# New to FTA



## DishNet_Fan

Guys:

I am a former Dish subscriber and want to hook up FTA satellite at my cabin. Questions:

1. Can I use my existing Dish 500? I am looking to access the Galaxy 10R satellite.
2. What type of LNB do I need?
3. What are some good, cheap FTA receivers to look at.

Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to this hobby.


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## quo17

DishNet_Fan said:


> Guys:
> 
> I am a former Dish subscriber and want to hook up FTA satellite at my cabin. Questions:
> 
> 1. Can I use my existing Dish 500? I am looking to access the Galaxy 10R satellite.
> 2. What type of LNB do I need?
> 3. What are some good, cheap FTA receivers to look at.
> 
> Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to this hobby.


You need at least 30" dish (to get all the channels just from KU side of G10R)
and linear type KU LNB (like Fortec Star FSKU-v).
Fortec Star, Pansat and all other DVB MPEG2 except for E* and D* receivers will do the work fine


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## Sharkonwheels

quo17 said:


> You need at least 30" dish (to get all the channels just from KU side of G10R)
> and linear type KU LNB (like Fortec Star FSKU-v).
> Fortec Star, Pansat and all other DVB MPEG2 except for E* and D* receivers will do the work fine


Quo's on the money - 
Stick with a name-brand receiver, like the Fortec and Pansat, and maybe even Coolsat. I personally prefer Pansat. But, be careful - make sure it' an original, and not a Panset, or whatever the heck else they're calling them!

If you want to scan the sky, and hit more than one bird, consider installing a motor at the same time - opens you up to a whole bunch of satellites!

If you want to try on the cheap, look around for the Trimax T100 system - you should be able to find them for about $100-120+shipping right now. This is a Trimax T100 receiver, hotdish 75 75cm dish, and an LNB - basically everything you need to get started, on the cheap.

It's a nice, super-cheap starter setup, but, it's not a Pansat/Fortec/Coolsat.

If you can't find it, let me know, and I'll find a place for you.

T


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## FTA Michael

Since the OP said he just wanted one satellite, I wouldn't advise adding the motor just yet, but it's always smart to get a receiver that can drive a motor.

I've had got a Pansat and a Traxis, and they're both great. Shop around online, or even call a local dealer.


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## DishNet_Fan

FTA Michael said:


> Since the OP said he just wanted one satellite, I wouldn't advise adding the motor just yet, but it's always smart to get a receiver that can drive a motor.
> 
> I've had got a Pansat and a Traxis, and they're both great. Shop around online, or even call a local dealer.


How's this for a starter system:

Fortec Star Lifetime CLASSIC NA FTA Digital satellite receiver
31" FS80P Dish
Universal 0.4dB Single KU LNBF

$85 plus shipping. Bought from Sadoun's ebay store. I think I got a pretty good deal... Can't wait to get it hooked up. Thanks guys!


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## DishNet_Fan

Guys, is there a guide somewhere on how to get up and running? I used to have Dish, so I won't have a problem mounting the dish and connecting the receiver. I'm concerned on how to get the transponders and channels up and running. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## quo17

DishNet_Fan said:


> I'm concerned on how to get the transponders and channels up and running. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


If your receiver has a Blind Scan, the easiest way is just to point it at G10R, make sure, you get the best signal and quality reading from tp 11805, H, 4580 (it has very strong signal), then do the BLind Scan. 
Check your receiver manual and browse Sadoun's web site for technical help and forums. There's a lot of help out there.


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## BCGreg

FTA Michael said:


> Since the OP said he just wanted one satellite, I wouldn't advise adding the motor just yet, but it's always smart to get a receiver that can drive a motor.
> 
> I've had got a Pansat and a Traxis, and they're both great. Shop around online, or even call a local dealer.


This is very interesting. I am a current E* subscriber (and D* before that for 8+ years). I've looked into adding international channels but didn't think we'd watch enough to justify the cost. Looking at ftalist.com, there are definitely enough channels of interest to convince the wife we should add a FTA system.  It looks like it would cost about the same as a year's worth of international programming.

I'm looking to get a decent motorized system. How is the Viewsat 2000 or Coolsat 5/6000 for a receiver? Sharkonwheels mentions Coolsat but not Viewsat--should I stay away from Viewsat? Are there any comparisons/reviews of receivers?

Also, can any of these receivers be controlled by a TiVo (series 1) or Slingbox?

bc


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## FTA Michael

I haven't found an FTA receiver that can be truly controlled by a TiVo. When you can do is lie to your TiVo. Tell the TiVo that it's hooked up to something else, but connect the FTA receiver. Pick a program length and time that matches what you want, and tell it to record it. The only trick is remembering that what the TiVo thinks is "Rush Hour" is really just the first part of the FTA baseball game you recorded.

Some receivers do have timers, so you can set them to change their own channels at a given time. This will let you record from Channel A in the morning and Channel B in the afternoon while you're at work.

I haven't found any really great repository for receiver reviews. Tele-Satellite magazine does a fair number of reviews, but it has a European focus, so a lot of the models are hard to find around here. As I wrote, I've worked with a couple of brands, and I'm sure there are other good ones too.


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## BCGreg

FTA Michael said:


> I haven't found an FTA receiver that can be truly controlled by a TiVo. When you can do is lie to your TiVo.
> 
> Some receivers do have timers, so you can set them to change their own channels at a given time.


Thanks for the info. That's sort of what I was thinking about the TiVo--whether it could send the remote codes. But if I get a receiver with a timer, that would work too.



> I haven't found any really great repository for receiver reviews. Tele-Satellite magazine does a fair number of reviews, but it has a European focus, so a lot of the models are hard to find around here. As I wrote, I've worked with a couple of brands, and I'm sure there are other good ones too.


Poking around at the links in ftalist.com, I found some reviews at: wwwsatelliteguysus

Now I'm also considering the CaptiveWorks CW-600S Platinum.

And yesterday morning I didn't even know what FTA was.


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## TonyM

I wouldn't get a Captiveworks for one reason. No true blind scan. 

The Captiveworks “claims” blind scan (to find all the new and interesting feeds) but a few of us have proven it doesn’t work. I’ve never had it working (it actually seizes up my box). Also they claim "plug and play" but I have worked with around 20 FTA boxes and this one sure the heck isn't "plug and play" 

The Viewsat is not “motor friendly”. It works great for a fixed dish setup

I like the Coolsat 5000 and the Fortec Classic. Both are nice units. Coolsat has a faster blind scan but can miss some stuff when blind scanning.


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## tdti1

Pansat's seem to work good, the 2700a or the 3500SD, I have an old 2500a and never had any issues.

Coolsat 5000 or 6000 should work good also.

You can take a look at the Traxis dbs3500 works great and can be had at a bargain price.


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