Using Sky dish for Hotbird

herby0001

Hi folks,

I've done a search for the problem I'm having, and have come up with some info, but I'm not too sure how to approach it as I'm only a keen newbie. The problem I have is this:

Sky are no longer transmitting TVEi (Spanish TV), so am binning my Sky subscription and want to move my Sky mini-dish to another satellite. The info I have found is:

Sky broadcasts on Astra 28.2E (compass reading 152 degrees-ish).
TVEi broadcasts FTA on Hotbird 8 13E (compass reading 167 degrees)
Replaced the Sky Digibox box with a Goldstar one from a friend.

I thought it'd be easy... Before moving the dish to the new bearing, I plugged the Goldstar box in and could see the signal strength meter on the Goldstar box show 90% Quality, and 50% power - this is for the Astra reception. So shifted the dish horizontally to the new bearing and get 28% signal quality - stays at 28% wherever I move the dish to, so 28% means "I'm getting nothing". Tried making teenie-weenie movements from 28E right through to 10W or so, but don't get an increase in signal quality anywhere (apart from for the Astra satellite).

I've not moved the dish vertically at all, as I assumed that because all the satellites are geostationary, they're all at the equator and at the same altitude. Right/wrong?

I've seen people asking about LNB's - this is what is stuck on the arm in front of the dish to receive the signal - does that need changing for something specific?

I live on the south coast in Hampshire. Another assumption I made was that the Sky minidish is sufficient to receive the Hotbird signal. Even if it wasn't, I'd have thought I'd see a blip at least whilst moving the dish around?

Am I barking up the wrong tree (which remionds me, there are some trees in the direction of 13E, though nothing HUGE and leafy) or completely naive?

Thank you!

Tivù

The Dish will cope happily with Hotbird.

Your error is in Dish elevation: Because the Satellites are indeed on a geostationary arc, the Satellites nearer to your due South are higher in Elevation than those further East or West.

As 13E is much nearer South of the arc 28E is, you need to raise the Dish Elevation by a few degrees.

Bung your details into _http://www.satsig.net/ssazelm.htm and you will get the right figures

Robbo

Think about it for a minute....


The satellites are above the equator, correct.

They are at the same altitude, correct, the same height above the equator.

They go all the way round.

But you cant see the sats from round the other side of the world.

The sats near your longitude are high in the sky (about 30 degrees ish here), but as you move further away, they get lower and lower, until they disappear below the horizon.

See this:-

The Satellite Arc

This is for the UK and thereabouts.

satelliteman

When you do get on alignment for Hotbird, slightly twist the LNb clockwise a fraction from behind the dish whilst monitoring. This will take care of the LNb skew.

satelliteman . ..... A Detailed DiSEqC Motor Installation Set Up Guide > HERE Quick Reference Guide also > HERE Satellites UK site Advertisers . An Installers Choice ...... Follow us on .

herby0001

Thank you very much for your replies. Will check out the links and will have another go when/if we get a dry weekend.

Many thanks again. Will post back with some results.

park_gate

If you are after Spanish TV try Astra 1 at 19.2E as it has more channels. My Sky mini dish points there and it works very well.

see Also:

_http://en.kingofsat.net/freqs.php?&pos=19.2E&standard=All&ordre=freq&filtr e=Clear&cl=esp

Terry