Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I think it 
is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
Thanks in advance

"Hirem Firem"  wrote in message 
news:vhWZj.5323$SA7.3907@newsfe09.ams2...
> Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I 
> think it is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
> Thanks in advance
>


Questions: do you want to use it in Europe? If for the UK do you want to 
use it in Scotland. Do you want to watch five/five US/fiver?

If the answer to any of these is yes then don't buy it.

The dish is not big enough to use very far south of the English Channel.

The dish is not big enough to use in Scotland or the very north of 
England.

The receiver does not decode encrypted signals, currently five, five US, 
fiver, Sky 3, and Film 4. For these you will need a Sky box and a 
'FreeSat from Sky' card.

If you go across the channel go to one of the DIY sheds - Mr Brico at 
Boulogne is a good one - and you can buy yourself a 60cm or 80cm dish 
that will work pretty well the whole of Europe complete with LNB (the 
bit that sticks out the front) for less than €30. A digital receiver 
that will get any European sat (not just Sky) will cost you about €60. A 
worklight tripod stand on whcih to mount the dish will come in at about 
€12. Total about €100 or around £80. You are no worse off in terms of UK 
stations you can watch, but have bought a kit that will work almost 
anywhere in Europe.

Look on eBay or Gumtree for a used but working Sky box at about £30, and 
get a 'Freesat from Sky' card (once off £20) and you can watch anything 
FTA that you like. If you are feeling expansive get one of the £75 Sky 
offers from Currys and you get a new box with guarantee and a dish - 
you'll just have to tip the installer and tell him you don't want it put 
up. (On the other hand you can have it put up and take the box with 
you - you don't have to keep it connected to a phone line for FreeSat.)


-- 
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

On Sat, 24 May 2008 16:14:30 +0100, "Hirem Firem" 
wrote:

>Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I think it 
>is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
>Thanks in advance 
>
It's probably worth posting to uk.rec.gps (where this message is cross
posted to).

Richard
See http://www.caravanningnow.co.uk where my caravan's for sale.
-- 
I am the Dis-organizer Mk II, with many handy hard-to-use features,
Insert Name Here! - Jingo by Terry Pratchett

"Richard Cole" <ispcrco@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message 
news:4drg34hvvcnfhminr3see2mkaitgspi8u6@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 24 May 2008 16:14:30 +0100, "Hirem Firem" 
> 
> wrote:
>
>>Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I 
>>think it
>>is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
>>Thanks in advance
>>
> It's probably worth posting to uk.rec.gps (where this message is cross
> posted to).


GPS? What has that got to do with sat TV?

uk.tech.tv.sky more like.



-- 
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

Cheers Woody, use in U.K. only, so £75 from currys is looking good
Thank you
"Woody"  wrote in message 
news:BaZZj.6292$SA7.5065@newsfe09.ams2...
> "Hirem Firem"  wrote in message 
> news:vhWZj.5323$SA7.3907@newsfe09.ams2...
>> Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I think 
>> it is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
>> Thanks in advance
>>
>
>
> Questions: do you want to use it in Europe? If for the UK do you want to 
> use it in Scotland. Do you want to watch five/five US/fiver?
>
> If the answer to any of these is yes then don't buy it.
>
> The dish is not big enough to use very far south of the English Channel.
>
> The dish is not big enough to use in Scotland or the very north of 
> England.
>
> The receiver does not decode encrypted signals, currently five, five US, 
> fiver, Sky 3, and Film 4. For these you will need a Sky box and a 'FreeSat 
> from Sky' card.
>
> If you go across the channel go to one of the DIY sheds - Mr Brico at 
> Boulogne is a good one - and you can buy yourself a 60cm or 80cm dish that 
> will work pretty well the whole of Europe complete with LNB (the bit that 
> sticks out the front) for less than ?30. A digital receiver that will get 
> any European sat (not just Sky) will cost you about ?60. A worklight 
> tripod stand on whcih to mount the dish will come in at about ?12. Total 
> about ?100 or around £80. You are no worse off in terms of UK stations you 
> can watch, but have bought a kit that will work almost anywhere in Europe.
>
> Look on eBay or Gumtree for a used but working Sky box at about £30, and 
> get a 'Freesat from Sky' card (once off £20) and you can watch anything 
> FTA that you like. If you are feeling expansive get one of the £75 Sky 
> offers from Currys and you get a new box with guarantee and a dish - 
> you'll just have to tip the installer and tell him you don't want it put 
> up. (On the other hand you can have it put up and take the box with you - 
> you don't have to keep it connected to a phone line for FreeSat.)
>
>
> -- 
> Woody
>
> harrogate three at ntlworld dot com
>

On Sat, 24 May 2008 21:14:46 +0100, "Woody" 
wrote:

>"Richard Cole" <ispcrco@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message 
>news:4drg34hvvcnfhminr3see2mkaitgspi8u6@4ax.com...
>> On Sat, 24 May 2008 16:14:30 +0100, "Hirem Firem" 
>> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I 
>>>think it
>>>is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
>>>Thanks in advance
>>>
>> It's probably worth posting to uk.rec.gps (where this message is cross
>> posted to).
>
>
>GPS? What has that got to do with sat TV?
>
>uk.tech.tv.sky more like.
Where in the original post does it mention TV? 
Maplins sell portable GPS systems too.

Richard
See http://www.caravanningnow.co.uk where my caravan's for sale.
-- 
I am the Dis-organizer Mk II, with many handy hard-to-use features,
Insert Name Here! - Jingo by Terry Pratchett

"Richard Cole" <ispcrco@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message 
news:3egi34lo3ni90vauib1dd9spfv7llhk9tr@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 24 May 2008 21:14:46 +0100, "Woody" 
> 
> wrote:
>
>>"Richard Cole" <ispcrco@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
>>news:4drg34hvvcnfhminr3see2mkaitgspi8u6@4ax.com...
>>> On Sat, 24 May 2008 16:14:30 +0100, "Hirem Firem"
>>> 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I
>>>>think it
>>>>is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
>>>>Thanks in advance
>>>>
>>> It's probably worth posting to uk.rec.gps (where this message is 
>>> cross
>>> posted to).
>>
>>
>>GPS? What has that got to do with sat TV?
>>
>>uk.tech.tv.sky more like.
> Where in the original post does it mention TV?
> Maplins sell portable GPS systems too.
>


Because Comac is the manufacturer of the sat-in-a-box kit that Maplin 
sell. Sometimes a little knowledge does you good.....


-- 
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

"Hirem Firem"  wrote in message 
news:WE9_j.59375$UP6.14115@newsfe14.ams2...
> Cheers Woody, use in U.K. only, so £75 from currys is looking good
> Thank you
> "Woody"  wrote in message 
> news:BaZZj.6292$SA7.5065@newsfe09.ams2...
>> "Hirem Firem"  wrote in message 
>> news:vhWZj.5323$SA7.3907@newsfe09.ams2...
>>> Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I 
>>> think it is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
>>> Thanks in advance
>>>
>>
>>
>> Questions: do you want to use it in Europe? If for the UK do you want 
>> to use it in Scotland. Do you want to watch five/five US/fiver?
>>
>> If the answer to any of these is yes then don't buy it.
>>
>> The dish is not big enough to use very far south of the English 
>> Channel.
>>
>> The dish is not big enough to use in Scotland or the very north of 
>> England.
>>
>> The receiver does not decode encrypted signals, currently five, five 
>> US, fiver, Sky 3, and Film 4. For these you will need a Sky box and a 
>> 'FreeSat from Sky' card.
>>
>> If you go across the channel go to one of the DIY sheds - Mr Brico at 
>> Boulogne is a good one - and you can buy yourself a 60cm or 80cm dish 
>> that will work pretty well the whole of Europe complete with LNB (the 
>> bit that sticks out the front) for less than ?30. A digital receiver 
>> that will get any European sat (not just Sky) will cost you about 
>> ?60. A worklight tripod stand on whcih to mount the dish will come in 
>> at about ?12. Total about ?100 or around £80. You are no worse off in 
>> terms of UK stations you can watch, but have bought a kit that will 
>> work almost anywhere in Europe.
>>
>> Look on eBay or Gumtree for a used but working Sky box at about £30, 
>> and get a 'Freesat from Sky' card (once off £20) and you can watch 
>> anything FTA that you like. If you are feeling expansive get one of 
>> the £75 Sky offers from Currys and you get a new box with guarantee 
>> and a dish - you'll just have to tip the installer and tell him you 
>> don't want it put up. (On the other hand you can have it put up and 
>> take the box with you - you don't have to keep it connected to a 
>> phone line for FreeSat.)
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Woody
>>
>> harrogate three at ntlworld dot com
>>
>
>



Beware, you may still suffer the same problem. Unless you live in 
Scotland Sky will supply the standard 45cm dish that may be a bit thin 
north of the border if you go travelling that way. If you live in 
Scotland they usually fit the bigger dish which will work anywhere.

You will still need something fairly substantial to mount it on that you 
can peg to the ground, as as the Sky box does not help you finding the 
sat, a satfinder from Lidl/Aldi is still a must have.


-- 
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

Woody wrote:
<snip>
> You will still need something fairly substantial to mount it on that
> you can peg to the ground,

I use a rotary clothes airer, upside down with a tent peg on each corner 
just in case! asda about £10

"Hirem Firem"  wrote in message 
news:vhWZj.5323$SA7.3907@newsfe09.ams2...
> Just been looking at the portable sat system from Maplin, Comac I think it 
> is by, anyone got any oppinions on it.
> Thanks in advance

Got one and used it all over the UK. You might struggle in the top of 
Scotland. But I managed to watch it on the Black Isle.

John.