Which satellite kit?

[homer2911]

There's a big difference in price between a Travelsat package at £375 (dish, receiver and satellite locator) and a kit from Aldi at £50. Is it worth that difference? (NB - anyone who thinks satellite rceivers on boats are a waste of time need not clog the forum with replies to this posting)

[niloc]

I was in Curries today and was tempted by their kit at£78.00.But is a std aerial system better ?

[denboy]

my maplins suitcase sat works fine for me

[alexandra]

I have one from Lidl , Just need the boaty now to try it out !!!!!

[Guest User]

Not sure if it helps but Maplins do about a dozen satellite kits from £70 to £480 ... (clicky) they're pretty well described ... might be useful to see how Travelsat and the Aldi options shape up against their specs too ? (I've got the cheapest sat kit from Maplins, its ok but I ended up getting separate freesat box.

[saltysplash]

Cant comment on the Travelsat package however I have in addition to my Sky set up the travel kit from Maplin which was appx £70 I think. It is very simple to install and the box runs off 240/12v depending on your choice.

 

The dish is easy to align with the aid of noise meter and on screen reception bar meter for fine tuning.

 

Finding the sat in the first place is the hardest job, but, once you know its general loc ie south eastish just a quick look at your nicholsons guide to show your relevent mooring and the direction of South East and just point the dish in that direction. Then small movements of the dish will soon locate the sat and away you go.

 

Ive never yet failed to get a signal nor spent longer than 5 mins algining the dish.

Obviously chosing your mooring is important to avoid high buildings or trees spoiling the line of sight but with the clamp supplied with the dish and ample cable the dish can be positioned anywhere along the length of the boat.

 

The Maplin suitcase jobbie came with a manual and sat finding tool showing the positions of the sats available but like I said, once you know the rough compass direction you wont need the sat finder anymore.

[twocvbloke]

I have a portable kit that I bought about 6 years ago, I've replace the receiver with a 240v-only one, but it is a good box, but as for the dish, it's super, the sucker mounts are a bit difficult to secure, but once it's on, it's on!!!

 

The Aldi, Lidl and Maplin satellite suitcases are pretty much identical, they use the same receivers (might look different externally, but inside they are Comag-built boxes), same dishes, same LNBs, so, go for the Aldi one cos it's cheaper (in price!!)...

 

Have fun...

[Chris J W]

And THIS TOPIC could be invaluable.

[dasboot]

I found that all of them were faulty. For a start, Man Utd kept winning games, so I took mine back at that point for a refund.

[Biggles]

My Lidl £30 bargain jobbie works just fine and the dish will run my multiroom sky box 100% so got all my pay channels from home too.

 

Satellite location is easier that would have ever guessed. A bit if practice at home first and some help from this forum, and I am now up and running in a couple of minutes.

[Wiltshire Moonraker]

I bought the Aldi kit & dumped my Sky box, gets most of the channels I was used to and some I wasn't! (Call 09----- to chat etc.)

My only gripe is that my Pioneer PVR has a infra red gizmo that pretends its the Sky remote to change the channels on the Sky box but this doesn't work with the Aldi Sat box.

Anyone know if this works on other makes of box.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[twocvbloke]

I bought the Aldi kit & dumped my Sky box, gets most of the channels I was used to and some I wasn't! (Call 09----- to chat etc.)

My only gripe is that my Pioneer PVR has a infra red gizmo that pretends its the Sky remote to change the channels on the Sky box but this doesn't work with the Aldi Sat box.

Anyone know if this works on other makes of box.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

 

Can you not alter some settings on the PVR to work a Comag/Silvercrest box?

[cotswoldsman]

I bought the Maplin one at the time think it was £99 and it works very well I now use the dish with a Freesat and that works fine.

[Nightwatch]

I found that all of them were faulty. For a start, Man Utd kept winning games, so I took mine back at that point for a refund.

 

 

I wonder why Man Utd keep winning games!

[Bullfrog]

We've got the Maplin one and it now works fine.

 

I reported earlier that the co-ax lead supplied with the kit has really poor connectors which continually let the system down.

 

Now I have replaced the connectors with decent soldered ones the equipment works every time and I am very happy with it. I've also replaced the connector on the LNB end, with one that is cranked thru 90 degrees, so that it does not foul the roof should the dish need to be aligned that way.

 

David

[owenk]

Anyone got any views on whether this looks like it would work ok on a NB?

 

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/35628/Electr...t&source=aw

[jelunga]

my maplins suitcase sat works fine for me

 

 

I concur. They only thing I added was a device to align the dish that works near the dish rather than at the receiver.

 

Keith

[twocvbloke]

Anyone got any views on whether this looks like it would work ok on a NB?

 

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/35628/Electr...t&source=aw

 

It's a portable kit, so yes, it would...

[Mrs Humdinger]

We got one of those suitcase kits, albeit without the receiver, on a well known auction site for not very much money, which despite arriving wrapped in a black plastic bin liner, looks brand new. Himself was very keen on something that didn't require any screws to fit to his brand new boat. We've also got a spare basic Sky box (now that we've gone all Sky+ at home) which we plan to use with it.

 

We've also just bought an ordinary aerial to go with the Freeview in the TV, as I am pretty sure that due to the trees surrounding our mooring spot, we won't be able to get a satellite signal. That said, it's not an ordinary log periodic aerial, I think they are called, it's got a thick plastic bit in the middle with lots of prongs all round the edge. How technical am I??

 

Seems a bit overkill I know,, but it's a case of using what you've got. All we need to do is find a way to fix the aerial to the boat without drilling holes in anything!!

[Lesd]

I purchased the maplins suitcase job last year some time, I've tried to use it three times and had no luck. First time with Heidi in the boat and me on the roof we managed to get a german set of channels, panning further east from that nothing.

The last two times Ive fancied watching something s/se was directly facing a long line of trees....oh well.

Previously tried a digital aerial with our samsung tv with inbuilt freeviiew, reception very sparodic depending on mooring.

So not much luck with TV on our boat rally !

[calamity507]

We bought the Maplins 1 @£49.99, very happy with it.

[twocvbloke]

I purchased the maplins suitcase job last year some time, I've tried to use it three times and had no luck. First time with Heidi in the boat and me on the roof we managed to get a german set of channels, panning further east from that nothing.

The last two times Ive fancied watching something s/se was directly facing a long line of trees....oh well.

Previously tried a digital aerial with our samsung tv with inbuilt freeviiew, reception very sparodic depending on mooring.

So not much luck with TV on our boat rally !

 

When moving a dish east, you have to gradually tilt it forwards otherwise you are off the satellite arc, and hence no signal, it takes a bit of practice, but once you get to know the positions, it's pretty easy...

[homer2911]

Since posting this topic last year I have invested in a Maplin kit for about £70 on offer, BUT I wouldn't be without one of these:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SLx-28202HS-Satell...9522&sr=8-4

 

Unlike the usual dial jobbies, this finder has a row of LED's and an increasing beep noise as the signal gets stronger. You need to use it for direction - start with due east and slowly turn south - and for tilt. This one is similar:

 

 

With a compass handily placed within reach of the tiller, I look for mooring spots without trees or buildings blocking the south-east. Even those huge motorised dishes costing thousands aren't worth a light if there's a tree in the way!

 

Having said all that, 70% of the time, with a Freeview enabled tv, the Image aerial - the one with the aluminium fins, is quite adequate and more forgiving of direction

Edited July 9, 2010 by homer2911

[RobinR]

I purchased the maplins suitcase job last year some time, I've tried to use it three times and had no luck. First time with Heidi in the boat and me on the roof we managed to get a german set of channels, panning further east from that nothing.

The last two times Ive fancied watching something s/se was directly facing a long line of trees....oh well.

Previously tried a digital aerial with our samsung tv with inbuilt freeviiew, reception very sparodic depending on mooring.

So not much luck with TV on our boat rally !

 

 

I saw the VuQube at the Crick show. At £700 rather expensive but certainly easy to use.