FTA Receivers for Nagra 3

A common question these day is "Should I buy another FTA receiver with the implementation of Nagra 3?" Right now it is best to just hold on to your current receiver.

FTA makers will probably have to release a new flash update when the time comes. Another possible problem might be that future bins will be larger, so memory in FTA receivers might have to be larger. Right now the best thing to do is just wait. If you a true FTA user you can just continue viewing your true FTA channels and not have to worry.

BEV Changes Encryption to N3

The BEV satellites have switched encryption from Nagra 2 to Nagra 3. What this means is they are replacing the cards for receivers.

As previously posted, for a true FTA satellite check out http://www.lyngsat.com/galaxy18.html among other sats.

True FTA Satellites in North America

True FTA Satellites in North America.

So you have your receiver and a dish. Now what satellites can you aim for and receive channels? Well lets look at North American satellites since that is where I am from and have some experience with these.

First, we can head over to Lyngsat to find a satellite or two. In the middle of the page,we see Frequencies,Packages,and SatTracker. Let's click on America.

Now we can see all coordinates and satellie names like Galaxy,DirecTV,Dish,AMC,etc.
We want the true FTA Channels. So lets start with Galaxy 18 Satellite.

Now what we are really looking for are true free channels. So what we want to look at is the column that reads "encryption. It would be the fifth column over that says video encryption. We then look for the F symbol which appropriately stands for FREE!!!

Scrolling about 2/3 down the page we can see the broadcast stations that are free.

This is a very popular satellite in the FTA community. Once you get tuned in, sit back and watch your free tv. Who needs cable or a satellite subscription.

Galaxy 14 and 13 also have some free channels among others. Just click your browser back to the sat listings and browse until you find satellites that have programming you like. Be sure to look for the "F" sign though. You don't want the encrypted ones.

How to find satellite coordinates

Finding satellites

When you set up your dish and receiver you will need to know what satellites are available and have a good idea of where they are located. One good resource is Lyngsat.

Here you can click your appropriate area from around the globe. North America,South America,Asia,Europe,etc.

Then you can view available satellites and what is listed on those satellites. Please note that encrypted satellites will not usually list their channell details.
True FTA Satellites will have channels listed.

In time, satellites due change their channel lineups and change what channels are on different transponders. So, it is a good idea to review the satellite list on Lyngsat from time to time. One way to know when to review the satellite list is if you start losing a favorite channel or channels.

Here in North America, popular satellites include Galaxy 25 among others.