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FIXED ASSETS
INTRO
Bored with the same old 48 satellite
channels? Did you know your existing dish could pick up another 60 channels, we
look at two gadgets that will help you do just that!
COPY
How many TV channels can you receive on your
satellite dish? Conventional wisdom says forty-eight, that's the number of
channels broadcast from the three Astra satellites co-located at 19.2 degrees
East of South. In fact your dish could be picking up a further sixty or so
channels, transmitted by satellites stationed either side of the Astra birds.
Side-lobe reception, as it is known, is a well-known property of parabolic
dishes and several companies market bolt-on brackets to take advantage of this
useful side-effect, enabling a second LNB to intercept signals from adjacent
satellites.
It's a simple idea, in Southern counties (and
with larger dishes) these brackets can work quite well with the extra channels
looking as good as Astra broadcasts, though there are a few ifs and buts. For
example that second LNB will set you back at least £30, dual LNB set-ups work
best on receivers with twin LNB inputs, and this approach lacks flexibility,
unless you're happy with just one extra satellite, or don't mind shinning up
and down a ladder to move the bracket every time you want to watch another
satellite.
There is a better way, a motorised arm that
moves the LNB from side to side in front of the dish. There's no need to buy
that second LNB, it works fine with receivers that have only one LNB input
socket, and you can shift from one satellite to another at the touch of a
button! Clearly a motorised arm is going to be much more expensive than a
simple bracket and second LNB -- typically two to three times as much -- but it's a more flexible method, and a whole
lot cheaper than a fully-fledged multi-satellite system with steerable dish,
positioner and controller.
CHOICES
Thus far two motorised LNB arms have appeared
on the market, with more to follow later this year. The first to be announced
was the British designed and built Zeta Select-A-Sat, though, ironically the
Multisat from the Italian company IRTE
reached the shops first due to some last-minute production problems at
Zeta. On paper the IRTE arm is slightly more expensive, with a suggested
selling price of around £145, compared with £130 for the Zeta arm, but if you
shop around the price differential is less pronounced and we have seen both
models selling for less than £120.
So how do they match up? The IRTE Multisat is
the smaller and lighter of the two, it looks a bit like a miniature dish
positioner; the design is optimised for the reception from Astra, Eutelsats F1,
F2, F3 and Kopernicus. (A second, larger version is available to work with 80cm
dishes). The Select-A-Sat is a more substantial affair, it's made from
transparent plastic, so you can see the works, which may or may not be a
selling point. This design will enable most 60 or 80cm dishes to receive Astra
plus Eutelsats F1, 2, 3 and 4. On the debit side it appears less well finished,
the mechanics are more exposed and it may prove susceptible to clogging from
airborne dirt, or unwelcome insect house guests
INSTALLATION
Multisat and Select-A-Sat both attach to the
end of the dish arm, in place of the existing LNB bracket; the original LNB
then fits on to a bracket on the moving dish arm. They each come with
'universal' fixing kits, that will fit most common dish types, Multisat is generally easier to fit.
Multisat doesn't require any extra cabling, power and control signals are
carried by the dish downlead. At the dish end the downlead cable goes to a
small control box next to the motor; a second socket connects the control box
to the LNB, a short cable is supplied. At the receiver end a second control
box/infra-red receiver connects between the downlead and the satellite
receiver.
The Select-A-Sat arm connects to its indoor
control box/IR receiver by a length of four-core cable, (supplied with the
outfit). The extra cable has to be run alongside the existing downlead, which
adds to the installation time again.
Multisat's set-up routine is automatic; the
LNB arm moves along the track, the control unit sensing satellite signals as it
goes, the positions are then stored in memory. Select-A-Sat works on a slightly
different principle; the set-up takes a little longer and involves
re-positioning the dish and re-acquiring the Astra satellite, so it's not for
absolute beginners. Positions for the satellites are already stored in the
control box, which counts pulses generated by the dish unit, so it knows where
it is at any given point. Once set up both arms are controlled from small
remote handsets. For some strange reason the up/down buttons on the
Select-A-Sat handset defy convention, with higher numbers selected by the left
button.
PERFORMANCE
Neither unit has any direct impact on picture
quality as the original dish, LNB and
receiver are retained, so if you're getting a poor picture from Astra
now, you'll get an even worse picture from the other satellites as they
generally broadcast at much lower power levels. If that's the case it's well
worth upgrading your LNB for a more recent low-noise type.
However, depending upon the care taken during
installation, pictures from the Select-A-Sat installation should be marginally
less noisy as the re-alignment of the dish means that the stronger Astra signal is on one of the dishes side-lobes,
with the focal points for the weaker satellites closer to the centre-portion of
the dish.
Operationally the IRTE Multisat is easier to
live with, it's marginally faster too and the remote handset and control units
look more professional. Select-A-Sat
has a slightly wider range of movement, which could be relevant for some users,
keen to view specific foreign-language satellite channels on ECS F4.
SUMMARY
Multisat is the more elegant and refined
solution, it's also easier to install and use, but has slightly less scope and
potentially inferior picture quality to Select-A-Sat. The extra cable and less
well-designed hardware lets the Select-A-Sat down. For example the remote
handset looks crude, and the battery rattles around inside. The mains adaptor
supplied with the unit is a general purpose type, with switchable voltage and
polarity, and multi-fit connectors. These
include a connector with exposed contacts that could short-circuit if
they came into contact with a metal surface. A number of modifications have
been promised, hopefully they will bring it up to the standard set by IRTE.
FACT FILE
Make/model: IRTE Multisat
Typical price: £145
Address:
Electrotech
Distribution, Unit 6, Drury Way Industrial Estate, Laxcon Close, Neasden,
London NW10 OTG.
Tel: 081-451 6766
VERDICT
Build quality ****
Value for money: ***
Ease of use: *****
Facilities ****
Sophisticated design, easy to install and use, well worth considering as
a low-cost alternative to a multi-satellite system
Buying Satellite Rating: 95%
FACT FILE
Make/model: Zeta Select-A-Sat
Typical price: £130
Address:
Select-A-Sat,
Pearcroft Road, Stonehouse, Gloucester GL10 2JY.
Tel: (0453) 827378
VERDICT
Build quality ***
Value for money: ****
Ease of use: ***
Facilities ***
Less sophisticated but slightly cheaper and more efficient alternative to
the IRTE Multisat. Worth considering.
Buying Satellite Rating: 85%
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© R.Maybury 1994 2504
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