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zulurita

Sonesta,
we are currently in France and heading for Spain, we had our satellite system fitted by Transleisure. We had the Oyster Twin too. We did have some problems which were sorted out at the Peterborough show and no problems since. For me its fine, all automatic which I like otherwise I doubt whether I would ever find a sattelite Smile

Apart from the inverter using too much juice, battery wise when we are wild camping its marvellous Very Happy

I would like a 12v sky box I think.

Sonesta

Sonesta. I do not think you can wathc Astra 1 or Hotbird while you are watching something on SKY. I may be wrong. But a twin LNB is just that. Not like the picture shown above. You CAN however watch one program on SKY and record another on SKY. Or Astra1 and Astra 1. Or Hotbird and Hotbird.

Hi Johnsandywhite, I am sure when we were playing about with our new set up last time we were in the motorhome we could do - but I may be wrong. We are going away tomorrow for the weekend in the motorhome, so will have a proper play about again and see if I am right. I will post my findings upon our return!

Sonesta

Sonesta

Hi Rita, Glad you are peased with yours too. That's a bit of a pain isn't it re the digibox? We like to wild camp a lot too, so I was dissapointed to read that. Our last system had a 12v digibox and we had no problems at all with that draining the battery, but the new one is like yours and we have just a normal sky+ digibox powered with an inverter! Is it really bad?

Thanks and enjoy your trip.

Sonesta

johnsandywhite

Just a little point about 12 volt Tv's and Sky or Satellite 12 volts systems and running the TV & Satellite in an Invertor. Some will find no difference in the amount of power used. It is dependant on the efficiency of the inbuilt 12 volt transformer circuit for the TV & Satellite versus the efficiency of the Invertor. Horses for courses. The only way to be sure of having sufficeint power when wild-camping is to have Solar Power and lots of battery storage or a generator. JMO. Wink

Sonesta

We have recently purchased a Honda EU20i generator and am hoping this will be more than enough to keep us going when wild camping. We have used it a few times but not to any great degree as yet - but I should imagine it will be a great asset when we are touring around Morocco. We tried our microwave on it last time we wild camped and it seemed to cope with that ok. We bought a cheaper generator last December in readiness for our trip to Spain last January and it packed up on us whilst we were wild camping near Alicante. When we returned home the place where we bought it from exchanged it for us and that conked out too the very first time we used it! So needless to say, we thought it was a load of rubbish and asked for a refund. It was a Boschmann suitcase generator and on the outside it looked very similar to the Honda so we thought at £249 we had found ourselves a bargain but obviously NOT! Anyway, after reading all the reports and reviews from other motorhomers we decided to go for the Honda and it is excellent. So proves the theory that you get what you pay for doesn't it?

This is an excellent forum by the way and it is lovely to read all the useful posts especially when we have only been the proud owner of our first ever motorhome for 1 year. It's all a learning curve as my husband keeps saying and we have learnt so much in our first year. However, I am sure we have a lot more to discover and learn and this forum is an excellent place to ask for and get advice.

We love the whole motorhome lifestyle though and wish we had done it years ago.

Thanks again.

Sue

johnsandywhite

Hi Sonesta. I have seen your username on another Forum that I shan't mention. I am sure your Honda EU20i generator that you purchased will be more than good enough to see you through your trip. You sound like you are really enjoying your learning experience. Enjoy your future travels. Wink

zulurita

Hi Sonesta,
I'm sure with you 2.ui Honda you will be fine. I have a 75w solar panel but thats ok if in sun/good light and for about 3 days but need to charge up then, although if the solar panel charges to 12.9 or more its ok but find even then once its dark the reading seems to drop down to 12.4 or even 12.2 so then only get a short viewing time. My batteries were new in April. Unless there is something else wrong with my system re using too much 12v or not charging properly;
Its lovely and hot here at Capbreton in France and the surfing championships are here Smile

Sonesta

Hi johnsandywhite, have just returned home from our weekend away and we had a good play around with our Oyster system. You were quite right we couldn't view a different satellite whilst recording something from Astra 2 on Sky+. I think what confused me was that last time we were having a good mess around with the sytstem my husband recorded 2 different channels simultaneously on Sky+ one off channel 4 and another off ITV and yet we could still view BBC on the free to view channel that you get with having the twin LNB. Not sure if that makes any sense or if I have explained it properly but that's where I got a bit confused. Embarassed

Sonesta

Sonesta

Hi Rita and johnsandywhite, Thanks for the info on the Honda genny. Have tested it out properly this weekend and everything seems fine. All the items we need mains power for worked ok with it - so we are quite relieved about that.

This weekend because there was no EHU where we were camping we saw lots of other motor homes using all kinds of different means of powering their vehicles. Lots with solar panels and wind generators, we saw one vehicle which had almost everything on their roof! It was fascinating to see all the set ups!

Sounds like you are having a lovely time in France Rita - wish I were there too it sounds great.

All the best.

Sonesta