Free Sample of the Week - Satellite AV - Ends 9.23.2009

[equant]

A Few years ago I found a dish on Craigslist and did nothing with it. This inspired a friend to get one. I don't remember the first thing I saw, but I do remember watching "The Women of Spider Mountain" on WhiteSprings with him at his house.

I put up my dish, and the first thing I saw was the Arts channel. It was glorious. I sat outside drinking beer and basking in the glow of my TV under the dish, afraid to change anything for fear that I would lose what I had.

 

[primestar31]

Arrr, and avast, ye scurvy dog land-lubbers!

Listen smartly to me now, or I'll keel-haul the lot of you, aye!

In honor of the yearly "talk like a pirate" day, I will post a picture of the pirate dog!

I first saw an FTA c-band system in 1983, when I cobbled up me beauty of a 6ft spun aluminum dish, and a 75degree lnb, on a hand-cranked polarmount. Lots of fun, yarr!

.......and years before any bilge-rat DISH pirates crawled out of the bung-hole!

Now you know me story, of why me Rodger is so Jolly. So grab some grog, play a little hornpipe, and celebrate "talk like a pirate" day today! har, harrrrrrrr!

 

[FedeSat]

The first time I saw an FTA system was in 2001 at a friends house, He has a C- band system with a 10 or 12 ft. dish, 2 months later I bought my first fta receiver (Pansat 300).

 

[Jullius]

It was February of this year and I was searching the Internet for a standalone PVR that didn't require a subscription to use with cable. That's when I happened across FTA. I purchase a dish (76 cm) from one of the sponsor's and the first satellite I hit was 123W.

I was lucky to hit anything that day, I didn't know check to make sure I was on an active transponder. After that I was hooked. More dishes, a motor, and now a BUD.

Thanks for chance to win some great stuff.

 

[RedSavina]

Reply to this post and tell us about the first time you saw a Free to Air satellite system. Example information.... Where did you see it? What was playing? Was it C-band? Ku-band? When did you decide that you wanted one?

This ought to be amusing!

I have yet to see a bona fide FTA system in person! However, while driving around Tallahassee today I passed a dish farm that would be hard to explain as "other than FTA" (see photo).

Since I have yet to see anything playing - I live vicariously through others here - I cannot answer the second question. Ditto the follow-on questions.

I have been interested in getting into FTA for over four years now. My nasty habit of moving every couple of years (military) has had a big part in my slow pace of adoption...

Today I built a conduit hanger LNB mount (per Anole's excellent instructions) and hooked it up to a D500 that was pre-aimed at 129w. I had no luck, but am not sure whether it was due to the StarBox 7021 (likely) or the UL1 LNB (unlikely). FTA has eluded me this day *sigh*

I am two major steps from FTA: a receiver and a larger dish. Winning this receiver would get me started since there are a few strong signals out there to hunt for with my D500 until I get around to getting a larger dish.

Thanks for the great give-aways, Brian! We are only into the third week, and it is already a highlight of my week!

 

[GreatFTA]

I first heard of FTA by browsing thru the Skyvision catalogs for several years. Always curious but couldn't afford it.
Four years ago I mentioned to a co-worker about upgrading my C band system (he was a part time satellite dealer and installer). He told me about one of his customers having a good 4DTV receiver system with a FTA receiver. I got the info of the customer and went to see him.
I have a first glance of the FTA stuff with what he had. Unfortunally he was into the illegal hacking stuff but seeing how good the signal and quality of the FTA channels enticed me!
I bought the 4DTV and the Pansat 2000v receivers along with the LNBs and switches for $400! He already got rid of the dish, but that was ok with me. I already have a 8 foot Odom fiberglass dish already set up.
I changed out my C Band receiver to the 4DTV receiver and piggy back the Pansat 2000v.
First, I spent hours with the 4DTV to see what I could get and it was great I was amazed with the DCII videos.
Then the FTA part. Luckly, he drew out the diagram of piggy back the Pansat 2000v into the 4DTV receiver. After hours of this and that and studying the FTA ways, I finally hit gold! I remember being on G4 16 on the 4DTV. I figured out how to do the scan on the Pansat and suddenly my eyes lit up seeing the bar go across the screen and seeing TPs poping up. Wow!
When I finished scanning, I viewed my first FTA station, one of the CBS Carribean stations and it a GREAT picture!
I owe alot to Iceberg, Old John, and many guys on the Satelliteguys forum for being patient and inspiring with me. They were a lot of help!!!
That was about 3 FTA systems and hundreds of channels ago. I barely watch my 4DTV and regular OTA channels.
I am hopelessly hooked to FTA.
NOTE: The guy I bought my system from came to me the other day asking me what all I can get on regular FTA. The N3 systems crashed his hacked system and now he is without those "free" channels.
SWEET...

 

[Zorak]

In early 2005, an electronics surplus store I was walking through had a Fortec set up on 123W Ku playing an MLB game from a local station in the midwest. It was a great way to get folks attention! I was hooked and had to assemble a system. Its been a very enjoyable hobby ever since!

Thanks for another great contest!

 

[pedrogarcia]

Analogue KU on BskyB in the UK in the mid 60's, and the program was Wagon Train. Little did I know then how much satellite TV would play a part in my life.

 

[Davage]

First FTA system I saw was back in about 1986. Our local satellite dealer brought by a C-Band satellite system that was mounted to a trailer. He left the dish at our house for the weekend to give it a test drive. That got me hooked on satellite immediately. At the time, HBO, Cinemas and I also believe that Showtime and The Movie Channel were scrambled, but lots of other channels like Disney, Nick, and USA were all still in the clear. Today, I am still watching C-Band signals, and also have a Motorized Ku system as well as a couple DBS dishes. The only reason the cable company has a line into my house is for hi-speed internet.

Thanks SatelliteAV for the chance to win!

 

[kestep]

It was very late in 1978 or early 1979. My grandfather had a C-Band very BUD installed at his home deep in the mountains of Virginia.

I watched an episode of "Candid Candid Camera" on, if I'm not mistaken, HBO.

I wanted one immediately, but it would have to wait, as I was only 15.

 

[MikeinBaja]

First saw a soccer game at a friends house many years ago - probably C band off of an 8' BUD.

 

[dot_null]

It all started with a Globecast dish and receiver I purchased from craigslist for a good price and pointed to 97W Ku. I believe the first channel I saw was Al Jazeera English.

 

[redilyn]

The first time I saw a working fta system was when my brother-in-law gave me a dreambox as a house warming present. No instructions, just a box and a comment to check out fta.

A friend donated a starchoice dish that was stuck on the side of their new apartment.

A bunch of research, and about a weeks work figuring out the dm-500 I had the dish up and successfully pointed at 123w, later moved to 101w & 97w.

I've never looked back.

 

[Mr Tony]

First free to air system?

1999 when my dad, aunt & (at the time) uncle bought what is now the cabin from my uncle's grandmother. There was a Radio Shack 5 foot dish right by the lake and a RS C-Band analog receiver. Its a G5 only model and still had somewhat of a subscription left so we had that. Free channels on it? TBN and from looking at the archive what was Bob Jones University
http://web.archive.org/web/19991109074559/www.lyngsat.com/g5.shtml

Sadly the dish fell in the lake and the receiver went up in the fire.

First FTA setup I saw? My setup late 03. Bought a Viacast 2000 receiver (still have it) and hooked it up to my ExpressVu setup for the (at the time) free radio stations from Canada. First picture I saw? CCTV4 on 95W..was aiming a 30" dish at 95W for the Fighting Sioux Sports Network and North Dakota hockey

 

[cruzin]

The first time I saw fta was after setting up a spun c band in my yard I bought from a neighbor girl for 60 bucks. The whole shooting match. I still have the dish mover. It was a black box with red numbers that light up and tell you a number, that was how you kept track of sats. What a learing experience. I had no internet no information to go by had to read books and ask questions from a old c band salesman to get it working.

 

[whatchel1]

Reply to this post and tell us about the first time you saw a Free to Air satellite

1st time I saw FTA was in the early C-band days. I was doing installations of discos back then. Well were were installing a C-band dish in an El Paso club to use MTV on the projection screen . At this time there was No Scrambling of any programming due to the fact that there were only a few thousand systems in the US.

 

[quasimodem]

I had never seen an FTA set up before I ordered one over the internet.
I saw a banner add and decided to check it out. I bought a Coolsat 4000, it was the first and only receiver they were making at the time.
I got a lot of service from it...I've two Viewat Ultras and an Extreme now.

 

[jerwucef]

The first FTA system I saw was my own! First FTA channel I saw was CCTV4. I was looking for AMC4, so I missed it by that much.

 

[tds04]

The first fta i saw was on my 36 inch dish. took me couple weeks of climbing up on the roof to tune it in. the first channel i recognized was aljazeera english.

 

[Cham]

The first FTA system I ever looked at was my own. I was given a 10' dish and analog receiver. I planted the dish and set up the receiver on a TV tray behind it (the dish) with a 14" TV to help aim it. I think my first signal was PBS on AMC-4. Then with the help of several web sources I found DVB. Needless to say after the first analog signal I was hooked!
-C.