Satellite TV

[mkn777er]

In preparation for a 3 week cruise in the coming summer, and as a way to help persuade the kids (and wife!) that it really will be a good idea to live on a boat for 3 weeks I want to replace the current 'omni' aerial, supplying an old but clunky freeview box, with a sat dish and new 12v flatscreen tv/dvd player. There looks to be plenty available but what is best? I have been looking at the VuQube which although expensive, does seem to be easy and quick to tune. Anybody got experience of using these with built in receivers?

 

Thanks all

[jelunga]

In preparation for a 3 week cruise in the coming summer, and as a way to help persuade the kids (and wife!) that it really will be a good idea to live on a boat for 3 weeks I want to replace the current 'omni' aerial, supplying an old but clunky freeview box, with a sat dish and new 12v flatscreen tv/dvd player. There looks to be plenty available but what is best? I have been looking at the VuQube which although expensive, does seem to be easy and quick to tune. Anybody got experience of using these with built in receivers?

 

Thanks all

We have a Meos TV with inbuilt freeview and a DVD. It also has inputs for VGA, HDMI, and will record to a USB port onto a large capacity USB stick or a standalone hardrive. We have a 1.5 Tb hard drive partitioned into two. Half is for recording from the TV the other half for backups from the laptop. It did fail at 14 months outside warranty but the UK supplier gave me a new one for £50 iirc.

[Ex- Member]

In preparation for a 3 week cruise in the coming summer, and as a way to help persuade the kids (and wife!) that it really will be a good idea to live on a boat for 3 weeks I want to replace the current 'omni' aerial, supplying an old but clunky freeview box, with a sat dish and new 12v flatscreen tv/dvd player. There looks to be plenty available but what is best? I have been looking at the VuQube which although expensive, does seem to be easy and quick to tune. Anybody got experience of using these with built in receivers?

 

Thanks all

 

We have a kogan 12v 23 inch tv it's very good although the sound system isn't. You can't add surround sound and recorded stuff isn't very loud. Real shame as everything else is pretty good.

 

Our satellite is a Ross suitcase satellite dish & receiver. Great bit of kit even has a tuner gadget with it.

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...7947%26_rdc%3D1

 

We bought on best offer £60 + £4.99 postage a bit dearer now £6.99

Edited March 4, 2013 by Julynian

[jodansgang]

Avtex. Every time. Beautiful set. 12/240 v built in free view,built in sat receiver, DVD,mp3, record programable, exceptional quality. The best by far.

[LEO]

In preparation for a 3 week cruise in the coming summer, and as a way to help persuade the kids (and wife!) that it really will be a good idea to live on a boat for 3 weeks I want to replace the current 'omni' aerial, supplying an old but clunky freeview box, with a sat dish and new 12v flatscreen tv/dvd player. There looks to be plenty available but what is best? I have been looking at the VuQube which although expensive, does seem to be easy and quick to tune. Anybody got experience of using these with built in receivers?

 

Thanks all

hi,

 

I faced the same problem with my wife when boating last year - she did not want to miss the 'pics.

 

I purchased a new 19" flat screen with built in receiver (will dig out the name and supplier if you want) cost about £320 with carrycase, a satellite dish on ebay (about £45 incl. £12 delivery).

 

Set us was a little tedious but got lots of help from several forum members.

 

Once working - set up whilst travelling easy provided you get a direct signal from Astra and it holds signal well if a boat goes past.

 

Battery drain minimal - we watched from 2.30pm until 10.30pm to see lots of events.

 

Whole lots packs away whilst travelling.

 

Really brill! total cost about £350 including a £3.00 compass to help set up.

 

Hope that helps

 

Leo.

 

PS TV was a AVTEC purchased from Gigaworld a good company to deal with (no connection), they came out the cheapest, below caravan stores and marinas.

 

PPS I see another poster has the same opinions.

Edited March 4, 2013 by LEO

[dor]

Plenty of good TV/DVD combis around for a good price, but do check the sound quality. Sensitivity of digital tuner can vary as well. I've got a Cello which is good on both counts,

 

My sat. kit came from Aldi; £50 for dish with different mounts, a full HD tuner and included compass and sat-finder. I reckon I can set up my dish from scratch as quickly as anyone dragging out their VuCube. Once you have got the knack it takes barely a couple of minutes.

[jodansgang]

Avtex L185DRS. The sweetest bang for your buck.

[Richard10002]

Avtex. Every time. Beautiful set. 12/240 v built in free view,built in sat receiver, DVD,mp3, record programable, exceptional quality. The best by far.

 

You've got too much money!

[jodansgang]

I haven't actually got any money because I keep spending it on this kind of crap.

Edited March 4, 2013 by jodansgang

[nicknorman]

In preparation for a 3 week cruise in the coming summer, and as a way to help persuade the kids (and wife!) that it really will be a good idea to live on a boat for 3 weeks I want to replace the current 'omni' aerial, supplying an old but clunky freeview box, with a sat dish and new 12v flatscreen tv/dvd player. There looks to be plenty available but what is best? I have been looking at the VuQube which although expensive, does seem to be easy and quick to tune. Anybody got experience of using these with built in receivers?

 

Thanks all

On the subject of sat dishes, I would get one with an offset LNB - that way, you just have to set the dish vertical to get the elevation right so you only have to worry about the azimuth. I just look at nicholson's / google maps to see where 158 deg is, and point it that way. Always start too Far East and slowly rotate clockwise, since the sat you want is the first one you come to that way. I don't use a sat finder because they find any old sat, not the one you want! Smaller dishes are better because they are less directional.

 

I would practice a couple of times before you are 1 minute away from Eastenders/Corrie etc because there is nothing worse than time pressure to get it working! Once you have done it a couple of times, it takes less than a minute to point it the correct way.

 

Also bear in mind that the signal does not make it through any obstructions, even trees through which daylight can be seen. Moor carefully if there is something vital on!

[bottle]

have been looking at the VuQube

 

This was discussed very recently (have a search) or save your money, buy a cheap dish.

 

A dish is only as good as the signal it can receive, anything between the dish and the satellite, even a leaf will stop reception.

[Hawkmoth]

On the subject of sat dishes, I would get one with an offset LNB - that way, you just have to set the dish vertical to get the elevation right so you only have to worry about the azimuth. I just look at nicholson's / google maps to see where 158 deg is, and point it that way. Always start too Far East and slowly rotate clockwise, since the sat you want is the first one you come to that way. I don't use a sat finder because they find any old sat, not the one you want! Smaller dishes are better because they are less directional.

 

I would practice a couple of times before you are 1 minute away from Eastenders/Corrie etc because there is nothing worse than time pressure to get it working! Once you have done it a couple of times, it takes less than a minute to point it the correct way.

 

Also bear in mind that the signal does not make it through any obstructions, even trees through which daylight can be seen. Moor carefully if there is something vital on!

I would like to second NIck's comments, other than to say we use a meter to line up the dish and find it invaluable. Also stress what's been said about obstructions to the signal, it is vital that there is a clear view of the satellite, not so much as branch in the way.

Bob

[mkn777er]

Thanks for all the replies. Avtec, a Company I had not heard of until now, seem to be popular, and I have looked at their website. I like the fact that there TVs seem to cover all the bases, 12/240v, sat and terrestrial receivers etc. Now, time to spend some money..........

[Scooby]

Thanks for all the replies. Avtec, a Company I had not heard of until now, seem to be popular, and I have looked at their website. I like the fact that there TVs seem to cover all the bases, 12/240v, sat and terrestrial receivers etc. Now, time to spend some money..........

 

Been there done that and wasted hundreds of pounds finding out, example, if you want a 240volt fridge for at home they very cheap, if you want a 12v one then they bloody expensive, we also bought a 20 inch `12v tv with all the dvd built in, cost around £400, what a bloody waste of money, i swapped the 2 year old 12 volt 20 inch for a 32 inch 3d full hd lower power led tv which cost less money but works on 240 volt, simples plug in a little invertor from maplin to boost 12v to 240v 150 watts simples. twice as good tv for same money using similar power to the 12v one.

 

I also just swapped my pc monitor from a 5 year old 22inch using 50 watts of power to a 24 inch full hd one using 23 watts.

 

Buy a normal tv from tesco, get a sat kit from lidl they all the same, buy a compass and a small invertor(under £50) look for south east with the dish without any obstruction, sorted.

[Emerald]

 

 

Buy a normal tv from tesco, get a sat kit from lidl they all the same, buy a compass and a small invertor(under £50) look for south east with the dish without any obstruction, sorted.

 

Iphone users can download the dish align app and it works a treat too!

[Sarah and Ian]

Iphone users can download the dish align app and it works a treat too!

Do you know what the App is called??

[Guest]

Do you know what the App is called??

 

If you go into iTunes store and search for 'dish align' you should find it.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dish-align/id520249397?mt=8

Edited August 7, 2013 by The Dog House

[nb Innisfree]

To find Astra 2 I find it easier to point the dish north and approach Astra 2 from there, that way it will be the first satellite you come to rather than starting from south and backing up and trying to distinguish between various satellites.

[bowten]

Been there done that and wasted hundreds of pounds finding out, example, if you want a 240volt fridge for at home they very cheap, if you want a 12v one then they bloody expensive, we also bought a 20 inch `12v tv with all the dvd built in, cost around £400, what a bloody waste of money, i swapped the 2 year old 12 volt 20 inch for a 32 inch 3d full hd lower power led tv which cost less money but works on 240 volt, simples plug in a little invertor from maplin to boost 12v to 240v 150 watts simples. twice as good tv for same money using similar power to the 12v one.

 

I also just swapped my pc monitor from a 5 year old 22inch using 50 watts of power to a 24 inch full hd one using 23 watts.

 

Buy a normal tv from tesco, get a sat kit from lidl they all the same, buy a compass and a small invertor(under £50) look for south east with the dish without any obstruction, sorted.

If you have an inverter use it and buy 240v,yer can have a greenie as well.

[Sarah and Ian]

 

If you go into iTunes store and search for 'dish align' you should find it.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dish-align/id520249397?mt=8

Kerching many thanks.