Frequently Asked Questions

Caravan Satellite Systems

Q: How much power does the satellite system draw?

A: Approximately 30 Watts. At 240V it draws 0.125A. At 12V it draws 3A. For people operating solely off battery power, we have the Strong 4664x which can operate on a 12 volt cigarette plug. For customers using the government approved Altech UEC HD satellite receiver we recommend using the 150W can inverter.

Q: What sort of picture and sound quality can I expect from satellite television?

A: Because satellite broadcasts are digital, the quality of the picture is perfect . Unlike standard analogue television reception, there are no variations in picture quality – the picture is either there and is perfect DVD-HD quality, or it isn’t there at all; there are no “in-betweens”.

Q: What channels will I receive with the satellite system?

A: There are currently two satellite systems available on the optus C1 satellite for Australian free to air television .

The OPTUS AURORA SYSTEM has been running for over 15 years but is expected to be shut down in 2013 due to the new government funded VAST satellite system. It has 60 radio channels and 17 TV channels broadcast on the Aurora platform. They are: 7, 9 and 10 commercial networks via their regional affiliates GWN and WIN (in WA) and Imparja and Seven Central (east of the WA border), ABC1 (there are 5 ABC1 channels broadcast from the different states and time-zones around Australia), and SBS1 (there are 4 SBS’s broadcasting from different time-zones). There is also Westlink, NITV (Nation Indigenous TV) and the Al-Jazeera channel in english. In addition to these there are a large number of radio stations (over 50) that are available through the satellite. All these channels are “conditional access” meaning they are encrypted and require an OPTUS AURORA ACCESS CARD to view them. This card must be registered with Optus aurora – the location of the registration will determine which commercial channels you will receive. All 5 ABC’s, 4 SBS, Westlink, NITV and Al Jazeera channels can be viewed anywhere in Australia regardless of which address you register you card too. In regional WA, GWN and WIN can also be viewed once activated for rural WA. For regional areas east of WA you are entitled to view IMPARJA and Seven Central instead once activated to a rural address. To find out whether your location falls within the authorised service area for Imparja and Seven Central you can visit the following website: www.imparja.com.au/service.htm

The new government funded satellite system is called V.A.S.T – Viewer Access Satellite Television. Aimed at providing perfect digital reception to people in blackspot and rural areas. At the moment the only way to pick up the VAST system is with the Altech UEC High Definition Satellite decoder, which comes with the smart card (access card) built in.

The VAST system has 81 digital channels including many High Definition channels. The VAST satellite decoder has a proper digital connection to the TV also, called a HDMI connection. This provides the highest quality picture that is possible.

-ABC1,2,3,4, 24HoursNewsHD for every state/territory
-SBS 1,2,HD for every state and territory

If the smart card is registered to Western Australian as a traveller or rural WA resident
-GWN , Win and Ten West will be available
-One HD, Eleven, 7Two, 7Mate, 9Go, 9GEM will be available very shortly

For East Coast viewers
If the smart card is registered to the East Coast as a traveller or rural East Coast resident
-Imparja , 7 Central HD, NBN , Prime, Win will be available
-One HD, Eleven, 7Two, 7Mate, 9Go, 9GEM is already available

For people in blackspot areas, customers will have to fill out the B58 application on the www.acma.gov.au website.

There are no ongoing costs when using these services as they are both free to air services. The new VAST satellite system is completely government funded.

Q: Where is the best place to mount my satellite dish?

A: You will need to place your dish in a location that has a clear view to the satellite. Some people choose to mount their dish directly to a pole on the roof (we have professional roof mounts for houses available) or A-frame of the caravan. It is really up to you. The main points you need to consider when mounting a dish are: ease of access to the dish (you don’t want to be clambering around trying to align a dish that’s in a difficult position to reach); stability of the pole or mounting bracket – unlike a terrestrial antenna pole, a satellite mount needs to be stable – if it moves a lot you may experience signal drop-out ; location – consider trees or structures that might block the direct line of sight to the satellite. When you are situated in bushland you can use our portable tripod mount and long length of cable to position your dish in a clearer area.

Remote Access Satellite Television for Caravans, Motorhomes & Houses

For caravan and motor-home enthusiasts travelling throughout Australia, or for anyone residing for longer periods in remote areas of the country, receiving quality television reception can often prove to be extremely difficult. There are many features that can influence standard terrestrial reception, such as weather patterns, proximity to local transmitters and topography and, despite the promises made by some suppliers, most terrestrial antennas fail to deliver in marginal areas.  Satellite broadcasts on the other hand, suffer none of there restrictions, and provide digital quality television and radio reception to all corners of the country. For this reason satellite television systems are becoming more and more popular with people heading out bush and off-road. Once you have experienced the picture and sound quality of HD digital satellite transmission it is difficult to accept anything less.

Since the launch of the new C1 satellite in 2003 reception of regional free-to-air stations is possible throughout Australia on a 65-75cm dish. Formerly bigger dish sizes were required in some areas. What this means is that satellite TV is now available to ANYONE ANYWHERE and not only is the equipment more compact and easier to transport, but the cost is also far, far cheaper.

These systems are easy to self-install – once you’ve done it the first time you will find it quite simple given a bit of DIY spirit and the ability to read instructions. All of our kits come complete with set-up instructions, instructional DVD and pointing coordinates to help make the job easier.

I have purchased a VAST satellite decoder and I have existing equipment previously purchased elsewhere – it says searching for signal – What is wrong ?

For customers that have existing satellite equipment bought elsewhere and it is not working – dont worry we will guide you through everything in some simple easy instructions.
If you have an existing Foxtel or Austar dish that is less than 5 years old – the satellite decoder will simply plug and play as your LNB should be 10700 , which is what the VAST decoder is preset
too.

The LNB, which some people call it the “white thing on the end of the dish”. It basically is an aerial/antenna which picks up the signal from the dish and sends it down the cable.

There are three main settings which are used for small satellite dishes in Australia (Ku-Band)

1. LO: 10700 LNB – commonly used by Foxtel and majority of other satellite services in Australia
2. LO: 11300 LNB – not as common
3. Universal LNB – not as common

If you have a 11300 LNB please follow the instructions.

Press the MENU button on the remote control
Select <5> ADVANCED OPTIONS
Select <2> INSTALLATION SETUP and then press OK button
The PIN code is 1234 which needs to be entered on the remote control
Select <2> LNB SETUP
Change <5> LNB FREQUENCY from 10700 to 11300 (use the left arrow on remote control to delete the exisiting numbers)
Select ACCEPT SETTINGS and then press OK button
Press the EXIT button on the remote, it will now say the settings have been changed and would you like to RESCAN THE CHANNELS – Press OK
It will then SCAN the channels into the box – if the LNB is an 11300 LNB it will then say SIGNAL FOUND and scan all 81 channels into the box

If you are using an 11300 LNB you may lose some channels in the future as the 11.721GHZ TRANSPONDER is out of range for an 11300 LNB to pickup.
You can purchase a 10700 Single output LNB for as cheap as $30, 10700 Sharp dual output LNB for $45 (Foxtel Approved), or 10700 Sharp Quad output LNB for $49.

LAPTOPS

What is the warranty on refurbished laptops and can additional warranty be purchased

The warranty on refurbished laptops is 3 months. Some refurbished laptops will have a 12 month warranty. Please ask when making your purchase.

If the laptop is under $1000, a 3 year warranty certificate can be purchased. The cost is $60.

If the laptop is under $2500, a 3 year warranty certificate can be purchased. The cost is $80. Warranty is covered at any authorised repair centre worldwide.

If you are situated in Perth we are more than happy to conduct the repairs ourselves – usually with a 24-48 hour turn around for most standard repairs.

What is the difference between refurbished/recertified and brand new – have the refurbished laptops been used before , how bad is the condition ?

When the refurbishment process is executed in compliance with the highest standards, careful attention is given to the interior and exterior of the equipment. During this process, the equipment is subjected to strict testing to guarantee it meets all original manufacturing specifications. A complete check is generally conducted for full operation of the equipment, typically including preventative maintenance and calibration.

Buying refurbished can be better than buying new because flaws have been found and fixed by the manufacturer, once it is deemed to be complete and in good working order it is repackaged to be sold at a lower price as refurbished.

Refurbished laptops have been returned back to the manufacturer within 5-7 days of purchase. A lot of time suppliers send them back DOA (dead on arrival) to get a credit – maybe they ordered to many or possibly a new model just got released. Refurbished laptops come in three different grades, A , B and C grade. We do not deal with B and C grade refurbished laptops as there is evident signs of use.
A Grade laptops on the other hand look immaculately brand new with no signs of wear and tear.

Recertified Laptops

Recertified usually means the product was returned within 7 days, unused for various reasons such as shipping error or incomplete transaction(not accepted on delivery). The manufacturer inspects for damage and missing items and offers them as recertified.

Although recertified laptops will look virtually “like new” the warranty period may not be as long compared to a new one. There are times where resellers may used recertified and refurbished interchangeably, either way these laptops should have been tested by the manufacturer more thoroughly than a brand new one to be labelled this way.

Refurbished equipment represents a higher quality product that saves approximately 30-50% or more in comparison to new equipment in most cases. You can still buy a high quality brand name laptop at only a fraction of the cost if you consider buying refurbished laptop.

BEWARE TO AUSTRALIAN BUYERS BUYING LAPTOPS ONLINE IN AUCTIONS – PLEASE READ BELOW

There is still many people selling laptops on ebay as “Brand New” that are actually refurbished. We have been aware of there operations for over 2 years now. They remove the refurbished stickers of laptop, change the serial number and perform other modifications to hide the fact it was A Grade Refurbished. The reality is, you wouldnt know the difference between new and refurbished unless we told you. If you are really concerned about the warranty then purchase the additional 3 year warranty.