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We are going to buy a satellite dish so that we can get sky in the caravan UK and abroad.  We will frequently take the caravan to places like South of France, Italy and probably even Northern Spain but this will only be for 2 or 3 weeks a year.  I've had some brilliant advice from the Satellite Superstore who have advised me that we will require a 100cm satellite dish if we want it for use in Italy.

The thing is I can't quite decide what to do as Im the sort of person who likes to be prepared for every eventuality and currently we have no tv when abroad and wonder if it may be nice to pick up some news & kids channels etc

100cms is a big dish to be carting around from place to place when a smaller dish would do the UK job just as well.  But if we are getting one anyway should we get the big one which suits all.  OH was chuckling about us getting the 1m dish & I think he might feel a touch embarrassed setting it up on a UK campsite.

I know some of you don't have tv in the caravan and we by no means sit in watching tv all the time but the kids like a bit of Nick JR at breakfast and bedtime and its good to have the option there for bad weather, but maybe the big one is overkill and we just get a dish for the UK where it would be mostly used.

Argh so many thoughts can you help me decide what to do - please talk some sense into me!!!

http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

this will help.

Fiona

I think there are two issues here. Firstly do you really need a TV or at least the means of getting UK programmes during a 2/3 week holiday. When we were at work we did not bother with a TV when travelling abroad. However now we are away for up to a couple of months at a time we do like to keep up with the news and other TV programmes.

The second question is the vexed one of dish size. I would have though that 100cm was a bit OTT for the areas you are going to. If you follow the link posted by Michael it does have a section where people post from various countries around Europe and the dish size they use. We started with a 60cm dish which was fine for France and other near countries but once halfway across Germany we could not get UK programmes except BBC News (24) We have now invested in an 80 cm dish which I feel is the best compromise for use in a caravan as it will go in a roofbox or on top of a fixed bed inside the caravan. Whether you need bigger than than 80cm will depend of how much further south or east you go.

David

See here for the footprint covered by size of dish.

http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/skymain.htm#need

Yes, David you are completely right, on our main 2 week holiday we are generally too busy for any TV and of course the children have their car dvd players anyway so Im being daft.  I have been advised by satellite superstore that I would need an 80cm dish for southern areas of France - it may be a good idea for us to get coverage to these areas as in the future myself and the children may spend a good part of the summer holidays in France whilst OH works, so in that situation a bit of TV of an evening might be welcome.

Has anyone looked into the transparent dishes?

Quote: Originally posted by bowler70 on 15/2/2011

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See here for the footprint covered by size of dish.

http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/skymain.htm#need

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