Project: Attic FTA system

[salmiak]

Hi there!

New member here, so please be gentle... =)

We're getting a little bored with the OTA channels we have around here, but hate the thought of paying big $$$ for Comcast or Dish service. Looking around for alternatives brought me to Lyngsat and the world of FTA satellite. Foreign TV... cool! I'm especially into racing, but having been to Europe a few times I'd love to be able to get random stuff (news, BBC, etc) if that's a possibility.

So far, so good.

Here's the catch: I want to make this a strictly indoor system. We live in metro Pittsburgh, so we don't have a lot of property outside the house on which to mount a BUD, but I want to go after some faraway satellites that you'll need a decent-sized dish to get. We do have a big attic... Has anyone tried to assemble a large (6ft+) attic KU system? Or am I better off simply using a 1m dish? This is an old house and the roof is slate, if that affects things. I've looked all over the place using Google to get information, but sources have been scanty at best.

Oh, and a dumb question: If a satellite doesn't show up in the menu on Sadoun's location finder system, does that mean I should forget about that particular satellite?

Any help is appreciated -- thanks in advance!

 

[updatelee]

what are you going to cut a 1m hole in the roof for the signal to go through ? the sat signal isnt going to go through slate, or ashfaulft, or wood, or even some types of glass. put it outside where it belongs and it'll actually work

 

[qwert1515]

Like what Updatelee said, OTA signals will go through the roof, but satellite signals require line of sight and will not go through the roof.

 

[salmiak]

Ah...

Argh. OK, thanks for the help. Does line of sight exclude even things like leaves? There's a tree that provides a lot of shade for the house... but I guess that's shade from satellite signals as well?

 

[gabshere]

yes trees & leaves would hamper any signal if the satellite is in that line of sight

 

[Kyledoo]

So what about C-band? Because of the lower frequency I would think it would have much better penetration, possibly enough to let the signal get into an attic?

 

[qwert1515]

Still C-Band's frequency range is too high to go through trees or roofs, even the OTA UHF band looses about 3db (half) the signal when it goes through a roof.

 

[Mr Tony]

satellite needs line of site...plain and simple

something blocking it...signal go kaput

 

[Kyledoo]

I was actually wondering this myself. My question about C-band was because I actually have enough space for a BUD in my attic. DARN. its a city lot so outside it just ain't gonna happen.