really new newbie that thinks he's missing out!

[aboki]

Please, I'm really new to this . . . .in the US.
I used to live in czech as a student, and had a dish on my room window that gave me all the channels I need. Been in the US for over 10years and just accepted this cable thing. Not until last week, it occurred to me that there must be free channels out there . . . duh! I found this site. I currently have dishnetwork, but would like to get a new FTA system, maybe I can cancel some packages I have. Please i beed help like from scratch. Where to buy, how to install, best units, etc. Is anybody local? I live in hartford, CT.

tHANKS A LOT!

 

[Anole]

welcome !

These Gold Sponsors at the top of the page offer FTA equipment: Sadoun, SatelliteAV, and WS International.

We have more technical satellite and program listings, but for a beginner, you might like this one.
You won't find the pay/subscription channels on FTA, but there is still a wealth of entertainment.

Tell us what you would like, and I'm sure some members can give you advice.

 

[SpiffWilkie]

Please, I'm really new to this . . . .in the US.
I used to live in czech as a student, and had a dish on my room window that gave me all the channels I need. Been in the US for over 10years and just accepted this cable thing. Not until last week, it occurred to me that there must be free channels out there . . . duh! I found this site. I currently have dishnetwork, but would like to get a new FTA system, maybe I can cancel some packages I have. Please i beed help like from scratch. Where to buy, how to install, best units, etc. Is anybody local? I live in hartford, CT.

tHANKS A LOT!

My family and I use OTA broadcast and FTA for all our T.V. needs. There's the initial investment (which can be lessened by looking of deals on craigslist or freecycle), but overall it's worth it. The majority of the regular programming that's up there on KU is religious and/or foreign language but there's also some good English stuff. In our house we watch a lot of PBS and just sort of graze over the rest of the stuff out there (although I must say that college football season is awesome with FTA. I get 90% of what I want to watch. You just have to know where to search out the info).

 

[Cadsulfide]

Welcome!

Like Anole wrote, start with the reading. Get a starter system from a sponsor or, rummage around for a free dish and get a receiver from a sponsor. Stuff has been dropping from Ku lately, but that may change. If you have the space a bud is a good thing to have.

 

[madmadworld]

as Anole said tell us the stations you can not do without.
a BUD is a dish of 8+ feet.
check the LIST on the top tab it shows what is up there now.
i enjoy this hobby mostly for the hi quality pictures you get, bettter than anything i have seen on dtv,dish or cable. plus free

 

[Mr Tony]

although I must say that college football season is awesome with FTA. I get 90% of what I want to watch. You just have to know where to search out the info).

agreed :up

 

[aboki]

re: new newly newbie

Please, I'm really new to this . . . .in the US.
I used to live in czech as a student, and had a dish on my room window that gave me all the channels I need. Been in the US for over 10years and just accepted this cable thing. Not until last week, it occurred to me that there must be free channels out there . . . duh! I found this site. I currently have dishnetwork, but would like to get a new FTA system, maybe I can cancel some packages I have. Please i beed help like from scratch. Where to buy, how to install, best units, etc. Is anybody local? I live in hartford, CT.

tHANKS A LOT!

thanks a lot for the help!
reading through I think I like the Wave Frontier Toroidal T-90 Satellite Dish system .
But on the other hand, can I still make use of the current dish I have now from dishnetwork and just add more LNBF'S? I actually have 2 dishes on my roof, but use 1. The tenant was supposed to use the other one, but they opted for a directtv dish system.
For programming: I currently cannot do without the cable news channels (fox, cnn, msnbc, cnbc, etc), the fox sports soccer, and religious channels (tbn, dailystar, ctn, etc). If I can get the religious channels thru FTA, then great! If I can get other euro-soccer channels through FTA, better. But I do like foreign channels and dont mind the languages, better if english though. I also think the motorized option is a good idea, just thinking. Thank you for the time and help!
Where do I find the "BUD"listing?

 

[SpiffWilkie]

thanks a lot for the help!
reading through I think I like the Wave Frontier Toroidal T-90 Satellite Dish system .
But on the other hand, can I still make use of the current dish I have now from dishnetwork and just add more LNBF'S? I actually have 2 dishes on my roof, but use 1. The tenant was supposed to use the other one, but they opted for a directtv dish system.
For programming: I currently cannot do without the cable news channels (fox, cnn, msnbc, cnbc, etc), the fox sports soccer, and religious channels (tbn, dailystar, ctn, etc). If I can get the religious channels thru FTA, then great! If I can get other euro-soccer channels through FTA, better. But I do like foreign channels and dont mind the languages, better if english though. I also think the motorized option is a good idea, just thinking. Thank you for the time and help!
Where do I find the "BUD"listing?

You can find European soccer on 97w at times. I know that abu-dhabi (sp?) sport used to play some Chelsea matches. Not sure if that channel is still active. Setanta is ITC on...can't remember right now...120-something C-band.

 

[aboki]

newbie: needs help from experienced

So, based on my needs what do I get? The C or KU band or can I get both? What do I look out for? Is there anybody local close to Hartford, CT that can help? I don't mind paying.

 

[DirectDishNet]

So, based on my needs what do I get? The C or KU band or can I get both? What do I look out for? Is there anybody local close to Hartford, CT that can help? I don't mind paying.

Aboki;
Check out
Satelliteguys "The List"
lyngsat.com all satellites
97W Imternational Channels

That should show you all the channels you can get with FTA......

I currently cannot do without the cable news channels (fox, cnn, msnbc, cnbc, etc)

I should tell you that you will not be able to get Fox, CNN, MSNBC and the like. They are not on FTA KU satellites that I know of..... Maybe on C-Band but I'm not sure...

So, based on my needs what do I get? The C or KU band or can I get both? What do I look out for? Is there anybody local close to Hartford, CT that can help? I don't mind paying.

I recommend the a KU 90cm dish with a nice receiver. Click the PROUD SatelliteGuys GOLD Sponsors at the top, Call them if you like.. Tell them what you are interested in and I'm sure they will help you get the right system for your needs.

 

[aboki]

Thanks directdish!
I think I will get both the c and ku bands. Any advice on digital, hd channels? Any extra equipment? What's the best dish to get both bands?
Thanks.

 

[14karat]

What's the best dish to get both bands?

For C-band The bigger the better... you're looking at a absolute minimum of 6 foot - and that's cutting it close... there are guys on here that have done more with less, but they have spent a lot of time getting everything perfect to make it work.
8 foot is better and 10 foot is grand... 12 foot, well... you get the idea. (NOT HOA friendly in some neighborhoods - if you're unlucky enough to live in one of those!)

Ku is the exact opposite it seems... from 1 meter up to 6 foot work great and the bigger dishes (8 foot plus) really have to be dead-on for Ku to work well.
Ku really threw me for a loop on a BUD...

So you need bigger for C.
Myself, I'm working on an 8' dual-band setup and my 10' dish(es) will end up C-only...

 

[dashaund]

Thanks directdish!
I think I will get both the c and ku bands. Any advice on digital, hd channels? Any extra equipment? What's the best dish to get both bands?
Thanks.

As a newbie, it may be challenge to set up a BUD. I've setup a couple Ku dishes, and the BUD still was a challenge (not to dissuade you, because I absolutely love mine!). But, that's what we're here for, to get you going and help you wherever we can. There's practically no full time analog signals up there now, except a couple shopping networks and C-SPAN. Everything is digital. Your best bet, in my opinion, to get started, is a starter kit from one of our gold sponsors like Sadoun. That'll be everything you need to get going, and you can add on as you go and learn. As far as your major news networks (CNN, Fox News, etc), you'd have to get a minimum 8 foot dish aimed at Galaxy 3C, a 4DTV receiver, and NPS's (NPS - Your One Call Solution - CBAND Satellite Programming C-band) package containing them (NPS Digital Exclusives Pak #927 is the minimum which is $319 per year). In my opinion it's worth it in an effort to dump cable and go full time satellite. The picture quality is MUCH better, and you're not selling your soul the cable company. Good luck!

 

[Anole]

small steps keeps it interesting instead of painful:

As a newbie, it may be challenge to set up a BUD. I've setup a couple Ku dishes, and the BUD still was a challenge (not to dissuade you, because I absolutely love mine!).

You can get started with a small Ku dish and become better educated and informed.
Then later, you can decide which BUD to buy (or maybe find one surplus).
Since you would have Ku already operational, there would be no urgency to get Ku working on a BUD.
Concentrating on just C-band with the BUD, would be a much less stressful path to follow.
Later, if your BUD is Ku-capable, and you want to tackle the job, you'll be well seasoned and more likely to enjoy the challenge.

Well, that's just my opinion. -

 

[dashaund]

You can get started with a small Ku dish and become better educated and informed.
Then later, you can decide which BUD to buy (or maybe find one surplus).
Since you would have Ku already operational, there would be no urgency to get Ku working on a BUD.
Concentrating on just C-band with the BUD, would be a much less stressful path to follow.
Later, if your BUD is Ku-capable, and you want to tackle the job, you'll be well seasoned and more likely to enjoy the challenge.

Well, that's just my opinion. -

Very nice insight Anole. That's what I was trying to get at, thanks for breaking it down for me. The path you describe is basically how I started. I got a motorized Ku setup (honestly, I wish I would've started with just a fixed dish, because it took me a couple weeks to get the motorized setup right after never having setup a dish before). I also got a Coolsat 5000 receiver then. I quickly became a wild feed hunter, so I then added a DVB card in my computer. Then an analog receiver for those rare analog wild feeds (hey, the receives are a dime a dozen). A few years later, I found a 10 foot BUD surplus. I've got it going with C and Ku, and am using my old Ku dish fixed on AMC21 for PBS...I feel like a real FTAer with multiple dishes now . Just recently, I got an AZBox HD so I can get all the 4:2:2, HD, and S2 wild feeds on my HDTV. Speaking for most of us here, this is a hobby. I'm in it for the challenge mostly, free TV as a reward. In your case it sounds like you want to receive stations that possibly aren't offered through your cable provider, and possibly more expensive if they are. Hey, there's plenty of free goodies up there! I find myself watching what I can get on my satellite now way more than DirecTV.

My vote for you as a newbie is pick a Ku satellite and put a fixed dish on it for starters. Get to learn your receiver and how everything works. Once you feel comfortable, you can easily add a motor and really get going. While it's a lot more fun with a motor since you can quickly and easily access multiple satellites, it is a lot more complicated. Finally, once you've mastered that, start looking for a BUD and dive in. We'll be around for those "oh my gosh, I'm about to pull my hair out" questions along the way.

 

[BurlesonBlue]

My family and I use OTA broadcast and FTA for all our T.V. needs. There's the initial investment (which can be lessened by looking of deals on craigslist or freecycle), but overall it's worth it. The majority of the regular programming that's up there on KU is religious and/or foreign language but there's also some good English stuff. In our house we watch a lot of PBS and just sort of graze over the rest of the stuff out there (although I must say that college football season is awesome with FTA. I get 90% of what I want to watch. You just have to know where to search out the info).

And sometimes the two mix. JCTV broadcasts Liberty University Football.

 

[aboki]

nubie almost there, but . . . .

I thank you all for your wise advice and comments.
Based on my needs and little knowledge/expertise for now, I'm settling on Ku with a 90cm motorized dish.

Now I need your advice on how/where to get the best deal for my money!

I saw a kit set online for $333:

System includes- Pansat 3500SD [equipped with DiSEqC 1.2 & USALS] receiver, remote control and Multistar 90cm satellite dish with Invacom QPH-031 LNBF and Stab DiSEqC Dish Motor .
This motorized 'Q' system is able to receive signals from dozens of Ku-Band satellites. The QPH-LNBF included receives linear [standard free-to-air] AND circular [the same kind as DirecTV and Dish Network use] transmissions. No extra wires are necessary. The power to the motor is carried on the same coaxial line that carries the dish signal.

What do you think? Please, I'm almost there!

 

[dashaund]

Check out Sadoun's motorized kits Motorized Free To Air Satellite Systems

I'm using everything there except I have a different receiver and it works great, and cheaper. You can upgrade the dish to a 90cm for $20. I say that's a great way to go!

 

[Anole]

Now I need your advice on how/where to get the best deal for my money!
I saw a kit set online for $333:

System includes- Pansat 3500SD [equipped with DiSEqC 1.2 & USALS] receiver, remote control and
Multistar 90cm satellite dish with
Invacom QPH-031 LNBF and
Stab DiSEqC Dish Motor .
The QPH-LNBF included receives linear [standard free-to-air] AND circular [the same kind as DirecTV and Dish Network use] transmissions.

- I can't offer a comment on the price /value
- the Pansat 3500sd receiver is certainly on the good-receiver list
- a 90cm dish is better than an 80cm dish
- a real Invacom QPH-031 will give you circular for a few extra channels;
... you will NOT get all the Dish nor DirecTV channels (just a few unencrypted Dish)
... also has dual outputs for driving multiple receivers if desired;
... only thing is, some dealers sell CLONES and call 'em Invacom
- I like STAB motors

The three FTA vendors who support this site and are Gold Sponsors have a good reputation, so here's hoping your dealer does, too.

 

[aboki]

almost there with a newbie

Is this the system you think is better than the one I mentioned?

(DSR100C,KUL1,DISH,DG280B,SHat,50ftRG6,4ftRG6,PCompass) M1 FTA Motorized Satellite System 247.36 247.36 90N dish upgrade with system purchase 20.00 20.00
Discount -13.37 All prices are in US Dollars Subtotal 253.99 Shipping 0.00 TOTAL 253.99