BFBS in Limassol??

Many thanks for that info Zorba. When you say 'you can get a very good picture' what receiving equipment are you using?? Is the TV PAL'I' or PAL'G'? What decoder is necessary, etc.
Thanks
Geoff

Just a Pal I tv,a new six foot aerial(vertically mounted)pointing to said transmitter,and a mast amplifier at least 30db.Or get friendly with a bases personnel so he/she can "lend" you their decoder(pace cryptovision analogue).

Thanks Zorba. Are you saying I can receive it without a decoder (if
I have mast-head amp)?
Geoff

Most probably if you can see dhekelia garrison from your roof(thats if they are still transmitting a free signal).If not you'll at least receive a lorra lorra turkish channels.

I'll have a drive over there with my pocket tele (Casio TV-3100) and
find out if still coded or not Zorba. This will be next week now as we
have house guests from UK.
Geoff
Ag.Georgios.

Will you be plugging a six foot antenna into the Casio's external input?


. . . . . May look a little suspicious!!

Well that is what I did, took the SBA Police about 10 minutes to wander
round to the car - but no problem.

With a VERY strong signal, like with the beam pointed right at the transmitter from about 30 metres away I got a picture OK (Wimbledon tennis), but as soon as the signal was weaker (= normal) the pic was scrambled again. This suggests only a very simple/basic coding system
is in use. Channel 65 or 66 (can't tell exactly on my pocket TV).
Same story back home at Vrysoulles onto the BFBS TX there at Ag,
Nicholas base.
So NOW I'll be putting up high gain beam on the roof pointed at Ag. Nicholas TX and fitted with a 30 dB gain masthead amp and see if we can get picture without a decoder!
At all times sound is fine.
Regards
Geoff

When you were standing outside Ay. Nic (!) did you receive BFBS on two separate channels?

In Limassol, one channel (channel fifty something ??) contains a strong but encrypted transmission, the other (Channel 68) is weak but clear.

Yes, that was also the case at Dekhelia. I wondered at the time if it was just images due to the TV's IF but on reflection it was not. I would have liked more time to check but got moved on by the SBA police.
If so I think they are generating the UHF signal, and then coding it before feeding the coded signal to the TX's PA. I reckon the final transmitted signal is no more than perhaps 500 mW, so low of course to limit coverage area. The feed to the coder+PA is therefore maybe
about 50 mW. It is THAT (uncoded signal) I will try and receive (from
Ayia Nic) using hi-gain aerial + amp. I maybe on a hiding to nothing here but I have all the equipment so no cost, just time+effort.
None of this would be necessary, of course, if BBC had not moved onto
Astra 2D etc, and THAT can all be blamed on the UK government.
Geoff

Yes, that was also the case at Dekhelia. I wondered at the time if it was just images due to the TV's IF but on reflection it was not. I would have liked more time to check but got moved on by the SBA police.
If so I think they are generating the UHF signal, and then coding it before feeding the coded signal to the TX's PA. I reckon the final transmitted signal is no more than perhaps 500 mW, so low of course to limit coverage area. The feed to the coder+PA is therefore maybe
about 50 mW. It is THAT (uncoded signal) I will try and receive (from
Ayia Nic) using hi-gain aerial + amp. I maybe on a hiding to nothing here but I have all the equipment so no cost, just time+effort.
None of this would be necessary, of course, if BBC had not moved onto
Astra 2D etc, and THAT can all be blamed on the UK government.
Geoff

Well tried it all out, decoder definitely needed. What I did pick up on 663 MHz (H) was some TRNC station that puts out BBC World most of the day so that is useful I suppose.
Geoff