OK , what size dish?

[dxhound2003]

You could consider a motorised dish, which would give you the option of 28 East and 27 West along with lots of other satellites. Unless you are interested in UK TV only. The basic type of motor is only good for up to 1.2 metre dishes from what I read. I have a 1.1 m dish with a motor which never gives any trouble, and I can get about 30 different satellites in Ireland with that set up.

 

[archive10]

OK thought I was going mad for a moment!

Have read through some of the reception threads and it looks like the 1.4 should do the job. Will check out more when I get there, in the mean time will call a friend who lives nearby to see what he has and where he got it.
Checked the " sat and pc guy " but he doesn´t cover the area by the look of it.

Thanks for all the help

I will not pretend to have any local knowledge from Spain on proper dish-sizes.

But I will want to suggest that you consider this:

If you are the handy-man type, and can fix a patio or whip up an antenna, then do go for a self-install.
You may even be bitten by the sat-bug, at which stage you may consider motorisation etc.
It can be really cool and rewarding to see pictures coming in after fiddling with the gear for hours (or even days!)

But if you just want to watch TV, and don't care too much about the technology, perhaps you should call on one of the installer members on the forum to provide the equipment, install and align the dish for maximum performance?

Just post a notice in the "installer wanted" section (not sure I remember the title right, but you get the idea).

 

[Bryan Grennell]

In reply to the above posts.

I would consider a motorised option in Spain, but as I think I will need a 1.4m dish and a " standard motor " will only cope with a 1.2m dish I´m not sure if this is viable, but will not rule it out.

I am a bit hands on and have played a little with satellite dishes in the UK. I´m an electro-mechanical engineer so am sure I could get my head round it if I did a little homework.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[RimaNTSS]

I am not sure there are lots of 1.4m dishes available around. The most common sizes are 1.2m , 1.5m and then comes 1.8m.

 

[purplemarina]

I am not sure there are lots of 1.4m dishes available around. The most common sizes are 1.2m , 1.5m and then comes 1.8m.

1.4m is what the spanish call a 1.2m dish, they measure the other way

 

[Lazarus]

You beat me to it, pm: I was on the point of posting "cue the standard debate about dish sizing"!

 

[Bryan Grennell]

Sorry, been busy reading up on some old threads I´ve found and came across the dish size description issue.
Apparently a 1.4 is really a 1.3, OK! Guess it makes some sense depending on which way you run the tape measure, but have got a good idea what that is about. Also found mention of 1.2m dishes that work in the area, one was on a motor system.
Need to read some more historic threads

 

[RimaNTSS]

I do not think that even 1.4m (vertical size) antenna (working area) is so common. It is sellers trick to show something bigger to sell it better. In reality if they (those unhonest sellers) say " this is 1.4m antenna" , in reality that means that dish has working area not more than 1210mmX1350mm. So, do not believe them, we still dealing with 1.2m antenna (effective size).

 

[joddle]

Hi Bryan - I have been living in Spain for many years and have seen how things come and go - currently we are able in Javea to get everything from Freesat nice and steady on a 1.2M dish with a decent box (Humax Foxsat HD) Lesser boxes such as the Manhatten do fade out faster in bad weather -

It wanting to avoid Freesat altogether than that's a whole new ballgame and others here will advise on the kit to get.

As you go further South from Alicante the signal degrades pretty fast so maybe a 1.4/1.5 will be needed. Again the size of the dish is not everything. You first need good cable, a good LNB and a good receiver. The cheaper boxes tend to be less sensitive and less selective making them not so good for fringe use. 1.9 sounds like overkill to me and is very expensive but what are the locals using?

My advice would be:

1) get a decent receiver box
2) don't skimp on cheap kit.
3) Use good cable for the install (no unnecessary joints etc. and keep it as short as possible)
4) use a good LNB - not the normal Sky junk used the UK
5) get the best high quality dish you can afford which will go on your property - very big dishes can cause all sorts of problems - especially in the wind and of course in their mounting.

Weather is an issue here - and even with a 2.4M dish in Valencia and getting 100% SS and SQ, a heavy rainstorm can occasionally knock out channels - just don't expect to get a good signal 100%f the time - there will be a few occasions when problems occur.

 

[Bryan Grennell]

Hi Bryan - I have been living in Spain for many years and have seen how things come and go - currently we are able in Javea to get everything from Freesat nice and steady on a 1.2M dish with a decent box (Humax Foxsat HD) Lesser boxes such as the Manhatten do fade out faster in bad weather -

It wanting to avoid Freesat altogether than that's a whole new ballgame and others here will advise on the kit to get.

As you go further South from Alicante the signal degrades pretty fast so maybe a 1.4/1.5 will be needed. Again the size of the dish is not everything. You first need good cable, a good LNB and a good receiver. The cheaper boxes tend to be less sensitive and less selective making them not so good for fringe use. 1.9 sounds like overkill to me and is very expensive but what are the locals using?

My advice would be:

1) get a decent receiver box
2) don't skimp on cheap kit.
3) Use good cable for the install (no unnecessary joints etc. and keep it as short as possible)
4) use a good LNB - not the normal Sky junk used the UK
5) get the best high quality dish you can afford which will go on your property - very big dishes can cause all sorts of problems - especially in the wind and of course in their mounting.

Weather is an issue here - and even with a 2.4M dish in Valencia and getting 100% SS and SQ, a heavy rainstorm can occasionally knock out channels - just don't expect to get a good signal 100%f the time - there will be a few occasions when problems occur.

OK, spend some cash!, but , advice so far has said " bigger is better " but you are telling me a big dish will cause problems!
By the way, I don´t intend to mount my dish, just use it to get TV!

 

[RimaNTSS]

Bigger dish is always better, but it should be installed in proper way to avoid possible problems.

 

[Lazarus]

OK, spend some cash!, but , advice so far has said " bigger is better " but you are telling me a big dish will cause problems!
By the way, I don´t intend to mount my dish, just use it to get TV!

You'll fit in here very well ;)

 

[joddle]

You'll fit in here very well ;)

Big dish bad quality is worse than smaller dish good quality - again I say what are others using in that area? If its mainly 1.5 than that would seem to be what you should go for - a good 1.9 will be twice the price or more than a good 1.4 or 1.5. Also a 1.9 will not simply fit on a wall bracket - Where you intend putting (or mounting to coin a phrase ) is key. A 1.9 will need a good garden mount and they again are not cheap or easy.

 

[Lazarus]

I think you missed that one!

Read his last line and my response again ....... Oooh Matron! ;)

 

[Archive-8]

Oooh Matron! ;)

Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!

 

[RimaNTSS]

I would better be more positive and say: bigger, good quality dish is always much better than smaller dish. Price is secondary, main is needed performance. I did not hear that 1.9m dishes exist at all. But for 1.8m heavy glass dishes wall brackets are available, at least I have one laying around.

 

[Bryan Grennell]

Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!

Carry on Caesar ?

 

[Archive-8]

Carry on Caesar ?

You another fan??

 

[Bryan Grennell]

You another fan??

No. But for those that are, it was " carry on cleo "