Help me with French and German FTA

[Nanny]

Hello

I'm new here and I think it's a great site, but having prolems keeping up with all the technical talk.

We have $KY+, but we want FTA French and German channels. Can anyone help with what brands/basic requirements would be? We are now looking at DIY, as I have rang around some satellite installers in Kent and they want £300-£350 for what we are after, which is Astra 1 and Hotbird .

If anyone can help in laymans terms and how hard it would be to install ourselves we would be very grateful.

Thanks

Nanny

[craignigel]

Hi

For French FTA, I would look at Atlantic Bird 3 @ 5W. We have moved our 80cm dishes around to there in the apartments that we rent purely for the French market this summer. The footprint looks at least as good in your location, if not better.

You would need Astra 1 @ 19E for the German FTA channels so you going to need 2 smallish dishes (80cm) or a motor on 1 dish, which I would have.

You will also need a cheap generic satellite receiver and you will find loads of help in the threads on here about how to install. That's how I picked it up over the last couple of years.

Look here for available channels:

--http://www.flysat.com/tv-fr.php

and here:

--http://www.flysat.com/tv-de.php

[Tivù]

You would need Astra 1 @ 19E for the German FTA channels so you going to need 2 smallish dishes (80cm) or a motor on 1 dish, which I would have.

5W is massively strong in the UK, and a Zone 1 Minidish is well up to the job.

Small and discrete.

[Robbo]

Yes 5W is an option, and I think just about possible on a 90cm dish with 19.2E Astra as well.

Another option, slightly cheaper would be a 60cm dish with a monoblock on it, for Hotbird 13E and Astra 19.2E.

I'm surprised that you have been quoted that much though, seems a bit on the pricey side, for a simple 13E+19E option.


Oh, and another option is to go for a TNTSat card and receiver. You just need 19E then, from a minidish will do.The receiver will get German FTA, plus the French TNTSat package.


Installation is fairly easy with lots of practice, but some have struggled for a while on their first attempt I know.

[Nanny]

Hi

Thanks for your replies so far. I only want 1 dish for the French and German channels, as I already have a $ky dish.

Robbo: I thought it was abit steep in price too. Are there any good/realiable installers up by you, as I am in Kent too. What sort of reasonable price should we be looking for a professional job and what sort of price for everything we need to do it DIY.

Thanks again for your help.

[Robbo]

It depends on how complex system you went for, a basic 60cm dish with monoblock, cabling and bracket etc and basic FTA receiver (approx £50) , would cost a total of approx £130 for a DIY job.

Check this section for an installer:- Members who install satellite systems

[Tivù]

Hi

Thanks for your replies so far. I only want 1 dish for the French and German channels, as I already have a $ky dish.

Good point - Planning Regs permit no more than 2 dishes.

Those of us with more extensive dish farms tend not to have that uppermost in their minds!

[Channel Hopper]

There are at least ten free French channels on Astra 19E, so there is no real need to put in any dual dish, nor a subscription package.

I install single 60cm dishes and a FTA recevier for about £155-£175 depending on the cable run, not as far as Folkstone though.

You could also point a good aerial to the South East for some terrestrial stuff.

[sonnetpete]

You could also point a good aerial to the South East for some terrestrial stuff.

CH, how realistic an option is that now that the French transmitters within reach of Folkstone have changed over to digital? I know of ex pats who live on the northern coast area near Cherbourg who used to use an aerial to do the reverse of what you're proposing. Do you think it would work? I'm not knocking the idea, just curious as to it's viability.

[satelliteman]

_http://www.csa.fr/infos/operateurs/operateurs_television_sites.php

[Channel Hopper]

Do you think it would work? I'm not knocking the idea, just curious as to it's viability.

I couldn't tell you, but a 25 mile propogation over sea is a lot better than ten miles over a tree/building infested landscape.