SKEW? What's that?

You have probably seen the terms "Autoskew" or "Manual Skew" used on this Website.

Yes, I have... what does that mean?

Wikepedia tells us that "Skew or skew lines lie on different planes. They are neither parallel nor intersecting".

OK, great that that's out of the way, but what does that REALLY mean?

The provider’s satellites are orbiting above the Earths equator (Clarke Belt). They are moving at the same speed the earth is revolving, so to us the satellite appears to be stationary in the sky. Depending on where you are compared to where the satellite is at, the direction and angles change.

If you could see the satellites in the sky, they would appear on an arch, such as a rainbow appears to us. So depending on where we are in relation to the satellite(s) we must adjust the angle of the LNB to receive a strong signal.

I bet you read that somewhere, Einstein! What does that REALLY mean TO ME?

Our flagship, the Oyster Digital has a built in Autoskew system. This means that while the system searches for the satellite, it is able to change the LNB angle automatically depending on where you are in relation to the satellite you are watching. Mind you, different satellites may require different LNB angles, depending on their position on the arch.

A system with manual skew, such as the Oyster Vision, may require you from time to time to adjust the LNB manually. For you, that means to go up on the roof of your van and rotate the LNB in it's collar. This can be easily done and only takes a few seconds.

OK, I understand that, but how often will I be "up there", if I buy an Oyster Vision?

First of all, you will only have to adjust the LNB if you travel East to West or West to East. North to South or vice versa requires no changes. On a trip from say Brisbane to Perth and watching the C1 satellite, you will have to adjust the LNB probably 4-6 times.

Gotcha! So to sum it up: If I only want to watch 1 satellite and I am happy to manually adjust the LNB every once in a while, or if I mainly travel up and down Australia (rather than across), I should buy the Oyster Vision, but if I want total comfort with easy satellite hopping capabilities and all the bells and whistles, I should get the Oyster Digital.

You got it!

Why didn't you say so...?