Technical FAQs
We answer your detailed technical questions below
Free4Life correctional facility installations are provided by Glorystar Satellite Systems, the largest full service satellite equipment distributor for religious satellite broadcast ministries in North America. With a national network of bonded and insured technicians, quality equipment, and live technical support, Glorystar will facilitate all Free4Life installations with professionalism and integrity.
What kind of satellite technology does Free4Life use for correctional facilities?
Free4Life uses digital signals transmitted from a Ku Band satellite to provide the channels to your facility.
How does the technology work?
Signals from The Word Network studio are transmitted up to a Ku Band satellite located 22,300 miles above the earth. The satellite retransmits the channels covering the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Ku band uses a small 3 or 4 foot dish to receive the satellite signals. A single receiver is then used to feed the Free4Life channel to either a single central TV or be integrated into a facility’s media distribution system enabling all of the televisions to show the channel without disrupting the existing channel line-up.
We currently receive our channels from a local cable company or satellite provider. Can these channels be added to the existing distribution?
Free4Life will provide all necessary equipment to integrate with your facility. A site check is usually performed to determine how these additional channels will be integrated with your existing channel offering.
GloryStar Receiver and Rack System
What type of equipment is installed?
Every satellite installation is customized for each facility’s needs and equipment many vary. The standard Free4Life commercial system normally will consist of a 3 or 4 foot satellite dish connected to the satellite receiver, one channel modulator, a launch amplifier, and a channel combiner to merge the channel with your existing television distribution infrastructure. If your facility does not have an existing distribution system, the Free4Life channel will be installed in one or more single location(s) of your choice (for example, a chapel or dayroom). This type of install would consist of a dish mounted on a roof or exterior wall with a single satellite receiver selecting the preprogrammed Free4Life channel.
How long will the installer be at our facility?
Our technical team with coordinate with your security office to arrange advance clearances and site preparation. Once the installer has been approved to enter the facility, a one to two hours site check will determine what equipment is necessary to integrate with the existing equipment. Once the equipment is delivered to the installer, a one day installation will be scheduled to install and balance the signals with the existing channels.
Where the satellite equipment should be installed?
Dishes normally are mounted on a roof facing South. Non-penetrating roof mounts are utilized to prevent damage to the roof.
Are the installers cleared, bonded and insured?
All installers will be required to obtain all required clearances for your facility prior to any site check or installation contract being assigned. All Glorystar technicians carry the required state licensing and bonding for the state they work in.
What if we need maintenance or assistance with the equipment after the installation?
All equipment is thoroughly tested to ensure that the system provides years of reliable service. Free4Life and Glorystar will work with your facility to provide a seamless integration and ongoing maintenance of the channel into your facility. Telephone technical support is available Monday-Friday, 8 am to 4 pm (PST). Should the system require any maintenance or repair and the on-site coordinator is unable to correct the situation, a service call will be arranged at no charge to the facility.