# Need some help choosing setup



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Little background: My wife would like to the religious channels like 3ABN and such. I'd rather not do Sky Angel since most of those channels look to be available FTA. Plus FTA will give me a new toy to play with.  New to the whole FTA thing, been with DirecTV for 11 years though and always installed my own equipment.

Here is option 1: http://www.adventistsat.com/shop/item/ATV-D

This is a kit from The Hope Channel. 
Has the Mercury II receiver which looks to be one of the best.
My main concern is the dish. It's a Geosat Pro dual LNB system. I'm not seeing much info on the "dual LNB" concept with FTA. Is this a decent sat dish and LNBs? It appears to get the 2 sats from 97 and 101.

Option 2 would be a motorized kit http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Satellite-systems/Motorized-Systems.htm
Like the M-2

I don't mind spending the extra $90 or so for the motorized system if the dual lnb setup in option 1 really isn't any good but my wife is only interested in the religious channels on 97 and 101 only.

So any opinions? Is the dual LNB setup from the Hope Channel a decent system?

Thanks!


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## TonyM (Aug 14, 2003)

I will be testing one of those Glorystar dual LNB setups next week so we'll have some more info.

The channels on AMC4 (Hope, LLBN, 3ABN) are (non pun intended) ungodly strong. I was able to get most of them on a smaller than normal dish (I tried it with an old DirecTV phase II dish and a KU LNB)...But there are lots of us who have 2 LNB's on one fixed dish. The thing that makes the dual LNB setup you posted above neat is the setup is like a Dish Net setup where the LNB's are both 2 degrees offset from dead centre. SO the signal should be good on both satellites.
If you do it the old fashioned way, one LNB is dead centre and the other is offset by 4 degrees which can hinder reception on that 2nd LNB.

The motorized setup will allow you to have access to more channels than just the stuff on IA5 & AMC4


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Cool, I look forward to your review. I'm not seeing much on the other sats that interest me too much so I might just save a few bucks and go with the Glorystar setup. But I'd be interested in hearing if there are any good channels out there.

Thanks!


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

Starting from your premise that good channels = Christian religious channels, here's a list of what's available with a Ku-band dish and motor:

AMC3: WYDN (Daystar affiliate)
AMC4: 3ABN, Hope Channel, LLBN
AMC6: Gospel Broadcasting Network
Galaxy 10R: Daystar
Galaxy 3C: Apostolic Oneness Network
Galaxy 25: The Church Channel, Daystar, Emmanuel TV, Global Christian Network, God's Learning Channel, JCTV, Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Lifesat TV, The Miracle Channel, Smile of a Child, The Old Path, Trinity Broadcasting Network, The Word Network
SatMex 5: BYU TV

And if you ever want to watch sports or classic TV shows or old movies or educational stuff, there are another 50+ English-language channels too. http://www.ftalist.com/english.htm Have fun!


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## TonyM (Aug 14, 2003)

FTA Michael said:


> AMC3: WYDN (Daystar affiliate)


I dont know if its still there anymore. I scanned AMC3 yesterday and it wasn't on that satellite



> SatMex 5: BYU TV


Depending on location, this may not be able to be picked up. The farther away you get from Utah the harder it is to pick up. I can't get it with a 36" here in MN unless its a clear night. I know of people that have C-Band and can barely get a signal on it due to location


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

FTA Michael said:


> Starting from your premise that good channels = Christian religious channels, here's a list of what's available with a Ku-band dish and motor:
> 
> AMC3: WYDN (Daystar affiliate)
> AMC4: 3ABN, Hope Channel, LLBN
> ...


Thanks! Well, good to me means non-religious channels.  My wife wants the religious channels off AMC4 and Galaxy 25 (the Glorystar system picks that up with the 2 LNB dish) so I was seeing if I could get wild feeds of hockey games or something off other sats.

Anyway, I believe I can put a motor on the dual LNB dish and it will work fine with the Mercury II (correct me if I'm wrong) so I can get the basic dual LNB setup now and can install a motor later if I so choose.


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## bruin95 (Apr 23, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> Anyway, I believe I can put a motor on the dual LNB dish and it will work fine with the Mercury II (correct me if I'm wrong) so I can get the basic dual LNB setup now and can install a motor later if I so choose.


I don't believe a 2 lnb dish is going to work real well with a motorized system. Plus, it would be an absolute nightmare to setup. Stick with a single lnb dish if you are going to motorize the system.


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## TonyM (Aug 14, 2003)

bruin95 said:


> I don't believe a 2 lnb dish is going to work real well with a motorized system. Plus, it would be an absolute nightmare to setup. Stick with a single lnb dish if you are going to motorize the system.


The only drawback of motorizing the 2 LNB setup is the satellites will be off by 2 degrees. On the Glorystar setup, you aim at 99 to get 97 & 101

He could always go back to a single LNB if he motorizes it


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

TonyM said:


> He could always go back to a single LNB if he motorizes it


Yea, I was wondering that. If the tweaker in me takes over in a year or so I could get a motor and just get a single LNB bracket and I should be ok.


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## kenglish (Oct 2, 2004)

Most of the religious channels are un-encrypted, so most any good FTA box will work. Some "packaged" systems from specific programmers are limited in what they can get, and in which options (motors, switches, etc) will work. Check out some of the equipment packages from various distributors.


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## decryptr (Mar 14, 2007)

Can FTA (Motorized) setup be used in heavy snow and cold?

MI gets its share of snow, so I was wondering how a motorized setup
would handle the melting ice dams, etc.

thanks for your time. Thanks for the forum.
decryptr


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

My motor worked fine all winter long, and it was an unusually cold and snowy one for Denver. I had to brush snow off the dish now and then, but I never did anything special to the motor.

YMMV, of course. And welcome to DBSTalk! :welcome_s


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

TonyM said:


> I will be testing one of those Glorystar dual LNB setups next week so we'll have some more info.


Hey Tony, had a chance to check out the Glorystar system yet?


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