Questions answered on Advice Page 1
"The beginners page." Advice for people new to satellite TV.
Note - the most frequently asked questions are on advice page 2 and advice page 3.
What does a satellite system consist of?
Answer.
What is an LNB?
Answer.
How big a dish do I need?
Answer.
About digital satellite. Free to air and cams.
Answer.
Original cams and cam emulators.
Answer.
Can one satellite channel be recorded while watching another?
Answer.
Advice on recognizing quality products that work well.
Answer.
What is a motorised system?
Answer.
Choosing a motorised system, read on,
Answer.
Wall mounts.
Answer.
Television Systems and Hi Definition TV
Answer.
How to find a good dealer.
Answer.
An interesting letter from a customer who commissioned "an installer from Hell"
Letter.
Below are questions answered on Advice Page 2
(Advice page 2 deals with the most common simpler questions
advice page 3 deals with more technical advanced questions)
QUESTION 1. The main
"SKY TV" questions.
Can I get the BBC and the ITV and Channel 5 on a free to air receiver?
Can I get the BBC, and ITV and Channel 5 on one receiver?
Can I use a freesat card with Sky + receivers?
Can I get Sky and other satellites as well on one receiver and on one dish?
Can I use a Sky Digibox for other satellites?
How big a dish do I need for Sky?
Can I receive two different Sky channels in different rooms.
Can the CI digital receivers be used for Sky TV and what channels can I receive?
Can I get Sky and other satellites as well on one receiver and on one dish?
Can I control two Sky Digiboxes through the TV eye system?
Problems with a Sky mini dish? Is it big enough?
Can I use a Sky + but use only one cable from the dish (e.g. using a splitter)?
What are the implications of getting Sky Q?
Qu 1. Click here for Question 1 answers.
QUESTION 1b. Can the CI digital receivers be used for Sky TV and how many other
channels in the sky are available?
Qu 1b. Click here for Question 1b answer.
QUESTION 2. The
"FREESAT" questions.
I would request your assistance in choosing such equipment to use primarily with Freesat but also
to receive other available FTA transmissions. Whilst reviewing this subject on the Freesat sites
and other related for a there seems to be confusion about reception of various Freesat channels.
Some recipients report that all can be received, including ITV HD and the ‘red button’ channels,
whilst using an established FTA HD box.
I would like to try this option, possibly with a PVR addition but am unsure of which one to go for.
I wouldn’t like to spend several hundred pounds only to find that I can’t receive all the Freesat channels.
Can Freesat receivers be used on other satellites? Can standard receivers be used for Freesat?
I would welcome your input to this subject.
Qu 2. Click here for Question 2 answer.
QUESTION 3. I need to get Arabian channels or Indian channels or African channels etc.
i.e. Questions about channels. What equipment do I need? (also see the next seriers of questions.)
Qu 3. Click here for Question 3 answers.
QUESTION 4. Can I get channels from the USA?
Qu 4. Click here for Question 4 answers.
QUESTION 5. Can I see British TV in America?
Qu 5. Click here for Question 5 answers.
QUESTION 6. I have an appartment in Spain. What do I need to receive freesat or Sky TV?
Qu 6. Click here for Question 6 answers.
Dish sizes for getting Sky TV in Spain.
Feedback from Gran Canaria. Help in getting the BBC.
QUESTION 7. Can I get French TV?
Qu 7. Click here for Question 7 answers.
QUESTION 7b. Can you provide more information on the French AB Sat package card you sell?
Qu 7b. Click here for Question 7b answers.
QUESTION 8. Can I get Russian channels? Feedback.
Qu 8. Click here for Question 8 answers.
QUESTION 9. What do I need to get Italian channels?
Qu 9. Click here for Question 9 answers.
QUESTION 10. What do I need to get German channels?
Qu 10. Click here for Question 10 answers.
QUESTION 11. Can I watch 2 Sky satellite channels at once?
Qu 11. Click here for Question 11 answers.
QUESTION 12. there a twin LNB for a sky mini dish?
Qu 12. Click here for Question 12 answers.
QUESTION 13. I've just been told by a Sky installation man that we cannot
have a Sky dish as the only place we can get a signal is in the corner of the garden
which is not acceptable to us. We would prefer a dish on the house but suffer by being
on the south side of a hill just below some woodland. Do all satellites send signals
from the southern horizon or is there an alternative? We are not that interested in
hundreds of channels, nor in a subscription to Sky but would like to improve our signal,
which at the moment is coming over the hill to us and so is poor and without Channel 5
(no great loss). Can you help?
(We also deal with painting a dish in this answer.)
Qu 13. Click here for Question 13 answers.
QUESTION 14. Can I paint a satellite dish to match the brick or stone work or garden?
Qu 14. Click here for Question 14 answers.
QUESTION 15. Can I have satellite TV without putting a dish on my house?
I live in a CONSERVATION AREA - will it work through glass?
Qu 15. Click here for Question 15 answers.
QUESTION 16. Do you supply adult cards to my country? I think the customs might confiscate it.
Qu 16. Click here for Question 16 answers.
QUESTION 17. What does "blind search" mean?
Qu 17. Click here for Question 17 answers.
QUESTION 16. What do I need for internet via satellite?
Qu 18. Click here for Question 18 answers.
QUESTION 19. I do not live in the UK. How much will your products cost in my currency?
Qu 19. Click here for Question 19 answers.
QUESTION 20. Can I use a splitter to split the signal from my dish
to two satellite receivers? and -
Can I use a twin tuner receiver like Sky HD or Freesat HDR etc.
with a single cable from the dish?
(With a Stacker Destacker you can send two signals down one cable.)
Qu 20. Click here for Question 20 answers.
QUESTION 21. I live in a listed building and we are not allowed to put up a dish.
What are my options?
Qu 21. Click here for Question 21 answers.
QUESTION 22. We live on a narrowboat in a marina on the Ashby Canal. When we are out
on the canals/rivers, we sometimes cannot get a signal to watch the tv.
We have a digital arieal one used on houses, if we have a dish, would we be able to
pick a signal up better with the dish, or would we need a signal finder or do they
only work on Sky systems. Also our tv is HD Ready and has built in freeview,so do we
need a HD freesat receiver box to receive HD broadcasts?
Janet
Qu 22. Click here for Question 22 answers.
QUESTION 23.
Should I use a Sky Mini dish or a standard dish?
Qu 23. Click here for Question 23 answers. "Problems with Sky Mini Dishes".
Questions answered on Advice Page 3. FAQs
This advice page deals with the more common advanced technical questions.
Q1 below applies to fixed or motorised dishes.
It is THE most common question asked.
QUESTION F1 How much difference do low noise LNBs make and why do
some LNBs have a C120 flange and a feedhorn?
AND
How can I get more signal from my dish? Would a better LNB help or a more sensitive receiver?
AND
Problems with signal through trees.
AND
Why does my lower noise LNB produce less signal?
Qu 1. Click here for Question 1 answers.
FIXED DISH QUESTIONS
QUESTION F2 Can I get 3 satellites on one fixed dish using a bracket?
Can I get Astra 2 and Astra 1 from one fixed dish with a bracket?
or, Astra 2 and Hotbird from one fixed dish with a bracket?
Qu 2. Click here for Question 2 answers.
QUESTION F3 Will the Triax Multibracket for 28E, 19E and 13E work in France?
Qu 3. Click here for Question 3 answers.
QUESTION F4 When would you advise the use of a Monoblock for a two satellite fixed dish system?
Qu 4. Click here for Question 4 answers.
QUESTION F5 I do not know anything about tuning satellite systems and am
tired of waiting for engineers to come out and do it for me. That is why I wish
to buy a digital sat finder, but at the same time I do not want to pay an arm and
a leg for one. Is the Digisat Pro any good or can you recommend something else.
I need to take into account that I may need to use it overseas in Europe.
Can you supply more information on the satellite meters you sell?
Qu 5. Click here for Question 5 answers.
QUESTION F5b - professional satellite meters - what type of meter will work with a quatro lnb and which lnb output
would I need to connect it to?
Qu 5b. Click here for Question 5b answers.
QUESTION F7 I want to have multiple satellite points around
the house and multiple receivers. I also want to distribute the TV from one receiver to all TVs how
can this be done.
Qu 7. Click here for Question 7 answers.
QUESTION F7b How can I use a multiswitch for multiple satellite outlets
in every room and include a motorised dish?
How can I use Sky Q with standard multiswitches?
Qu 7b. Click here for Question 7b answers.
QUESTION F8 What is the difference between an offset dish and a prime focus dish?
Qu 8. Click here for Question 8 answers.
QUESTION F9 What is the difference between a Sky mini dish and a standard dish?
Qu 9. Click here for Question 9 answers.
MOTORISED DISH QUESTIONS
QUESTION M1 About Diseqc Motors.
Qu M1. Click here for Question M1 answers.
QUESTION M2 What is a polar mount?
Qu M2. Click here for Question M2 answers.
QUESTION M3. Note - this question deals with the difference between a
polar mount and H to H motor.
Many thanks for sending me your Sat Video (part 1) this week.
(Ordered Tuesday lunchtime, delivered first thing Thursday morning.) I enjoyed watching it
(twice so far, to check on particular points !) and found it very informative. I have a couple of
questions about motorising that I hope you can answer for me (I want to make sure I spend
my cash wisely !)
What are the significant differences between a Jaeger 90, a "Silent Gold 99",
a "Silent Gold 100" and the SMR 128 ? They all seem to be about the same price - but what's the
difference and what's the best one to buy ? (If it's better to buy a H-H rather than a Polar Mount
and Actuator - another good question !) From my back garden I reckon I should see sats in a 75 degree
arc (from 30 East to 45 West) - what length of actuator arm is needed on a 80 cm dish to cover this?
I've tried guessing at the maths and think that the standard 8 inch jack would only give
me about a 60 degree range - is that correct? I guess from an upgrade point of view it's better
to buy something like the Jaeger 128 H-H now (to use on my Lenson 80 cm) because it could handle
a future upgrade to a 1.2 m offset/prime focus - is that a reasonable supposition ?
I hope you don't mind these questions ! Thanks again for the video and catalogue,
Qu M3. Click here for Question M3 answers.
QUESTION M4 Some companies include a free wall mount with a
motorised system. Why don't you?
Qu M4. Click here for Question M4 answers.
QUESTION M5 Can I put a Sky Digital receiver all on the one motorised dish as my
CI motorised receiver?
Qu M5. Click here for Question M5 answers.
QUESTION M6 You seem to recommend the Technomate 6900 and Lyngbox
receiver for motorised use. What makes them so good compared to other receivers on the market?
Qu M6. Click here for Question M6 answers.
QUESTION M7 Which satellites can be seen from the UK?
Qu M7. Click here for Question M7 answers.
Feedback e-mails. (including some interesting feedback on the Echostar motorised systems.)
Advice and feedback e-mails. About the 3/4 satellites on 1 fixed dish systems and brackets.
Problems of using more than one diseqc switch with multiple LNBs
Advice Page 4. The support page.
Here we detail the very comprehensive support we have in place to assist our customers
On this page you can also read about the very detailed support we provide
when customers decide to fit their own motorised system.
Check out our comprehensive support specially for our customers - no matter
which product you by from us, support is available.