HIGH TECH HILLBILLY CABLE SYSTEMS
from Global Communications (Mike and Laurel Kohl)
Telephone (608) 546-2523 Fax (608) 546-2157

HIGH TECH HILLBILLY CABLE SYSTEMS. Say this phrase as fast as you can while thinking about what it might be describing. Hillbilly is a description sometimes given to things originating out in the country, where making do with what you have is a way of life. Mix that idea with the words High Tech and Cable Systems and you might be accurate to say there is some contradiction going on. But not really. The original big-dish satellite systems were first popular in places like the hills of Arkansas and Missouri, where there was little if any reliable television reception 25 years ago. All things go in cycles, and what was once before can be now again. Those around in the early days will remember the variety of programming available free of charge before HBO first scrambled their signals in 1986. Free movie channels have long since vanished, and many of those early dishes have become lawn ornaments. DirecTV entered the landscape in mid 1994, followed by DISH Network in 1996. People have been trained into paying for TV, and the monthly bills are escalating ever upward. Most cable & satellite subscribers are paying big dollars and not really watching that many channels. As many other things in life, it has become too complicated (and some dare say "civilized"). About the same time that DISH Network appeared on the scene, a quiet revolution was starting. It involved a few dozen channels that began to appear in a new transmitting format called MPEG-2 Digital. In North America, the first adopters of this technology were foreign language channels trying to help their expatriates now working in America reconnect with home. Most of these channels were government or ad-supported, and many are still on the air today transmitting both television and radio programming free of charge to a worldwide audience. There are also many more subscription options, but the tendency is for more of both types to appear as the months pass by. Free channels are known as FTA digital, or Free-to-Air Digital format.

There is very little logic as to the number and type of FTA channels now available on various satellites. Many transmit to a very small audience that is finally economical to serve, thanks to the lower transmission costs of digital formats. Some channels are up there as internal feeds to normally be received by broadcasters and private organizations. Since none of these channels are using a subscription mode, there is no control of who watches them, and also no recourse if they decide to encode their signals or go off the air without notice. If you are not paying for something, nobody will listen to your complaints if it suddenly becomes unavailable. But the overall tendency is for more and more channels of all interests to go on the air, and while many of these channels do not compare to the typical "Cable" fare, there is enough variety to suit a considerable number of people. And the price is right.

Click on this link to PROGRAMMING to get an idea of what channels are available in the Free-To-Air MPEG-2 digital format, and what it takes in hardware to receive the satellite delivering those channels. Unless you have a large (8 to 10 foot) C-Band or C/Ku-Band big dish system already in place, it may be much more cost-effective to pick a few groups of channels and install several non-moving (fixed) dishes to receive just the satellites in question. Each separate satellite antenna can be wired into an electronic switch, and the signals in turn are cabled to a digital receiver, which can be programmed to automatically receive all channels available on those particular satellites. Most Ku-band satellites use a 30 or 36 inch (that's 75 or 90 cm in metric) solid offset dish. DBS satellites can use a smaller 18 or 24 inch (45 or 60 cm) solid antenna. Many individual C-band satellites can get away with 6 to 8 foot diameter antennas, which can be mesh or solid type. It is suggested to use the larger size recommended, especially on Ku-band and DBS-band, because smaller sizes are often not enough to collect adequate signals during bad weather. A little extra antenna can go a long way towards having a very reliable system which experiences few if any weather related outages. If you have an orphan big dish from the old days, it may be put to constructive use even in this day and age, for instant access to one C-band satellite. As the masses get away from the use of large satellite antennas, it is becoming increasing difficult to find spare parts for some functions, so it is often a good idea to simply park a dish on one satellite, and lock it in place. No motor drive to maintain or thaw in cold weather. Replacing a large dish for C-band with a new antenna may be more than you want to spend, so if you can find a neighbor that appears to not be using their big dish, offer to remove it free of charge. This can give you access to more signals with little expense, and many people are quite thrilled to have antennas no longer being used disappear from view. Believe it or not, the going rate in California paid by realtors wanting to speed up a real estate transaction that may be having problems with the aesthetic appearance of a "big ugly dish" can approach $300. The idea of getting a large dish for little or nothing and removing it from a property is a win-win situation for all parties, so if the opportunity exists, go for it!

What are the most popular systems? Other than single satellite systems such as 30 and 36 inch dishes pointed at Ku-band satellites GALAXY 25 and GALAXY 10-R at 97 and 123 West orbital positions) for foreign language programming, we see much interest in the great number of audio channels found on DBS satellite at 119 West and other Ku-band locations. Mixing and matching the dishes in combinations to deliver the channels you want can be done by either sending us an Email at globalcm@mhtc.net

DIGITAL SATELLITE SIGNALS NO SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED		One or more small dishes required (Picture below illustrates concept) Actual Installation May Differ From As Shown
	U.S. Network Television TV and Radio from around the World Commercial-Free Music Channels Reception at Left: Spare DBS Dish -plus- 119 DBS for audio 87 AMC 3 Ku-Band 97 Galaxy 25 Ku-Band 123 Galaxy 10R Ku-Band Custom Gravity Mount Built by Welding to Tractor Wheels	An Explanation (Read Below)