Camping Newbies - Sky TV?

[ChrisGTL]

We did our first camping weekend over the bank holiday to a lovely place in North Yorks called Giggleswick - all went very well indeed.

Now, we are planning on a full week to either south wales (tenby area) or devon somewhere next week and I have been thinking about a portable sky setup for when we are eating tea or lying in bed on a night.

We already have a spare sky box which I presume will still work with our current sky card?

Now, saterllites.......is there any particular one we should get? All the ones I see mention things like 'hotbird' 'Astra' etc etc.......I presume this is for different freesat packages?

Which one do we need to get if we want to receive sky sports/movies on our spare sky box with sky card?

Also, are these things easy to setup? Do I need a saterllite finder or can I use an app or something on my phone for direction guidance?

Cheers,
Chris

 

[ChrisGTL]

You could just like ....enjoy the quietness?

There is always one who has to bump his post count just for the sake of it. Didn't want your personal opinion on what I should or shouldn't be doing, just wanted some tips on the question I posted.

 

[ChrisGTL]

This, as much as I love tech, if you go camping you should enjoy the company of others and just chill. However you probably do not care what we think, I found this site and you can pick what tripod etc, or for a cheap n cheerful one go on the bay.

That is a great guide. everything makes sense now. cheers.

LOL @ everyone else -- go buy some new heatspreaders for your RAM and take time off thinking too much.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Jeepers!!

Looks like I've really upset some of you.

Let me paint a picture for you; If I wanted a caravan I would have got a caravan, and what % of caravans have a TV (damn they even put aerials on caravans as standard). Look at caravan/camping sites - electrical hookups and TV points. Must be loads of other 'dumb' people like me going to these sites, unless their just catering for me.

Caravan vs tent - well a caravan is just like a small home in a different location (hotel anyone?). Tenting is proper outdoors, and when you have walked further than you have ever done before it is nice to sometimes just come back and cool down in front of some sport on TV. Likewise when the otherhalf (some of you may need to lookup 'relationship') is taking yonks having shower/drying/straightening hair it is also nice just to catch up with the news on TV for an hour before setting off out for tea etc.

Believe me we don't go away to watch TV as some of you suggest - hell I bet 90% of you would take your PC so you can get that well needed pistol upgrade before your nocturnal friend does.

Quink - I don't think you would insert anything to anyone tbh. Sorry, that's just my opinion.

 

[ChrisGTL]

I love how you lot always know best - presume presume presume.

Did I ever say we just go to camp sites with electric? Does it depend on if we have kiddies with us and want the outdoors without the 'no bogs and showers' so they can wash properly after getting filthy.

Some of you should take your own advice - get out more and stop worrying about what other people are doing. Everyone likes different things, learn to accept that, live with it, nobody cares about keyboard warriors.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Why would you ask us if we didn't know best?

I asked about a sky set up that will connect to our existing spare sky box. Not a lecture about the what is 'camping and what is not camping'.

 

[ChrisGTL]

But please remember to respect those around you. Tent's don't contain sound.. at all. So turn your TV off when it goes dark (or use headphones).

Please could you explain the difference between having a TV on just loud enough so you can hear it and a full-blown conversation with beer involved where every other word is **** ****Conversations between drunken parties get louder and louder and louder until finally they **** the whole field off never mind just the people next door.

Back to the subject; portable sky dish/stand ordered so you crazy anti-tent-entertainment folks can blow another fuse or two now.

Please fully star out swear words! - w3bbo

 

[ChrisGTL]

But this is GD. You have 400+ posts so surely you knew what to expect. Getting all stressy just fans the campfire (or the electically powered log effect fire that you probably take with you)

To be fair I wasn't expecting more than two replies as I didn't think there would be a big 'outdoors' following on here. On the other hand I thought plenty of people would know about the sky set up question with it being techy stuff.

I'm far from stressy, I'm sat ordering bits and pieces for my next holiday in a week. Infact the only stress right now is deciding south Wales or south UK.

On reflection I feel this thread has been quite useful for some; it has given the opportunity to increase ones post count and thus achieving ones daily targets.

 

[ChrisGTL]

I second the idea of sleeping bags in your front room. You could bring an electric heater as a camp fire and some pot plants for that natural vibe.

Ahhhh yeaaah.

On a serious note, if you need a hand, I'd be willing to help you run some cable from the nearest box to your tent. We could think about solar panels and keyless entry to the tent as well. Maybe even build the tent of bricks!

We do actually already have a electric heater......and a kettle.....and phone chargers........and coolbox (that plugs in!!).......and loads of other little things with plugs on the end. I shall be having a word with our local camping shop though - they sold me a camping kettle and now I know there is ban on electric while camping I shall let this be known.

You lot are funny. Bless u.

On a more serious note; you guys have something great to look forward to soon. A new range of computer hardware is coming out that will do everything your current hardware will do only a tiny bit faster at the cost of a couple hundred quid but it will revolutionise your lives in a way you could never imagine.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Anyway, your campsite will have a blanket "no noise after 10pm" (or similar) rule. I was just trying to gently remind you that includes TVs. No need to get your knickers in a twist.

Thanks for the reminder. Good job you did - learning to read was so over-rated. I don't tend to wear knickers if I'm coming on here - they only get in the way of you lot dry ******* me while you dictate and preach the rights and wrongs of this world.

Please fully star out swear words! - w3bbo

 

[ChrisGTL]

You mean you take an electric heater, an electric kettle and phone chargers with you when you go camping?

No!! Why you ask? Ooops did I give the game away?

 

[ChrisGTL]

The other big issue with all this Sky equipment in a tent is every time you want to do something...

"Ready for our walk?"

"No, I've just got to pack the TV, Sky Box, Satellite, Power and Cables back into the car".


5 hours later, back from walk....

"I want to watch X-Factor..."

"Errr, hang on, I need to unpack all the equipment and set it up again."


40 minutes later...

'What's taking so long?"

"I can't get the satellite realigned again!"

"I'm MISSING X-FACTOR!!!!!"

Can someone tell me when X-Factor became sport or news?

At least read above if you are going to join in.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Erm, OK.

Well that 'couple of hundred quid' won't be spent on me sitting in a tent in the ****ing rain watching 'a bit of TV' before bed.

Exactly, good point made. But least you can walk with chin high at your 35Mhz faster GPU (and not forgetting your extra 3fps).

 

[ChrisGTL]

An electric camping kettle, why is that different to, well, a kettle kettle?
These camping shops must make a fortune selling stuff like this to odd people.

My camping kettle is a mess tin, cost about 50p and serves as my kettle, cooking pan, frying pan, plate, and water gathering utensile (or as you may know it, a camping tap)

Smaller, generally cheaper to manufacture. Look dated and well, a bit rubbish. But they boil water.

I think we are getting the terms 'family camping around the sea-side' and 'duke of Edinburgh camping survival award' mixed up.

I'm surprised you don't live off wild berries and fish eyes instead of using FRYING PANS and PLATES which you would find at HOME!

Jeeesh, you might aswell just stay at home.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Out of curiosity, would you even get a decent enough signal for Sky?
I have visions of you needing a dish the size of Jodrell Bank.

According to that link on the 1st page a 40cm dish is good enough for UK, Northern France, and parts of Scotland.

I would have thought a dish pointing to the sky from the ground is just the same as a dish pointing to the sky from a house.

Incredible logic I used there wouldn't you agree?

Oh hang on, what about all those great big obstructions you find in the countryside. Yes, maybe I will need a dish the size of Jodrell Bank.

 

[ChrisGTL]

OP camping:

LOL. Our tent is much bigger. So maybe we can house a bigger dish.

Or.....just put our tent in this....??

 

[ChrisGTL]

Satellite dish? lolwut!

Any iPad 3G, or Smartphone, or Laptop with 3G dongle with TVCatchup and/or SkyGo. Job done.

Not sure what the coverage is going to be like for 3G, but yes this would be ideal if the signal was strong enough. The data connection to my phone was almost zero at the last campsite.

40cm dishes really arn't that big - infact our fisbee is bigger. And as the telescope is going it can be mounted to the tripod.