Do I really need sat tv

graeme c · Senior Member

Do I really need sat tv

TropicalRose · Veteran Member

Large areas of NT have no coverage. I only lived half an hour from batchelor/Adelaide river and went without TV for 5 years. I love reading and nature and camp fires so it wasn't a complete hardship.

aussie_paul · Guru

This might help. http://reception.abc.net.au/

Aussie Paul. smile

TAJ · Senior Member

Graeme we have normal reception if its on good if not a book

we are not addicted to the box and can live without

try without for awhile then decide

TAJ

Sommer · Veteran Member

Hi Graeme, I purchased the first satelite setup about 7 years ago. Last year I purchased another set and I would not travel without it. It is easy to set up and it dosent matter where I am camped the picture is perfect and the radio stations is also fantastic. It is the best $600 I have spend.

Chears Sommer

Dhutime · Senior Member

Depends how much you value watching the box .We have an auto system and are very happy with it .Many times we have stopped somewhere with no digital reception evan some small towns like Bremer Bay in WA where we are now .Sure one doesn't need to be glued to the set but when traveling around its one of life's pleasures I recon even if it's only for the news .Bye the way we have both aerials .
Dhutime

aussie_paul · Guru

As I am disabled and need to sit most of the time, my laptop and TV are an important part of my life. We will be going the VAST system eventually.

Horses for courses.. We have so many wonderful choices these days.

Aussie Paul. smile

graeme c · Senior Member

Thanks for the reply's I like to keep up to date but also don't need to sit glued to the box

Graeme

kesa32 · Senior Member

Sommer wrote:
Hi Graeme, I purchased the first satelite setup about 7 years ago. Last year I purchased another set and I would not travel without it. It is easy to set up and it dosent matter where I am camped the picture is perfect and the radio stations is also fantastic. It is the best $600 I have spend.
Chears Sommer

Hi Sommer , who did you get your sys through mate ?

Oma · Guru

NO unless you are desperate for TV

Gundog · Guru

my cradle snatching wife (1 1/2 months older than me) is needs her dose of pommy soaps (Eastenders etc) and me the footy, so looks like foxtel the clandestine way buy a dish, sat finder and all will be good

NeilandRaine · Guru

Ask the question. How many people have TV in their home. Our van is our home, we love tele and we like to keep abreast of what is going on in the world, sometimes if you don't have reception chances are you can't pop down to a newsagent. After travelling through the NT and North WA with very little tv we paid $550 for our sat set up in Broome and are pleased we did. Have paid an extra 250 for you beaut sat finder since. If you have foxtel at home you can get a double LND and have both on the road.

peterblack · Senior Member

hi all.NO TV for me but im not full time traveller
enjoy

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

We travel for up to 9 months at a time in the OKA, but don't have TV at all.
We find better things to entertain us in the bush.

Cheers,
Peter

fpw · Veteran Member

hi we have been around ozz and did not have a sat tv we used an old tv and had no probs we use a happy wander aerial we still have the same aerial now but have change the tv to the modern type .hope this helps all the best fw

villatranquilla · Guru

when we are on the move every week or so we don't bother but if staying put for more than a couple of weeks we will set the sat. TV up. I'm a night owl, so with Barry usually in bed by 8.30pm I enjoy being in charge of the remote wink . There are a lot of places since the introduction of digital TV that, even in the more populated areas, reception with the standard wynguard and booster are not good enough.

-- Edited by villatranquilla on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 12:42:30 PM

Goldfinger · Senior Member

I think there is a distance or actual locality issue with distance and continuity of reception since change over from Analog to Digital....
I had the super duper aerial enhancements on my Winegarde, however even going to places like Yarra Valley in Eastern Victoria...very mountaineous...no reception whatsoever at any time day or night over 8 days.....so

Being a Technical Dwarf, I read all I could about VAST Sat TV and have recently invested total $724 for a complete mobile set up <except a TV which I already had and its best if it has HDMI cable point on the TV..usually underneath.. for extra clarity of picture>
Here's what I have just set up and it is working perfectly with absolute guarantee it will work 100% of the time anywhere in Australia or money back...I have no reason to doubt their claim based on my reception thus far in various areas of the Golden Triangle where I could receive nothing previously.

My supplier was Access Antennas & Satellites....Osborne Park W.A. 08 9446 4433.. <google them and see their current deal>..<I have no connection with them whatsoever and approached them because a fellow GN recommended them to me on this Forum>.....they sent the complete kit for $724 including delivery from W.A. to Bendigo Vic....
They told me they have disillusioned folk coming in every wekk who bought unsatisfactory set ups and then buying the real deal 100% guarantee..money back...
What did they send me for my $724...all inclusive
1. Satlink Sat Finder/Meter <Professional>.....its like a mini colour T.V. with sound which is fail safe in locking onto the Optus C1 Satellite...<the one you need for VAST>..also included an additional Satking SK-99 Sat finder as a back up....<I havn't needed it to date>

2.Satking Vast Receiver Box..complete with individual card..<to register on line as a bona fide traveller for VAST..took 24 hours from go to whoa> I registered for Eastern States and when I go prospecting in W.A. in June I will ring them to alter to W.A....apparently you get your News etc in real W.A. time if you do>
3. 85cm dish with quality superior design tripod. <Note they did not recommend the Minimax dish but do sell it>
4.12v cord for the Satking 240V receiver to use free camping..
5.Padded bag which hold the lot including the mobile stand...
6.Compass <necessary>
7.A device to measure the Azimuth Angle which is magnetic and sits on the tripod when setting up the reception...<don't worry there is a full instruction booklet that even I understood after the second read!>....
8. A rather poor DVD presentation on set up in addition to the written instructions...<picture too dark for my liking when I was trying to see close details>..it was somewhat helpful....

I don't regret this investment which like most I can ill afford to make a mistake in the first place....hope this info helps.....I couldn't find anything that brought it all together for me to understand when I was hunting for info...hence this lengthy reply..

It worked and is working exactly as they promised....<I had to ring three times when setting up...and no problem with gaining access to them for advice...ask for Jay!>

I believe it is essential on the road to gain up to date weather/flooding/bushfire/disaster info etc...which local stations may go down in such an emergency.....but with Satellite you have something like over 100 TV and Radio stations at your disposal....

Registration for Vast is free...just diary to renew before the 6 months period they grant initial approval for....

I'm sure we are only gaining benefit for this service by default as it was set up by the Government for Stations and central Australian areas which would not otherwise receive any service...go for it and register while we still can....you have to have the Receiver set up and working when they approve your Vast registration..so they know you actually have the set up..the card you receive is individual to you and you only...

Good luck. Hoo Roo

P.S. I bought an Ezy Eye which you drill into the side of your van and fit.....avaoiding any wires....I am happy to elaborate on this as well as the drill bit size if you wish.....I fitted mine to a Jayco Heritage....cord from the dish pokes through this waterproof entry point..cost about $25?......essential or something similar...

PPS. The Receiver is only a very small lightweight box....I think I would like it separate to the T.V....as its so easy to replace a TV rather than one which contains the receiver as well...just my opinion..thanks.

-- Edited by Goldfinger on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 12:47:16 PM

-- Edited by Goldfinger on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 12:51:17 PM

-- Edited by Goldfinger on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 12:55:09 PM

-- Edited by Goldfinger on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 12:57:53 PM

villatranquilla · Guru

you can now buy a TV with an 'in-built' vast box

aussie_paul · Guru

Goldfinger wrote:

I don't regret this investment which like most I can ill afford to make a mistake in the first place....hope this info helps.....I couldn't find anything that brought it all together for me to understand when I was hunting for info...hence this lengthy reply..
Good luck...Hoo Roo
It worked and is working exactly as they promised....<I had to ring three times when setting up...and no problem with gaining access to them for advice.

Great, a clear and precise post Larry, much appreciated.

Aussie Paul. smile

Dougwe · Chief one feather

For what it's worth I have found since going on the road "full time" last September I have become less interested in free to air TV let alone Satelight TV. If I want to watch something I am a movie freak and have my collection of movies still plus a heap of stuff on a portable hard drive. I also have heaps of my favourite music on my iPod so have that as well. I also love having the radio going.

Just my bit added to this thread.

Keep Safe.

aussie_paul · Guru

Dougwe wrote:
For what it's worth I have found since going on the road "full time" last September I have become less interested in free to air TV let alone Satelight TV. If I want to watch something I am a movie freak and have my collection of movies still plus a heap of stuff on a portable hard drive. I also have heaps of my favourite music on my iPod so have that as well. I also love having the radio going.

Just my bit added to this thread.

Keep Safe.

Great Douge, horses for courses for sure.. biggrin

Aussie Paul. smile

Gundog · Guru

like Douge I have approximately 1000 movies and 1500 songs to help keep us entertained but I would still like to have the TV as well

Goldfinger · Senior Member

Although I tried I just couldn't get all the information I need re disasters on 'Macca on Sunday'....."well I love it!"........Who else likes Macca.....?....I think I would have his baby if he wanted me to....!...I'd be a real Joy Boy......lol......Hoo Roo

Bruce and Bev · Guru

my wife nagged me into getting satellite when we bought the van. We don't use it that often though. I like to watch the TV news and maybe one of two programmes - but if we have something better to do, then it stays off.

Shes been unsuccessful with getting Foxtel. Told her I stick her in an old folks home and she could sit there all day staring at the box and having bland, runny food given to her - that killed Foxtel :)

Our whole plan with nomading was to travel around almost full time in Aust and see the 1000's of great places and things and meet others and re-develop the art of "chatting" (a dying art form in suburbia with TVs and computers)

iana · Guru

A while back I put up a similar post, querying whether to, if I got a van made, to "not" put in the winegard system which I figured would cost about $500, and go straight for the satellite system. My thoughts on the roof mounted system was that if you got a site where there was a tree in between the dish and the satellite, you wouldn't get reception. Because the dish is fixed then you had a problem.
That then meant looking at the portable systems, but it was pointed out these were subject to theft and vandalism.
While my plans are a long way off, my thoughts are to see if I can get hard points fixed to the roof of the van at each end, and have a quick mounting system so I can fit the dish on the roof of the van at either end. This means I could find a line of sight to the satellite by moving the dish to either end of the van, and because the dish is fastened to the roof it avoids theft.

Goldfinger · Senior Member

My considerations or options were limited by my means...I settled on $724 versus something like $3000 odd for a roof set up...no brainer for me....if I change vans the portable system comes with me....I cant see anyone pinching my Dish......I have 2 x 8' kangaroo hide stock whips I carry and I know how to use them.......I figure if someone comes within 8' of me that I don't want, then the law should lean my way if I use it.....don't need to register it..sounds like a shot gun blast particularly in the dark.....and it keeps Buck Kangaroos at bay from my little pooch when I'm free camping in the Forrests prospecting....it'll be a game thief that will touch my dish when I'm around the place....easily folds up and into the padded bag when I'm not...Hoo Roo

Lakers · Member

On our trip Perth to Canberra and back a few months ago I took our satellite TV system along for the ride, not really expecting to get a great deal of use out of it with the recent country upgrade to digital TV. You would expect to use a satellite TV system in the usual remote spots like along the Nullabor etc, but we didn't bother with it while we were 'in transit'. However to watch anything in two of the better places we stayed, then we needed to set up the satellite system... there was no terrestrial TV available in these places, which were Halls Gap in the Grampians, and Streaky Bay in SA. Handy to have.

Cheers
Greg

MOLLUSCAN · Senior Member

iana wrote:
A while back I put up a similar post, querying whether to, if I got a van made, to "not" put in the winegard system which I figured would cost about $500, and go straight for the satellite system. My thoughts on the roof mounted system was that if you got a site where there was a tree in between the dish and the satellite, you wouldn't get reception. Because the dish is fixed then you had a problem.
That then meant looking at the portable systems, but it was pointed out these were subject to theft and vandalism.
While my plans are a long way off, my thoughts are to see if I can get hard points fixed to the roof of the van at each end, and have a quick mounting system so I can fit the dish on the roof of the van at either end. This means I could find a line of sight to the satellite by moving the dish to either end of the van, and because the dish is fastened to the roof it avoids theft.

If you park under a tree, the chances are you will back your van into the shady spot not drive your car under there first. So, the dish would be best mounted at the front of the van and should work OK. Of course this theory won't work with a motorhome. I would love to buy the $3000 fully automated version but will probably settle for a portable one.

HiAce98 · Veteran Member

I'm at home at present trying to finish the house for council sign-off so I can forget about it and get back out there. I had to get Vast Satellite here as there is no reception on normal aerial, and it cost me $500. I've had it for about a year now and quite frankly, as I refuse to watch sport or soapies I think it will take me the rest of my life to get my five hundred dollar's worth. I should have just got more internet data and watched iView!

I download ebooks and use the net when travelling and don't miss TV at all.

So IMHO there is never a real NEED to get Sat TV.