ASTRA 2D in Spain

[sevans59]

Bought a Panasonic DSB20 last year and have an 80cm dish and standard 0.7dB universal LNB. Live near Madrid - 40km NW and 900 meters above sea level (don't know if that matters). Get Channel 4 most of the day in the winter, though now hardly at all - suspect recent high winds might have moved the dish a tad. Never got ITV, nor transmissions from north beam vertical transponders. Now the beeb are moving am trying to decide what dish size I'll need. Suspect that 150 will be necessary though as it will have to go on the roof, I'm not sure if that is practical. Would like to hear more reports from Spain - especially Madrid to help me decide. Thanks.

 

[rolfw]

Hi Sevans59, have a look at Expat's home page, listed in his signature, there is a reports section there and someone is getting partial reception (a few channels) with a 1.35 metre dish, it would appear that possibly a 1.5 metre or larger would be required for full reception.

What has been suggested a couple of times before, is to phone your local satellite installation companies and see if one has a 1,5 metre steerable dish set up and ask if they will connect up your digibox to it. You would then get the definitive answer. They will also be able to advise on the type of mount required.

 

[sayireand]

Check out this link from another forum and send me a mail if you want to chat.

 

[ChipButty]

I'm also on the outskirts of Madrid (A6 corridor) and am thinking about upgrading my 1.2m dish. I've read about recommended sizes for Spain ranging from 1.2m to 2.4m.

I moved house recently and haven't had the chance to set up all my equipment again, but I remember that before, I managed to get ITV very, very infrequently.

As and when I have any news I'll post again in this thread, until then please let me know of any progress.

Also don't hesistate to email me if you want to discuss this further offline.

Thanks

 

[sevans59]

Thanks to all the replies above - keep them coming from Spain. In the meantime, I had this reply elsewhere which is interesting:

I live in (Cadiz) which is 36.35ºN 6.14ºW.
I am using a 3 year old Amstrad 100 digital box.
0.7dB LNB. And about 30 metres of cable. I installed it myself.
I hope this helps you in getting more channels.
Cheers

This chap gets "Perfect reception from 2D, a bit weaker on ITV2. Get Sky One but can't get Virgin Radio" and uses a 1.35 Tecatel Off-set dish.

Why does reception seem to be such a different issue in Madrid, is it possible that there is a "leak" from the footprint down the western side of Spain - I've seen other more positive reports from Portugal and more negative from the Mediterranean coast?

Steve Evans

 

[rolfw]

I'm sure that there will be anomalies steve, there can also be big differences in apparently similar dish performance, quite often because the LNB is a better match. It certainly will make life easier, the more of these reports that we can correlate.

I'm sure also that background radiation can have a negative effect on fringe signal performance.

 

[sevans59]

When we talk about "background radiation", what are we referring to exactly? The sun which is more of a problem in the summer, or the domestic environment - maybe the proximity of the receiver to other electrical appliances etc?

Steve

 

[rolfw]

All of those can have an effect, but I was thinking more of land based microwave links, even if they are not closeby, they can still have an effect.

 

[sayireand]

I am using a 1.35 and get all channels 24/7 except Disney, Hallmark and EuorsportNews which I get in the morning and they creep in later in the day. The only ITV I get all day is those on 10.906V. The Sky Music channels (the new ones) also 24/7. So Vertical Astra 2D no problem but Horizontal more problematic. I'm in Plaza Castilla. Don't know how things will be fixed with the BBC transponders

Send a mail to sayshay@hotmail.com and we can try and have a chat

 

[micheal]

Hi All, The best for Madrid is a 1.2mt Channel Master, big money but the best is never cheap. Regards Micheal

 

[sayireand]

********The best for Madrid is a 1.2mt Channel Master, big money but the best is never cheap.*********


I'm afraid this is not true. I know someone who has a CM 1.2 and who is no more than 10 minutes drive who is not getting any picutre off 2D except an hour or so in the morning.

 

[micheal]

I am afraid I'am wrong you need a 1.8mt. Sorry for the confusion.Micheal

 

[ChipButty]

You mean that with a 1.8mtr Channel Master you get all 2D channels all the time ?

You looking at around 1400 Euro's, so if it doesn't do all of the above its an expensive mistake !

Any particular reason for the recommendation of Channel Master ?

 

[Deano]

I have a 1.8 ChannelMaster and its not big enough.
I think we are looking at a 3mt for all day reception.
Las Matas Madrid.

 

[sayireand]

Originally posted by Deano
I have a 1.8 ChannelMaster and its not big enough.
I think we are looking at a 3mt for all day reception.
Las Matas Madrid.

Hi Deano,

Welcome to the forum. This is bad news and bad luck. You are the first person I've heard of in Madrid that has given any real feedback on the performance of a bigger dish. Although I'm told that Finbars, the pub in Argulelles, has had better luck.

What box are you using?

Can you get any reception at all from 2D at any time of the day?

I get all vertical transponders including Amp music tv, ITV Ulster/ Scotland etc 24/7 and the Horizontal transponders in the morning till about 12 and later in the late afternoon for a couple of hours. And I'm only working with a 1.35m dish which is supposed to be 3dbs weaker.

It seems a little strange, is your dish correctly alligned?


I would like to have a chat to compare installations etc. Send me a mail to sayshay@hotmail.com if you are interested.

 

[Deano]

I haven’t got a digibox anymore (Switch mode power supply’s don’t like Spain’s bumps) but I have a Humax CI5100 and a MTI lnb connected waiting for Rupert too piss the Beeb off and then I can catch up with Eastenders. The whether has changed and since this morning I have had a lock on the new transponders 20.30 I have signal level 49% Quality 19% on 2D compared to BBC 1 on 2A of level 68% Quality 100%
I tried lots of combinations of kit to get ITV working during the outage periods before and I can safely inform you that with all the things that can affect performance a solid one piece or precision / Cmaster 3.1mt split is the only way to guarantee reception of all the channels.
The Costa del Sol has stronger signal levels from a side lobe. I don’t know where it starts in the north probably around Granada but I was surprised to see the Tenerife reports on this board showing how far south it goes

 

[Dan Dan]

well you can keep the bbc....just added SKY ONE n south beam in
tenerife....12.285v...trp 30 south beam....you have to clear your network table to view it if you could not get sky one before

 

[newboy1192]

how do you clear the network table and what is it?

 

[Luis]

Hi,

I live in Las Rozas (Madrid). I can't get any 2D with a Panasonic 30, 1.2m. Channel Master and 0.6LNB. No problem with other channels, except with the Movie Channels between 17.00 and 19.00. Channels 4 & 5 no problem.
Is there anything I can do with this set up to get BBC and ITV?
Thank you very much for your help.

 

[deeno]

Its Pissing down in Las Matas and the beeb has lost lock for the first time since I posted as Deano last week 46% signalno quality.
Sky news 58% with 100% quality