dish that has served me fine since 1999 and that's all I need, besides I don't want my yard looking like CNN headquarters. You stated that you had 10 receivers, hell I've been in this hobby since 1991 and in all that time I've only owned 3 satellite receivers, the third of which (microHD) I bought in August. I never felt the need to constantly upgrade my receivers as long as they worked...which they did.
As for nothing much up there, I beg to differ. IMHO there's a lot up there, equal to what I saw when I first started with C-band in 1991. I may not understand alot of the languages spoken, but they're up there.
As for the amount of satellite vendors, you are right on the mark. When it comes to parts however, since I have the basic C-Ku system, I've had no problems. I've also had no problems buying what I need on eBay. As long as the vendor has a good rating and review I'll take a chance. Thanks to the good folks here, I know what I'm looking for before I start my eBay search and many times good eBay vendors will be mentioned here.
I'm sure you'll be back on FTA before you know it. In the meantime get some "west and welaxation" as Elmer Fudd used to say.

John

 

[JFOK]

migold,

I bought satellite ribbon cable from IMPAKT last summer and was pleased with the price and quick delivery.

John

 

[turbosat]

Hey, it's a hobby but for me it has been educational. And entertaining too. I agree there aren't a lot of places to get parts these days, partly the economy and more probably due to us being a niche market. The tv model that has evolved in the US doesn't leave us much hope for expansion, I doubt there will ever be an option to buy a card, and subscribe to anything like cable tv channels with our own equipment. The big money guys have a lock on that, if you want to pay them and agree to their stupid contracts and fees, then that is an option. I enjoy the variety and the lack of monthly billing, auto-deductions and arguing with script-readers half a planet away when I need something.
When it stops being fun, then maybe it's time to back away awhile. Space, and space-related tech has always interested me, this hobby allows me to follow along. Another thing I've gotten out of satellite tv, discovery of different sports I possibly wouldn't have been exposed to, like hockey!

 

[johann12]

Hey, it's a hobby but for me it has been educational. And entertaining too. I agree there aren't a lot of places to get parts these days, partly the economy and more probably due to us being a niche market. The tv model that has evolved in the US doesn't leave us much hope for expansion, I doubt there will ever be an option to buy a card, and subscribe to anything like cable tv channels with our own equipment. The big money guys have a lock on that, if you want to pay them and agree to their stupid contracts and fees, then that is an option. I enjoy the variety and the lack of monthly billing, auto-deductions and arguing with script-readers half a planet away when I need something.
When it stops being fun, then maybe it's time to back away awhile. Space, and space-related tech has always interested me, this hobby allows me to follow along. Another thing I've gotten out of satellite tv, discovery of different sports I possibly wouldn't have been exposed to, like hockey!

I did not know that camel racing existed until I got into FTA.

 

[johann12]

After having cable for years and even dishnetwork, I got into FTA because of economy reasons.
I set up an OTA system, but there was problems getting reception because of my house is surrounded by trees and my house is below level.
So the only possible option I had to receive signals is pointing my antenna up into the sky.

I read all I could about FTA even before I joint this group because I was afraid that I would be wasting my time and money.
Finally after dishnetwork contract was ended I used their dish put an linear LNB on it and pointed to 97w and I got channels to watch.
.........And a hobby out of need was born.
Little by little over time I expanded my system, which consist of a 10 foot dish that I am using and a KU dish. And one 7 1/2 footer in storage.
So far I got $480 in the whole system which turned into a multiroom setup.
The only thing left is to get one more receiver which most likely will be another S10. After that my setup is complete and there will be only the cost to maintain the system.
Before buying parts I usually check here what those ladies and gentlemen here at this forum think about a specific item. Why reinvent the wheel If folks here are driving a Mercedes already?
As of buying parts, I usually buy all over the world as needed. So far no problems.

I do not keep up with the Jones, all I want is a economic system. I will not go back to a paid subscriber to pay to watch commercials if i can help it.
Even with the initial investment for setting up the system, it is still cheaper than any paid provider for me.

 

[tdti1]

Hmm, and I always thought the states had everything with Skyvision, global, Sadoun and satav but from what I'm reading lately looks like in Canada all our dealers like rpssat, hobbysat and that newer place drsat seems to have everything in stock when in the states they don't? I have not found anything fta related I have looked for the past few years to be hard to find at all.

 

[AcWxRadar]

It's been an interesting 4 or 5 years with FTA but I think I'm done for a while. The parts are getting hard too find in my opinion. Seems like no one stocks that much anymore. I can't blame them in this economy. Last month I'd spent far too much in shipping just getting spare parts from multiple places. I prefer not to deal with Ebay do to lack of support after the sale. The quality of most off shore products are not that well made. The exception is the Micro Hd. Anyone thats been in this for a while can tell you that realistically there's less to watch than there used to be too. That's due to a variety of things I know. I seriously thought how I've sunk more $$$ in this one hobby than any hobby I've ever had. The number of receivers I've owned is probably 10...the number of motors almost as high. Some lasted a year some less. Had a few D.O.A. too. Its true I guess we spend more time tinkering than watching. I can't count the hours spent in the freezing cold fixing something. I remember the heyday of the big dish too. Putting up ten footers in a cornfield in zero degree temps..brrr...Guess I'm getting older and less patient too. I'll keep the equipment going for as long as I can with what parts I have and then that's it. Thanks to all for their help over the years and hopefully I've helped someone along the way too. So for a while I'm gonna sit back on the sidelines and watch I guess. Thanks to all....Blind AKA Jeff

Blindowl (Jeff),

I understand a great deal of what you are saying. Expressly the money part. I have bought so many different receivers and LNBFs and dishes and switches and H-H motors and this that and the other thing! I don't want add it all up for a total tally of money spent, I would probably be very depressed! I might have traded it all instead for a brand new truck! And many of you all know exactly what I am talking about, as it ain't no joke for this hobby to be an addiction!

This hobby does provide a great education. I really am intrigued and passionate about learning anything in general, but electronics and science and math and physics, etc. really drive me!

But, there is something else... Something that isn't a joke, but is quite serious to me. That something is you. All of you. Each one of you individually and all of you as a whole. It is the friendship that we share here in this forum, even without knowing one another in person, that is worth every penny that I ever spent on this hobby! I would spend it all over again for the opportunity to meet and chat with each one of you!

It was damned well worth it!

Thank you Jeff and thank you everyone!

Gordy

 

[hwm]

With three LNBFs on my ten foot C-band dish, and 5 fixed Ku band dishes, we get enough English language programming to make it worthwhile. Probably more "good" channels than the cheapest subscription services. Many of my dishes were obtained free or cheap from Craigslist.

I do miss the happy times on 123w Ku and also the History channel on 101w Ku. There is less programming available all the time, and I think that trend will continue as more TV is available over high-speed Internet. DSL will finally be available to us in the next few months, and I may lose interest in FTA myself at that time.


I have had excellent results dealing with the USA based seller Hypermegasat on eBay. I would not ever just log onto ebay and buy the cheapest one offered of the item I needed, FTA or otherwise.