Newbie- help decide the right option

[floydbase]

Hello everyone! Newbee here, new to FTA. I am so glad I ran into this forum, with so many helpful hands! I have been doing my reading..lots of it too! At this point I think I am comfortabe and excited to get started!! I do have some question and need help with some decisions...hope u won't mind as some of it may have been answered. here goes...

Setup: I have DN1000 DP+ pointed to 110 119 129 and receiving HD signal.

1. Since I am just starting out, should I just get a Coolsat 8000HD or start out with Viewsat Ultra, (With VSU I understand that I will not receive HD) and hook it up to my existing Dish? The dish is already pointed, and I won't have to get on the roof and monkey around with dish pointing.

2. I was also thinking about getting a FTA package with motorized dish then remove the existing dish, and use the same mast plumb for the new one. I am thinking that the location of the existing dish is good to get a good/decent signal on the roof. however, I will have to go about re-pointing. My understanding is that this setup will give me international channel, as it will be moving from bird to bird(already picking up on the lingo). is that correct?

3. The winegard dish has one LNB oppose to DN. How does this affect option 1 above oppose to option 2. Meaning Will I be missing anything if I went with winegard?

4. I have two cable running from my DN dish, so i can hookup two seperate tuners. Should I just get a VSU and try things out?

Thanks..****n't wait to get started

[arboristman]

all fta receivers are easy to setup.its just they are all i little different thats all.
go with any one you want to get started.getting used to any of them is easy.
the coolsat 8000 hd was discontinued,so stay away from that one.
by far the sonicview HD is the best if your looking for a HD receiver.

the dish you have now will work ok.but the 129 lnb that is plugged into the dish pro plus lnb (lnb in port) will not work with fta receivers.
you could just through 119/110 ports into a diseqc 4x1 and put 129 in port 3 of the diseqc then you would be all set.

[jc7257]

Originally Posted by floydbase

Hello everyone! Newbee here, new to FTA. I am so glad I ran into this forum, with so many helpful hands! I have been doing my reading..lots of it too! At this point I think I am comfortabe and excited to get started!! I do have some question and need help with some decisions...hope u won't mind as some of it may have been answered. here goes...

Setup: I have DN1000 DP+ pointed to 110 119 129 and receiving HD signal.

1. Since I am just starting out, should I just get a Coolsat 8000HD or start out with Viewsat Ultra, (With VSU I understand that I will not receive HD) and hook it up to my existing Dish? The dish is already pointed, and I won't have to get on the roof and monkey around with dish pointing.

2. I was also thinking about getting a FTA package with motorized dish then remove the existing dish, and use the same mast plumb for the new one. I am thinking that the location of the existing dish is good to get a good/decent signal on the roof. however, I will have to go about re-pointing. My understanding is that this setup will give me international channel, as it will be moving from bird to bird(already picking up on the lingo). is that correct?

3. The winegard dish has one LNB oppose to DN. How does this affect option 1 above oppose to option 2. Meaning Will I be missing anything if I went with winegard?

4. I have two cable running from my DN dish, so i can hookup two seperate tuners. Should I just get a VSU and try things out?

Thanks..****n't wait to get started

I would start with the Viewsat Ultra, use the dish with dual LNB and set it up. Learn this setup befote you tackle the motorized dish. The motorized dish can be complicated if you are new to FTA. Don't try to get to complicated to start with. It will take a little time to learn all the ins and outs of FTA. If your LNB has a dual outputs, like you said, it probably has the built in internal switch. You can hook two units to this dish. I would wait on the HD, it is very expensive at this time. It is not a STB you take out of the box, load a bin and start watching TV. You will have to add additional hardware for the HD to work correctly. It can run as much as $700- $900 bucks..

[hazwis]

1) use the existing dish, if you dont understand pointing, avoid that problem at first. get the ultra, HD is expensive and more complicated at the moment. im waiting myself to upgrade when prices and complexity come down.

2) motorized dish will give you the ability to re-point the dish and yes get more FTA international channels. its also more complicated and would only suggest if these channels are a must have. plenty good stuff on 110 and 119

3) you will miss 1 satellite (250 channels apx) if you dont have a motor. also switching between 110 and 119 will be slow as the dish has to repoint. stick with the DP with the 2 lnbs.

4) that would be my suggestion, get the ultra, try it, time is on your side in waiting it out. you can always use the ultra for the bedroom, i have a place picked out for mine when HD is more affordable.

cheers

[grasshopper]

All fta receivers are very easy to setup, like Arboristman mention above. Just take your time to read all the guides (setup instructions) you will be up and running in no time. Viewsat, Sonicview, Coolsat, Pansat, CW... They all have a good support behing their products

[peps54]

just hope you have a HD,,,TV

[floydbase]

Guys..thanks for your suggestions! Not to mention the quick replies. I am trying to avoid installing a dish or repointing, including motorized ones. All the options I mentioned..were just few ideas rolling around in my head. So at this point I am just looking to use what i got for dish and use a HD receiver since I do have a HDTV. Saying that, i was also thinking about just getting an indoor/outdoor HD antenna to get HD OTA.
I do agree with you all who suggested to use the Ultra. I do want to get the hang of things first. If HD receiver is going to be too much to configure. I will definitely pass on it for now. Does all the HD receiver not work with DN? I read few places it works with BEV mostly.
I do need a receiver wit hUSB though, none of my laptops has serial port. any suggestion getting a good one?

Appreciate all your helP!!

[peps54]

there seems to be adapters for everything now a days,,,like adapterd for DN HD also a USB to serial adapter for PC's with out serial ports,,,,take a look at ConaxSat Mini ,,works great,,,,check out site sponser World Wide Satellites

[floydbase]

Originally Posted by arboristman

you could just through 119/110 ports into a diseqc 4x1 and put 129 in port 3 of the diseqc then you would be all set.

Arborist, care to clarify this a bit? i have two cable coming in from the dish.

[floydbase]

Btw, do i need generic LNB or just use the existing DN LNB? just wondering if their LNB can be tracked or something..

[peps54]

Originally Posted by floydbase

Btw, do i need generic LNB or just use the existing DN LNB? just wondering if their LNB can be tracked or something..

LNB's dont transmit they just receive

[floydbase]

Thats what I always thought....this buddy was just giving me s**t about using Dn LNB!

Thanks Peps54.

[arboristman]

Originally Posted by floydbase

Arborist, care to clarify this a bit? i have two cable coming in from the dish.

sure.
ok,the dish pro plus lnb is a dish pro twin lnb with a 3rd port that is for a lnb "in"
they plugged 129 into this.
for your fta receiver tho,this will not work.
and the dish pro plus itself is not the best either for fta.they dont have the power to switch them "technically".tho in most cases they work just fine like a dish pro twin lnb.

now,to get all 3 birds.
ok i just wrote this:
http://www.abadss.com/forum/125-pans...-possible.html

do the same as that,but of course for you,your 3rd lnb will be 129w diseqc port3 ok?

[floydbase]

Right ON! Now I get it...Thanks Arborist!

[gadgetman200]

Hello:
As a follow up question to this. If I buy a non HD receiver like a fortec M2 Mercury will I be wasting my money because the FTA channels will be changing to HD soon???
Thank You.
P. S. WHich is better the fortec M2 mercury or the Coolsat 6000?

[arboristman]

Originally Posted by gadgetman200

Hello:
As a follow up question to this. If I buy a non HD receiver like a fortec M2 Mercury will I be wasting my money because the FTA channels will be changing to HD soon???
Thank You.
P. S. WHich is better the fortec M2 mercury or the Coolsat 6000?

check out the receiver review section.im not to crazy about either one of those options.
but for sure the coolsat 6k hands down.

next time please start your own thread.thank you buddy.

actually,this is where you should be asking about receivers:

http://www.abadss.com/forum/582-rece...t-stb-you.html

[floydbase]

Originally Posted by gadgetman200

Hello:
As a follow up question to this. If I buy a non HD receiver like a fortec M2 Mercury will I be wasting my money because the FTA channels will be changing to HD soon???
Thank You.
P. S. WHich is better the fortec M2 mercury or the Coolsat 6000?

Everything is not going to switch over to HD until sometime in 2009. If you don't have HDTv then no point getting a HD receiver. By then there will be better FTA Hd receivers in the market.

[DWIGHTANDKELLI]

couple of things ... im a newb to ... but if you are talking about the dp plus 1000.2 which has the fixed lnbs then you will be able to run up to three boxes using the internal switch ... just hook to port 1 2 or 3 not 4 .. i know that you may be talking about the other , but just incase thought i would throw that in there.. and from what i been checking out .. it seems that sv8000hd is the only box ,, well they say coolsat has it now but the 8000 will take the 8spk module or whatever.. and this is required to get dn.hd. all other hd boxes will only work with bev...

[arboristman]

Originally Posted by DWIGHTANDKELLI

but if you are talking about the dp plus 1000.2 which has the fixed lnbs then you will be able to run up to three boxes using the internal switch

a dish pro plus has 3 ports yes,but not for 3 receivers.
it will run 2 receivers.
the 3rd port is a lnb in (not for use with fta receivers)
so you can use it like a regular dish pro twin.
tho some have problems with the dp plus getting enough power to switch it.
if possible,stay away from this lnb.unless its what you already have,many peeps find it works just as good as the dp twin.
just to clarify that for other readers.

[DWIGHTANDKELLI]

maybe were on two different dishs.. the dp plus 1000.2 has three fixed lnbs in a row.. it has 4 ports .. the fourth being to run another sat .. but then you will need the dp 44.. without using the fourth you can switch between 1 2 and 3 internally..