cleddytanhouse Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I am sure that this question may have been asked before, but, if so, sorry, here it is again. I am looking at purchasing a satellite dish system, to use with my Avtex TV which has normal and satellite provision in it. I don't want to spend a fortune and have seen a number of people on sites with the tripod mounted dishes. These are clearly cheaper than the roof mounted automatic systems, but, how easy are the tripod ones to erect AND FIND THE SIGNAL??? Also, how reliable are they? I would only want to use a system in the UK, but, lots of sites here have poor or no normal reception and no TV hook up facility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I used a simple dish with suckers onto the side window for a while and it worked well. The signal is good in most of the UK so is easy to find. You will need a compass (for finding the direction) and probably a signal meter, although I never used a signal meter, the satellite box I was using had one built in, your TV may have one. Your first efforts will be frustrating, persevere and it becomes a 20 second job. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxli Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Hi I've been using a 'camper' type manual dish for a while and although relatively easy to setup, it's still a pain when tired and if raining. This Selfsat Snipe auto system is relatively cheap and I've recently bought one. It works great and finds the satellite within 60 secs. It comes with a carrying case and I'm using it on a table at the moment, but have arranged to have it fitted on the roof soon. Cost around £600 compared to over £1000 for the other brands. - Here http://www.acdctv.co.uk/product/satellite-dishes/selfsat-snipe/ Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I used a tripod dish for a while and eventually gave it away and had an automatic roof-mounted dome system, which has worked very well. Tripod systems aren't that difficult to set up and being able to place them away from the MH if necessary (eg to peep around an obstacle for a signal) is handy but there's a knack to finding the right satellite and unless you are doing it often enough to stay in practice, it's potentially very frustrating. I certainly got fed up with it enough to spend about £1500 for the dome kit and I'm pleased I did. Now I can switch on for a quick burst of news when we make a lunch stop if I want to, it's that easy. I chose a dome because it gives what I assumed would be a sensitive device some protection from the environment, even though the dish inside is smaller, therefore potentially less capable of recetion in marginal areas. In practice it's perfectly OK for all stations anywhere in UK and in France at least as far south as La Rochelle and as far east as W Germany and at least you still get Sky News much further away than that. I was probably unnecessarily cautious by avoiding roof-top folding dishes but at least I don't have to abandon watching TV when it gets too windy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleddytanhouse Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 Thanks Stuart, I thought that what you have said may be the issue with a tripod dish. It appears to be another case of "You get what you pay for"---!!! I have however now been looking into The Snipe system, which is just over £600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 If you opt for a Snipe you will need to research where you intend using your system. The small size of the dish may well preclude its use anywhere much below Normandy. The Snipe is fine for the UK though but so is a conventional TV aerial in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Agree with Stuart. We tried a dish on tripod, BUt what a performance to get the right satellite. We sold it on e-bay and bought a dome 40 cm one. Works well , we can even use it in Spain for news ant some sport, (mainly F1 in german) Another word of caution, we recently met a Dutch couple on our way home from Spain, and they had been hit by a lightening strike in France, and it had damaged the dish and TV , so they where waiting for parts to flown out to them. Also stand alone dishes can be affected by the wind. If you intend to keep van for a few years, and like to have TV, then I personally would pay for a dome to be fitted. I notice even caravans are having them fitted now! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 cleddytanhouse - 2015-07-08 9:34 AM I am sure that this question may have been asked before, but, if so, sorry, here it is again. I am looking at purchasing a satellite dish system, to use with my Avtex TV which has normal and satellite provision in it. I don't want to spend a fortune and have seen a number of people on sites with the tripod mounted dishes. These are clearly cheaper than the roof mounted automatic systems, but, how easy are the tripod ones to erect AND FIND THE SIGNAL??? Also, how reliable are they? I would only want to use a system in the UK, but, lots of sites here have poor or no normal reception and no TV hook up facility. We have had briefcase camping satelite system bought from Maplins five years ago and it hasbeenno bother weeither stick it on the roof through Heiki or on the ground wherever is best for line of site to the satelite. It is ideal in the UK as trees can get in the way so and being able to move the dish about on the pitch usually gets a signal within a couple of minutes. You would have to move the van with a fixed dish. Ten minutes playing around with the dish seems a small inconveivence against paying a couple of grand for a roof mounted dish plus in the winter I can set it up at home if I feel the need to watch some different stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonboymentalhealth Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Another vote for the snipe, I have mine roof mounted and it's a great bit of kit just take my sky card with me and have a box I keep in the van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 We originally had a tripod, I don't go in for setting up camp, half the time we don't even take the chairs out, never even got around to bothering with setting up the tripod. Couple of years ago fitted an iSat (40cm auto sat), cost was about £600 with me fitting myself, don't use it a lot, but like that it's no fuss at all setting up or taking down, just press a couple of buttons. Have used it as far south as Dordogne for BBC, but this is right on the limit, was watching F1 race with clear skies but as soon as clouds came over lost picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevina Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 On the other hand I enjoy the challenge of getting the £50 dish out of a cubby hole in the garage and seeing how quickly I can find BBC1 at the far end of France. We are rarely in the same place more than one night so it's 10 mins to set up and 10 to put away plus a bit extra if you are right down on the Med coast. I only use it once or twice a week but for the record my furthermost reception was in Duilhac sous Peyrepertuse using a 68cm dish last autumn. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 We are using the 60mm dish from the van on it's tripod at our house in the Lot valley until I get the big 1m dish installed on the barn, and when we had our full Sky subscription we could get everything we had in the UK. I use an Easyfind box and lnb to set it up, and it takes very little time, and once the dish is aligned I can swap the Easyfind lnb for the twin one which gives us HD etc. I was intigued to notice that 24 hours after the Sky contract expired, bang on the stroke of midnight, we lost all the extra channels, and can now just get the Freesat stuff. If anyone knows how to get a Sky package when you have no UK address, I'd be grateful to learn. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Another vote for the briefcase set up. Cost me £42 from Lidl, dont bother anymore with the tripod I just use the lid of the briefcase. Tons for sale on eBay, preloved, gumtree etc. Quite possibly because some folk can't (or won't) bother to learn how to set the dish up. I personally enjoy the challenge it occasionally sets. And before anyone wades in with their size 9s, no it's not much fun when it's pogging it down - so I dont bother. I just count the £1000+ I've saved :D Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxli Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Hi - Re SKY subs I think you can use a relative's UK address or there are some specialist firms who can somehow arrange Sky subscriptions abroad. Copyright law casues SKY to be very stingy about it. It's a joke and an affront considering we are in the EU and supposedly have freedom of movement. That said, I'm pretty happy with "freesat" myself both in MH and at home (in Switzerland). Theoretically, it's illegal to receive UK channels with copyrighted content outside GB and I've heard that more ASTRA 2 beams are going to be further narrowed to focus more tightly just on the UK!!! I already have a monster 1.2m dish at home in Switzerland but BBC4 HD, C4 HD, ITV HD and a few others can still be tricky in bad weather. If the dish gets bigger, my neighbours will think I work for NASA! I wonder if a foldaway segmented large dish would be possible for MH use? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tugga Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 We had a RoadPro sat dome on our old motorhome which was OK but if you didn't get parked in the right place you didn't get a signal. When we bought our current motorhome there wasn't any room on the roof to have the dome transferred so we dug out our old tripod system. Not used it yet, despite being away for 5 weeks in France. We are not great TV watchers, but its nice to have the option. We did watch 3 films on DVD while we were hold up in the motorhome whilst the storms raged outside :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Mike88 - 2015-07-08 12:28 PM If you opt for a Snipe you will need to research where you intend using your system. The small size of the dish may well preclude its use anywhere much below Normandy. The Snipe is fine for the UK though but so is a conventional TV aerial in most cases. exactly.....my compact 12v powered Avtex aeriel has decent enough reception for picking up anything that interests us.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 manxli - 2015-07-10 2:02 PM Theoretically, it's illegal to receive UK channels with copyrighted content outside GB Any broadcast which is legal to receive in a EU country is legal to receive in any other EU country, Sky challenged this in court and lost. The only restrictions I know of are when the content is regarded as illegal due to obscenity , in this case it is I believe illegal to record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Our van came with a manual Teleco dish with sat finder and I have been surprised how easy it is to find the Astra 28 satellite as only once (so far) have i needed to get outside with a compass to suss out the general direstion. If I were buying new I would probably say sod the kid's inheritance and get an automatic system (non Dome - too high when travelling) but as it is the Teleco is good enough for us so far. However we are less impressed with the tuner digibox as it is none to user friendly so I am contemplating getting either a used Sky box or a new Freesat box to replace the existing box only. I'm also thinking of adding a terrestrial aerial for when we are in the UK as Freeview seems to have a better spread of channels certainly than out current tuner, not sure about Freesat or Sky (free) yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Can you use an old SKY Box then? We have one, and possibly two, but we no longer subscribe to Sky. We now have cab le, as that was the only way to get a decent broadband connection in our area. (at the time) I believe BT have now rectified this, so possible we could go back to SKY, and take the box card with us abroad?? PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Yes, we have a 'old' Sky box conveted to run on 12v, don't use it now as have a Avtex with built in tuner. The good bit about Sky and Freesat boxes is the epg, the bad bit is they tend to be power hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Been using a Snipe for over a year, very pleased with it. I really wouldn't want the messing about setting up a tripod dish also more difficulte to use off grid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outcats Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I have a slightly different question but hope it can also be answered in this thread. Did anybody get internet through satellite? My parents want to get internet in their motorhome, since they are retired now and planning to go for some longer trips. And of course I'm the one who has to solve the problem... So does anybody have experience with this? Which satelite systems did you use, and which internet provider? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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