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Quote: Originally posted by Dartrader on 22/9/2006

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Hi, have you considered a satellite system?, from what I’ve read you can pick a full system up quite cheap. I read on a previous post Lidl had some for about £70.00. For next year I will be going with a satellite system I think, not happy with the results I get with an aerial and I hear the stellite systems are very good. Dave.

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Yep, reception is just like at home.  The downside of satellite is that you have to have a clear view of the south-east Sky from your pitch.  Two of the four sites we stayed on whilst on holiday this summer have pitches that are surrounded by trees - so no TV  :-(

You can get a Sky digibox off Ebay for about £25 - and a dish, cable and a clamp to fix to your jocket wheel off Ebay for about the same again.  You'll need a meter too and that'll cost you around £10.

Dont rely on satellite to much. I have freeview and satellite, and freeview is great when you can get it. to get it you need a directional aerial - status do a nice shark tooth one which is cheap and has great reception.

Satellite is great if it isnt raining as it can be a pain to set up as well as getting the cables through to the box inside. If i am on site for a few days then the dish comes out - just a shame that freeview has more channels, like 4 and 5 for free! I wish they would get the transmitters up and running, i reckon in the next 2 or 3 years, more caravanners will go for freeview when they get more transmitters working for the big switch over, it is better unless you get a sky package. May I add, to all those posters who take sky boxes or cards out with them, if sky suss you, they will switch you off! They can do it by sending a message via the phone overnight. its random, but if they see you box isnt connected - you will have a nice blue screen.

I have a status ariel on my van and one on my horse lorry and they work great!  Even pick up channel 5 which I cant get at home without my free veiw box.

They can do it by sending a message via the phone overnight. its random, but if they see you box isnt connected - you will have a nice blue screen.

ours never has been connected, no problem

You can now buy a card from sky for a "one off" payment £20 that enables you to have use of a sky box with satellite anywhere as you don,t need to be plugged into a phoneline. After your contract period is up with sky you don't need or have  to have the phone plugged it, also sky can block the cards from there satellite not the phoneline, hope this makes sense. will add a couple of useful links later.

Micky

Sean,

You only need to have the Sky box connected to the phone line (contractually) during the first 12 months. We no longer have ours connected (haven't for years) and never had a problem. As for rain and setting up - I never have any problems with weather at all and the only problem in setting up is if there is an obstacle in the way (eg tree or building). I have a simple tone and needle strength meter and set my dish up in the summer in under two minutes. Then set the neighbours up as well.

Sky is the way ahead usually, especially if you already pay for a package at home. No point in paying for it and leaving it at home.

There are too many campsites that have poor Tv reception and I don't think that the situation will improve with the switch over.

Mike