Scart Satellite Suitcase

[Angelothenorth]

Hi

 

Just wondering if anyone has one of these, and if so what do you think about it? Or do yo have something similar?

 

Thanks

[The Ridge Rider]

We got ours from Maplins a couple of years ago, brilliant bit of kit, setting it up is where folk have a bit of trouble, but once you have done it a couple of times you wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

Do a search on here using "Satellite TV" in the search box top right.

[matt-the-dj]

i have one, only thing is i find the dish is a little tricky to set up so i bought a cheap seconhand sky dish which is easier to put up, but it does work if you take your time. i got mine as a B grade so i got it a little cheaper.

[univega]

I use a Sky 60cm dish on a tripod, it picks up signals very easily.

[Angelothenorth]

Hi

 

Just ordered one from Maplins (not the suitcase type) and am now wondering where you put the idsh - do I need a tripod - what do you use?

 

Thanks again

[dave11a]

Hi

 

Just ordered one from Maplins (not the suitcase type) and am now wondering where you put the idsh - do I need a tripod - what do you use?

 

Thanks again

 

Yep you can buy one but check the mounting brackets on the dish with the kit to make sure the diameter is right for your set up. We bought a similar set up last year and the mounting bracket was a small diameter, we had an old rotary clothes drier turned it upside down 2 exhaust clamps and tried it out. Worked fine so then I took the old line off cut the legs down a bit drilled new holes so i can peg it down cost me about £2.

[TbirdX]

Had mine for a few years now. Have a trial run setting it up at home and you'll get the hang of what to look for quite quickly.

 

I use an old awning pole driven into the ground and the mounting clamp that comes with the kit.

[Davidc]

The suitcase is a brilliant bit of kit - everything you need except the TV! The dish I find easy in the UK. Could not get it to work in France so will need to get a bigger dish for that. Otherwise superb. Easily stored etc etc.

[Guest]

Got mine from Aldi and I think the free to air receiver is the same. The small dish works fine in the UK but I got a Triax 64cm dish for use in France.

I could pick up BBC and ITV regional programmes at Port Grimaud and loads of other channels with this set up.

[The 2 Tops]

Hi

 

Just wondering if anyone has one of these, and if so what do you think about it? Or do yo have something similar?

 

Thanks

I bought one last year. The two main problems were (a) the locking balljoint kept working loose due to wind vibration, and ( the suction pads were not very trustworthy. It does warn you not to leave the dish assembly attached when it is windy. It could fall and scratch the van.

 

I solved both problems as follows:

(1) I bought a heavy duty collapsible speaker tripod from Maplins, which extends to about 2 metres high, and can be secured by pegging to the ground.

(2) Using the speaker support plate, I converted the dish mounting so that it would pivot at the rear end, and fitted a 5 mm threaded rod at the front, with wingnuts to lock it at any required height.

 

I can now position the dish with micrometer accuracy, and it stays put even when very windy. All the nuts, bolts and bracketry are stainless steel, so no weather problems to worry about. I have discarded the "suitcase", and the complete assembly is now lighter and more easily stored. The fold-up tripod simply lies in one of the bunks.

[bobren55]

Got mine from Aldi and I think the free to air receiver is the same. The small dish works fine in the UK but I got a Triax 64cm dish for use in France.

I could pick up BBC and ITV regional programmes at Port Grimaud and loads of other channels with this set up.

 

Mine has worked fine in France as supplied. You must avoid pointing it at trees. I was trying to get the British Grand Prix last year but had a tree in the way so had to change pitch for a clear line to the satelite.

 

Mine was also a "second " and I only paid around £45 for the complete set.

 

I have a 2" two piece 8ft ally pole which I clamp to the jockey wheel with home made plastic clamps.

 

Bob R

[Davidc]

Bob

 

How far down were you? We were at Loches south of tours and I could not tune it in at all

[bobren55]

Bob

 

How far down were you? We were at Loches south of tours and I could not tune it in at all

 

About half way down the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast.

 

Bob R

[The 2 Tops]

Bob

 

How far down were you? We were at Loches south of tours and I could not tune it in at all

We were on the "La Citadelle" campsite, on the edge of Loches. As i remember, the whole site was heavily forested, and we had to cut away some twigs from overhead trees, that were rubbing against the van.

 

Before that, we were on the "Le Camp de Florence" campsite on the edge of La Romieu, a little south of Agen. It was pretty much the same there, the site (and pitches) well surrounded by trees and high hedges.

 

We actually abandoned any attempts to get the TV working and, apart from a few rainy days, there was always plenty to keep us occupied; especially the pool when it was 90 C in the shade.

[GMC]

Could I just ask whether the satellite tv experts on here consider the Maplin suitcase kit to be good value?  In other words could I, for the same cost, obtain the individual components elsewhere to a better standard?

 

GMC

[GMC]

Could I just ask whether the satellite tv experts on here consider the Maplin suitcase kit to be good value?  In other words could I, for the same cost, obtain the individual components elsewhere to a better standard?

 

GMC

[ildi]

We have also bought one of these from Maplin. We took it away with us and never got the chance to set it up. They did tell my other half in the shop that it was not easy to set up at first but to keep with it as it gets easier once you have done it once. We may give it a go this weekend on the drive and see how far we can get with it. ...fingers crossed.

[dave11a]

We have also bought one of these from Maplin. We took it away with us and never got the chance to set it up. They did tell my other half in the shop that it was not easy to set up at first but to keep with it as it gets easier once you have done it once. We may give it a go this weekend on the drive and see how far we can get with it. ...fingers crossed.

 

 

If it's like ours first time is a bit tricky but I now loosly fit the dish to the tripod (home made) point in the general direction south, connect everything up then switch the tv on. I then tune the sat decoder to BBC1, turn tv so I can see it through the window and press the info button on the remote. This then brings up 2 bars signal strength / signal quality I gently turn the dish sideways to get the best signal then vertical to get the best signal. Slight movements and slowly otherwise you are going too fast for the decoder to work quick enough. We connect to the Astra 28. 2E sat which I think is the first sattelite you come to from pointing directly south ? Please correct me if I am wrong. (get most of the freeeview channels plus others) and have the box set to that so I am not viewing transmissions from other sattelites. Tried the sucker adaption but didn't like that as it kept getting blown about and didn't want to have it come loose and scratch the van.

[The 2 Tops]

Once I had done the modifications indicated in my previous post, i found the Maplins suitcase equipment to be perfectly satisfactory. If I were able to turn back the clock, i would have sorted out independent components, but still carried out making my own micrometer adjustment device. I think I would have saved about £20 to £30.

 

For tuning in to the satellite (I use Astra 28. 2E), I use an inline meter which changes its signal note as the equipment homes in to the correct position.

[coachman]

I bought ours from LIDLE few years ago and it is also a good bit of kit, they had it back in store couple of weeks age and it was even cheaper than i paid. We had good reception in Brittany and west Germany but in Dresdon we only could get German and eastern programs. Few months age LIDLE also sold larger sat dishes ie 500/1000 mm so i got the 50cm one with two lnb connectors so although the receiver only requires one lnb we can take our Sky+ box and see more films etc.

[The Ridge Rider]

Hi

 

Just ordered one from Maplins (not the suitcase type) and am now wondering where you put the idsh - do I need a tripod - what do you use?

 

Thanks again

 

This is mine, Screwfix light tripod with the light binned. Netto has a suitcase Sat TV on sale from today for £79. 99.

[harry.m1byt]

Could I just ask whether the satellite tv experts on here consider the Maplin suitcase kit to be good value?  In other words could I, for the same cost, obtain the individual components elsewhere to a better standard?

 

GMC

 

The receiver is quite a good one and they sell separately for almost the cost of the entire suitcase kit. I'm actually looking for a second receiver for permanent home use.

 

For those who are not familiar with satellite reception, height of the dish is not usually important - unlike an ordinary TV antenna. Providing the dish position has a clear view of the sky at an angle of 45 degrees, in the direction of the particular satellite it will be fine. We fix our dish on the ground using a short length (2 foot) of awning pole flattened at the end and hammered into the soil. My awning pole works better than the other methods of mounting provided in the suitcase.

[peachy66]

mine is from mapplin had it 2yrs and works great got a second hand sky box off ebay and it works a treat i fix the dish to the van with a piece of compressed air pipe with a spike in the ground and a clamp halfway up which goes around and clamps to the jockey wheel its solid.