Total Newbie, but I gotta start somewhere.

[mcgeezer]

Hi everyone,

In my current property where I live I've been unable to receive any form of satellite signal due to the surrounding trees where I live, so I've done the honourable thing and sold my house for a nice new four bedroom property perferct for sat viewing.

Initially I want to just receive the film and sport on the Hotbird and Astra clusters at 13o and 19o but I want the flexibility to be able to recieve from other sats in the future. So without further ado, I beleive the following equiptment should meet my needs.

I'm interested in receiving Films and Sport.

1 * echostar 3600 motorized receiver (2 CI slots, 1 embedded with VIAaccess) (£359.95), bundled with 88cm Triax dish, interstar 0.3db LNB and motor @ £529.95
1 * Infinity Pheonix USB programmer @ £55
1 * Matrix reloaded CAM @ £79.95
1 * Magic CAM @ 79.95
2 * Fun Cards @ ????

I've literally taken the prices from a website of a local dealer to where I live and would like to know if a) I'll need anything else for receiving the films and sport? are these prices competitive? c) IS what I'm considering buying going to let me receive channels from other sats if I want to?

Cheers,

McGeezer

 

[T24]

Hi

Very good equiptment,but I prefer 110cm Triax dish,and Matrix reloaded cam

you don`t need a Magic cam.




Good luck

 

[rolfw]

I presume that the Triax dish price is a typo.

 

[mcgeezer]

Hi RolfW,

Nope, it's a Triax dish - that's what it says on the website.

Cheers,

McGeezer

 

[Razor]

Hi RolfW,

Nope, it's a Triax dish - that's what it says on the website.

Cheers,

McGeezer

Even a 1.1M Triax will be under £80, have another look at the site.

 

[mcgeezer]

Hi Razor,

Perhaps, I've misread the website - on rereading it, I think the dish and the receiver may be bundled for £529.

the web address is http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/echostar.htm

I'd appreciate any opinions on it.

Cheers,

McGeezer

 

[rolfw]

OK, checked it out, took the liberty of altering your first post to what is being offered. It isn't a bad price and the Echostar is certainly a nice piece of kit, you may be able to find it cheaper elsewhere, but if the store is close to you, it could be useful if anything is faulty.

 

[mcgeezer]

Thanks for taking the time out for me RolfW,

As far as the dish size goes, will I need a larger dish to receive signals from further away sats... The reason why I ask is that I read somewhere that a bigger dish does not always mean better quality and can also degrade the quality of pictures... I read that at http://www.duwgati.com/uk/index.htm.

Is this about right?

McGeezer

 

[rolfw]

Hm, as a very general rule, the bigger the dish the better the reception. You can of course have too much signal, but it is unlikely to happen at the dish size range you are considering.

In the UK, the maximum permissable without planning is a 90cm, but if it is tucked away, or you have good neighbours, you can get away with bigger. If you have the ability to use the bigger dish, then go for it, there are some satellites which will not be fully available with the 88cm.

 

[mcgeezer]

That's real handy to know Rolfw re. planning permissions etc.

Thankyou ever so much.

McGeezer

 

[Channel Hopper]

The 3600 Echostar has some 'anomalies' with the software (the ones I have seen anyway). LNB Local oscillators tend to move by themselves and the AUTOSAT system has never worked perfectly forst time round.

Once you get over the menu prompts and its quirks it seems to do the business though