Free To Air (FTA) FAQ's

Q: What is Free to Air or FTA?
A: Free-To-Air has many benefits over other satellite systems. Free to Air can be difficult to understand (or believe!) for FTA Newbies. Free to air systems allow you to get TV for free! There are over 3000 free-to-air TV and radio channels available world-wide, many of which are foreign language channels. Many people enjoy watching programs from their home country. This is all possible with FTA. Read more about FTA.

Q: Which FTA receiver should I buy?
A: FTA receivers can be compared to cars. There a lot of different models, most of which perform basic functions the same way. There are lots of opinions about which one is best, but very few people have significant experience with more than one or two models. If you're just getting started, I'd suggest that you make sure your first receiver has blind scanning to help you find channels. Even if you don't have a motor you may feel like adding one later, so it is generally a good idea to make sure your receiver can drive one. Then you can decide which cool features you want and how much you would like to spend. Shop around and decide which is best for you.

Q: What's a C-band channel?
A: A C-band channel is a channel that uses the frequencies that used to be the only ones around for satellites. These signals are weaker, so you need the huge (6-foot or larger) dishes to receive them. They work well but they are more complicated to set up and they're restricted from more areas.

Q: What size of dish do I need for the Free to Air channels?
A: You will need a 6 - 10 ft dish for the C-band signal channels and a 30 inch dish and up for KU-band channels.

Q: How difficult is it to install these systems?
A: Installing the system yourself should not be that difficult, even for FTA Newbies. If you log on to a FTA forum you can post your inquiry there for others help and may find a few other posts that address your inquiry.

Q: How do I find the satellite?
A: The satellite you want to use will be determined by the programming you want to view. You can locate your satellite/programming through a FTA website and angle your dish to that satellite.

Q: How do I peak / point my dish?
A: For this purpose it is recommended that you buy a signal meter or have a professional installer do the work for you.

Q: Do you guarantee that these channels will remain free?
A: Like everyone else we cannot guarantee "free channels." As long as these channels stay free you will receive them in the clear (non scrambled).

Q: What do I need if I want two receivers?
A: You will need a dual LNBF. This will usually be a direct replacement for your existing LNBF. From the dual LNBF you will need to run a second coax to your second receiver.

Q: What do I need if I want more than two receivers?
A: You will need the dual LNBF as well as a device called a multi-switch which will allow for several receivers. The four receiver switch is the most common. Even this setup is not too difficult for an FTA Newbie.

Q: Why should I get a FTA system?
A: FTA provides free programming including foreign language programming and Satellite TV stations from most countries all over the world. There is always something to watch when it comes to FTA and you can't get this kind of TV viewing anywhere else.