summertime reception

[josephine]

My reception of bbc and ITV was good till a couple of weeks ago, but they disappeared totally more or less overnight. I'm told this seasonal problem is widespread, but is there anything I can do about it? I'm in Bologna and have a 1.5m dish - receiver is an old Grundig, and the LNB is just whatever the installer put on. Before investing in another receiver or LNB I want know if there's a fair chance of it being worthwhile.

[snap]

It is a seasonal problem but the channels should not have disappeared entirely. Reception improves from September onwards. Bad weather, especially thunderclouds in the path of the signals can reduce the signal.
It could be your dish has moved, the cable or connections are damaged, or more likely the receiver is faulty. Try borrowing a Pace or a free-to air box from someone and try it on your dish.