Cyprus-Forum.com

[LRmech]

I'm looking to get a 2.7 or 2.8 m dish.But I see so many different prices and get so much "blurb" about our dish is better than so n so's. Our back up service is better, blah blah, yawn...

Does it really matter what make it is and how thick it is etc etc ? I suspect that these guys are just trying to rip me off with added costs.

[Svetlana]

Hi LRMan

If you want the full range of SKY services you will need a minimum of a 2.7m dish, rising to 3m in Protaras! Then choose a SKY or SKY+ box, if you do not already have one and the company will take out the subscription in the UK for you, if you do not have a UK address once you have moved over.

I have paid top dollar but the company I deal with are excellent; after sales service is important after the severe winter winds we have here move your dish etc.

I suggest you talk to a few and just get a feel who is most technically aware/ will provide good after sales service.

Lana

[voyou]

Hi Lana.. can you give me/us the details of this company?

I have been going thru the same thing lately.

Thanks Dave

[devil]

The size of the dish does not necessarily reflect on its quality. In fact, by the time you talk about 2.5 m and upwards, you could run into severe quality problems. If it is fashioned from thin aluminium without reinforcements, it may flex in the wind, causing picture break-up. Then the arm holding the LNB has to be more rigid because there is less mechanical tolerance in the focus position than with a smaller dish. Finally, bearing in mind that the whole dish would make a damn good sail, the mounting must be VERY rigid. It therefore is worthwhile paying a premium price for the dish provided that it is justified by a sound mechanical construction. Unfortunately, there are many, many cowboys in this business in Cyprus. Examples in my experience:

1. Digital receiver packed up a couple of years ago after ~18 months: supplier full of regrets stated that the importer had gone bankrupt and no one took his place. He offered a replacement bottom-of-the-range one at £500. As I was going to Switzerland that week, I bought a much better model there for CHF 240 = <£100.

2. Problem (different bloke): poor picture intermittently: he claimed it was the LNB. The "new" one was clearly second hand. Nice business, swapping round everybody's LNBs for £40 a go. As the pic was no better, I insisted he came back and replaced the old one and refunded my money. Several days of argument and threats of action for fraud before he did so.

3. Same problem: new bloke: he said it was clearly the LNB and he put in a new (checked) high gain one, excellent service, but I asked him whether a tree could not be the cause, with the wind blowing across the line-of-sight. As the tree was ~25 m away, he said he doubted it but if it was no better, then he could come back and move the dish. £35. I phoned him 3 days later and told him that I was now convinced it was the tree and he replied there was no way he could shift it in under 3 weeks and he would charge £100 for the work. I found this unacceptable.

I bought 4 new anchors, shifted the antenna myself 15 m away and fixed it, all in 20 minutes. As I didn't have any instrument for adjustment, I carted the receiver and a portable TV to beside the antenna and adjusted the alignment vertically an horizontally for optimum: 15 minutes at the outside. As the coax cable run from the Rx to the LNB was now shorter, I cut the cable and put back the connector and taped it up: 5 minutes. It therefore took me a total of 40 minutes without the proper equipment and this cowboy was wanting £100 to do the job.

Anyone know who else can charge £150/hour for his work?

Beware of cowboys (I'm not saying there are not any serious installers).

[Svetlana]

Hi voyou

www.4bigtv.com based in Larnaca I think but operate all over the RoC.

Lana

[Sotos]

You people have so many problems with your dish because you want to get Sky? Or even with Nova such problems exist? I am asking because I am still thinking if I should get Nova Cyprus or Mivision