I'm completely new to FTA and I'm looking at getting a Traxis DBS3500, due to the great price (about $95 delivered), and would be adding it to a C band big dish. I've seen on these forums that this receiver does not have AC3 audio pass thru. I believe that's Dolby audio, but what problem would there be here? Does this mean that many programs would have no audio? From the review it seems many are very happy with this receiver.
Traxis DBS3500 - AC3 Audio
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The Traxis has a bug in the software that don't let it pass AC-3 audio. What this means is there will be stations that you won't be able to get audio on. If you want the most out of FTA pop the extra $$$ and get a Pansat 2700 that passes AC-3 flawlessly. You will be glad in the long run you did this.
Thanks again, tvropro,
I did a quick check & see the 2700(a) can be had for about $128 delivered. It looks like it has a built in positioner. I'm assuming I wouldn't have any problems slaving it off my 4dtv reciever, and the 4dtv being the one positioning the dish?
I did a quick check & see the 2700(a) can be had for about $128 delivered. It looks like it has a built in positioner. I'm assuming I wouldn't have any problems slaving it off my 4dtv reciever, and the 4dtv being the one positioning the dish?
You might want to check the price on the Pansat 3500SD. It does everything the 2700 does, plus component video out and a memory card for downloading your channel list.
You can open and edit the channel list file with Channel Master and change the names etc of the channels, then upload it back to the receiver with the memory card.
It works very well, with no need to hook the computer directly to the receiver.
Both the 2700 and 3500SD have a polarotor control which controls the polarity and skew on a Co-rotor for C-Band.
Fred
You can open and edit the channel list file with Channel Master and change the names etc of the channels, then upload it back to the receiver with the memory card.
It works very well, with no need to hook the computer directly to the receiver.
Both the 2700 and 3500SD have a polarotor control which controls the polarity and skew on a Co-rotor for C-Band.
Fred
I really don't know if I need the "frills" of a more top of the line receiver. I also plan to leave my 4dtv receiver hooked up and don't really need a FTA with built in positioner. I still wonder if this type of receiver/positioner might present problems for me, being used as a slave?
i had a coolsat 5000 without all that. if i was you i'd get the pansat 3500SD its just my opinion i'f get everything that controls everything for FTA if you dont you'll be changing channels on the fta to get different channels as far as V-H . 
I really am appreciating everyones input, but to change the v-h for the FTA, wouldn't I just have to switch from, say, transponder 1 to 2 to change the polarities for channels on the FTA? Seems like this would only have to be done once to find the channel you wish to view.
You are correct dvstahl.
If you have the FTA box slaved to the 4DTV, you would need to change the channel on the 4DTV for that polarity to be changed in the FTA box.
You would also have to change it back to view the other polarity. Some feel that this is a lot of hassle, and I am one of them.
But to start out, this is the simplest way to do it.
My suggestion for the Pansat 3500SD which is only a few dollars more will allow you to control the polarity on it's own. Sometimes it saves money by spending money to allow for future changes.
Most of us here have been where you are, and have grown tired of changing remotes to change polarity, only to have to do it all over again for the next channel change.
The decision of course is up to you. Either way would be a correct way. Just thinking of the future for you.
Fred
If you have the FTA box slaved to the 4DTV, you would need to change the channel on the 4DTV for that polarity to be changed in the FTA box.
You would also have to change it back to view the other polarity. Some feel that this is a lot of hassle, and I am one of them.
But to start out, this is the simplest way to do it.
My suggestion for the Pansat 3500SD which is only a few dollars more will allow you to control the polarity on it's own. Sometimes it saves money by spending money to allow for future changes.
Most of us here have been where you are, and have grown tired of changing remotes to change polarity, only to have to do it all over again for the next channel change.
The decision of course is up to you. Either way would be a correct way. Just thinking of the future for you.
Fred
From what I'm able to see of the back panel of the 2700 and 3500, there doesn't appear to be power connections for the old style arm positioner on my big dish. So, are you guys using another receiver to position the dish? If you, like me, are hooked up to a 4dtv receiver or similar, are you putting jumper wires between receivers to control the polarity for FTA and are you just not bothering with the analog c band portion anymore?
Hi dvstahl,
When I first started, I had my Pansat slaved to an analog receiver. The analog controlled the dish movement and polarity. I then manufactured an A/B switch very carefully to allow me to switch between the two receivers for control of the polarity. (Don't try this unless you know what you are doing!! Can fry the polarity controller on either receiver.)
I then bought a VBox II positioner which allowed the Pansat to control dish movement by sending voltage that the VBox II undersood through the coax and translated that to 36V that the big dish could understand.
After that the Pansat controlled dish movement and polarity except when switching to the analog for polarity on using it.
Now I have a 4DTV with it's own dish controlling polarity and dish movement, and the Pansat on it's own dish doing the same.
This is a great hobby, and ever expanding for most of us. If I had known then what I now Know, I might have changed some things and done them differently.
Read some of my threads from last summer and fall. I fried my share of DiSEqC switches and single power passing Hi-Freq switches.
Hind sight is always 20/20.
The best investment I ever made though was in the Pansat 3500SD. It has been good for all kinds of dish setups, and along with the VBox II (second best investment) it can do about anything you might want to do. I now own two of them along with a Coolsat 5000.
When I first started, I had my Pansat slaved to an analog receiver. The analog controlled the dish movement and polarity. I then manufactured an A/B switch very carefully to allow me to switch between the two receivers for control of the polarity. (Don't try this unless you know what you are doing!! Can fry the polarity controller on either receiver.)
I then bought a VBox II positioner which allowed the Pansat to control dish movement by sending voltage that the VBox II undersood through the coax and translated that to 36V that the big dish could understand.
After that the Pansat controlled dish movement and polarity except when switching to the analog for polarity on using it.
Now I have a 4DTV with it's own dish controlling polarity and dish movement, and the Pansat on it's own dish doing the same.
This is a great hobby, and ever expanding for most of us. If I had known then what I now Know, I might have changed some things and done them differently.
Read some of my threads from last summer and fall. I fried my share of DiSEqC switches and single power passing Hi-Freq switches.
Hind sight is always 20/20.
The best investment I ever made though was in the Pansat 3500SD. It has been good for all kinds of dish setups, and along with the VBox II (second best investment) it can do about anything you might want to do. I now own two of them along with a Coolsat 5000.
You guys are all very helpful. I just did a search on the 3500 and it brought me to a part of a forum here, and from what I read, you still need to attach some sort of decoder to the 3500 in order to hear AC3 audio? It would seem there should be a reciever that would be "complete".
I have my 2700A slaved to my DSR922 (4DTV) I let the 4D move the dish and operate the polarity. It works fine. If you get a null modem cable and the channel editor software you can edit channels and load upgrades into the Pansat. It works very nicely.
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