Entering The FTA World

[Alan Gordon]

OK,

I just got the go-ahead allowing me to get an FTA system. I have been reading a bit on here about FTA, and so I'm sort of aware of how it works. However, I do have a few questions to ask if you'll indulge me.

One: While I notice that there are several HDTV channels in the clear, I'm hooking the FTA system up to a SD 50-inch, so I'm not really interested in that, or the DD5.1 since my DD receiver is with HD receiver. What's the best/cheapest receiver that I can get?! What are the advantages of said receiver?!

Two: I'm not really interested in foreign channels or the pay channels since I get them from DirecTV, but am more interested in the broadcast channels available. Mainly the network affiliates available (especially the WB and UPN feeds), along with the Montana PBS. I'm assuming the Winegard 30-inch dish pick all these up?! What kind of LNB will I need to pick up these particular channels?! Will the answer to the first question allow me to pick up the channels that I am interested in?! Thanks!

~Alan

 

[Mr Tony]

OK,

I just got the go-ahead allowing me to get an FTA system. I have been reading a bit on here about FTA, and so I'm sort of aware of how it works. However, I do have a few questions to ask if you'll indulge me.

One: While I notice that there are several HDTV channels in the clear, I'm hooking the FTA system up to a SD 50-inch, so I'm not really interested in that, or the DD5.1 since my DD receiver is with HD receiver. What's the best/cheapest receiver that I can get?! What are the advantages of said receiver?!

The features that the receiver should have is “Smart Search” or “Blind Scan” and Diseqc 1.2 or USALS. Smart/Blind search finds the frequencies and symbol rates without having to type it in. This works great for the news feeds and sports that are only up for the game and then disappear. Diseqc 1.2 allows you to move a motor, which would allow you to view all the satellites. Some satellites only have 1 or 2 channels on it that you may be interested in, but it makes it much easier. Once you set up the motor you just tune to the channel and regardless of which satellite its on, it will move to it. USALS allows you to type in your latitude & longitude and it moves automatically. Diseqc 1.2 you set it up once. 3 receivers have these 2 features…Pansat 2500, Satwork 3688, and Fortec

Two: I'm not really interested in foreign channels or the pay channels since I get them from DirecTV, but am more interested in the broadcast channels available. Mainly the network affiliates available (especially the WB and UPN feeds), along with the Montana PBS. I'm assuming the Winegard 30-inch dish pick all these up?! What kind of LNB will I need to pick up these particular channels?! Will the answer to the first question allow me to pick up the channels that I am interested in?! Thanks!

Winegard is one of the best dishes out there, but the suggestion we have been making is as for dish size, bigger is better. A 36” dish will help with the low signal feeds. I know in MN, Montana PBS comes in fine, but a little rain and it will cut out. The Nets on Galaxy 10 will hold up pretty good with a 30”. You will need a KU LNBF. The DMSI ones are real good. Invacom is another good one.

My main setup is
Pansat 1500 (little brother to the 2500)
SG2100 motor
Winegard 30” dish
DMSI dual LNBF

 

[Alan Gordon]

The features that the receiver should have is “Smart Search” or “Blind Scan” and Diseqc 1.2 or USALS. Smart/Blind search finds the frequencies and symbol rates without having to type it in. This works great for the news feeds and sports that are only up for the game and then disappear. Diseqc 1.2 allows you to move a motor, which would allow you to view all the satellites. Some satellites only have 1 or 2 channels on it that you may be interested in, but it makes it much easier. Once you set up the motor you just tune to the channel and regardless of which satellite its on, it will move to it. USALS allows you to type in your latitude & longitude and it moves automatically. Diseqc 1.2 you set it up once. 3 receivers have these 2 features…Pansat 2500, Satwork 3688, and Fortec

Any particular favorite among FTA users?!

Winegard is one of the best dishes out there, but the suggestion we have been making is as for dish size, bigger is better. A 36” dish will help with the low signal feeds. I know in MN, Montana PBS comes in fine, but a little rain and it will cut out. The Nets on Galaxy 10 will hold up pretty good with a 30”. You will need a KU LNBF. The DMSI ones are real good. Invacom is another good one.

I was trying to get an idea of what type of 36-inch dish I would get, and I found two choices, one being the 36-inch dish on PSB's page, and two being this dish that I found on Ebay. For the difference in price, I may just end up with the Winegard, I'm not sure...

 

[Mr Tony]

I've worked with a Fortec and that one is real nice.

As for the dish, the Torridal one doesn't work for FTA, only DBS. With FTA, it takes a great amount of patience to get more than one LNB for FTA to work right. Normally the KU band needs to be at the focal point. You can add a DBS LNB to the side of it eith minimal loss. But if you put a 2nd KU, it will have some major loss.

 

[Alan Gordon]

I've worked with a Fortec and that one is real nice.

As for the dish, the Torridal one doesn't work for FTA, only DBS. With FTA, it takes a great amount of patience to get more than one LNB for FTA to work right. Normally the KU band needs to be at the focal point. You can add a DBS LNB to the side of it eith minimal loss. But if you put a 2nd KU, it will have some major loss.

Thanks, I'm probably going to get PSB's $235 deal shipped with the Fortec, 36-inch dish, etc, and get the motor on EBay. That should get the job done.

~Alan

 

[Rick in MD]

One: While I notice that there are several HDTV channels in the clear, I'm hooking the FTA system up to a SD 50-inch, so I'm not really interested in that, or the DD5.1 since my DD receiver is with HD receiver. What's the best/cheapest receiver that I can get?! What are the advantages of said receiver?!

In regards to Alan's HD question, I have been wondering, is there anyway to receive the HD signals, I have a built-in HD receiver in my TV (Mits WS-48513) and will be getting (In the AM I hope) a Fortec Star Lifetime Ultra receiver for FTA Transmissions. I am already getting OTA from Baltimore with a Rat Shack UHF only ant. but was hoping for some more HD if possible.

Thanks
Rick

 

[Mr Tony]

None of the basic receivers decode HD. I think those are just the PC cards. If it picks up a HD signal, it makes the receiver go wacky, so you have to turn the master off switch in the back to get it back to normal

 

[tdti1]

The IT912 will do HD and has a built in HD tuner for ota also. The quali TV does HD also but is made for Europe and has its problems.

 

[Rick in MD]

Thanks, I will take a look at those, once I get my feet wet with the Fortec Star..

 

[Alan Gordon]

I know in MN, Montana PBS comes in fine, but a little rain and it will cut out. The Nets on Galaxy 10 will hold up pretty good with a 30”. You will need a KU LNBF.

I was reading more about FTA (both on here and other sites) and found out that one channel that my household was interested in is KRMA (Rocky Mountain PBS) that is broadcasted in "digicipher 2" which I can't pick up with (my future) setup. My question is this, has a channel ever switched from "digicipher 2" to DVB, or is there no chance of ever getting this channel outside of 4DTV?!

~Alan

 

[ken2400]

There are other FTA PBS stations listed below.
http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

I was reading more about FTA (both on here and other sites) and found out that one channel that my household was interested in is KRMA (Rocky Mountain PBS) that is broadcasted in "digicipher 2" which I can't pick up with (my future) setup. My question is this, has a channel ever switched from "digicipher 2" to DVB, or is there no chance of ever getting this channel outside of 4DTV?!

~Alan

 

[Alan Gordon]

There are other FTA PBS stations listed below.
http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

One of the reasons I got "permission" to put some more holes in the house so I can have an FTA system, is that my Mom (and Grandmother) were looking forward to some of the "painting" programs on the PBS stations. True, there are other FTA PBS stations available, but of the PBS stations who have websites listed on lyngsat, none of them have some of the "art" and "painting" programs that "Rocky Mountain PBS" had listed on their website. There were other affiliate stations listed on lyngsat that did not have a website that could be affiliated with PBS that have the same programming on it, but I was just curious. My Mom was also interested in the "stained glass" program on "Goodlife TV" also in "digicipher 2" also, but more interested in the programming on KRMA.

~Alan

 

[carload]

Montana PBS showed "The Best of the Joy of Painting" on March 1, "Jerry Yarnell School of Fine Art" on March 2, "One Stroke Painting with Donna Dewberry" on March 3, and "Gary Spetz's Painting Wild Places! With Watercolors" on March 4.

It has "Scheewe Art Workshop" scheduled for March 21, "Best of The Joy of Painting" on March 22, and then the schedule runs out. It looks to me that if you tune in to Montana PBS at 1 pm Montana time most weekdays, you're gonna see some art.

An AC3-audio-capable receiver would also get you the PBS national feed and PBS You, and there might be some arts and crafts on one of those sometimes.

 

[Alan Gordon]

I just got the go-ahead allowing me to get an FTA system. I have been reading a bit on here about FTA, and so I'm sort of aware of how it works. However, I do have a few questions to ask if you'll indulge me.

I still have not ordered my system yet (hopefully this week), but I've been reading more, and decided to go ahead and find out my "True South", and so I used SatFinder. Entering my zip code 31742(OK, my old zip code that no longer exists anymore), I get that my Latitude is 31° 45.588' and my Longitude is 84° 25.848' which if I understand correctly, would make my "True South" satellite Brasilsat B3. Am I correct?! These are the other closest satellites.

Nimiq 2 82.0W 175.4 179.5 52.9 -3.9
Brasilsat B3 84.0W 179.2 183.3 53.0 -0.7
XM Roll 85.0W 181.1 185.2 53.0 0.9
AMC 9 85.0W 181.1 185.2 53.0 0.9

~Alan

 

[Mr Tony]

Since Brazilsat is C-Band, you would have to use either AMC9 (which is at 83.0 now) or AMC3 at 87. AMC16 is now at 85 but there is nothing on it.

AMC9 would be the best but there isn't something there 24/7 right now