THE PLAIN FACTS
ABOUT OPERATING A PORTABLE OR MOBILE SATELLITE TV SYSTEM-WHAT THE OTHERS DON'T TELL YOU !
Marketing is a great tool in business, but it is all too easy for the unscrupulous salesman to gloss over the facts, neglecting to give you the full story for the sake of a sale.
This document has been produced in response to many requests for help, from customers after they have purchased from one of our competitors, and from our own observations of advertising in popular motorhome and caravan magazines.
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Whether you want to travel around Australia in a motorhome or caravan, or watch Free to Air Satellite TV in rural Australia or somewhere not covered by normal terrestrial television signals, there are a few matters you should be made aware of, BEFORE you purchase your equipment.
WHAT CHANNELS CAN I GET ?
The Optus Aurora service is designed for viewers who cannot receive regular TV signals through a TV aerial.
The channels that are available to satellite viewers are controlled through a subscriber smartcard, supplied as part of the equipment package. Each smartcard has a unique serial number, and is allocated to the user. The relevant channels are activated according to the geographic location of the satellite dish.
Channels that are available include ABC, SBS and 4 regional broadcasters, 7 Central (based in Townsville), Imparja (based in Darwin), Golden West Network and WIN (both based in W.A.). These regional broadcasters operate under a license, which covers a well defined geographic area.
Australia is split into 2 areas, east and west. There are 2 regional broadcasters licensed for the east -Imparja and 7 Central, and 2 regional broadcasters licensed for the west-Golden West Network and WIN. So viewers will only ever be able to receive 2 regional channels, whichever 2 are relevant to the reception site.
Imparja & 7 Central License Area
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_90223
Individual rectangles show detailed area.
One interesting capability of the system is the availability of time shifted programming. For instance, if you are located on the east coast and you miss the 7pm news on the ABC, you can always watch the S.A version 30 minutes later, of the W.A. version 2 hours later !
WHAT IF I AM TRAVELLING AROUND AUSTRALIA ?
There is a special dispensation for travelers, which allows them to watch the relevant regional channels whilst they are travelling in the license area for 6 months at a time.
Most regional broadcasters will activate a smartcard at no charge, but recently, one broadcaster, Imparja, have implemented a cost recovery plan and are charging $55 per card activation.
The relevance of this is quite important, because it highlights the importance of keeping smartcards active.
All broadcasters update their subscriber database on an almost daily basis. This is to allow for new subscribers, and to allow viewers who have not renewed their subscription (Pay TV) to be deleted from the system.
Instructions are sent over the air to every smartcard in the entire database, mostly in the early hours of the morning when viewers are least likely to be inconvenienced. Even Aurora subscribers (even though the service is free) have their smartcards updated in this way.
KEEP THE POWER ON
If your satellite system is turned off for a month, when you next turn it back on, it is unlikely it will operate at all, apart from the Tune channel and NITV. This is because the smartcard has not been kept active (receiving over the air updates) and has become delinquent.
Reactivating a smartcard for ABC/SBS reception is as simple as making a phone call and following the prompts (1 300 301 680). However commercial broadcasters will require written notification, and in the case of Imparja, will charge another $55.
So, if you are travelling in Australia, it's a good idea to leave your satellite dish on (the receiver can be left in the standby mode), so that updates can be received. If your system is to be installed in a holiday home, where the power is turned off when the house is empty, it might be worth having one power circuit installed which can be left on. This also provides a special dilemma for those whose remote residence is solar powered.
WHAT EQUIPMENT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO ME ?
Apart from a fixed installation, there are several popular equipment configurations available to travellers, ranging from a simple tripod, DIY system to our fully automatic Oyster Digital Twin system. Prices range from $550 to around $6000.
TRIPOD SYSTEMS
When considering the purchase of a tripod system, it's a good idea to carefully look at the tripod design. Many vendors sell "tripods' that are actually speaker stands, designed for Public Address use. These are generally too tall for satellite use, even when pegged into the ground they can collapse in a slight breeze (as the satellite dish acts as a sail, collecting wind ). The best tripod is one that keeps the dish close to the ground, and has a wide footprint to keep the centre of gravity low. It is also important that the tripod has some method of allowing the user to ensure the pole on which the dish is to be mounted, can be adjusted for perfect vertical alignment.
A good tripod has a built in bubble level and adjustable legs.
HOW HARD IS IT TO SET ONE UP ?
Like anything you try for the first time, setting up a satellite dish can be a very frustrating operation. The satellite dish must be PERFECTLY aligned in elevation, azimuth and LNB polarisation for all channels to work.
Even armed with satellite pointing data for your location and a satfinder, you'll need a compass to make sure the dish is pointed in exactly the right direction.
Of course, all this does get easier with practice, so if you do purchase a tripod system, practice setting it up at home before you go on your trip-to save a lot of embarrassment !
WHAT ABOUT FULLY AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS?
There are several automatic satellite systems available on the market. The MOST IMPORTANT feature you need is auto-skew. This is the feature that eliminates you having to climb up on the roof of your caravan or motorhome and rotating the LNB for best reception.
The rotational position of the LNB can change up to 90 degrees when travelling from east to west coasts.
Another "nice" feature is the ability to connect your Pay TV to the system. This requires a special LNB, which is not standard on all automatic systems. It also means that there need to be 2 cables running from the dish to the satellite receiver, so if the system you are considering only has one cable, your reception possibilities are limited. Our Oyster Digital Twin system covers all these matters.
USING THE SYSTEM FOR PAY TV
Just as the smartcard for ABC and SBS systems must be kept active, so must Pay TV smartcards. This means that you should operate your satellite system overnight (updates are send in the early hours of the morning) as least once every few days.
Pay TV providers (Foxtel, Austar and Select TV) don't support operation of their equipment in your motorhome, so it is best to avoid any trouble by ensuring your smartcard receives most over the air updates.
These days, Pay TV providers match their smartcards to each receiver, so no matter what, you'll have to take both your Pay TV receiver and smartcard (and remote control) with you when you travel.
WHAT ABOUT TREES ?
All satellite signals are absorbed by the moisture in the leaves on trees, preventing reception. So unless you are using a tripod system where the dish can be located some distance away from your campsite (and this can be a security issue) with a clear view of the sky, you'll need to try and park your caravan or motorhome at a site that has a clear view of the northern sky for satellite reception.
DOES IT WORK EVERYWHERE ?
The general answer to this question is that it works in most populated areas. Along the east coast and the populated sections of the west coast there is generally no problem.
However we do know at there is no reliable signal a few hundred kilometers south of Alice Springs, the northern Kimberleys, and some parts of Tasmania. In most or outback Western Australia, Foxtel and Austar recommend a 1.2m dish for adequate reception.
Tel: 02 9939 4377, Fax: 02 9939 4376
P.O. Box 225 Brookvale NSW 2100 Australia
Unit 24, 9 Powells Road, Brookvale, NSW 2100 Australia
Issue 3 last updated 16/6/09
