What receivers are people recommending for the fringe these days!

[joddle]

Am in the UK at the moment hoping to bring back to Spain a another HD box - nothing special and it has to be simple as it will go in a holiday villa so looking at a normal HD freesat box.

In the past I have been very impressed with the Humax Foxsat HD but have had issues with the power supply caps so perhaps not the best unit to install in a rental property despite its great sensitivity.

So what are others on the Costa Blanca using these days? - Any good advice on what to consider and perhaps also what not to get!!

 

[Huevos]

If you like the Foxsat stick with it.

But that is if you want a Freesat box. The problem is if when 2E starts transmitting any transponders are missing there will be blank channels in the Freesat channel list.

TBH though 28E might be fringe reception here but not exactly DX. Pretty much any receiver works fine for 2F reception in the North Costa Blanca. With a 1.2m dish and a BU LNB SNR is in the 9.5dB region so well above minimum theoretical 6.6dB required for QPSK 5/6FEC transponders.

Personally I'd go for a Vu+ Duo or similar Enigma 2 receiver.

 

[joddle]

Thanks Huevos - I am very temped to go for another Humax but I simply don't want it going down in my rental property due to power supply failure - especially as it would mean a 180KM round trip to sort out - and I don't have a spare box kicking around apart from a couple of aged Pace 2600s which although function fine are not nearly so user friendly in a rental villa.

Have been looking at fleabay and see a few Manhatten Plaza HDs going at reasonable prices so may opt for one of those or perhaps a Grundig! Not sure which is why I made the post.

 

[Analoguesat]

Stay away from Grundigs - the psu caps are often poor.

 

[woborny]

Have seen some issues where Freesat Manhattens HDs not working well on small dishes (1m - 1.25m) for the 2F channels...
I tested a new one when a clients own was not working well on a 1.25m dish in Javea area - I think that's where your rental is? - and the 2F channels were there but pixelating a lot.
But the Freesat Manhattens HD PVRs worked fine.
As did a "non Freesat" Manhatten HD worked fine....
As did Sky boxes...

 

[Huevos]

Personally I'm not keen on the Manhattan receivers, but they are being pushed by installers here because that is what is available through the major wholesaler. If you want Freesat I'd go for the Goodmans for SD or the Humax for HD. But like I said above Freesat receivers might not be the way to go in the future if 2E means lots of "missing" transponders. If that happens you will want an editable channel list, not one lock against a postcode.

 

[joddle]

Based on the comments I think I am going to opt for "wait and see" what happens with 2E. At the moment the rental property has a rebroadcast system which functions fine but is expensive as it costs even when the villa is not being used. If Freesat can be got there on a 1.2m dish once 2E is up then I will propably risk another Humax - unless something better appears on the horizon in the meantime. My own Humax did fail with the power caps going down but it only cost 10e to have done at my local store so if I do go down that route in the future, then perhaps I shoud just keep a second one handy in case of problems.

 

[bonou2]

Am in the UK at the moment hoping to bring back to Spain a another HD box - nothing special and it has to be simple as it will go in a holiday villa so looking at a normal HD freesat box.

In the past I have been very impressed with the Humax Foxsat HD but have had issues with the power supply caps so perhaps not the best unit to install in a rental property despite its great sensitivity.

So what are others on the Costa Blanca using these days? - Any good advice on what to consider and perhaps also what not to get!!

I recommend those receiver with sensitivity tuner:
goden media 9080 hd
golden media uni-box2 hd
clarke tech-4100 plus hd

best regards bonou2

 

[Analoguesat]

I recommend those receiver with sensitivity tuner:
goden media 9080 hd
golden media uni-box2 hd
clarke tech-4100 plus hd

best regards bonou2

You need something idiot proof that updates itself for use in a holiday villa though - from post 1

Am in the UK at the moment hoping to bring back to Spain a another HD box - nothing special and it has to be simple as it will go in a holiday villa so looking at a normal HD freesat box.


He doesnt want a 180km round trip just because BBC 1 has changed pids or something simialr

 

[Costactc]

I am currently using 2 x2 premium receivers for both bands. Fastest blind scan receiver I have ever tested and an extremely sensitive tuner to boot- not bad for a $50 box.

 

[Huevos]

He doesnt want a 180km round trip just because BBC 1 has changed pids or something simialr

Believe it or not about 80% of boxes here are generic DVB. The rest are Sky. I can go from one month's end to another without seeing a Freesat receiver.

 

[joddle]

Believe it or not about 80% of boxes here are generic DVB. The rest are Sky. I can go from one month's end to another without seeing a Freesat receiver.

That may well be the case - but for me it has to be as basic to operate as possible. (I may consider a DVB player for myself though!) We already get people in the villa not able to operate the rebroadcast system sometimes even though that is as simple as chips. I am not going down the Sky route - politics - so Freesat for me provides the perfect solution. Easy to operate, cheap to run and updates itself!

 

[FRINGE]

I wanted something similar for the apartment in our house (for visitors to use). So I tried a Bush freesat box that I bought from Argos: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5321557.htm

Simple to use, cheap and it works a treat. Reception is as good as my Humax.

 

[Piltdownpaul]

My experiences with bush and grundig involve the occasional lock up, personally i would have the Humax all day.

 

[Lazarus]

I had a lot of experience with Bush in the old days. Just tiring.

 

[FRINGE]

My experiences with bush and grundig involve the occasional lock up, personally i would have the Humax all day.

Live here full time and would not be without my Humax but for the occasional visitor or client in a holiday villa - its a cost effective option.

 

[Huevos]

Like I said above the Goodmans works fine for SD. I've sold loads of these and haven't had any problems.

 

[joddle]

In view of all the above I will try another Humax - but may take a cheapo SD Bush or SD Goodmans over with me to act as an emergency backup!