UK receiver and dish in Kenya

[anteater99]

We run a charity supporting a school in Kenya. If we took either a sky dish/receiver or free view box would it work there picking up local channels?

 

[Analoguesat]

Dont bother taking any Sky or Freesat boxes out to Kenya - they wont work very well at all.

Freeview is the digital system transmitted via the tv aerial and almost certainly wont work..


A good free to air box would be far better as they can be configured to work with different satellites. First of all you need to work out which satellite(s) you want access to - you can forget any of the European services - Kenya is too far off the transmission footprints to get our channels.

 

[anteater99]

Thanks for your advice re sky boxes. If I go into a TV shop in Mombasa and ask for a free to air box would they know what I needed?

As you are so knowledgeable, could I ask where I find out about which satellites I need? Many thanks.

 

[Analoguesat]

That depends what you want to watch!

 

[anteater99]

I don't suppose the kids at the school would be fussy - just a good selection, preferably in either Kiswahili or English. By the way, they love Man U!!

 

[NTHIGAH]

I'm a satellite installer in Kenya, what do you need to know?

 

[anteater99]

We are involved in a school in kenya and thought about taking out an old sky dish/receiver or freeview box. However, an expert has now told me it wont work in Kenya so I'm looking for advice on what to use instead. I don't want a monthly subscription just a dish/receiver or box to pick up a selection of channels. What do you advise and what is the cost please?

 

[rolfw]

@ NTHIGAH, which satellites and packages are available with a reasonable sized dish and how much free to air?

 

[anteater99]

NTHIGAH or another expert, please advise. Is there anything that I can take from the UK that would work in Mombasa?

 

[rolfw]

You can take a digital receiver with you and perhaps a high quality LNB and a cheap signal meter, but at this stage we do not know what sized dish you require and it will probably be cheaper there anyway.

 

[anteater99]

So you think that a UK receiver and LNB would work maybe if I bought a dish out there? I've seen the dishes and they are huge - too big for suitcase! But I could take a receiver and LNB. We've been offered one as a donation so if there's a chance that it'll work.

 

[anteater99]

Help! I really need your help guys! Don't know whether to use up a lot of my luggage allowance on taking a receiver etc or not.

Can someone in Kenya advise me please - will it work, won't it, how much would it cost to install a local system?

Please help guys.

 

[rolfw]

I've already said that a receiver and LNB will work, but unfortunately we do not have many members located in or around Kenya, you may have to wait until you get there and ask a local installer which satellites are receivable, if you decide to take a receiver, take one with a conditional access slot, something like the Technomate 5400ci+ USB.

This satellite (_http://www.lyngsat.com/intel802.html) is available with a small dish and carries a few Kenyan English language channels.

With a 90cm to 1.2m dish (depends where you are in Kenya) and if you are prepared to subscribe, you should be able to receive Multichice Africa (_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/mcafrica36.html). The same dish size range for this satellite _http://www.lyngsat.com/intel10.html, in fact this package has a lot of free to air English language channels.

 

[NTHIGAH]

different dish sizes would work in kenya but of course depending on someones interest. Different channels would work with different dish sizes. 90 cm to 1.8, 2.4 would be of greater benefit because most channels are within this range. contact me for more details if possible. <phone number removed>

 

[mhku]

Please fill in the vcard section of your profile if you wish members to contact you.

 

[mathu pet]

hi member what happens when u tie mltiple dishes together and point it to the same sat?

what does embeded cas conax means?

 

[rolfw]

Unless you are in poossession of some very expensive phasing equipment, you will gain no advantage from using an array of dishes.

Embedded CAS Conax means that the receiver has a card slot which can read satellite package smartcards using the Conax encryption.

 

[rolfw]

different dish sizes would work in kenya but of course depending on someones interest. Different channels would work with different dish sizes. 90 cm to 1.8, 2.4 would be of greater benefit because most channels are within this range. contact me for more details if possible. <phone number removed>

I think it's fairly safe to assume that the original poster wants some English language channels, but possibly others as well.

Perhaps you could tell us on the forum which satellites can be received from your location with a medium sized dish, rather than trying to drag the discussion away from the forum where nobody else will benefit from the information.

@ anteater99 Please let us know which part of Kenya you will be moving to.

 

[anteater99]

Thanks for all of your input. The area is just outside Mombasa on the north coast.

This all started when someone offered to donate an old box/receiver/dish for us to take out on our next visit. If its not likely to work, I'd rather forget the idea and take books or sports stuff instead. If there is a possibility that they will pick up some channels its worth taking a chance. It would be better to receive some English channels as we are trying to improve their language skills.

 

[Cupart]

It seems like you'd need a quite large dish for anywhere in Africa (except South Africa) as the C band coverage is better than specific Ku band coverage. It also seems like most output from South Africa is encrypted and therefore not free which you were hoping for.

It might sound strange, but I would recommend you to have a look around next time you drive around in (or outside of) Mobassa and see what kind of dishes people have set up and if you can get a general idea of what direction they are pointing at. If the dishes looks huge they are most likely also very expensive...

Good luck and let us know what happens...

Cheers...