Satellite TV In a Motorhome or Caravan

Due to the nature of digital broadcasts you will receive either nothing at all or a perfect picture just about anywhere where a dish has an unobstructed view of the satellite.

With Satellite TV in a motorhome the choice of channels is massive allowing even the biggest sofa hoggers enough leeway to keep them happy and you can pick up radio stations as well as TV.

When travelling in your motorhome further afield than the shores of the UK you can also receive satellite TV, the sheer volume of channels on offer may drop the further afield you go but there will always be some English language TV channels available.

However, receiving satellite TV is not just a simple matter of connecting a dish to a TV and pointing it at the sky, not in the U.K. anyway. There are several reasons for this and they are mostly to do with the way satellite TV transmissions are controlled in this country.

All over Europe hundreds of satellite TV transmissions are available which can be picked up free of charge by anyone with a dish and a decoder. Many of these channels are broadcast using analogue technology; this means that they are fairly easy to locate and only require the use of an analogue receiver which can be purchased for under £100. This same equipment can be used in the U.K. but, unfortunately, of all the channels available, only a very few broadcast in English typically informative type channels such as Sky News, CNN, Bloomberg etc.

In the U.K., analogue satellite TV has been phased out and all U.K. satellite transmissions intended for this country are only broadcast in digital form. This means that a digital receiver is required as well as a digital compatible dish. Furthermore, most digital transmissions are encrypted. They cannot be received unless the signal is decrypted and this can only be done by using a SKY “digibox” in conjunction with a “viewing card”. There’s no way round this: if you want to receive all U.K. TV programmes via satellite, you must have a SKY digibox and a SKY viewing card. However, since July, 2003, the BBC has broadcast all their digital programmes – both TV & radio – without encryption. This means that their programmes can be received with any digital satellite receiver.

If you have satellite TV at home you may already have a “digibox” and a SKY card. However, if your satellite TV system was installed by SKY and you were given the “digibox” free as part of a package, you will probably have signed a contract obliging you to keep the “digibox” connected to a ‘phone line for 12 months. After 12 months, there is nothing to stop you moving the unit anywhere you wish. . You do not have to subscribe to SKY to receive a free “digibox” but, if you do not, you may have to pay an installation fee.

If you do not wish to subscribe to Sky or to have your digital receiver connected to the ‘phone for 12 months, it is possible to buy a “digibox” outright. You are then free to do what you want with it and, with the appropriate dish and equipment can receive dozens of TV and radio stations absolutely free of charge. These include all BBC TV & radio stations, SKY News, CNN and many others. If you want to watch ITV, Channel 4 & Channel 5 you will have to get a viewing card.

It gets more complex as different service packages have sprung up with similar sounding names as follows:

FREEVIEW / FREESAT / FREE TO AIR (FTA)

SKY offers a service called FREESAT - which offers viewers over 200 TV & radio channels with no ongoing fees. A one-off payment of £150 will buy a digibox, a viewing card, a dish and installation. It won’t be necessary to connect the digibox to a fixed phone line and, apparently, there are no restrictions.

Better still for many people, it’s also possible to buy a FREESAT viewing card for £20.00, again with no subscription charges. The card can then be used in any SKY digibox – after it’s been activated by SKY – and enables the viewer to receive the same channels as someone buying the £150 package.

Programmes which require a SKY subscription such as SKY One, E4 & ITV 2 will not be available on the FREESAT service.

Channel Listing of channels available on FREESAT Service are shown below (Correct at time of writing April 2007)

To get FREESAT, phone SKY on 0870 240 5651 or visit their website at www.freesatfromsky.co.uk

What Equipment do you need for Satellite TV in a Motorhome / Caravan ?

There are a number of options available to you when considering using satellite tv in a motorhome or caravan. Broadly the options are Manual and Automatic, although there is at least one manufacturer who markets what they call a "semi automatic" system whereby the height is manual but the azimuth is circuitry and motor controlled.

Manual Satellite systems for motorhomes can be further broken down into fixed or tripod based, i.e. a fixed installation could be a through the roof system such as the Maxview CrankUp or Globesat systems, whereas the mobile versions could be a multimo or other dish affixed to a mast / ladder or freestanding tripod.

Which Satellite Dish ?

The dish is the aerial which collects the signal from the satellite. A dish is not always a dish however; it may be an unusual shape such as the Kathrein range, flattish or even hidden away inside a dome like the Camos systems. Furthermore, dishes on motorhomes or caravans come in a wide range of sizes from approx 40cm up to some huge >1m models. Portable satellite tv dishes vary from 30cm diameter to 85cm. Larger ones – 1M and more - are used in areas where the satellite signal is weak but are usually not practical unless you intend to stay in one place for a reasonable period of time and the sizes of these huge manual dishes requires a considerable amount of storage in your motorhome or caravan. Although the size of a satellite dish has the biggest effecton what you can receive, the location you are using it in has a large bearing, it is not simply a matter of “bigger is better”. The design of the dish and the L.N.B. (see below) also affect reception. Different channels are broadcast in different ways and may not be available where you are.

In order to work out exactly what size dish is preferential in order to receive a signal in a particular location, it’s necessary to look at a “satellite footprint map” such as those below, remembering that the dish size alone isn't the only variable that needs to be taken into consideration.

Note: These maps are provided by the satellite owners ASTRA – SES. Officially, the inner band is the area covered by a 50cm dish and the outer band the area covered by a 120cm dish. Iin reality, a 50cm dish will work well into the green band and an 85cm dish will usually reach the outer edge of the orange band. A 120cm + dish will pick up channels well outside the footprint.
For example, according to the footprint maps, even a 120cm dish would be unable to pick up ITV in Barcelona. In reality, a Globesat (85cm) will probably work and a 120cm dish will pick up ITV even further south. But, always bear in mind that weather, receiver used and other factors can influence reception.

Astra 2A South Beam Satellite Map 1

Astra 2A North Beam Satellite Map 2

Astra 2D Satellite Map 3

Satelllite Map 1 shows the footprint of the Astra 2A South beam satellite area which transmits Channel 5, Sky News, CNN and many more channels.

Satelllite Map 2 shows the footprint of the Astra 2A North beam satellite area in which it is possible to receive Channel 4, Sky One, Sky Sports, Sky Films and much more.

Satelllite Map 3 shows the footprint of the Astra 2D satellite area to which ITV and all BBC TV & radio programmes are broadcast. It is very restricted but, with the correct equipment, stations can be received over a much wider area than would appear to be the case.


All satellite dishes have a L.N.B. (Low Noise Block). The LNB is the part of the dish which receives the signal from the satellite. In the case of all domestic and some mobile satellite dishes, it’s the mushroom-like half dome object mounted on an arm and pointing towards the dish’s centre. The quality of the L.N.B. is vital for the reception of a strong, clear signal and a good L.N.B. attached to a small dish can be just as effective as a large dish with a less efficient L.N.B. Some dishes such as the Kathrein do not have visible LNBs and correspondingly have a flat surface.

For the sake of convenience both in use and when stowed away, the smaller the dish the better. Some satellite dishes have their L.N.B.s located behind the dish and this results in comparatively small dishes whilst retaining the reception characteristics of much larger ones. The Multimo & Globesat models are designed to be very efficient indeed and can be used in locations where a similar sized dish with a standard L.N.B. would not give good results.

The Multimo satellite dish although measuring only 40cm in diameter, has the equivalent performance of a conventional 55cm-60cm dish and enables reception of some U.K. stations as far south as the Algarve in Portugal and as far north as the Highlands of Scotland. Ireland would be covered and eastwards, Warsaw in Poland is within range. Outside this area, a larger dish would be necessary. This will allow reception as far away as North Africa, the far north of Scotland and eastwards into Russia. Some BBC & ITV programmes can be received over all of France and into Spain.

The Globesat satellite dish systems, Maxview Crank Ups & Kathrein models offer the convenience of a permanently mounted system but without the associated high price tag of a fully automatic model. These satellite systems are permanently installed on the roof of a vehicle but are raised manually from inside either by pole or a crank device. They are very easy to install and with a little practice they are also easy to use and will work well right down to the Algarve.
Setting these systems up is just a matter of a few minutes or less (once practiced) but, for the ultimate in convenience a fully automatic satellite system is ideal for motorhomes & caravans.


Satellite Dish Mounting Methods

A dish can be mounted either temporarily i.e. a tripod or base free standing model (Multimo) or Permanent mounting such as with the Globesat or the Kathrein.

A permanently mounted satellite dish is most convenient but, in some cases, not desirable or possible. Temporary mounting of a satellite dish can be achieved using a tripod stand fixed to the ground, a suction mount attached to a flat surface such as a roof, for example, or a bracket attached to a pole or ladder. These methods are very simple to use but even permanent mounting is well within the capabilities of any competent handyman.
The Multimo has a flat base and can simply sit on the ground or on a table. One useful feature of satellite transmissions is that the signal can pass through certain materials, including plain window glass and the kind of plastic that caravan windows are made of. Therefore, in areas where the signal is strong, a Multimo satellite dish can even sit on a table inside a vehicle or an awning bearing in mind line of sight to the satellite itself. The base can be removed if required and the dish attached to a tripod or pole using the clamp supplied.
The Maxview Crank up system is very popular due to its innovative system of operation whereby an internally mounted crank can lift the dish and turn it horizontally to the required azimuth position all whilst still inside the motorhome, useful in inclement weather.

All the satellite dishes we sell are completely weatherproof.

Digital receiver (Digibox)

One essential item which is needed to watch satellite TV is a receiver aka a Digibox. The SKY digibox is the best known in the U.K. and, if you want to receive ITV and Channels 4 & 5 or if you want to watch SKY’s subscription channels, you must use one, along with a subscriber viewing card.

There are many different makes of satellite digibox with all of them having essentially the same features and they all receive the signal from the dish, unscrambling it if necessary and then converting it into a form which a television can use. The receiver is connected by a co-axial cable to the dish (with maybe a satellite finding meter inline) and to the TV via a SCART or R.F. lead, both of which are usually supplied.

Most domestic receivers run on standard mains voltage of 230V and should run without problem from as small as a 150-watt inverter. Some digiboxes such as the Pace digibox can operate on 12v or 230v.

Viewing Cards - Subscriber or not

Many channels are free to air and no viewing cards are required to decode the channels, however some are transmitted in an encrypted form and require some form of translation as supplied by the card. The viewing card slots into the digibox and gives it permission to decrypt some or all of the channels being transmitted by the satellite. Without a viewing card, many channels are still available as listed http://www.lyngsat.com/astra2d.html shows the channels (Note refer to the colour key at the bottom to see which channels are transmitted in digital / clear)

If you decide that you have to have all the encrypted channels from back at home and need to be watching your favourite soaps such as Eastenders / Coronation Street, the contact Sky and start an account, they will then send you a viewing card. It must then be activated before it can be used.

How to Activate a Sky Viewing Card

To activate a sky viewing card: insert it then get the box and card details from the service menu: Services 4-5. The broadcaster needs to know the name, address, card number and box number and also the subscriber number for a subscriber card. The card should then be activated within a few hours but it should all be left connected and switched on until the card is working properly (Make sure you are on hookup or have sufficient battery power to remain connected and switched on !!)

When that’s been done, the card should have been programmed by SKY and be ready for use. The people at SKY will explain exactly what to do and how to do it.Note that using this viewing card outside the UK is considered to be a breach of contract so, if BskyB find out, they'll transmit a signal to disable your card.

Note: Every viewing card is matched to the digibox in which it is to be used. Cards can be moved from digibox to digibox but subscription channels will not be available and there is a chance that the card may be de-activated under certain circumstances (see above).

Receiver Power Requirements

If you want to use your standard home digibox in your motorhome or caravan or if you have a non 12v version digibox, you will need to run it from 230V: because a satellite receiver has a low power consumption a cheap low power 150W inverter is all that is necessary for powering it from 12V. The inverter can be simply plugged into a standard lighter socket.

Other satellite finding accessories

A sat finding compass is useful for checking the direction in which the dish must be pointed. You can also look around to see if you can spot either household dishes or other motorhome or caravan dishes that are deployed and see which direction they are pointing in.

As satellite transmissions operate on a very tight beam the satellite dish must be positioned absolutely precisely and, if it isn’t, you will not get a picture. With the help of a satfinder meter, the job takes only a few seconds. A satfinder is a small meter like device which, using some form of indicator (visual and sometimes audible), makes locating a satellite easy, reliable and quick. An additional advantage is that it’s not necessary to be able to see the screeen. The satfinder meter is connected inline between the dish and the receiver and should be disconnected when the satellite has been found.

Which Television

Any TV wil be ok to receive satellite transmissions. If you’re using a SKY digibox, any television of any size or type will do. For other receivers, you will probably need a TV with a SCART socket or Audio / Video inputs.

A word of caution:
If you go a Sky dealer and buy a satellite system for your home, you can get not only the “digibox” but also a dish and have the entire system installed and up and running for less than the price of a good night out. The “digibox” is heavily subsidised in the hope that you will use it for interactive services.
On the other hand, if you want to watch satellite TV only in your boat, caravan, motor home or truck and you don’t have a “digibox” which you can use, you will have to buy one at the market price. This is currently between approx. £200.00 - £300.00 depending on the model.
Some unscrupulous and dishonest companies advertise complete satellite TV systems for less than this including dish and “digibox”. These systems may have been designed for domestic installation and connection to a ‘phone line and may be being sold illegally. Because the distribution of “digiboxes” is carefully controlled – you must give your unit’s serial number when requesting a viewing card – you could encounter problems if your “digibox” ever failed to work correctly or if you needed to seek advice from the satellite programme provider. Furthermore, being intended for domestic use, the dishes supplied with these systems are designed for installation on a building, not a vehicle or boat.


Which satellite system should I buy ?
When first considering which satellite tv system to buy you have to firstly consider where you intend to use the system, i.e. will this be on UK shores or abroad, if using abroad then will this be just across the channel in sunny France or further South. Depending on where you intend to use the system will narrow down your choice of satellite dish size as larger dishes are required the further South you go.

You then need to consider the type of system i.e. Manual or Automatic.

For maximum convenience, a fully automatic unit is unbeatable. However, remember that you will always have to park your vehicle so that the dish has line of sight with the satellite. This may not always be possible. It may be worth investing in a seperate backup manual system after all, moving a dish and a tripod a few feet to avoid a tree is a lot easier than moving a motorhome backwards, forwards and sideways until the dish can “see” the satellite

For the cheapest setup with maximum flexibility, a manual, free-standing dish kit will do the job or the Multimo system, albeit with manual operation and setup regardless of weather !

If you want convenience and easier setup for a little more money then a through-the-roof type such as the Maxview Crankup or Globesat will suffice.

Maxview have a unique system called the Omnisat Semitronic marketed as a "semi automatic" satellite system which basically automatically raises the dish to the required elevation and then you manually turn the dish to the required azimuth

For unbeatable convenience and speed of deployment then a fully automatic system is the one to go for such as Camos or Alden automatic satellite systems.

For the ultimate in satellite tv convenience the fully automatic Camos In-Motion satellite system does it all, with some very in depth electronics it has the capacity to track the satellite on the move which allows you to watch the satellite channels whilst en route to your destination, this is obviously only for passengers in the rear of the motorhome and not the driver.

Can I watch TV in Spain / Italy / Greece / Portugal (Insert country far away here) ?

If you are thinking of watching watching BBC, ITV & Channel 4 in these type of countries then we would say that it would be highly unlikely you would get reception unless you have a dish of at least 1.5 metres and preferably 2 metres in diameter. You may hear other motorhomers and caravanners say they received these channels with a much smaller dish, but these stories can usually be taken with a pinch of salt unless extra-ordinary weather reception conditions took place.

Can I use my digibox from home?
If, when you signed up with SKY, you were given a subsidised “digibox”, you probably signed a contract requiring you to leave the “digibox” connected to a ‘phone line for at least 12 months. You are still free to buy a second “digibox” and take it away with you. However, when you’ve had a “digibox” connected to the ‘phone for 12 months, you are free to disconnect it and take it wherever you like.

Useful websites for information about satellite tv in a motorhome or caravan

http://www.lyngsat.com/ :: Excellent information portal on satellite channels and frequencies

www.bbc.co.uk/digital/tv/ :: BBC digital services

www.satcure.co.uk :: General Satellite TV Information website

http://www.ses-astra.com/backoffice/findAChannel_en/index.php :: specific info on which channels are broadcast using which footprint:

www.sky.com :: SKY Main website

www.free2view.tv :: SKY “Free2View” viewing cards:

www.freesatfromsky.co.uk :: SKY Freesat site

www.freeview.co.uk :: Generalised freeview information portal

A full range of manual and automatic satellite TV systems and accessories can be found on our website at www.outdoorbits.com

Motorhome & Caravan Satellite TV Systems Comparisons