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 Topic: Caravan TV - Satellite or Antenna
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25/4/2013 at 11:26am
Location: New Milton Hants
Outfit: Compass Magnum Classic 540 (now sold)
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Quote: Originally posted by AndrewBelfast on 25/4/2013
Thanks again Griff and cheers for the help too Monty.
Last night I decided to go for the FTA kit you recommended Griff. I think the various media inputs and the HDMI output would be of more use to me at this stage than the freesat box.
This is one of the best Freesat receivers on the market and it has an HDMI connection.
http://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/prodCat.asp?cat=factory&type=sat
You can also add "non-Freesat" (FTA) channels.
I know it’s a bit over your budget but well worth considering just for the "auto tuning" facility and 7 day EPG alone.
Vin Blanc
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25/4/2013 at 12:11pm
Location: Criccieth Gwynedd
Outfit: Buccaneer Commodore
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Quote: Originally posted by AndrewBelfast on 23/4/2013
Hi all
We recently bought an Avondale Leda Grampian, which has an aerial fitted on the roof that I can only describe as being round and UFO shaped! We have had no luck receiving any sort of a signal through this system when at sites - though I know the freeview box and antenna work, as I successfully picked up stations when in the city.
So, I have read that these type of aerials are not very reliable when out and about. I am going to buy either a portable satellite system, or an outdoor aerial, but I am not sure which would be best.
We are looking to spend approximately £80-£100, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Andrew
Hi Andrew
I'm a bit late coming to this but I think I have a couple of helpful comments. Our caravan has a fitted Status530 aerial, ie, it can be rotated directionally but although it's better than the Status "flying saucer" even that is not much use in difficult locations. I know the S530 is an improvement on the "FS" as I changed from the FS to the S530 on my previous 'van.
However, both because of the problems with even the Status 530 and because we take long trips on the Continent we know have a Maxview 60cm dish which we use with a Foxsat HD freesat box. The Foxsat boxes which come in versions with and without a recorder to record TV programmes. I bought the Foxsat box because it was a "Which" mag best buy and I have been very pleased with it. One disadvantage is that it is a mains powered box and so if you are someone who uses site without EHU a lot a 12v box might be a better choice.
The dish has been effective all over the UK and France but further south or East on the Continent needs something bigger, eg, no signal could be found in Croatia. I spent hours trying in Croatia much to the amusement of our German neighbours with their "helpful" shouts of "come in Apollo 13", etc.
I would agree with Griff's recommendations for the "needle" type of signal finder - I originally had Maxview one with lights which I found near useless. Any compass is fine but the Maxview one is not much more expensive and actually has the satellite locations marked on the dial.
I started with an ordinary compass like the one Griff suggested but no use the Maxview which I got in a sale.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maxview-Omnisat-Satellite-Finder-Compass-Sky-Freesat-Astra-Hotbird-/110830387690?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item19ce0181ea
I don't have an inclinometer, I must admit that was new one on me. My dish dish have a inclination scale on the tripod but as one never knows what the ground level is like I just do the inclination by trial and error.
A couple of extras not mentioned above which I have are. Push fit plugs on the cable, signal finder, etc.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUICK-FIT-F-Connectors-Push-On-Adaptors-SATELLITE-SKY-Virgin-x-2-/180912824877?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item2a1f3ea22d
These screw onto the original screw fittings and mean that the connections can be made/broken more quickly which saves a little time.
To save drilling the 'van to get the cable into the receiver in van I have a flat connector this is a wired plastic strip with an "F" fitting on each ends which will fit through the caravan window on the first open "ventilation" setting.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Caravan-Window-Flat-Satellite-TV-Aerial-Coax-Cables-/370524271837?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item5644f7b4dd
This means that the 'van is still secure when we go out.
The "dishpointer" website already mentioned is excellent and I have used this all the UK and France on our laptop when we have had internet access. It is good because it not only shows on a google map/sat photo the direction to point the dish but what height obstructions, eg, trees or buildings are likely to be a problem.
For all of us setup is a challenge at first but it soon becomes second nature. My time is now down from 1 hour++ to a few minutes. My method is to find the rough direction of the dish with my compass/"dishpointer" program, connect the sat meter in line with the dish/receiever, set the inclination by scale and lie of the land. I then rotate the dish SLOWLY a few degrees at a time pausing as I go to allow to allow the dish to acquire the signal. I turn the meter sensitivity high until I get the audible tone and then turn it the sensitivity down to fine tune the signal Cary watches the sat box signal scales on "diagnostics" menu via the TV and shouts when she gets a signal reading. I then fine tune the inclination and direction of the dish by moving it small increments until Cary gets the best signal readings. I then turn off the sat box whilst I disconnect the meter, reconnect the fittings sit back and enjoy some of the hundreds of TV programmes.
Incidentally we started our caravanning with an Avondale "Malvern" about 14 years ago. Good 'vans generally but some have a known tendency for the sides to bow out due to insufficient stuctural support. We had to have ours repaired but I later discovered this was a known fault by Gordon, a previous secretary of the Avondale owners club. I'm not trying to worry you but worth keeping an eye out for.
Happy 'vanning and TV watching.
Tim
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Tim and Cary
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