rgh999 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Currently have an old Sharp analogue TV built in to my motorhome, which is linked into a satellite box.I am looking to purchase a freeview box to enable me to use it as an alternative when the satellite has no line of site, which is probably more often than nit Ideally it needs to be fairly small, and preferably have a 12 v powered out socket so I can use an aerial powered amplifier on the aerial, although that is not too important. Second query for those of you using satellite dishes, is there an easy to use sat meter that is foolproof and finds the satellite quickly and easily. I've got one of those finders that has a series of lights and squeaks at you as your signal gets stronger, but it takes me ages to lock on to the Astra satellite. By the time I've got reception the programme has finished!!!! Finally how do you find the remote sat dishes. Are they more likely to lick up the signal than the one on the roof. Help and advice needed. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Best 12v products for sale are in roadpro. Take a look. https://www.roadpro.co.uk/retail/product_level_2.aspx?prod=Freeview+digital+TV Take a look at other things too. cATALOGUE is online. chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Hi, does your old analogue tv have a digital video input facility, scart connector for example? old freeview box would give digital scart output, not analog video, so you would find a compatibility problem Also freeview boxes dont work on satellite freqs, so I guess you meen a freesat box..eg Humax or similar. they require 240 volt mains, not 12 volt battery. You might get an old Sky minibox which runs on 12 volt, but needs a viewing card from Sky also..not sure if they are compatible with latest satellite changes signal finding on satellite is a bit of a black art, and adjusting dish to right direction, elevation, and lnb skew cant take considerable practice, and you certainly need a decent signal finder..squealer boxes can find A signal but not identify it , it may well be the wrong one..an expensive meter can identify which satellite but they cost much more the the cheapo squealy box. automatic dishes mounted on van roof rely on being able to park up where you can get a clear line of sight to the satellite, not obscured by trees etc.. Are you thinking about going deep south, if so finding a satellite signal for uk services bcome much more difficult, and you need a bigger dish than in uk..more weight to carry. Something to think about carefully.. Tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgh999 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 It's an old Sharp TV that is linked in to a sky box via a scart cable. It picks up the Sky free channels but as you say it's hit and miss whether you can lock on. I was thinking that I have two options. Firstly pay out fir a good meter that speeds up the process of finding the satellite, or basically tells me that line of site us not good enough. Secondly buy a freeview box that connects to the tv via the scart. If I can't get satellite fix I can then unplug sky box, plug in freeview and go back to good old fashioned aerial. At present I have full 12 v and inverter to run tv and mains socket for sky box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheer lunar-see Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 If it's a freeview set top box your'e after, try and get an old "sagem" unit, they were 12volt fed by a mains tranformer, but if you want to stay with the dish, and you have a smart phone, there is an "ap" for dish alignment, but it's still hit and miss, as there are several sattelites very close to each other, so the meter cannot tell you which one you've found, only sollution is auto system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Hi You are talking of three different things here. Sky box is fed via a sat signal via a dish locked onto the appropriate sat, ie 28.2 degrees east of south. Free view is a digital signal which is available throughout the uk via an aerial focused on the correct line for that area. The other is a free sat box which is fed via sat/dish, also on 28.2 degrees. You can get a 12 volt free sat box made by various manufacturers which will provide you with hundreds of channels including the ITV/BBC you may probably require. Free View is via a free view box. I do not know whether or not you can get a 12 volt free view box. However, you should, in my opinion make a decision as to what it is you want. I decided to go dish, and have a TV with built in free sat so I tune my dish to 28.2 and bingo. If you do not want to go down the dish route, and you are only to be in the UK then obtain a suitable digi aerial which you will have to point in the right direction appropriate to the location you are in.. If you have been using sky box then you are obviously in the dish/sat group. This brings me to sat location kit. I have a sat link WS908 which is self contained in as much as you can take a dish, link the 908 to the LNB and set the dish without the need to have a coax to the TV. Once located and set then disconnect the 908, then connect your coax to the TV/Box. Have a look on the internet for the 908. Another finder is the Sathero but make sure you deal with the original manufacturers. The Chinese are very good at making copies. They work but do not have the backup you may require. Whatever sat finder you go for it will cost you sixty pounds plus, the 908 cost around seventy pounds but in my experience, worth every penny. I have a look for other sat dishes or in the event of none, find south and work east, the 908 quickly picks up whichever sat you have programmed it to find. You have a choice of many. Where you will find them depends upon which sat you choose. Remember, the ones you are interested are east of south so travel from south towards east. However, the 908 tells you the degrees for the sat you have chosen so no problem. Hope this helps. If you feel I can be of assistance then please PM me. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 For anyone looking at this thread then read WS 6908. typing error, machine not wanting to print six's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgh999 Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Am now looking at either the Rockdale digital semi pro meter or the one mentioned above by Arthur. WS6908 Any one else any experience of either of these products please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 The satellite finder app for android is Satellite Director, it's free and it's fun to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Hi I find the app for iphone less than useful but the one groco highlights for android seems as though it could be useful. I will stick to my tried and tested WS6908 but each to his own. My own view is that having as much as possible at 12v is good. An inverter to run TV and Sky box will take more out of your battery than a dedicated 12 v. appliance. However, if you are on site most of the time with 240 available then there is no problem. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 That's a good app Gordon, far better than all the other ones I've tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Arthur Brown - 2014-03-11 10:20 PM Hi I find the app for iphone less than useful but the one groco highlights for android seems as though it could be useful. I will stick to my tried and tested WS6908 but each to his own. My own view is that having as much as possible at 12v is good. An inverter to run TV and Sky box will take more out of your battery than a dedicated 12 v. appliance. However, if you are on site most of the time with 240 available then there is no problem. Art Arthur, im pretty sure you cant get a modern sky box that runs on 12v. Our sky+hd box os mains only, hence our small inverter, a pain i know but there you go..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Just remembered one of the TV's in the house I hasa Bush Freeview box that runs from a 12v supply it is only about 4"x3"x1" very small can be plugged straight into a scart socket and has a remote sensor for the remote & picture quality is very good. I not sure if it is still available but there are plenty of similar products on ebay for about 15 quid most of them have a 5v power supply easy to get a 12 to 5 v adaptor. Search "mini freeview box". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgh999 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Thanks to all for help and advice, especially to Arthur. Top man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Many thanks for your public appreciation. As many will gather a lot of info has passed via PM. All of what I passed to you has been on this forum and my opinion is to save others from the repeated verse which seems to fill this forum. I would rather, as you gather, update you in private so that members do not get bored. If you do searches you will find all the info I have passed is in fact available within the forum but until you become proficient in the search facility (and I have not yet) then you ask the question. I prefer not to bore the audience by replying via PM. Good luck and any query, keep asking. There are more experts on this forum than anywhere else. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Chris There was a man in the midlands, cant remember exactly where, but he converted sky boxes to 12v. He did one for me but it broke down and rather that repair or replace he refunded my cash. I now run free sat both in the house and in the van. The van is easy, the TV has it built in. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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