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JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

In my new house, I decided against CATV. I pay the same stinkin' amount as a monthly Skyperfect satellite fee but with much crappier channels. So, the Skyperfect dude's coming in today to hook me up.

Anyway, here's my issue. Skyperfect is indeed PERFECT for about 90% of my TV watching EXCEPT for the fact that I need my NHK BS channels. Why? Because 1) I'm a huge sumo fan and I watch every tournament religiously... 2) I'm an (American) football fan and BS2 is the only way I can see the Superbowl (live, anyway), 3) there IS an occasional good movie that comes on BS1/2.

Well, I don't think I have too many options here, do I? I've been told that I need a BS satellite dish. Well, that's no biggie. They're fairly cheap.... But here's my question. Do I need to also buy a digital tuner for it? Or can I patch the sucker straight into my TV (built within the last 10 yrs or so), which is supposed to be BS-ready -- as it has BS buttons....

Footnotes:

1. Don't bother telling me about the stinkin' NHK collection dude.... I know all about it... I've gotten avoiding him down to an art form. Although, I read somewhere that if you have either CATV OR Skyperfect, you don't need to pay because those companies are required to pay it from their end, and your monthly CATV/Skyperfect bill already covers the NHK fee.... Can anyone comment?

2. Don't need to know about Bittorrent either. I can't get what I want with it.

Shonai Ben · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617

I have a BS satellite hooked directly to my tv,which is 10 years old and it works fine.No tuner needed but the tv was made for BS I guess...
I didn't buy the tv myself...it belonged to another teacher...
I don't pay NHK either.. Twisted Evil

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Yeah, I guess that's the answer I was looking for.... I would assume then that the BS satellite broadcasts both a digital AND an analog signal and my (and Shonai Ben's) TV has a built-in analog tuner......

Lovely. Now, anyone have any idea how to set the correct azimuth and elevation? Or a link to the info? (The NHK English website really sucks)...

Celeste · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:36 am Post subject:

We have both BS and Skyperfect, but the BS channels are from the building hookup. No extra tuner needed fo the BS stations- plugs right into the TV.(When it came time for us to hookup our skyperfect, we just looked out the window at all the other dishes hooked up to our building and pointed ours in roughly the same direction. We had it within 5 minutes. Don't know if you could do the same for a BS dish or not.)

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Celeste: I'd say you were darned lucky! Good for you though. I'm having the installer come, but mainly because the current signup promo includes free pro installation. I ain't gonna complain about that too much.

Also, I got my Sony tuner on sale at Kojima. Regular price 24,000 yen but they:re blowing em' out for just under 10,000.

Anyway, I just finished answering my own question. So for whoever is interested......

The BSAT 1A/2A N=Sat 110 (110.0 degrees E = 250 degrees W) satellite (NHK) is sitting at:

Azimuth angle: 223.07 degrees
Elevation angle: 38.79 degrees
LNB tilt (skew): 33.70 degrees

This is for location: LAT 35.65 N LONG 138.583 EAST

More fun stuff:

Distance to satellite: 37877.48 km
signal delay: 252.52 ms (uplink + downlink)

All this info is taken from http://www.satlex.de

You can get exact tuning coordinates for virtually any satellite orbitting the earth, belonging to any country. Fun stuff!

spidey · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:06 am Post subject:

...since the dude is coming to your house to hook up your Skyperfect, just ask him if he might be able to help or give some advice as to how to hook up your BS tuner. I have no doubt that it is a very simple proceedure.

Skyperfect viewer

S

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

High Spidey,

What's your favorite program?

SkyPerfect victim,
s

(Sorry about the jack JD.)

spidey · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:08 pm Post subject:

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Sweetsee: n/p

I sweated for about an hour last night trying to get the BS dish to work. NO luck whatsoever. Maybe the numbers for azimuth I got from the website are bogus -- I'll check them again.

I thought BS was supposed to be a lot easier to find in the sky than Skyperfect, due to a wider beam. I guess I gotta try again tonight.

When I asked the Skyperfect installer, he was absolutely no help. He just rattled off 5-minutes'-worth of incomprehensible Japanese and that was it!

/frustrated

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Hi JD,

I assume you are trying that with a partner, right?

Good luck,
s

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Spidey my man,

No brainer there, eh?
You didn't ask but I get a kick out of Discovery's "Faking It".

Ayyyyttt,
s

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan