Help for a Dumb Neophyte

Duparc

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Gemin 90 cm motorised H-H dish
Technomate TM-7700 2VA 2CI
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Kirriemuir, Scotland (25 miles north of Dundee)
Okay, I am a new member and glad to have found this forum. I set-up an 80cm mesh dish (H-H motorised) in the garden and connected it to a Technomate 7700 2VA 2CI digibox. As yet it is not fully programmed but I am getting the hang of it.

I know nothing about cams nor cards so where is the best site for simple non-technical information?

What are the best (and cheapest) cams or cards to purchase for English speaking channels for family entertainment and where are the interesting channels? Ideally I would like a wide selection of English speaking channels and free viewing where possible as the budget is limited.

I am not interested in sport, pop-music, nor 'adult' channels.

Are there any kinds of cams or cards that should be avoided?

I have found the information on this forum helpful and undoubtedly I will be back seeking more assistance.
 

gameboy

Ding Dang Doo
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DreamBox 7000s - Nokia Freeview - Several GameBoys - DS Lite - ZX81 - SNES - N64 - Saturn - Dreamcast - PlayStation - PS2 - Gamecube - PSP - iPod - iPhone - XBox - PS3 - Wii - iPad - No Life!
My Location
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Welcome Duparc

Duparc said:
I know nothing about cams nor cards so where is the best site for simple non-technical information?

You will find lots of information here and for anything that isn't covered check out the links section.

What are the best (and cheapest) cams or cards to purchase for English speaking channels for family entertainment and where are the interesting channels? Ideally I would like a wide selection of English speaking channels and free viewing where possible as the budget is limited.

This question pops up all the time, and it would be a brave man that can give you a direct answer. This hobby involves a lot of research and all the latest news and views can be found here.

The simple answer is that you get no guarantees and what is the best today may not be tomorrow. The more flexible the system you build the better i.e. the bigger the dish the flexability of the receiver (software CAMs etc) the more you will gain. Check out the Cards and CAMs section for the latest combinations that work best just now.

Once you have read these sections come back and ask away - were a friendly bunch really!
 

Duparc

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My Satellite Setup
Gemin 90 cm motorised H-H dish
Technomate TM-7700 2VA 2CI
My Location
Kirriemuir, Scotland (25 miles north of Dundee)
Thanks Gameboy, you have confirmed my suspicions. The scope of my dish is a bit limited as it is surrounded by trees and close-by houses yet I am still able to get a number of satellites which seems interesting. Previously I had a 90cm solid dish obtained from Lidll's for £15.00 which I understand from the Angus CC is the largest allowed without planning permission.

Unfortunately, this dish blew over on 4 occasions recently in the winter storms and ended up in a sorry state. Amazingly I was still able to use it. I have now invested in an 80cm mesh dish (bought from Ebay) in the hope that the mesh will relieve the wind-pressure and on this occasion it will be anchored properly (hopefully, he says)!

As suggested by you, I will continue searching this site, but while it is 'easy when you know how', trying to understand the jargon you enthusiasts use is like learning another lanuage and it sure doesn't get easier with age.

Which reminds me, are satellite dishes suitable for both analogue and digital receptions?

PS: note that we have the same birthday; indeed we're almost the same age, well, almost!
 

BGonaSTICK

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Generally speaking, dishes and LNBs manufactured in the last few years will do both analogue and digital. The Dragon CAM is probably king-of-the-hill at the moment. You'll also need the Dragon loader card, a Phoenix card programmer, and a lot of spare time.

Many people underestimate the amount of effort required to keep the available channels open, so you must appreciate this before you start, and enjoy the difficulties rather than see it as a frustrating barrier.

You also have to be prepared to lose everything you invest (financially) in terms of cards and CAMs as tomorrow they could all end up in the (very full) museum of sat-hack-history.


:)
 

gameboy

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DreamBox 7000s - Nokia Freeview - Several GameBoys - DS Lite - ZX81 - SNES - N64 - Saturn - Dreamcast - PlayStation - PS2 - Gamecube - PSP - iPod - iPhone - XBox - PS3 - Wii - iPad - No Life!
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Scotland
Happy Birthday - Duparc

Hope you have a good one :-cake :-bday :-cheers
 

Duparc

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My Satellite Setup
Gemin 90 cm motorised H-H dish
Technomate TM-7700 2VA 2CI
My Location
Kirriemuir, Scotland (25 miles north of Dundee)
And a happy one to you too Gameboy!
Hope you have a good one :-cake :-bday :-cheers
 
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