Frequency and decoders for Astra 2 Satellite in Spain – help a novice

Rob Mclean

We have just had a large satellite dish installed in our development in Spain (near Benidorm) pointing at Astra 2 for English TV. The cable infrastructure is in place to the different blocks and apparently all the apartment owners need to do is purchase a box of their choice, which the engineer has suggested a Bush SD/HD. However I already have a sky 430N and wonder if this will work instead.

We have also been asked to decide on either Horizontal or Vertical frequency which a quick look at LyngSat suggests Vertical may have more to offer if you have been used to sky. For a small additional wiring charge the engineer can pick up 4 channels off the other frequency which I thought if we chose Vertical we could pick up BBC1 London/BBC2/BBC3/BBC4

I want to maximise the opportunity for reception of channels and wondered if this would be limited by the choice of decoder box. Can you advise what channels a viewer could look forward to receiving with say a bush decoder, against what could be received with my sky box (no card) and if vertical frequency is the better choice? I'm clueless!

Robbo

A Sky box without a card, or an ordinary digital satellite would pick up the same channels, with the exception of ch4 possibly, the Sky box may not get it without a card, but manual tuning should be possible.

You would also get the same channels with a Freesat box, the advantage is you get a proper EPG.

One problem with using a Sky box, is that you need to make sure you have access to one of the default transponders (don't know what they are, as I hardly use a Sky box as I hate the the EPG for FTA use)


Here is a list of all the channels on 28E, the FTA ones have an ref F in column 5.

http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html


All the information you need is there, we can't choose for you.

Although, one thing that surprises me, is that they are making you choose either horizontal or vertical in the first place, with the correct infrastructure and multiswitch, it is just not necessary.

Robbo

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Rob Mclean

Many thanks - much appreciated.

I'll find out why we have to choose. I may well be back!!

snap

This looks like a cowboy installation- you shouldn't need to choose polarity. It may be the installer does not know how to set up a multiswitch. If you choose one or the other then large numbers of channels will be unavailable. (roughly half of all channels)
BBC 2, 3 and 4 are on a horizontal polarity channel.
You need to be certain the installation is of decent quality as if you choose a Freesat box then many of these channels will be weak 2D versions and you may have very poor reception.
In Spain vertical BBC & ITV channels are stronger.
A very large dish (2.4m and larger) is needed to get BBC 2 and other horizontal 2D frequencies in your location.

Ask the installer some hard questions, sounds like a scam of some kind.

Robbo

My guess would be that there isn't even a multiswitch, maybe just amplifiers and splitters on the output of a quattro LNB

It's a shame to see a big dish go to waste like that.

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BLUEPLATINUM

Once the system is correctly installed your Pace box will work fine. I would suggest you buy a freesat from sky card (assuming you have a UK address) to go with it so that you can receive Sky3, Channel 4 (on EPG) and the "five" family.

I would agree with what the others have said. There is no way you should have to choose the polarity. The dish should have a QUATRO LNB supplying both horizontal and vertical signals on both the high and low bands ie. four combinations:

V-High
V-Low
H-High
H-Low

this LNB should feed a multi-switch. Each satellite receiver is connected to one output on the multiswitch. When you change channels the receiver sends the necessary signals to the multiswitch to tell it to switch the correct LNB output to your connection.

You need to challenge your installer on this and if you don't get satisfactory answers get another professional in.

trigger

Maybe it it a scam, maybe he doesn´t know what he is doing, maybe he is still learning and got in over his head. Sound him out if you think he is a knob send him packing, if you think he is OK but just struggling send him here!! LOL We will help him if he needs it. Then you can ask for a discount.

BLUEPLATINUM

So Rob. Any news on how this is progressing?