Electrical Satellite TV - VAST

[yabbietol]

This Xmas my wife and I bought ourselves a Xmas present, which was a VAST Sat TV kit from Access Electronics for our new caravan.

http://www.accessantennas.com.au/perth-discount/caravan-products/caravan-satellite-kits/

We have yet to use it on a trip, but have set it up and played with it at home a couple of times.

We went a bit over the top and bought the padded carry bag (to store 80cm Dish and bits under the bed when travelling), the fancy sat finder, 12v cable and the external (bent pipe) mount. In all it was just over $850 including delivery to Queanbeyan NSW from WA. The fancy Sat finder (with screen and sound) seems worth the extra money, it is really easy to use to find satellite and set up dish using it.

We are really pleased with the kit and if anyone is thinking of getting into VAST TV, it was very straight forward. All we needed was a 12V TV which we had and a HDMI cable which we also had, the VAST registration process is easy and free. THE VAST card came with the SatKing decoder in the kit.

https://www.mysattv.com.au/travellers.aspx

We have also made two mounts on the caravan for less than $100. I went to a car exhaust pipe place which flared and cut a couple of lengths of car steel (not stainless) exhaust pipe for us. I fitted one length to front of van and the other to the back. Drilled some holes and secured the pipe lengths (including the stainless bent pipe from access) to each other with bolts with wing nuts. Hopefully I will be able to get a sat signal in most places from either the mount at front of van or the one at the rear. If that fails I will just use the tripod that came with the kit.

Have yet to use in the bush on a trip, but when we do I will post some photos of the mounts and general set up.

 

[Dobbie]

Interesting....

We've also been contemplating doing something similar but with the aim of taking our Foxtel box with us and using the satellite for that.

We're sick of wasting our Foxtel subscription and not having access to some stuff while away. Having said that, we watch very little tv but it would be good to be able to get it when we want to.

Still trying to investigate this but it seems a satellite setup is a starting point.

I'm just not convinced if it's worth doing as, if it's a real hassel, I'll dump the idea before it takes over!

I'm aware Foxtel don't "encourage" this practice but I like to get value for money!

 

[yabbietol]

Though not actually legal under the terms of the agreement Foxtel make you sign it is technically possible to use not only the VAST decoder but a Foxtel box on the same dish. Both service providers are on the same satellite so you do not even have to realign the dish.
The Foxtel box requires a dual feed while VAST a single feed. You can buy adapters or just get a dual feed LNB (which is the - often white - plastic bit at the end of the arm in front of the dish) and extra cable. I know Access sell dual adaptors and dual LNBs.
I believe lots of people travelling use their Foxtel dish in their caravan as well as VAST.

If you look around there is quite a bit of technical info around in some caravan forums. We were not sure about Satellite TV when we got our caravan, but after some very ordinary TV reception in the bush we went ahead with the Satellite kit. Not sure if we miss Foxtel enough to take it away with us we mostly watch ABC and SBS anyway. Time and travel will tell us if we miss it.

 

[Dobbie]

Thanks for that.

I'm really just contemplating it at this stage as we don't usually bother with tv unless we've heard the world has fallen apart...or its state of origin time.

The other factor is that it's yet another few bits to pack and carry.

But that's answered some of my doubts.

 

[Drover]

Been thinking about it also, not much to watch on TV but when there is I get slightly annoyed when the picture is crap, plus this horizontal and vertical transmission is annoying, have a Jacks TV aerial on new rig so will see but I've been priming the bank manager about it for awhile so just have to wait...........have seen some fellas have a devil of a time setting up while others just throw it out and it's done, think it depends if you know how to work a remote/ tune a DVD player etc....some are just hopeless.

Spot on @Dobbie another bit of stuff to carry....

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Though not actually legal under the terms of the agreement Foxtel make you sign it is technically possible to use not only the VAST decoder but a Foxtel box on the same dish. Both service providers are on the same satellite so you do not even have to realign the dish.
The Foxtel box requires a dual feed while VAST a single feed. You can buy adapters or just get a dual feed LNB (which is the - often white - plastic bit at the end of the arm in front of the dish) and extra cable. I know Access sell dual adaptors and dual LNBs.
I believe lots of people travelling use their Foxtel dish in their caravan as well as VAST.

If you look around there is quite a bit of technical info around in some caravan forums. We were not sure about Satellite TV when we got our caravan, but after some very ordinary TV reception in the bush we went ahead with the Satellite kit. Not sure if we miss Foxtel enough to take it away with us we mostly watch ABC and SBS anyway. Time and travel will tell us if we miss it.

You only need the dual LNB if you want to use the Foxtel IQ and watch one channel and record another,

You also need to have Foxtel satellite at home and not Foxtel cable as the boxes are different, and the Foxtel smart cards cant be swapped from a cable box to a satellite box (which is a bummer since we have Foxtel cable).

Its not actually illegal, it is however in contravention of the Foxtel terms and conditions, so what !!

I have pretty much the same setup, except I purchased the Optima 75 folding dish to save some room when storing away in the van, as the 80cm dish is actually a pretty big thing to pack.

 

[Dobbie]

Thanks.

So...to do it I need the satellite, obviously. Would that one suffice? I'm all for saving weight and keeping things as simple as possible.

I have Foxtel satellite at home....so that's ok.

A dual LNB.....more research coming up.

If i can use Fox IQ I won't need a Vast?.....that suits me.

This is a topic I've avoided for ages so it's a learning curve. All because I hate to pay Fox for nothing.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Thanks.

So...to do it I need the satellite, obviously. Would that one suffice? I'm all for saving weight and keeping things as simple as possible.

I have Foxtel satellite at home....so that's ok.

A dual LNB.....more research coming up.

If i can use Fox IQ I won't need a Vast?.....that suits me.

This is a topic I've avoided for ages so it's a learning curve. All because I hate to pay Fox for nothing.

Yes, so you will need a dish with dual LNB feed (2 coax cables into the foxtel box), sat finder, your foxtel IQ box from home and power.

You don't need VAST if you have Foxtel as you can get the free to air channels through Foxtel

 

[yabbietol]

If you want a bare bones kit with no set top box Access also have a cheaper kit with no set top box, so you bring your own box.

Also the 80cm dish, cable and arm fits nicely under our double bed (which lifts up) in the padded bag suspended on a couple of straps so it really takes up very little storage. The only other bits needing storage are the set top box, sat finder and tripod. All of these fit in the padded bag except the tripod which is small and fits in the caravan front boot.

Generally it stores quite well and we would only bother setting it up if we were staying somewhere for more that 1 or 2 nights. Otherwise we try local TV or just read a book.

Note: With free to air on Foxtel not all channels are avaialbe in much of Australia, it depends on where your home address is and the service is "located". We live in country NSW but close to ACT and can only get ABC and SBS free to air on Foxtel, which can be annoying if you want the Channel 9 free to air cricket on Foxtel. Our friends 10km down the road get all free to air channels on Foxtel. Cartel behaviour from Foxtel and Free to air TV?

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Cartel behaviour from Foxtel and Free to air TV?

Absolutley

 

[Drover]

I think you need to update location with VAST also or you don't get the channels............

 

[yabbietol]

I think you need to update location with VAST also or you don't get the channels............

When you register you register as a traveller in NSW and for example if you travel to WA you can adjust your registration to get local WA channels.
When you turn it on you get ABC and SBS and then the other channels if you register as a traveller. You can use VAST at home, but unless you have very poor digital TV reception you can only get ABC and SBS. If you have very poor digital reception at home as determined by VAST you can get all free to air channels. More TV industry cartel behaviour.

Luckily travellers get all free to air channels, the only "cost" is as a traveller you have to renew your free registration every 6 months. this can be done online or on the phone and is easy.

 

[Drover]

I knew I'd read something............................

 

[bigcol]

This is a topic I've avoided for ages so it's a learning curve.

I'm going to keep trying to avoid this...............

just cannot for the life of me think of when I would want to be away somewhere, and want to watch TV...............

but I have just picked up 1000% more info now from you guys, than I knew before


also, I was told by Foxtel -
Foxtel Satellite will only get ABC & SBS free to air
Foxtel Cable gets ALL free to air programs

I only know this, as I was getting sick of flicking between Foxtel & ch9 & ch7, so I rang and asked, and thats what they told me

BUT - (just to qualify)

that may only be us poor cousins in Wait Awhile - not the rest of Australia

 

[Drover]

ABC2......daily at 1850.........."Shaun the Sheep "......

 

[Bellbirdweb]

For what it's worth, with all of the digital channels now, VAST gives us more than enough to watch on those rainy days.

 

[jeff]

Rae likes the footy and news, not a bad price. Not sure where to store the dish I a 14,44, but I'm sure there is a place

 

[mfexpanda]

I have both vast and Foxtel .
If you only have the standard Foxtel box and not IQ you only need 1 cable in to receive all the channels plus free to air channels .
If you have IQ and have only 1 cable in and use a splitter you may only get Foxtel channels and no free to air ,they split the signal in vertical and horizontal and one cable only gives you one of these .

We have now the roof mounted dish and it is the best thing ever

 

[Bluey]

I think im going down the satellite road to

 

[mfexpanda]

I think im going down the satellite road to

If you need a hand just let me know