Hamburg - missing the Uk channels

Newbyinsat · 04-05-2009

Hi everyone,

We are in Hamburg (wedel to be exact) since November and we are missing the Uk channels. I am really a newbie in satellite and never installed one, I am sure of you are already smilling knowing the troubles i am gonna meet....-)

I am looking to install a free sat and did a bit of home work, it seems that I will need at least a 80 cm (or 85 cm) disch, with a 0.1 to 0.3 dB LNB. I understand that I could install a sat moot for about 45 euros (even less in some cases) and this should ease the process and I could even receive from other satellites without moving from the sofa, is that right?
There is one thing I am not sure, can any freesat box that I can buy in saturn or media markt get the BBC and other UK channels or does the box have to be bought from the Uk (for software specificity reasons?)

My understanding is that the BBC/ITV venture is being broadcasted by ASTRA2D/Eurobird 1, and I found a site which calculate the positionning of the dish depening on the satellite I want to receive from).

Last question, any shop your recommend to go and mainly to avoid?

Some advices would be really appreciated

Thank you in advance
Regards
Nick

**Topper** · 04-05-2009

Welcome to the forum Nick

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

Hi everyone,

We are in Hamburg (wedel to be exact) since November and we are missing the Uk channels. I am really a newbie in satellite and never installed one, I am sure of you are already smilling knowing the troubles i am gonna meet....-)

Well everyone was a newby at one time or another

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

I am looking to install a free sat and did a bit of home work, it seems that I will need at least a 80 cm (or 85 cm) disch, with a 0.1 to 0.3 dB LNB. I understand that I could install a sat moot for about 45 euros (even less in some cases) and this should ease the process and I could even receive from other satellites without moving from the sofa, is that right?

Well yes a motorised dish is possible but it will complicate the set-up, a fixed dish system is easier to setup, but yes you could then become a couch potato, however a freesat stb does not have diseqc controls so cannot be motorised to the best of my knowledge

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

There is one thing I am not sure, can any freesat box that I can buy in saturn or media markt get the BBC and other UK channels or does the box have to be bought from the Uk (for software specificity reasons?)

The freesat channels are available to anyone with a free to air receiver and a big enough dish

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

My understanding is that the BBC/ITV venture is being broadcasted by ASTRA2D/Eurobird 1, and I found a site which calculate the positionning of the dish depening on the satellite I want to receive from).

Yes that is correct 28.2 Astra 2D is the one but it is tightly focussed on the UK so a small dish will not get the standard channels but you should be able to receive other FTA channels on a small dish from the 2A and 2B satellites

We do not seem to have any reports for Hamburg only Berlin
Variety of questions for Berlin, Germany...
or Austria
FreeSat In Austria (East)

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

Last question, any shop your recommend to go and mainly to avoid?
Some advices would be really appreciated

Any of the forum sponsors will be pleased to meet your requirements

http://www.satellites.co.uk/default.php?page=sponsors

***deepbluesky*** · 05-05-2009

Every receiver you can find at Saturn, Mediamarkt or any other online shop is capable to show them. If you are interested in HD transmissions, i'd recommend a DVB-S2 model although BBC HD and ITV HD don't need it you might like arte HD transmitted from 19.2E.

Concerning the dish size for Hamburg for the weakest Astra 2D it should be at least 85cm, better 1m. Latter guarantees even in severe rain no breakups in picture and sound. First should also suffice regarding several reports at _http://forum.digitalfernsehen.de/forum/digital-tv-ueber-satellit-dvb-s/50529-alle-die-astra-2d-28-2-ost-empfangen-hier-posten.html from all over D/A/CH

Newbyinsat · 13-05-2009

Hi,

Thanks for the first answers, but as you can guess, I have more questions.
I have now installed a 85 cm from Fuba, a 0.1 dB twin LNB (SMART Totanium), and a Phillips DCR7005 receiver.
It seems that I get the ASTRA 2A; 2B and 2D satellites, but there is something I do not understand: The signal strength is at 70% but the signal quality is at 0%. I am a bit surprised by such a difference, can anybody explain me the difference between "signal strength" and "signal quality" and tell me what to do to improve the signal quality?

I have checked with the satellite Eurobird 1, I have a signal strength of 75% and a signal qualifty of 40% but I do not have the BBC free sat.....

thanks
Nicolas

**Robbo** · 13-05-2009

Most likely that you've found the wrong satellite.

Are you getting any channels? What are a few of them?

Signal level is just that, the amount of signal received on a particular frequency.

The signal quality reading decodes the DVB stream in some way and gives an indication of how well any actual information is being received.

Newbyinsat · 13-05-2009

Thanks Robo,
Some of the channels are:
blighty, bliss, best direct+, ava test, Ary QTV, Alibi, bloomberg, fashion tv, flaunt, flava,

I would not be surprised to have picked up the wrong channel, but how to know for sure?
In addition, I used a magnetic compass (not directly onto the sat dish) to have a rough idea of the position to orientate the dish (156 degrees east) , for the elevation, the degrees are at the back, so here it is ok, the post was perfectly vertical, so I just used the "tool" provided by with the sat dish to position the satellite at an elevation of 26,5 degrees. I also used a basic sat finder to optimize the orientation, but maybe on the wrong sat...

Do you know a better way to orientate the sat than using a magnetic compass?

Thanks
Nicolas

**bigtee** · 13-05-2009

It may be a case of fine tuning the alignment (assuming dish to be right size) - preferably 'manually' by keeping an eye on the signal quality level (for the required transpoders/channels) in the receiver's signal meter.

Another thing that should be checked, in fact probably before tampering with the alignment is the LNB 'skew' i.e. the direction of rotation of the LNB.

**Robbo** · 14-05-2009

Ok, you have the right sat, it's just a matter of fine tuning. You can't rely on a compass or the dish elevation scale for doing that.

A sat finder meter should suffice, failing that take your telly and receiver outside and use the sig quality meter on the receiver as a guide. Use 10773H (has BBC1)as your transponder should be fine as it's on Astra 2D.

You need to adjust both the elevation and azimuth for best sig quality, and then the skew as Bigtee said.

**Topper** · 14-05-2009

I would agree with Robbo you do appear to have the correct co-located satellites at 28.2/5 assuming blighty programs appear on the channel named blighty. I would if possible do as Robbo suggests and make sure you have sight of the meter or someone else does who you can communicate with but before loosening anything, try flexing the edge of the dish at 0 deg 90 deg 180 deg and 270 deg it may give you an ide of how little adjustment will now need to be made.

Newbyinsat · 14-05-2009

Hello again,

well, I have played with the sat and tilted the LNB, I now have a signal quality of 48% and a 79% of signal strength, it seems that I am getting there.

Unfortunately, I still receive nothing on the frequency 10773 Horizontal, and still nothing from the BBC........ could I be still on the wrong ASTRA 2x satellite?

I think I will play again with it tomorrow and see, the weather is nice at moment, so I guess a 85 cm should be enough....

Regards
Nicolas

***deepbluesky*** · 14-05-2009

If I were you I would start trying with an easier to get frequency like 12304H-27500-2/3 which transmits Sky News International non encrypted. If you get anything else on this frequency, you're definitely not at 28.2E.

For aligning your dish please have a look at this:
_http://www.satlex.us/en/azel_calc-params.html?satlo=28.2&user_satlo=&user_satlo_dir= E&location=53.54%2C9.99&cityname=hamburg&la=53.54& lo=9.99&country_code=de&diam_w=75&diam_h=80

**Robbo** · 14-05-2009

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

Hello again,

well, I have played with the sat and tilted the LNB, I now have a signal quality of 48% and a 79% of signal strength, it seems that I am getting there.

On which transponder? what channels do you get on it?

***Huevos*** · 15-05-2009

According to Satbeams Hamburg is outside the 1.2 metre dish footprint, Stuttgart on the other hand is well within the beam.

***deepbluesky*** · 15-05-2009

Originally Posted by Huevos

According to Satbeams Hamburg is outside the 1.2 metre dish footprint, Stuttgart on the other hand is well within the beam.

What you see is the official/theoretical footprint. In real it's a bit more optimistic. 2D is well received by many people in Hamburg and most of them don't use any bigger than 1m. Here in Stuttgart you can even get it on 60cm but in bad weather 80cm are recommended.

***JTA*** · 15-05-2009

but newbyinsat only has a 85 cm dish, which may be too small for the Astra 2D, as you can see on lyngsat's footprint. the 47dBW area ends well before the Hamburg location.

***deepbluesky*** · 15-05-2009

As i had written above there are people even with 80cm getting 2D but for Hamburg this is on the very limit. There are plenty of people reporting this in the german DF board (see the link before). Either the dish elevation and azimuth is not correct, or something is blocking in between his dish and 28.2E.

Newbyinsat · 16-05-2009

Hi,

I had a look where the dish is poining and a hous is very close, so I moved up the sat dish by 50 cm, and I got 2D very easily, a very gross pointing gave me 2D immediately.
I still have to play with the elevation, the skews as I am supposed to have an elevation of 26.5 degrees and 13 degrees of tilt, but just looking at the sat in seems low, they are marks at the back of the sat, but can I really trust the markings?

Does anyone knows a good satellite specialist in hamburg who could have a look at it?

Regards
Nicolas

Newbyinsat · 16-05-2009

it was not 2D, i am really confused with the sat receiver, I set up an satellite and use the receiver to orientate, but I got good strength and quality, but it was not 2D.....

Newbyinsat · 16-05-2009

One more question: what is the DiSEqC and do I need to set values of DiSEcQ in the satellite receiver?

I have no sat motor, isn't the DiSEqC linked to some parameters of a sat motor?

**Robbo** · 16-05-2009

If it is a fixed dish on a single LNB, you can set the Diseqc to anything it doesn't matter. Though one would normally set it to OFF.

DiSEqC 1.0 - 4 way switching

DiSEqC 1.1 -up to 16 way switching

DiSEqC 1.2 -to control motors.

Since you have neither, there's mothing to control.

**Topper** · 17-05-2009

The channel you are actually receiving will assist you in finding what satellite you are pointing at. Try to watch the programs and see which station it actually is. Alternatively scan the satellite and use the names of the newly scanned channels to determine what satellite you have found by checking the names on lyngsat.com.

The problem you are facing is that the same frequencies are repeated across the arc, thus you may think you are watching a channel from one satellite and you could be on a completely different satellite

***Huevos*** · 17-05-2009

Originally Posted by Newbyinsat

I had a look where the dish is poining and a hous is very close, so I moved up the sat dish by 50 cm, and I got 2D very easily

Nicolas, there cannot be an obstruction because if there were you wouldn't have been receiving channels from 2A & 2B.

**rolfw** · 17-05-2009

As a general rule of thumb that may be correct, but in the case of a satellite cluster where some are stronger than others in your location, the weaker ones may not be receivable because of a partial obstruction of the dish.

Newbyinsat · 17-05-2009

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks for all the comments, it helped a lot.
I played around last night again with the sat receiver and I looked for eurobird 1 without moving the sat dish. I got eurobird very well, and I can now see BBC1, ITV 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as E4, E4+1 and more channels from Eurobird.

It seems to me that the pointing is correct. I know that the footprint of eurobird is really bigger than 2D, but could I get Eurobird if the pointing was not correct?

As well, would a amplifier helps for 2D? This would increased the power received at the receiver, but I do not know if this would give me more channels.....or are amplifiers recommended when the length between the LNB and the receiver is quite big?

I really start to think that the problem is the dish size, as the other day as was able to get Channel 5 and I believe that this one is only transmiited from 2D, right? Unfortunately, I lost it when playing with the dish to get a better pointing.....-)

So far: it is possible to get Eurobird 1 in Hamburg with a 85 cm dish size for sure. 2D maybe but either the pointing has to be very good or a bigger dish size maay be required....!

Regards
Nicolas

**rolfw** · 17-05-2009

Getting confused here, you say above that you can "now see BBC1, ITV 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as E4, E4+1", so surely you are already receiving Astra 2D.

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Hamburg - missing the Uk channels Freesat digital TV: Support & Discussion on the free to view freesat satellite platform for the UK from BBC & ITV.

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