getting started

[markx]

I have a number of questions

Are the kits on eBay good to get started with?
are they worth the price they state?

Ive looked the individual price of all the parts and i'm thinking you could prob do it yourself for $250?



can a strongbox be used for Csing?
Why do people have whiteys/blank gammas if they can't be programmed by the average joe?

can people with outdated sellers cards upgrade it themselves, or do they have to be sent to a seller?

hopefully this isn't against the rules, so don't flame to much, i'm genuine and just want some answers to get started into this hobby.

[big mick000]

Are you looking to set up a system at your house, or for caravanning?

[markx]

house

[big mick000]

Then I would be getting a 90cm dish, Sharp LNB, roof mount, RG6Q cable, a multi-purpose receiver (4658x would be a good one) and doing a bit of reading. You can try , or do some searching here, on Austech, and if you can't find the answer to your question, just ask.

[markx]

you listed those items, but why?

I can see the advantages of some, but is it really going to make a difference?

[big mick000]

A roof mount is more stable than a tripod, and you say you are having it at your house, so a permanent roof mount is the way to go. A 90cm dish gives much more signal that a 65cm dish (less rain fade), RG6 cable is needed because it is high enough quality to work with satellite, and a 4658x, as I can get mine cheaper than the 12V model, and they have a card slot, AND a CAM slot, allowing two smartcards to be used, and they have a faster processor than their lower-model-number counterparts. A Sharp LNB, as they are the best offset LNB I have used (commercially available).

PS. Alot of stuff I've got from that mob has been problematic from day one. They may have improved vastly, I don't know.

[bulbous]

Big Mick does know his stuff with recent trends in satellite gear.

If you take his advice you will end up with a better system than any eBay ripoff.

It will not be much more effort to follow his advice, buy the separate components, and you will save loot and have a better system in the end as opposed to buying an eBay system.

Mick and most of us have been in your position - you ask advice and here it is !

[big mick000]

Cheers bulbous.

markx... Where are you located?

[markx]

Cheers bulbous.

markx... Where are you located?

Thanks for the advice. Im in Sydney Inner west.

Roughly how much would i be looking at for a reliable setup then?
In my area the majority of fox dishes are 65cm, is a 90cm dish really that necessary?

[Min]

There is currently a good deal going on in the buy and sell section


There are other selling there as well.
Dreambox are a good unit and I would buy one if I where to buy another unit again.

If you have questions about specific decoders ask in the decoder section.

I hope this little bit of info helps.

[big mick000]

Sometime DM's can be a bit much for the newbies, but that's why Austech is here, eh?

[MrElectricity]

Keep it simple at first Strong is the way to go.