Hauppauge Nova-s any good?

[trw_mavrik]

Hi

I've been offered a Hauppauge Nova-s card for free and wondered if they were any good?

I don't know anything about pc motorised satellite systems and wondered if this card was a good place to start as I've read quite a bit on these forums about the SkyStar 2, softcam etc and wondered how they compared. I'm also looking to add a motor, probaly some sort of diseqc 1.2. I'd like to watch freeview channels plus any english language film or sport channels.

I'd appreciate any help you could guve me!

Many thanks

Terry

 

[Lancelot]

Take it
It's the more expensive version of the SS2 with onboard decoding, so it doesn't suck the PC's rescources.
plenty of support and software out there.


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

Many thanks for the info! Do you know if I can hook a rotater up to it and will it turn the dish?

Does anyone know if I can bung this card into a MCE05 pc alongside a hauppauge Pvr150. I'd like to use the Pvr150 in mce but use dedicated satellite software when needed in the XP portion?

Many thanks

Terry

 

[Lancelot]

Yes it will turn a diseqc motor with the right software plugin.
It will also record directly to your PC's HDD.


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

Many thanks again for the help! I've currently got Freeview at hoime and find the quality abysmal and so I'm interested in getting a £20 Sky free to air card and would like to know if it would work and what I would need to buy to make the pc read the card. I've been reading about cams and wondered if they do a usb or serial version and would they work?

Regards

Terry

 

[kalamar]

You sure about that? I use a Nexus-S (type 1) card ,it has hardware decoding and thought the Nova was a "type 2" card with software decoding only.

 

[Lancelot]

Well spotted K.
The Nova is indeed a software decode model. !
Sorry - was talking Nexus recently, and was convinced until I re-read this.

trw_mavrik - you will need a 2.5.+GHz machine to be comforable with this card. But It will ( if working OK) do what you want.


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

Many thanks for the advice but I've decided to pass up on the card after reading a lot about the subject on these foums. Instead, I'm looking at either the Skystar 2 or the Twinhan with the ci slot and will probably go with the Twinhan.

I feel that there will be much larger scope with the Twinhan and I will be able to play about and see what's up there. I'm going to get a Diseqc motor and dish as well. I'm not too sure what sats I'll be able to pick up as I had a look in my garden thios morning and found I might be blocked on some of the farther satellites but should be able to pick up free sky no probs as well as a few others.

Can you please advise me sort of cam I would need to get to view the £20 free sky or can it be done in software? I know there isn't too much on free sky but it has to be better than freeview to start with plus I've read about bbcs free sat early next year. I've also been reading about all the other free channels up there and so should be able to find something worth watching but to tell you the truth, my imagination has been fired up to all the possibilities for playing and gaining more knowloedge that could open up.

Regards

Terry

 

[Lancelot]

The FTV card will not get you a lot more than the twinhan on it's own.
You would need a Dragon cam and some way to program it which starts to get expensive just for CH4 and Five.

Your best option is to get the Twinhan and a dish (80cm + if you can).
If you get a motor at the same time then good. You would need some photos of your garden or a diagram if you want advice on likley reception and dead spots.


Rgds


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

Many thanks for the help. I have drawn a rough(very!) diagram of the layout of mu house as it's dark when I go and come from work. I have drawn a neighbours 2 sky dishes and the almst correct angle they point.

I'll go for a 85-100cm dish on a motor and was thinking of placing them at the left of the garden, near my sheds, maybe at the very top of the first shed on a 6-8ft pole. I can't mount the dish to the hous eas I'm renting and they've already told me I can't have sky as they don't want holes in their brickwork.

Regards

T

 

[Lancelot]

How about digging a hole and filling it with concrete and a 4ft scaffold pole at the end of the patio and then put the turf back over the top?. That way you can saw the pole off when you move and no one will ever know.
You will need something sturdy like this to keep the pole where you put it otherwise you will always be adjusting it after windy weather.
Unless of course the sheds are made of concrete.


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

My dad is a radio ham and knows about poles, clamps and digging so I'll let him do the hard work in fitting the pole related side. lol. It might be an option to go on the patio but can you see from my crappy drawing if I can pick up any good satellites that give channels/programs in english?

I'm close to deciding on the hardware and am just comparing prices. So far I've found:

Twinhan card with ci £69
90cm dish £ 38.30
LNB 0.3db £16.17
Rotator £46.81

Plus I have to add various cables, connectors etc. All in all it's not too bad a price but I wish I'd have though of this a few years ago as I've been reading on the forums about channels being locked down. Will I still have a good selection to watch?

Many thanks

terry

 

[Lancelot]

You should get all the main ones looking at it (28E to 45W).
Yes at the moment there is still plenty to watch. But as you know by reading, thing can and do change daily.


Rgds


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

That's great news about the possibility of getting the main ones. Are there any good ones that will be blocked by the houses?

Oh from my list, I forgot the draogn cam. I'll ask for that for a Christmas pressie then it wont come out of my pocket! lol

Regards

T

 

[Lancelot]

It doesn't seem like you will get much past 28E but If you look HERE then you will get a feeling for what's out there. Only a handful of people with Russian speaking family watch anything past 42E anyway, and as 42E is mostly Turkish you are not going to miss much.


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

What about sats being blocked by next door? Where would you say is the best position to plant the dish? Can I just use any old compass to get a bearing on what sats and the best place for the dish to be?

Regards

Terry

 

[Lancelot]

Something like this.
Or further to the right.

L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

Many thanks for updating the diagram. I'm just ont blower to my dad as I'm a bit thick with all the 28e stuff. Will the dish have to swing around or onto the houses with the 2 sky dishes? Does it also have to swing much into the neighbours house? Sorry again if I'm being a bit thick.

Regards

Terry

 

[Lancelot]

It will swing within the arc indicated.


L.

 

[trw_mavrik]

Hi Lancelot

So it's gotta swing in an arc from next doors shed up to my drive anti clockwise?

Regards

Terry