I just took delivery of my new Humax Fox 1tr Freesat box and its brilliant. Its so easy to set up and I can still get Sky news which is nice.
I hesitated on this for a while thinking it wouldnt replace Sky but it does, obviously depending on your choice of viewing, but at 0 monthly cost, I am very pleased.

Indeed I am contemplating replacing Cablecom with Freesat HD+

Anyone know if the signal can pass through mountains?

http://www.dishpointer.com/

Indeed, there is no need to pay for Sky unless you really want the sports that you can't get anywhere else (cricket, rugby).

Their latest TV shows are only a few months ahead compared to the free channels.

Hi,

Sorry to ask this on your thread but i have recently set up a freesat Box and dish but Most of the channels say scrambled? For example itv and Channel 4 are all picked up as scrambled we are located in Davos. All advice welcome.

Your location will make no difference, as long as you can receive the correct satellite - Astra 28.2. The Freesat EPG (electronic programme guide) will not receive scrammbles channels, only the ones it can. These include all the BBCs and ITVs incuding HD. And channel 4, in HD if you want it. Is it really Freesat you have??

when our signal is really weak on freesat our reciever says its scrambled, check your signal strenght and quality. less then 85% strenght and 60% quality and you`ll have issues

How do you get Sky News on Freesat - I don't and it is nor listed on the website !

I found the Samsung Freesat HD+ box on Amazon for £165 delivered. I anticipate freezing my ass off in the new year putting up a dish and getting it running. Actually, I'll most likely pay someone to get cold for me......given the weather now!

its not on freesat, but it is on the same sat, just retune your box and pick up all channels and it should appear

Yes, but outside the Freesat EPG and a palaver to get to Sky News and back...

You need to put the box into non-Freesat mode through the main setup menu.

As long as you have set it up to tune to all channels, you'll find Sky News and several other non-Freesat channels there (although a lot are encrypted).

Be aware that while using your box in non-Freesat mode, any scheduled Freesat recordings that you've set up will not start (99% sure on this, but worth doublechecking).

Take a look at the Freesat sub-forum over on DigitalSpy for detailed info, there are a lot of knowledgeable people on there.

hi,

Yes its a freesat box 'Tristar' brand and we paid someone to make sure we got the Astra satelite. Signal strength seems oK but I will check it again. I rang technical support for Tristar and they said maybe its the box. What is strange is I get BBC 1 (various regional options) and ITV 1 HD and BBC news and Sky news no problem, its all the others - Channel 4, all the other ITVs and BBC channells that say scrambled. The man who installed it said we need a bigger dish and wanted to sell me one for over Swf 300 and then charge again to install it!

Thanks for all the advice!

Thanks for your advice too - will check strength and quality!

depends on where you are, our place had an 80cm dish and we couldn't pick up freesat at all, we went to a 95cm dish and we just about pick it up and lose it in bad weather, zurich etc it right on the limit of freesats range.
a decent LNB also helps

Does Freesat have any different range than the rest of Astra 28.2°?? Would Davos or Zurich make any perceptual difference in signal strength? It could be argued that at 1500m high, Davos is actually nearer the satellite.

We received Astra 28.2 for a number of years on a 60cm dish in Thalwil (ZH). Only problem were summer thunderstorms. Changed to an 80cm when we moved (still canton Zurich). This made finding the satellite easier and it is now rare to lose the signal even in a thunderstorm...

Do you think it would be better just to try and get sky instead ie apply for card etc. Is the signal stronger?

High would a signal booster help do you think? We have the satelite in Davos not Zurich but I checked the footprint and it seems to cover switzerland but maybe I am looking at wrong map

a bigger dish helps

It's the same satellite so no, the signal is not stronger. You need a bigger dish.