Free to Air Satellite reception

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Geoff_T

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Posts
117
Location
Tujunga, CA
Hi

As detailed in a prior post, my wife and I own a Talbot Camelot motorhome and keep it in storage in the UK until our annual touring holiday in the land of my birth.

This July I intend to spend a few days sorting out minor issues with the interior... like mounting the TV and having an easily removable panel below the water heater to assist in speedy draining. On our last visit, when we purchased the vehicle, I noticed a satellite dish on the roof (see attached photo). At the time I could not trace the down cable but am sure, with the time I have, I will be able to find it.

As I have lived in the USA for over 15 years I am a little shakey on current technology in the UK and have read about the Free to Air satellite channels with receivers between around 25 to 100 UK pounds. The combined TV/DVD we have is one year old and we have the dish... I am well versed in other aspects of electronics (designing professional audio products) but have limited knowledge on the compatibility of dish to receiver... especially as the dish is small and fixed position.

So, would this set up work? Is that dish suitable for Free to Air? Which receiver is recommended? (I don't need a 12v option)

Plus, most receivers seem to have SCART connectors and TV's either audio/video or HDMI.... do SCART adaptors/cables exist for this task?

Thanks for any suggestions...

Geoff & Sally Tanner
 

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That looks like a terrestrial Over The Air TV antenna - one that is meant to pick up local stations, not satellite signals.


 
It's a STATUS aerial, only for receiving ordinary TV not satellite, as you will know UK is now gone over to digital TV and there is quite a choice of decent viewing.

I have had a few vehicles with the Status aerial fitted and never rated them, I always us a small aerial that you can clip on somewhere

Loddy  In the UK
 
Hi

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure how well it would work as I have always been used to directional aerials with FM in the past.... and blooming long ones on poles in weak reception areas!
That's why I thought it might be some fancy satellite aerial.

The TV is digital and I recall seeing a signal boosting unit loose in one of the floor cupboards. If the aerial signal is weak, all those things do is boost the noise as well.

I'll connect the aerial to the TV but suspect that I will be using the dvd most of the time!

Thanks again

Geoff and Sally
 
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