Which Skybox for low-fringe Lefkosia,Cyprus?

***iceman*** · 19-09-2006

Originally Posted by zorba

Ps can you confirm it was a 2.7 because i have been to customers who have been "misled" and found 2.4 or 2.5

Definately not a 2.7m M8....looked more like a 2.4m to me...as you say people are usually misled about the size of their dish...
No BBC or ITV ofcourse.

***Zorba*** · 19-09-2006

I thought so.have you dealt with DH or Famaval before?
The DH is beige with three thick alumnium lnb struts and the Famaval is grey with three black thinner struts slightly angled at dish end.

***iceman*** · 19-09-2006

I have not dealt with either DH or Framaval before M8...This dish was beige with as you say thick LNB struts very close to the center of the dish...also it had four adjustable arms supporting the dish from the rear..

***Zorba*** · 19-09-2006

Sounds like a DH 2.4,thats a shame then.If it were a Famaval it could have been extended,a favourite of bignicks

***bignick*** · 19-09-2006

Originally Posted by zorba

Sounds like a DH 2.4,thats a shame then.If it were a Famaval it could have been extended,a favourite of bignicks

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm ......... Famaval

....Think I was a bit unfair on the old DH though...you get more DH for your buck. I find that when buying new the 2.7m DH is about the same as the 2.4m Fami ... makes it a bit of a no brainer for Paphos.

***Zorba*** · 19-09-2006

Stop drooling.

Did you know that the Famaval is actually 2.3m?

Red Hugh · 20-09-2006

Possibly the best/nicest Verbal/Type(d) punchup, I've seen/read in years.
Some very valid points made clear to all interested parties.

I recently disposed of about a dozen second user panny 30's and as always, tested samebefore selling on.
Tests were carried out on a constant signal strength/quality via meter from 60cm dish 95%.

Panny's varied from about 60-95% on both strength/quality.
The panny that came in at 60%, was situated on top of a VCR & under a DVD player, in my mates house. been slowly cooked over the years.

I am using 3 faultless panny's in different rooms,

So my penny's worth is, what conditions has the panny got to put up with?
Also since the BBC moved to Astra's much smaller 2D footprint, this must have had an adverse affect on reception in areas further afield.

Lefteris · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by zorba

Did you get any bbc/itv at all on lefty's dish?
2 other lnb's that i like to use on prime focus dishes to improve ch4/eurosports etc are Strong and that small Inverto.works everytime when i replace worn out lnbs on 2.4m famavals.When i work on 2.7s then its always Invacom because of bbc.
Ps can you confirm it was a 2.7 because i have been to customers who have been "misled" and found 2.4 or 2.5

I paid for a 2.7 metre and now i found tha they installed me a 2.4 metre. Call me stupid but I never went to the roof to measure it

When I was living in Athens I had a TRIAX offset 1.1m and there were no lock ups. When we moved to Lefkosia, I knew nothing about reception requirements and I hired a local sat-man to do what it was necessary. I had told him at the time that I had seen dishes which looked around 3.0 metres, but the man had told me that he could do it at 2.7 without bother.

I did not suspect anything, since for several months the system was OK and the background music at the time could be heard perfect. It is a mystery as to what happened and it has been deteriorated to almost a point of no return.

I still have not measured it and I believe Iceman's opinion that it is a 2.4 metre. Bottom line I was tricked. ... and in case you ask, I got no receipt stating the actual size ... I will not name his shop in this forum.

Lefteris · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by Red Hugh

Possibly the best/nicest Verbal/Type(d) punchup, I've seen/read in years.
Some very valid points made clear to all interested parties.
............
So my penny's worth is, what conditions has the panny got to put up with?
.....

Regarding the conditions which the Panny was exposed to, here is the feedback.

In the begininning when I was experiencing no lock ups, the Panny 30 was inside a cabinet with glass doors and a few holes at the back. There was a 4-5 cm top clearance. Now I recollect that at the time the usnit was etting hot on the top and so (fearing that I could loose it) everytim I was watching SKY, the glass doors were slightly opened. But my missus and kids were not so caring and kept it closed most of the times. I do not know whether overheating had an effect on the lock ups which started a few months after the dish installation.

Now the panny is sitting on its own in an open space and its top side temperature appears to exhibit less heat than before, which Iceman thought it was normal temperature for such unit.

I am more inclined to say that the gradual loss of background music and the lock ups which became more frequent may also have some relation to the software, which at the time was older version. Now it has software version 3.5 and it works.

The moral of the story (and I would agree with you) is do not throw away your Panny even when lock ups start. Instead research why it locks ups. Thanks to Iceman, I kept the old Panny 30 and can still watch the channels without lock-ups anymore.

Lefteris · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by bignick

Leftiris .... At about 1600hrs when the backround EPG is good, try flicking up and down between 411 & 410 They might be weak then. If the signal to these channels is good then it will be ok, if not then the box may lock up.
... Nick

Hi Nick,

I hurried back from office and carried out the test above at 16.30 SKY UK time. The signal strength was about 45% and the signal quality about 20%. I flicked between 411 and 410 without bother. Perhaps the signal was too good since the background music could now be received without crackling at all.

Cheers - Lefteris

***bignick*** · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by Lefteris

Hi Nick,

I hurried back from office and carried out the test above at 16.30 SKY UK time. The signal strength was about 45% and the signal quality about 20%. I flicked between 411 and 410 without bother. Perhaps the signal was too good since the background music could now be received without crackling at all.

Cheers - Lefteris

Its hard to tell because I'm not sure of the area and not even certain of the dish, but were the 2 channels I mention 410 & 411 eurosports channels clear at this time? If they are clear then the panni won't lock! These two channels maybe weaker than 11778, therefore what I am trying to prove is that DSB lockups are as a result of trying to 'channel hop' to weak channels rather than in some way being linked to the strength of the default transponder. Keep an eye on these channels and any of the other weaker ones such as sky3, hallmark, paramount 2, and scifi+1....if you if the box is taking a while to 'make up its mind' or when the channel does come in, it is heavily pixelating, then try channel shifting up and down to see if the box locks.

Any chance of posting a piccy of the front and rear of the dish?

Cheers

Nick

***bignick*** · 20-09-2006

Just so you can gauge the history of the problem and my interest in the subject, here is a thead I started just over two years ago on the DS forum (before I knew about this forum). Admin

: Apologies if I've broken any rules by doing this, but it is relivent to the discussion

_http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=128719

Please note the various places that the problem rears its head.

Cheers

Nick

**rolfw** · 20-09-2006

No problem, as long as the link isn't parsed.

***iceman*** · 20-09-2006

Nick
Here's some links to threads dating back as far as 18 months...I had adressed the issue and posted that the freezing pannys were working OK on larger dishes
I was just not sure which transponder it was that was kicking them back to life..

http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=36911
http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=39896
http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=44207

***bignick*** · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by iceman

Nick
Here's some links to threads dating back as far as 18 months...I had adressed the issue and posted that the freezing pannys were working OK on larger dishes
I was just not sure which transponder it was that was kicking them back to life..

http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/...ad.php?t=36911
http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/...ad.php?t=39896
http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/...ad.php?t=44207

Its certainly been a talked about subject!!!

My personal opinion is that its coincidence about the transponder...you have two very distinct sizes of dish that you use:

The 4.2 is big enough to bring in 11778 all the time, but it also brings in everything else all the time so clear picture on all channels = no lock ups

Your smaller offset dish is nowhere near big enough to bring in the astra 2d stuff, therefore it is tuned for everything else which it brings in ok = no lock ups.

Now, you've probably had experiences with loads of 1.5-1.8m dishes which WILL cause lock ups but will also NOT bring in 11778, hence your perfectly reasonable arguement about the default transponder thing - but it also makes my auguement about weak channels

I have personally never made any connection with lock ups and the default transponder, I think it is just a weak channel thing & it just so happens that, because of our geographical location, and the way that 11778 comes in compared to the other frequencies that it makes your point. I think that there are times that out in cyprus you can have lock ups when 11778 is present (EG BBC on a 2.4m dish in SW Cyprus), but to really make the point you need to check out areas where 11778 is really strong all the time but its other channels that come in and out! (anyone out there......)

Damn it, I WILL have my Efes

Cheers

Nick

***bignick*** · 20-09-2006

Having just looked at the thread again, one thing that is clear is that the DSB30 is still a decent enough box in your part of the world using the dishes that you use!!

***iceman*** · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by bignick

Your smaller offset dish is nowhere near big enough to bring in the astra 2d stuff, therefore it is tuned for everything else which it brings in ok = no lock ups.

I couldnt quite understand your above statement...
on 1.5m dishes (no 11778) =we get lockups
on 1.8m dishes (with 11778 = No lockups

How about you trying a DSB30 on a 2.4 or 2.7 dish (with 11778) in your area and letting us know the result.

***bignick*** · 20-09-2006

Originally Posted by iceman

I couldnt quite understand your above statement...
on 1.5m dishes (no 11778) =we get lockups
on 1.8m dishes (with 11778 = No lockups

How about you trying a DSB30 on a 2.4 or 2.7 dish (with 11778) in your area and letting us know the result.

I don't have a panni 30 in stock to try (I will endevour to borrow one though)....My point is that out here we can have more combinations of sats on these sizes of dish.

On smaller dishes, not capable of receiving any BBC AND which may also have problems with 11778 then we will get lock ups.

Other dishes, typically 2.3m prime and up can be fine tuned to receive BBC at certain times of the day (and usually are), it is therefore possible to have no 11778 but good BBC/ITV AND VICE VERSA....my experience is that it is weak channels that cause lock ups because we have far more channels coming in and out at different times of the day!

Like I say, I think it's the poeple who have constant and strong 11778 but yet have lockups on weak channels that will prove and point I have to make!

Cheers

Nick

Lefteris · 23-09-2006

Originally Posted by bignick

... Its hard to tell because I'm not sure of the area and not even certain of the dish, but were the 2 channels I mention 410 & 411 eurosports channels clear at this time? If they are clear then the panni won't lock! These two channels maybe weaker than 11778, therefore what I am trying to prove is that DSB lockups are as a result of trying to 'channel hop' to weak channels rather than in some way being linked to the strength of the default transponder. Keep an eye on these channels and any of the other weaker ones such as sky3, hallmark, paramount 2, and scifi+1....if you if the box is taking a while to 'make up its mind' or when the channel does come in, it is heavily pixelating, then try channel shifting up and down to see if the box locks.

Any chance of posting a piccy of the front and rear of the dish?

Cheers

Nick

Iceman vs BigNick - The Challenge Part II

I go a lock up on 410/411 (well my wife did)
I had perfect background music and the EPG was working OK.
Signal strength 40%. Signal quality was fluctuating between 10-20%.
I tried the same for 302 and got a lock up but I could not simulate the same lock up again, i.e. after power off/on there were no lock ups.

I'm still getting the drinks for all

Regarding the photos BigNick asked for, I uploaded the back, the front and the LNB.

***bignick*** · 23-09-2006

Originally Posted by Lefteris

Iceman vs BigNick - The Challenge Part II

I go a lock up on 410/411 (well my wife did)
I had perfect background music and the EPG was working OK.
Signal strength 40%. Signal quality was fluctuating between 10-20%.
I tried the same for 302 and got a lock up but I could not simulate the same lock up again, i.e. after power off/on there were no lock ups.

I'm still getting the drinks for all

Regarding the photos BigNick asked for, I uploaded the back, the front and the LNB.

Looks like a 2.7m DH to me (I owned one myself up till a fotnight ago - I've never seen wind bars on a 2.4)

Iceman...It sounds like you enjoy the odd Keo so I'll bring some along anyway

Cheers

Nick

***Zorba*** · 25-09-2006

definately DH.what is the focal length set at?

***bignick*** · 25-09-2006

Originally Posted by zorba

definately DH.what is the focal length set at?

Yes,
http://www.dhsatellite.com/images/39...h%20antenna%22 Says 35 7/8"....maybe a smidgen further forward might help a tadge!!

***iceman*** · 25-09-2006

Originally Posted by bignick

Yes,
http://www.dhsatellite.com/images/39...h%20antenna%22 Says 35 7/8"....maybe a smidgen further forward might help a tadge!!

You are right Nick...The feed is at the furthest point it can get on the collar..I would have prefered to slide it a little more to see if it improved the signal more but the collar wouldnt allow the movement...
Looking at the JPG now,i reckon reversing the collar on the plate will allow another 6-8mm..

***bignick*** · 26-09-2006

Originally Posted by iceman

You are right Nick...The feed is at the furthest point it can get on the collar..I would have prefered to slide it a little more to see if it improved the signal more but the collar wouldnt allow the movement...
Looking at the JPG now,i reckon reversing the collar on the plate will allow another 6-8mm..

I like DH Dishes but I really really HATE the feed mounting system. It it difficult to setup, adjust, readjust and the screws seize too easily. I've thought in the past to remove the whole damn thing - even the struts - and drill news holes in the dish just next to where the struts were bolted, and put in something similar to the famaval setup! I reckon the those struts, thanks to typical American over engineering, must be taking some of the reflectors gain away - And I'd like to know how much!

Anyhow I digress .... a very learned Cypriot (he knows who he is) told me that a good rule of thumb is that you should be able to slide your index finger between the feed mounting plate and the feed flange (where its bolted to the LNB) - sounds a bit Heath Robinson but it works !!!!

Also if you need to push it in futher you can remount the clamp on the lower face of the plate - this is especially true of the 0.4f/d, 3m dishes, with the long focal distance (47 3/4")

Cheers

Nick

wayne ruddy · 08-04-2007

I Live In Southern Spain,i Have Had Signal Problems For Years Until I Got Sky Hd. And A 0.5lnb Its Recomended I Use A 2.4 Dish.i Have A 1.30 Dish On 70% Signal Quality.try Hd It May Sort Out Your Problem.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)