Need help with new satellite system

[Nav123]

Hey everybody. Im gonna start by saying i know next to nothing about FTA systems. I have spent about 6 hours trying to understand but it isnt clicking in (or maybe im just stupid) Anywho, i would appreciate any feedback as to what dish/receiver would be good for me. From what ive read, all receivers function in basically the same way just have different functions. What size would be recommended for me, and what reciver would you recommend that is relatively simple to install and update. I live in Ontario, Canada if that info is requirded. Please excuse my noobiness...thanks in advance.

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum, you have more or less answered your own question

Have a look at the review area then check out all our GOLD sponsors web sites, you want to gat as BIG a dish as you can afford. A 1m dish would be great, but I am sure you would get 95% of all FTA channels with a 36" dish, thats what I use here in MN.

Give us your Lat. and Long. if you need all the angles to the satellites from your area!
As you said ALL FTA receivers get the same channels, but I would get one that does Blind Scan its really a must for finding feeds....

 

[Nav123]

Wow thanks for the quick reply and warm welcome. How would i go about finding my latitude and longitude? Which brand of recievers would you recommend? I went to the Gold Sponsor sites like you suggested and became partial to the Pansat 2700e and the Coolsat 5000 Platinum. Ive looked around the gold sponsor sites but i have yet to notice one that mentions 'Blind Scan' in the product description. Also, would a satellite finder ease installation for a noob? I figured it would because it 'finds' the satellite for you but am very nervous about buying one. Thanks again PSB. Sorry for the long post. Thanks again.

 

[PSB]

I use the Fortec range right now that has BLIND SCAN, they call it power scan, some makers call it SMART scan.

Satellite Finders are great but if you can get a TV to the Dish you have the best satfinder in the word!

ONTARIO
Belleville 44° 9' N 77° 24' W
Chatham 42° 24' N 82° 12' W
Cornwall 45° 1' N 74° 45' W
Hamilton 43° 16' N 79° 54' W
Kapuskasing AP (S) 49° 25' N 82° 28' W
Kenora AP 49° 48' N 94° 22' W
Kingston 44° 16' N 76° 30' W
Kitchener 43° 26' N 80° 30' W
London AP 43° 2' N 81° 9' W
North Bay AP 46° 22' N 79° 25' W
Oshawa 43° 54' N 78° 52' W
Ottawa AP (S) 45° 19' N 75° 40' W
Owen Sound 44° 34' N 80° 55' W
Peterborough 44° 17' N 78° 19' W
St Catharines 43° 11' N 79° 14' W
Sarnia 42° 58' N 82° 22' W
Sault Ste Marie AP 46° 32' N 84° 30' W
Sudbury AP 46° 37' N 80° 48' W
Thunder Bay AP 48° 22' N 89° 19' W
Timmins AP 48° 34' N 81° 22' W
Toronto AP (S) 43° 41' N 79° 38' W
Windsor AP 42° 16' N 82° 58' W

 

[Nav123]

Thanks again for the quick reply. Unforutnately(for me) youve used terms im unfamiliar with. What do you mean by "Fotect Range"? Are you referring to the reciever or dish? Also, i dont quites follow when you said "if you can get a TV to the Dish you have the best satfinder in the word!" Do you mean bring a little tv with you when setting up the dish? Again, excuse the noobiness. Thank you so much.

EDIT: one last thing. that list you gave me, is that a list of angles that the dish would be pointing? I think it is but for the sake of clarification i am asking. Thanks.

 

[PSB]

Yes Fortec is a receiver and dish brand, click on the word Fortec for more info, they are also a GOLD sponsor of this forum
Yes I mean a small TV at the dish when you are pointing the dish. I use a professional satellite meter and really thats all it is a small receiver and TV.

(Let us know your Lat. and Long. from above, then I will give you the angles, if you give us your post code I can get it that way also)

 

[Katrinasucks]

1) Look at the Fortec Classic NA. (or panset 2700... 2700e is Europe.)

2) In other words many people bring a small TV outside and set everything up so they can tune the dish while they watch the screen.

(others live and die by satfinders/meters)

 

[Nav123]

I dont see my city in that list....i live in brampton, thats close to mississauga, sort of close to toronto.

 

[PSB]

Ahh! Brampton! Ontario is a city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of the Peel Regional Municipality. As of June 2005, Brampton's population stood at approximately 415,000, and it is estimated that by the year 2031, the city population will have almost doubled to 680,000 people. As one of Canada's fastest growing cities, the municipality has found it difficult to cope with its unprecendented growth, in terms of the provision of adequate infrastructure. It celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2003, marking 150 years since its incorporation as a village in 1853, taking its name from the rural village near Chesterfield in England.

 

[PSB]

Latitude 44° 0.000'N Longitude 80° 0.000'W

              Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
-----------------------------------------------------
  12.5°W Atlantic Bird   12.5W 106.1 116.8  7.4 -43.7
            Telstar 12   15.0W 107.9 118.7  9.1 -43.2
          Intelsat 901   18.0W 110.3 121.0 11.2 -42.4
                 NSS 7   22.0W 113.5 124.2 14.0 -41.3
          Intelsat 905   24.5W 115.5 126.3 15.7 -40.5
          Intelsat 907   27.5W 118.1 128.8 17.7 -39.4
         Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 120.2 131.0 19.3 -38.4
          Intelsat 801   31.5W 121.6 132.3 20.3 -37.8
          Intelsat 903   34.5W 124.3 135.1 22.2 -36.4
           AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 127.2 137.9 24.1 -35.0
               NSS 806   40.5W 130.1 140.9 25.9 -33.4
             Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 132.7 143.4 27.3 -31.9
                Pas 1R   45.0W 134.8 145.5 28.5 -30.7
          Intelsat 705   50.0W 140.3 151.0 31.1 -27.4
          Intelsat 707   53.0W 143.7 154.5 32.5 -25.2
          Intelsat 805   55.5W 146.7 157.5 33.7 -23.2
                 Pas 9   58.0W 149.8 160.6 34.7 -21.2
              Amazonas   61.0W 153.6 164.4 35.8 -18.6
            EchoStar 3   61.5W 154.3 165.0 36.0 -18.2
             Rainbow 1   61.5W 154.3 165.0 36.0 -18.2
              Nahuel 1   71.8W 168.3 179.0 38.6  -8.4
             DirecTV 1   72.5W 169.3 180.0 38.7  -7.7
                 AMC 6   72.0W 168.6 179.3 38.6  -8.2
             Galaxy 12   74.0W 171.4 182.1 38.9  -6.2
                 SBS 6   74.0W 171.4 182.1 38.9  -6.2
               GOES 12   75.0W 172.8 183.6 39.0  -5.2
                 AMC 5   79.0W 178.6 189.3 39.3  -1.0
             DirecTV 3   81.8W 182.6 193.3 39.2   1.9
               Nimiq 2   82.0W 182.9 193.6 39.2   2.1
          Brasilsat B3   84.0W 185.7 196.5 39.1   4.1
              AMC 2/16   85.0W 187.2 197.9 39.0   5.2
                 AMC 3   87.0W 190.0 200.8 38.8   7.2
                  IA-8   89.0W 192.8 203.6 38.5   9.2
             Galaxy 11   91.0W 195.6 206.4 38.1  11.2
             Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 195.6 206.4 38.1  11.2
          Brasilsat B4   92.0W 197.0 207.8 37.9  12.2
             Telstar 6   93.0W 198.4 209.1 37.6  13.1
             Galaxy 3C   95.0W 201.1 211.8 37.1  15.0
             Telstar 5   97.0W 203.8 214.5 36.5  16.8
             Galaxy 4R   99.0W 206.4 217.1 35.8  18.6
       DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 208.9 219.7 35.1  20.4
                 AMC 4  101.0W 208.9 219.7 35.1  20.4
            Spaceway 1  102.0W 210.2 220.9 34.7  21.2
                 AMC 1  103.0W 211.4 222.2 34.3  22.0
                AMC 15  105.0W 213.9 224.6 33.4  23.6
           Anik F1/F1R  107.3W 216.6 227.4 32.4  25.4
             DirecTV 6  109.5W 219.2 229.9 31.3  27.0
            EchoStar 6  110.0W 219.7 230.5 31.1  27.4
            EchoStar 8  110.0W 219.7 230.5 31.1  27.4
               Anik F2  111.1W 221.0 231.7 30.5  28.1
         Solidaridad 2  113.0W 223.1 233.8 29.5  29.4
              SatMex 5  116.8W 227.1 237.9 27.5  31.8
             DirecTV 5  119.0W 229.4 240.1 26.2  33.1
            EchoStar 7  119.0W 229.4 240.1 26.2  33.1
 EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 231.4 242.1 25.0  34.2
            Galaxy 10R  123.0W 233.3 244.1 23.8  35.2
             Galaxy 12  125.0W 235.2 246.0 22.5  36.2
         Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 237.1 247.8 21.3  37.1
  Telstar 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 238.9 249.6 20.0  38.0
                AMC 11  131.0W 240.6 251.4 18.7  38.8
             Galaxy 1R  133.0W 242.4 253.1 17.4  39.6
                AMC 10  135.0W 244.1 254.8 16.0  40.3
                 AMC 7  137.0W 245.7 256.5 14.6  41.0
                 AMC 8  139.0W 247.3 258.1 13.3  41.6
            EchoStar 1  148.0W 254.3 265.1  7.0  43.8
            EchoStar 2  148.0W 254.3 265.1  7.0  43.8
                      
............................................................
                      
 *** DBS SATELLITE ***
                      
         EchoStar 3/R1   61.5W 154.3 165.0 36.0 -18.2
          EchoStar 6/8  110.0W 219.7 230.5 31.1  27.4
            EchoStar 7  119.0W 229.4 240.1 26.2  33.1
 EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 231.4 242.1 25.0  34.2
            EchoStar 5  129.0W 238.9 249.6 20.0  38.0
          EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 254.3 265.1  7.0  43.8
                      
               Nimiq 2   82.0W 182.9 193.6 39.2   2.1
             Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 195.6 206.4 38.1  11.2
                      
       DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 208.9 219.7 35.1  20.4
             DirecTV 5  110.0W 219.7 230.5 31.1  27.4
            DirecTV 7S  119.0W 229.4 240.1 26.2  33.1

Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

 

[Nav123]

Wow, ok these are different brands of satellites correct? i dont want to misinterpret anything so please be patient. Thank you so much, what i found out in these past 10 minutes, outweighs how much i found out in 6 hours. Thank you so much. If you dont mind me asking, is it possible to get channels from other countries i.e. india, china (i have a lot of relatives from different backgrounds so i want to make sure they're occupied when they come over.

 

[Katrinasucks]

Pete is showing off his googling ability

 

[PSB]

Pete is showing off his googling ability

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brampton,_Ontario :devil:

 

[Katrinasucks]

Nav, you sound like you don't mind doing your homework, start at the FAQ section:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/forumdisplay.php?f=29

As I told someone else a few minutes ago, that will get you 50% of the info you need. The second 50% is harder. But at least it helps you get a picture in your brain.

BTW (OT) I was a wikipedia skeptic at first but I often find myself googling "term wikipedia" cuz I know I'll get a lot of good info fast.

In fact that was one of the first places I went for FTA info.

EDIT: On the FAQ- Specifically the equipment needed post and the "What can I get with a 18" and 30"?" posts.

 

[drhydro]

What Pete has posted are positions and aiming information for different satellites.

There is a large amount of ethnic channels available on FTA, most of them on one satellite, IA5 at 97 degrees west, take a look here http://www.lyngsat.com/ia5.html to see what is available. Remember that you are looking for channels that have a 5 digit signal frequency, and that the FTA channels are light yellow.