FTA newbie...few questions about starting up

[satguy79]

Greetings all! Never had an FTA set up so I needed help with a few things...

1. Best med size dish to use? Zero property line so c-band dish is out...need something around dish or dtv size? Maybe old prime star or broadband Internet dish? Certain LNB model to purchase for clear solid signal?

2. Best simple box to use? DVR be nice...2 tuners as well...easy function and operation with guide?

3. Most important...channel list? Not sure I will go motorized at first with the dish, so not sure what all I can get in 1 direction? I would love to get US superstations like offered on Dish (only thing I really miss leaving dish for dtv)WPIX WWOR WSBK KTLA KWGN....are these stations obtainable via FTA in this manner? WPIX is my #1 want

Thanks to all the experts for advice and input!

 

[KE4EST]

Hello Satguy79,

Well I will start backwards with your last question first. No Super stations are not available FTA. There is a lot of stuff to pick up, but Ku is kinda limited these days. If you click on The List above you can see what is out there.

You can pick-up an Openbox s9 or s10 pretty cheap 90-100 bucks and it has DVR functions, but not dual tuner. You just be better off with two boxes. Azbox makes a dual tuner unit but it is around 400 and it has a learning curve.

As far as dish any 90cm to 1meter dish will do, and yes old primestar make great dishes for FTA Ku.

 

[cyberham]

satguy79: Generally, if you have to pay for a non-network channel like a US Superstation or similar, then it's probably not available for free via FTA. There are some mainstream network stations (NBC, ABC, CBS...) on FTA. If life were that easy, you wouldn't need...

 

[jim_baker]

Can anyone tell me how I can see a epg guide for progaming in 97west two to ten hours ahead ?

 

[cyberham]

You need to say for which channel you want it. The best one I know off-hand is the EPG for Ebru on 12084 V 22000. It covers the whole 24 hours in a day. Most channels don't have an EPG guide.

 

[jim_baker]

looking for EPG guide for Godtv and TBN, daystar

 

[cyberham]

Yeah, all three don't seem to have an EPG. Can you just program them manually based on their published schedules as below?
God schedule
Daystar schedule
TBN schedule