thats right Seano, as Trevor said you have to have it turned on & tuned in,

then phone Vast & they turn it on for you. not sure but i think you have to

do this every six months & also when you go to WA.

 

Cheers Dave

There is only one set top box approved for VAST, manufactured by UEC. The smart card is matched to the receiver and comes with it.

Seano wrote:

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 hi fellow grey nomads, I recenty bought a Itech sat dish with the complete kit setup. using the instructions I went about setting it up and connecting it to the tv via a set top box I bought seperatly.when i turn the tv on nothing happen so i double check the connections and power source and still zilt, have been told that I need to pay for a card to get channels, bit confuse  as all I want is the free channels when free camping or in areas that have bad receptions. Any tips from those who have set up a sat dish would be a big help many thanks

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 Hello Seano,

Firstly, you haven't really told us what system you have and more importantly, what "service" you are trying to receive. 

There are many services across a few satelites.... granted you are most likely looking for a service off Optus C1/D3 (the sat that has Foxtel, VAST, Aurora)

 

1. Have you found the correct Satelite? (you can check this by scanning the sat, blind scan if available, and see what you have to watch. If you get TVSN, EXPO, Aljazeera, then you are on Optus C1/D3)

2. At this point, it is just a matter of what you are entitlled to watch. Which will be dictacted by what service you have purchased.

Priority boxes like VAST lock out a lot of the other channels and you will only be able to tune into those services the box and your service allows.

As mentioned above, if it is VAST, your card will need to be Activated, before pics will be available.

The older Aurora service still works, but is planned to be turned off in June or July this year... (but they also run on for some time after)

crocodile wrote:

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howdy folks, hmmm am pulling wot hair i have left on my noggin regarding the installation of an itech brand sat tv, yep when the deal was advertised by camper deals it didn't say one had to buy a vast set top box. no probs there its on order and should be here tomorrow. its coming from Sattplus up near caboolture. my question is on the right hand rear side of van there is  from what i can describe a tv cable connection that has a tiny hole in it and correct me if i am wrong please is this where the  big long black cable from the sat dish outside the van goes as it has like a thin wire which i assume goies into the outside hole and a tiny nut which would tighten down.

Now inside the van where the ordinary aerial cable goes (wineguard tv setup) do i connect the ordinary coaxial cable here??. i understand that one can either use a HMMI cable or the red/yellow  connections. Oh crap i dont know if i have explained it all. butg the main thing is where does the long black cable go to . i hope it is this connection thing on right hand rear of van. Is there any web site which shows in exact detail of this whole set up please.

Cheers

crocodile

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 I would like to know how many people get caught by that iTech deal.

Good to hear you are getting a vast from Satplus they are great guys and will help you within a couple of hours if you email them.

The cable connector is the wrong size, you can replace the plate with one from JayCar are maybe dick Smith, or perhaps Bunnings, take your coax with you and thell them waht you are after.

The cable that comes in from the dish goes to the back of the vast, I have my cable coming in through a cupboard in the floor with this device http://www.accessantennas.com.au/perth-discount/caravan-products/ezy-eye-sealable-plastic-grommet/

This way there is no join in the coax, you no longer need the old wineguard, next I like the HTML cable from the vast box to the tv.

Don't throw away the wineguard you may need it if you camp in a forrest and cannot get a dish signal.

For an inclinometer, if you own a smart phone, you can get an app off the net. Also avail is a satellite finder and compass. A great app for caravaners is Wikicamps Australia.

All fittings should be compression, not crimp as they are not digital spec.

When you have your dish set up and working, take a photo of the position of the LNB against horizontal or place the phone or inclinometer on the LNB for future reference. Write any relevant info on the back of the dish.

There are plenty of old pay TV (Aurora/Austar/Foxtel etc) dish assy's lying around, on roofs etc that are ideal and ready to run for those that are penny conscious.

Al.