Ready to get Started

[jackq7a]

I'm living in Baja about 200 miles south of San Diego right now and I'd like to try to watch some FTA Satellites. I think it might be a fun way to get my kids into an international perspective. 30 years ago, I was listening to shortwave radio, but shortwave is dying.

I'm a ham radio operator(extra class) but I've been inactive for long time, but almost 30 years ago I made all manner of antennas and even got into receiving sat signals.

My aim is to do this as cheaply as possible to show my kids how "easy" it is. I have access to several Mexican vetv dishes with LNBs. The vetv dish is about 3 feet in diameter so it should be the right size. The LNB is a Televes 7475. I found this link to it, and it looks like it would work? Possible? This just leaves me with needing a sat receiver, right? What's the cheapest sat receiver that will get me up and going without tears?

I will be trying to get a C band setup in the future, but right now I want to stick with ku band.

I'm excited for this new hobby, but I wonder if it is just an extension of shortwave listening.

 

[Magic Static]

to the forum jackq7a
FTA is a fun hobby and many of us share it right here at SatelliteGuys.
While there are many cheap receivers available on eBay Amazon etc, I would recommend you start with a better one that has decent support. Those cheap receivers for the most part you are on your own. When you become more experienced you will be able to understand and deal with issues in those cheap receivers. Check this out. miniHDRE
I am unfamiliar with your source of dish but there maybe someone along soon who knows it.

 

[Comptech]

The LNBF appears to be a universal so with the right settings in the receiver should work fine. Should work fine as a fixed dish, but can't find much info on it for motorizing it. Aim it and have fun, should work fine. I am with MS on the receiver, get something that won't give you the fits while trying to find a sat.

 

[KE4EST]

Welcome to the forum jackq7a!!
Lots of great guys in here always willing to help. Feel free to post, and ask any question you wish.

 

[Cham]

Yes it is somewhat like SWLing, except the waves are much, much shorter! You should be able to tune into Galaxy 19 Ku well with that dish. That satellite has many international channels, as well as some local (NA) content. Don't see why it can't be motorized, as long as it has the same pole mount diameter as the motor/positioner has. The MiniHD RE is a fine receiver, I have one here too that runs a 90cm dish and SG2100 motor. Only problems I have had with it were operator induced...

an extension of shortwave listening.

 

[Brct203]

I'm excited for this new hobby, but I wonder if it is just an extension of shortwave listening.

I think others have covered the technical aspect, so I want to comment on this part. Most people look into cable, satellite (especially DBS), IPTV or OTA as simply a way of receiving TV and watching shows, and don't really care about the technical aspects. Fair enough. To some degree, FTA can be approached that way too, as there are many channels. But then FTA can indeed be approached a bit more like shortwave, where the thrill is more about looking for channels, finding new ones, and not so much about watching TV. So now I get many hundreds of channels, but in the end I don't watch much TV.

I'm not sure what the coverage maps look like for Baja, but hopefully you can get most of the satellites that cover the US.

And about the receiver, I agree with others, the Amiko MiniHD RE is a great choice. Easy to use, stable, reasonably priced, great picture.

Keep us posted on what you manage to get with that 3-foot dish.