Int'l. Programming w/ Satellite?

[codeshrew]

Hi,

I would like to get international programming - a French feed (TV5), and arabic free-to-air programming. Is there any place to get info on hooking up my own int'l sat dish? I'd like the freedom to browse through different free-to-air programming & select stuff. It doesn't seem like this is available from standard US providers - you can buy the pkg, but one doesn't have the ability to surf to different satellites.

can anyone direct me to a place where i can find more info?

ETA: I'm not interested in hacking encrypted channels; I am interested in finding out where to go/what to buy so I can see world programming with a satellite dish.

 

[Mr Tony]

Welcome codeshrew!

I moved this to the Free to Air section. Someone should be able to further assist you

 

[PSB]

Check this list you get "most" of the green channels that say DVB beside them.....

http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

 

[PSB]

IA-5 has the "MOST" Arabic channels and is a great place to start! Let us know your zip code and we can give you all the angles you need to get started, GOOD LUCK!

http://www.lyngsat.com/ia5.html

 

[codeshrew]

Thanks so much! I'm in zip code 01757. Sorry for the total newbie questions, but I guess my steps are to:

1) purchase a 30" dish & satellite receiver (any recommendations?)
- do I need a motor?
2) install the sucker
3) aim

Yes, I have read the FAQs, but it's a lot to absorb in a couple of hours. I'm a computer programmer, so fairly technical & have renovated my own home, so I think I have most of the skills necessary, yes?

Also, to clarify: since TV 5 is not on a fta feed, I will need to buy a 2nd dish to buy that through dish network.

Thanks again.

 

[PSB]

1/ I like the Fortec Lifetime Ultra system (for full advantage yes a motor would be NICE)
2/ The below angles will help
3/ We can help with the setup, read as much as you can before the system arrives

Milford, MA 01757
Latitude 42° 9.066'N Longitude 71° 31.644'W

Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m) El Skew
-------------------------------------------------------------
*** Of Particular Interest ***

EchoStar 3 61.5W 165.2 181.2 40.3 -10.9
EchoStar 6 110.0W 229.8 245.8 27.8 34.5
EchoStar 8 110.0W 229.8 245.8 27.8 34.5
EchoStar 7 119.0W 238.4 254.4 22.0 39.2
EchoStar 5 119.0W 238.4 254.4 22.0 39.2
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 240.2 256.1 20.7 40.0
EchoStar 1 148.0W 260.8 276.8 1.3 47.0
EchoStar 2 148.0W 260.8 276.8 1.3 47.0
EchoStar 4 157.0W 267.0 282.9 -5.3 47.8

DirecTV 3 81.8W 195.1 211.1 40.2 11.1
DirecTV 2 100.8W 219.9 235.8 33.0 28.4
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 219.9 235.8 33.0 28.4
DirecTV 1 101.0W 220.1 236.1 32.9 28.5
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 220.3 236.3 32.8 28.7
DirecTV 6 109.8W 229.6 245.6 27.9 34.4
DirecTV 5 119.0W 238.4 254.4 22.0 39.2

*** All Satellites 61W - 160W ***

EchoStar 3 61.5W 165.2 181.2 40.3 -10.9
Rainbow 1 61.5W 165.2 181.2 40.3 -10.9
Brasilsat A2 (incl. 5.8 deg) 63.0W 167.4 183.4 40.6 -9.3
Brasilsat B2 65.0W 170.3 186.3 40.9 -7.2
Brasilsat B1 70.0W 177.7 193.7 41.3 -1.7
Nahuel 1 71.8W 180.4 196.4 41.3 0.3
AMC 6 72.0W 180.7 196.7 41.3 0.5
Galaxy 12 74.0W 183.7 199.7 41.3 2.7
SBS 6 74.0W 183.7 199.7 41.3 2.7
GOES 12 75.0W 185.2 201.1 41.2 3.8
AMC 5 79.0W 191.1 207.0 40.7 8.2
DirecTV 3 81.8W 195.1 211.1 40.2 11.1
Nimiq 2 82.0W 195.4 211.4 40.2 11.4
Brasilsat B3 84.0W 198.2 214.2 39.7 13.4
XM Roll 85.0W 199.6 215.6 39.4 14.4
AMC 9 85.0W 199.6 215.6 39.4 14.4
AMC 3 87.0W 202.4 218.4 38.8 16.4
Galaxy 11 91.0W 207.8 223.8 37.4 20.2
Nimiq 1 91.0W 207.8 223.8 37.4 20.2
Brasilsat B4 92.0W 209.1 225.1 37.1 21.1
Telstar 6 93.0W 210.4 226.4 36.7 22.0
Galaxy 8I (incl. 1.0 deg) 95.0W 212.9 228.9 35.8 23.8
Galaxy 3C 95.0W 212.9 228.9 35.8 23.8
Telstar 5 97.0W 215.4 231.3 34.9 25.4
Inmarsat 2 f2 (incl. 1.7 deg) 98.0W 216.6 232.6 34.4 26.2
Galaxy 4R 99.0W 217.8 233.7 33.9 27.0
DirecTV 2 100.8W 219.9 235.8 33.0 28.4
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 219.9 235.8 33.0 28.4
AMC 4 101.0W 220.1 236.1 32.9 28.5
DirecTV 1 101.0W 220.1 236.1 32.9 28.5
AMSC 1 101.1W 220.2 236.2 32.8 28.6
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 220.3 236.3 32.8 28.7
AMC 1 103.0W 222.4 238.3 31.8 30.0
Solidaridad 1 (incl. 2.8 deg) 103.5W 222.9 238.9 31.6 30.3
AMC 2 105.0W 224.6 240.5 30.7 31.4
G-Star 3 (incl. 11.5 deg) 105.0W 224.6 240.5 30.7 31.4
G-Star 1 (incl. 6.0 deg) 105.0W 224.6 240.5 30.7 31.4
MSAT 1 106.5W 226.2 242.2 29.9 32.3
Anik F1 107.3W 227.0 243.0 29.4 32.9
Anik E1 109.2W 229.0 245.0 28.3 34.0
DirecTV 6 109.8W 229.6 245.6 27.9 34.4
EchoStar 6 110.0W 229.8 245.8 27.8 34.5
EchoStar 8 110.0W 229.8 245.8 27.8 34.5
Anik E2R 111.1W 230.9 246.9 27.1 35.1
Solidaridad 2 113.0W 232.8 248.8 25.9 36.2
Morelos 2 (incl. 4.4 deg) 114.9W 234.6 250.6 24.7 37.2
XM Rock 115.0W 234.7 250.7 24.6 37.2
SatMex 5 116.8W 236.4 252.4 23.5 38.1
Anik E2 118.7W 238.1 254.1 22.2 39.0
DirecTV 5 119.0W 238.4 254.4 22.0 39.2
EchoStar 7 119.0W 238.4 254.4 22.0 39.2
EchoStar 5 119.0W 238.4 254.4 22.0 39.2
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 240.2 256.1 20.7 40.0
Galaxy 10R 123.0W 241.9 257.9 19.3 40.8
Galaxy 5 125.0W 243.6 259.5 17.9 41.6
Galaxy 9 127.0W 245.2 261.2 16.5 42.3
Telstar 7 129.0W 246.8 262.8 15.1 43.0
Satcom C3 131.0W 248.4 264.4 13.7 43.6
Galaxy 1R 133.0W 250.0 265.9 12.2 44.1
Satcom C4 135.0W 251.5 267.5 10.8 44.7
GOES 10 135.5W 251.9 267.8 10.4 44.8
AMC 7 137.0W 253.0 268.9 9.3 45.1
AMC 8 139.0W 254.4 270.4 7.9 45.6
Inmarsat 2 f3 (incl. 1.9 deg) 142.0W 256.6 272.6 5.7 46.2
EchoStar 1 148.0W 260.8 276.8 1.3 47.0
EchoStar 2 148.0W 260.8 276.8 1.3 47.0
TDRS 9 (incl. 7.4 deg) 151.0W 262.9 278.9 -0.9 47.4
TDRS 10 (incl. 6.2 deg) 151.0W 262.9 278.9 -0.9 47.4
EchoStar 4 157.0W 267.0 282.9 -5.3 47.8


Looks like you will have to get TV5 elsewhere : (

 

[SatelliteAV]

I agree with Peter. The Fortec Lifetime Ultra is an incredible receiver and the prices are starting to stablize at a reasonable price. Download G-tools from the Fortec website to edit the receiver's satellites, transponders and channels. This tool allows you to easily manage your receiver without wearing out your thumb navigating through the menus!

Consider a 90 cm / 36" dish as the 30" dish can often provide less than optimal gain for weaker signals. Invest in a quality LNBF. Inexpensive LNBFs usually exhibit high failure rates and drift.

Moteck motors (SG2100a or equiv) have proven themselves in our motor torture chamber. They have outlasted and have higher QC than their European cousins.

Welcome to a great hobby!

 

[carload]

01757 is Milford MA.
Milford is part of the Boston TV market.
The Boston market includes several local channels available only on 61.5.
TV5 is on 61.5.
Therefore, you don't have to buy the second dish. Just subscribe to locals on Dish (if you don't already) and ask for the second dish. They'll install it for you free, and you can then drop locals (if you prefer) and sign up for TV5.

 

[carload]

Check this list you get "most" of the green channels that say DVB beside them.....

http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

Pete, I luv ya like a brother, but you shouldn't hand out this link without some serious qualifiers for newbies. It's a list of channels that originate from the United States. I'd love to get Fox Kids Italia and The Wine Channel, as shown on that list, but I'd need to be in Europe to get them.

The best friendly list for quickly seeing what's available on FTA Ku-band with US-based receivers is linked in one of the stickies here: http://www.global-cm.net/MPEGlistKuBandUS.html . The best hardcore list is LyngSat, examined satellite by satellite.

 

[PSB]

What about this....

http://sadoun.com/Sat/Channels/Channels.htm

 

[Mr Tony]

01757 is Milford MA.
Milford is part of the Boston TV market.
The Boston market includes several local channels available only on 61.5.
TV5 is on 61.5.
Therefore, you don't have to buy the second dish. Just subscribe to locals on Dish (if you don't already) and ask for the second dish. They'll install it for you free, and you can then drop locals (if you prefer) and sign up for TV5.

very good idea there

That is the easiest way to get int'l programming on the wing dish...hope you have locals there too

 

[Mr Tony]

Children...lets not fight

Pete...the Lyngsat list is good, but unfortunatelly for a newbie, that list isn't the best to give out. It can give people false sense that they can get all of that, when there is only a fraction of it there. Also, there are channels from other countries that we can get (like if you picked channels from Saudia Arabia or something...all the IA5 channels would show up)

Carload posted the same list that I have in the sticky at the top of the section "I'm all set up, now what can I get?"

 

[carload]

What about this....

http://sadoun.com/Sat/Channels/Channels.htm

That list is a lot better. It's a different way of presenting most of the same info as the GC list without all the technical info that might scare off newbies. However ...

Me, I don't like the way it mixes C and Ku-band stuff only because my opinion is that Ku is a lot cheaper and easier to get going. I prefer separate lists.

How current is the Sadoun list? It lists a "New" channel (NewsCentral) that LyngSat added in August. (And is BYU-TV really a Spanish channel? But I digress.) The GC list updates once or twice a month and notes exactly how recent it is.

If you can't key in the GC URL or the link to the forum's sticky, the Sadoun list is a much better newbie channel list than the born-in-the-USA list. You could argue that it's more straightforward than the GC list, but the drawbacks I mentioned prevent me from saying it's better.

 

[Mr Tony]

We'll figure something out

I was thinking of just doing a KU band excel spreadsheet and posting that...updating it as need be or once a month

 

[codeshrew]

01757 is Milford MA.
Milford is part of the Boston TV market.
The Boston market includes several local channels available only on 61.5.
TV5 is on 61.5.
Therefore, you don't have to buy the second dish. Just subscribe to locals on Dish (if you don't already) and ask for the second dish. They'll install it for you free, and you can then drop locals (if you prefer) and sign up for TV5.

Excellent!! There seems to be a few good places to buy a system online, and the cost of a 1 meter dish isn't that much more.

I'll keep reading and getting ready for this system. I'm really excited about this.

 

[wage2]

Hello. Here is a site that lists Ku channels available in Canada.
Organized by satellite:
http://freetoairsatellites.net/channels_footprints.htm
Organized by language:
http://freetoairsatellites.net/channels_by_theme_and_languages.htm

 

[carload]

I like the footprint thumbnails. But the list is a little hard to follow, a little inconsistent, and a little incorrect.

Some TV stations are listed by call letters, some by network-city. Hard to go wrong with call letters, and I have my doubts about "NBC Casper" and five Pax affiliates on G10R.

It's nice to see different approaches to the same general idea. Thanks for sharing!