Freesat in Europe

Tom Swiffen · 11-07-2009

I live in UK (Yorkshire) but have a second home in Puglia, Southern Italy. With the right equipment would it be possible to receive UK freesat so far south? If not, what about Sky Freeview? I already have a large satellite dish and box purchased locally to receive Italian channels from the hotbird satellite. Should I be buying equipment in UK and connecting to existing dish, presumably re-aligned? What would I need? NB. I have no technical knowledge whatsoever!

**Topper** · 11-07-2009

Welcome to the forum Tom

Well you are going to need a massive dish to get SKY freesat (freeview is the UK terrestrial service), can I suggest you do a forum search for Puglia and read the threads is brings up especially the Sicily one, but generally 3.5 mtrs appears to be what you need, however with fringe reception such as this a few Km can make a massive difference.

***itisix*** · 14-07-2009

Hi,

I live in Portugal and I get a load of uk channels.
I'm not 100% sure if you refer to freesat as basically the FTA channels in Astra2 / Eurobird, but it's fairly easy to receive them.

You can either buy equipment in the uk, or just buy an FTA receiver and a dish in your local area. you can even have someone set it up for you (I don't know how it goes on in Italy).

According to kingofsat, there are reports of people receiving Astra 2, especially Astra2D (hardest to receive in mainland europe) with antenas of 1,8 meters (sicily), but I can't really confirm that.
I would strongly recommend you find someone in puglia to find out how to receive it and how big the antenna needs to be. Setting up is just like anywhere else. An honest local person is probably the best choice.

There are people in southern Portugal receiving with a 1 to 1.2 meter antenna.

I myself live in the center / north of portugal and have a 1.25 m antenna, but 80 cm would probably be enough (i have multiple satellites).

If you want to discard astra 2D (basically ITV, BBC, Channel 4, Film 4 and some others, you have north and south beams, as 2D only as a fixed one pointing to the UK).

Apart from UK channels, I really wouldn't recommend any other free ones. I rarely watch other satellites.

**Topper** · 14-07-2009

itisix
The o/p is based in Puglia Southern Italy, I fail to see how quoting reams of information based upon Portuguese reception will help him. He is situated a further 24 degrees East of you and therefore requires an enormous dish for 2D reception.

As regards the reports you mention where people are receiving the 2D beam with 1.8 mtr, please substantiate that as it seems unlikely in view of the 2D footprint _http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/astra2d.html

***itisix*** · 14-07-2009

If you look at the footprint, portugal is also far out of there. I was just giving a bit of an example as to how it could work.
I've seen footprint websites saying you need about 2,5 meters in portugal, and you can have it in the southern parts with just 1,2 meters.

You can't look at the distance in "degrees", but rather in miles, since the satellite has an almost round beam coverage. If you go to google earth, the algarve is pretty much the same distance to the center of the beam as the puglia area, so there shouldn't be much difference.

Looking at the footprint, would you say it works with 1,2 meters in the algarve? Probably not, but it does...

As for the reports of 1,8 you can see it here, but like I said, I can't confirm this.

_http://pt.kingofsat.net/beams.php?s=52

**rolfw** · 14-07-2009

Portugal is a known hotspot for Astra 2D, Puglia and South-eastern Italy is a known cold spot. Last I saw on this forum was a member looking to buy a 2.8m dish to try, but never heard any more, also the lack of reports on Astra2d.com would suggest that very few if any have managed to receive Astra 2D there.

Jimmy H · 19-07-2009

Hello Tom

We have a second home in Corfu, I have an 85 cm dish pointing at 28' with a sky digibox with Freesat from Sky card. I can receive ITV ( selected regions on 12402 V 27500 FEC 2/3 - Yorkshire TV East is there) C4 and C4+1, Five, Fiver and Five US. You will also be able to get BBC News Channel which will enable you to get the red button channels. If you can live without BBC1 & 2 this is a very economical solution, they very often put Match of the Day on the red button as well.

I've just bought a new Sky digibox(Pace DS445NB) with Freesat from Sky card from The DigiBoxShop.com for £115, if you give them a postcode in the Yorkshire East region ITV will come up on channel 103 on the EPG otherwise you can use the add channels facility.

Hope this helps.

Jim

***ralphmagno*** · 22-07-2009

hi to all
just to let you know we have a 4 meter solid irte here in naples italy and
we have tried everything ivacom quatro and nothing.
there is no receiving astra 2 d of free sat south of rome.
we did everything except freeze the lnb to lower the noise figure below the .3 bd and its no go at all

we used short runs and even used a spectrum at the base of the dish and no lobes at all.

have a good day
ralph

**Analoguesat** · 22-07-2009

Basically Tom this is all telling you that if you want the BBC channels & anything else on the Astra 2D satellite (most of the ITV & C4 family of channels) - forget it.

ovis · 26-07-2009

Hi Tom. Am located in Lazio where it joins the Marche/Abruzzo borders.
Am using an 80cm dish to pick up Astra 2a beams on which you can get bbc news and a number of fta film channels, and a second 60cm dish for Hotbird for local Italian channels and other english news channels. I thought of buying a 2m dish but there are no reception reports for this area and therefore its a bit hit and miss and a dish wud set you back €1500+
Now if Freesat were to put up a subscription service on Hotbird that wud be a much better solution.

Pete

**Analoguesat** · 26-07-2009

Originally Posted by ovis

Now if Freesat were to put up a subscription service on Hotbird that wud be a much better solution.

Pete

Never going to happen

keenite · 29-07-2009

Originally Posted by Jimmy H

with a sky digibox with Freesat from Sky card. I can receive ITV ( selected regions on 12402 V 27500 FEC 2/3 - Yorkshire TV East is there) C4 and C4+1, Five, Fiver and Five US. You will also be able to get BBC News Channel which will enable you to get the red button channels. If you can live without BBC1 & 2 this is a very economical solution, they very often put Match of the Day on the red button as well.

Jim

Here in Berlin I have an old Pace digibox without a Freesat Sky card. What channels can I receive, over and above those that are FTA outside the Astra 2D viewing area? I can already receive _http://www.channel4.com is that the same as BBC4?
Cheers,
K.

keenite · 29-07-2009

Originally Posted by Tom Swiffen

I live in UK (Yorkshire) but have a second home in Puglia, Southern Italy. With the right equipment would it be possible to receive UK freesat so far south? If not, what about Sky Freeview? I already have a large satellite dish and box purchased locally to receive Italian channels from the hotbird satellite. Should I be buying equipment in UK and connecting to existing dish, presumably re-aligned? What would I need? NB. I have no technical knowledge whatsoever!

See this link for details about the "freesat card" (add 'www' before and 'htm' after for the link for it to work):

satelliteonline.co.uk/sky_abroad

**Topper** · 29-07-2009

Originally Posted by keenite

Here in Berlin I have an old Pace digibox without a Freesat Sky card. What channels can I receive, over and above those that are FTA outside the Astra 2D viewing area? I can already receive _http://www.channel4.com is that the same as BBC4?
Cheers,
K.

Your post is very confusing........you can receive what your setup/dish/lnb arrangement allows you to outside of the 2D footprint, what are you expecting? no channel4 is not the same as BBC4.

Originally Posted by keenite

See this link for details about the "freesat card" (add 'www' before and 'htm' after for the link for it to work):

satelliteonline.co.uk/sky_abroad

He will not be able to receive the freesat channels without a massive dish in Southern Italy.

T.Tanilsoo · 29-07-2009

Well, it appears that not entire Freesat is on UK-only transponders. I in Estonia can receive some channels also listed under Freesat with 78 cm dish(I guess those I see are on Eurobird 1). No Beeb, ITV etc though, obviously. So I would say that part of the Freesat might be visible in Europe, but definitely not all channels.

**Topper** · 29-07-2009

Your are correct there is duplication of many channels on other co-located satellites at 28.2/5 East, Channel4 London being one of them on 12480 V 27500 2/3, that does not alter the fact that the Freesat services is primarily intended for the UK

keenite · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by Topper

Your post is very confusing........you can receive what your setup/dish/lnb arrangement allows you to outside of the 2D footprint, what are you expecting? no channel4 is not the same as BBC4.
.

What I meant to say was whether or not I can receive more channels with a Freesat card, than I can now without one, i.e. are there more channels on the Europe-wide beams that I could receive with a card, or does this pertain only to programs broadcast via the 2D beam?

**rick1980** · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by keenite

What I meant to say was whether or not I can receive more channels with a Freesat card, than I can now without one, i.e. are there more channels on the Europe-wide beams that I could receive with a card, or does this pertain only to programs broadcast via the 2D beam?

There isn't such a thing as a freesat card. If you can recieve the channels and know someone in the UK who can get you a sky sub, you could get whatever sky channels you want to pay for.

***Tivù*** · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by keenite

What I meant to say was whether or not I can receive more channels with a Freesat card, than I can now without one, i.e. are there more channels on the Europe-wide beams that I could receive with a card, or does this pertain only to programs broadcast via the 2D beam?

The only Channels that a Freesatfrom Sky Card will get that are not freely available "in the clear" are Sky Three, Fiver, Five US and Setanta Sports News.

keenite · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

The only Channels that a Freesatfrom Sky Card will get that are not freely available "in the clear" are Sky Three, Fiver, Five US and Setanta Sports News.

Thanks. Are all the channels you mention broadcast solely on the 2D beam?
Cheers,
K.

***Tivù*** · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by keenite

Thanks. Are all the channels you mention broadcast solely on the 2D beam?
Cheers,
K.

No - that's the point!

They are Encrypted because they are NOT on 2D.

The Card has a similar effect in (allegedly!) limiting viewing to UK punters as being FTA on the narrow 2D beam does

ie They are Free To View for UK punters: No sub required, but a one off small charge for a Card to permit decryption.

Of course, many individuals avail themselves of Cards even though they aren't permanent UK Residents .................

The Cards are £20. Until now, it was possible to use expired Subs Cards equally well, but the Card swop is putting paid to that, pro tem.

**Analoguesat** · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

The only Channels that a Freesatfrom Sky Card will get that are not freely available "in the clear" are Sky Three, Fiver, Five US and Setanta Sports News.

You need a miracle to get SSN or possibly a Tardis

However there are some interesting rumours of Sky Sports News going fta/ftv soon.

A card also provides the correct regionalisation for BBC & ITV and will give you C4HD on an HD receiver

***Tivù*** · 30-07-2009

Ah, yes!

I forgot Sultana has been eaten

The rumours about SSN have been around on and off for yonks - I'll wait and see on that one!

keenite · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

No - that's the point!

They are Encrypted because they are NOT on 2D.

Of course, many individuals avail themselves of Cards even though they aren't permanent UK Residents

Thanks, finally got it!! Are these the channels behind 12441 V??

***Tivù*** · 30-07-2009

Originally Posted by keenite

Thanks, finally got it!! Are these the channels behind 12441 V??

No - those are the BBCi Streams (Well, most of them) and they are FTA albeit can't be seen by some Boxes as there are tagged as Data Streams. Many Generic Receivers can get them, though, which is great news for Red Button haters and for those outside the scope of 2D.

Do have a look at _http://www.flysat.com/28east.php and you can see where each Channel is.

eg The FTV Versions of Five are on 12422 H 27500 2/3 on 2B South (ok, there is a Regional version on 12304 H 27500 2/3 on 2B North as well).

I'm sure you can find the rest!

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