Newbie Here Astra 2E From Santander

[Txops]

Greetings everyone,
I've got an old 100 cm motorised setup installation near Santander (Spain). After the 2e migration of the freeview channels I lost all hope of receiving them. However, today I had some time off and fiddled a bit with my installation and managed to get some BBC, ITV and Channel 4 channels with intermitent breakup. Has the power of the emission recently been powered up or have I had a badly adjusted setup?
My dish is a little worn out, badly repainted (not very smooth) and bashed a bit around the edges. My question is, If I upgrade my configuration to a Tecatel 135 fixed dish (Is the maximum my budget can afford), will I gain enough quality to be able to receive the signal 24 /7? Currently I get around 45 -50 quality signal at 7 PM. so I get frequent break ups.
Will a 35 % increase in the dish size increase the quality of the signal enough for a 24 /7 reception or close to it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciatted.

 

[briangw]

That 35% increase in dish width is actually giving you about 70% increase in dish surface area. So I would say that if you are receiving something on your existing dish, then the probability of receiving a solid and reliable signal is quite good. Anyway thats the theory, lets hope there is somebody local to Santander who can give a view based more on personal experience.

 

[Lazarus]

Well I've had a quick look at Analoguesat's 2E Reception Map

There's certainly a report of 24/7 all TPs using a 1.5m at a location 20km South of San Sebastian and a couple more in that general area reporting all fine on 1.2m.

Not wholly sure of the geography, so it might be productive for you to have a look yourself, Txops.

 

[Txops]

Thank you both for your answers,
I finally got the 135 cm Tecatel dish. After spending a few hours fine tunning it I can report that the reception still a bit unstable. 10906 V tp 54 (ITV) seem to be the strongest transponder received. I get some of the other ones with intermitent pixelation and no rain margin. I'm using an Inverto Ultra LNB connected to a Chinese receiver that might not be the most sensitive of them all.
So I would definetly recommend a 150 cm or bigger dish for this area.

 

[Analoguesat]

I'll add the 1.35m dish report to the map - it fills a gap in

If anyone else wants their details added to the map please pm me - i dont have time to read all the dozens of reports across the various 2E sections at the moment.

 

[briangw]

Thank you both for your answers,
I finally got the 135 cm Tecatel dish. After spending a few hours fine tunning it I can report that the reception still a bit unstable. 10906 V tp 54 (ITV) seem to be the strongest transponder received. I get some of the other ones with intermitent pixelation and no rain margin. I'm using an Inverto Ultra LNB connected to a Chinese receiver that might not be the most sensitive of them all.
So I would definetly recommend a 150 cm or bigger dish for this area.

I am assuming that the Tecatel is an offset. If so, can I recommend that you try the Gilbertini universal feedhorn with an Invacom C120 LNB. It may make a significant difference, as it did on my 1.8 Prodelin. A Humax receiver would also help considerably.

 

[Txops]

Thanks for your suggestion, briangw. I had a look and it seems like an expensive combination and not too easy to source. I'll keep on looking.
I still have a question. It seems that the reception varies a big deal from one day to the next and during the day with no very different weather conditions.
Also it seems that the reception of the vertical transponders is notably more stable than the horizontal ones. Is this normal in fringe areas or is there any item in my installation that can be causing it? (Receiver, Lnb skew, alignment ...) Any tip would be appreciated.

 

[briangw]

Thanks for your suggestion, briangw. I had a look and it seems like an expensive combination and not too easy to source. I'll keep on looking.
I still have a question. It seems that the reception varies a big deal from one day to the next and during the day with no very different weather conditions.
Also it seems that the reception of the vertical transponders is notably more stable than the horizontal ones. Is this normal in fringe areas or is there any item in my installation that can be causing it? (Receiver, Lnb skew, alignment ...) Any tip would be appreciated.

The gilbertini fh/c120 combo (all from ebay) put about 5-10% extra on my quality readings, and as its shared between 19 apartments, it was worth every penny. I have tried a Raven/CM feedhorn, which is about twice the price but was less successful for me, so its going back on ebay. There is a limited selection of C120 LNBs, and the Invacom is the best available.

If you look at Huevos's reception reports here (change the final number to go back in days) :-
http://satellites-xml.org/signal-graphs/days-ago-graph.php?daysAgo=0
you will see the variation that occurs during the day. It makes you realise that when swopping around or testing, if you choose the wrong part of the day (ie when its on the up or downward trend), you will get very misleading results.

I think on the fringe, its always been the case you receive either Hs or Vs slightly stronger depending on where you are - I get the Hs stronger. Of course its imperative to spend countless number of hours trying to make sure that your alignment/focus/skew are as close to perfection as possible(!), and as I said earlier, the Humax receivers will make the most of what you can pick up.

 

[5ºwest]

hi txops
I am about 100km west of you and had no luck with a 1.1m on 2F when CH4 etc moved
so bought a 1.5 gilbertini and a selection of LNBs - inverto black quad, invacom QDH 031 and the flange versions with a gilbertini feedhorn, but they were no better.

when BBC etc moved I gave up on uk tv

now the summer is almost over and seeing that you are nearly there with a 1.35 and not far from me I will have another look.
but if I still dont get anywhere I will have unwanted 1.5 gilbertini dish and LNBs

will let you know how I get on

 

[Hughes]

Hi to Txops and everyone else,
I'm about 400 kms west of Santander, and struggle to receive BBC ITV Channel 4 etc. My impression is that things have got more difficult of late, and my prime focus 1m50 dish is no longer up to the job. At present best results are obtained from BBC 1 South, ITV 1 Channel, BBC2 NI, and Channel 4 HD. Five is normally fine. My LNB is a Black Ultra twin, much twisted to find the best skew, and the receiver is a Foxsat HDR, with a Jersey post code . Adjusting the dish and LNB is difficult as these edge-of - footprint signals are unstable. Horizontally polarised transponders are weaker and I never see Film 4 et al on 10714H
Any suggestions, apart from the obvious larger dish, most welcome!

 

[Captain Jack]

Is that a converted Black Ultra to accommodate your prime focus dish's feedhorn? If it's not, it's likely not performing at its best due to the fact that this LNB is designed for offset dishes.

 

[Hughes]

The dish, a rather ancient Tagra, was begged from a garden near La Coruña, and came without its feedhorn. I just push-fit LNBFs into the hole in the centrally-mounted tripod and that's it! This allows for no forward or backward movement of the LNB, so it's quite likely that the Black Ultra, with its long neck isn't very well focused. Comments?

 

[Captain Jack]

I would try a generic feedhorn for prime focus dishes with a C120 LNB. The feedhorn probably won't be an exact match but likely to be better than your current arrangement. Perhaps someone with knowledge of your dish will come up with a better suggestion though...

 

[Hughes]

Returning to Txops second post, maybe you could borrow a receiver known to be sensitive. If your Chinese box is not sensitive this could make all the difference....

 

[5ºwest]

an update of my post from september
have now got round to setting up the 1.5 gilbertini (offset) and have tried a selection of LNBs -
invacom QDH 031
inverto black quad
invacom QDH flange versions with an invacom feedhorn

have managed to get a decent signal.
using a horizon usb+ meter the first two LNBs gave something like 15% Q on 2E H and V and a Humax PVR has no problems with the signal , including HD,
2F not so good, Q8% -no HD but Ch5 works

This set up stayed working even in the rain we have had this week.

Today I changed to the feedhorn LNB and got 25% quality ( on the horizon meter).

2F is still not quite as good, about 15% Q but the small improvement means that the HD channels are now visible but with a very small rain margin.

so a 1.5 with feedhorn LNB seems to work reasonably well here - north coast of spain half way between Santander and Gijon.

 

[Captain Jack]

Interesting. What's the feedhorn?

 

[dxsat]

Are you using the flange QDF-031?
An invacom feedhorn is meant for Prime focus dishes, did you mean you've put on the QDH all-in-one?

I installed a Gibertini 1.5m recently in Extremadura, just north of Placencia, about 50 km from Portugal. An Inverto Black Ultra Quad was better than QDF-031 + feed, All 2F and 2E including HD on a Humax HDR with rain margin.

 

[Nagusia]

I'm the person referred to by Analoguesat above, 20 kms south of San Sebastian. I have a 1.50 Gibertini with the LNB set-up in the photo. This is the Gibertini feedhorn and a DYI C120 converted IBU single. This gives by far the best results of all the different LNB options I have tried, and believe you me, I have tried a lot. It would be followed in performance by a standard IBU, then an Opticum Twin. Way down the list would come the Invacrom C120 single with either a Gibertini or Raven feedhorn. I would go for a standard IBU single before messing around with Feedhorns.
For the past couple of months or so I have 24/7 reception on all channels, nearly all with 100% quality on the Humax, and most channels continue to work in heavy rain (not that we've had much recently) except perhaps ITV HD.

 

[Captain Jack]

Is the Gibertini feedhorn the same as the Raven/Channel Master one? I've tried the Channel Master one with the converted IBU and the results were worse than with a plain IBU...

That said, your feedhorn looks different from my CM one.

 

[Clown man]

Nag...........Nice IBU to c120 flange conversion...... :-) .........

Also.... It should be noted from... "Nag's" pic.........The centre LNB arm adjustments with washers......Great stuff......

Not sure I agree the Invacom C120 is that bad......having said that.....Ive never tried a Single......My Invacom C120 Quattro is Ok.....

CJ...The Channel Master /Raven /Andrews Feedhorn very different...(basically much longer)... to the Gibbertini Feedhorn.......I tested both.....the Gibby F/H is better than the Raven F/H on the 150 Gibby.....