Astra 2E: Iberia & Balearics Reports

[davidcmadrid]

Hueovos I shiuld have been clear this was two months before 2F was put into operation. Not all dish installers are created equally. Indeed many it appears took advantage of 1N taking over from 2D and i found many adverts expounding the coverage of the " new sattelite " whilst omitting that it was a temporary measure. It was clear from their blogs that they had installed 1m dishes all over their " territory " including here in Madrid where said dishsize is now very marginal if not useless.

 

[Acuario]

Last dish I installed was in November 2012. Will be starting again tomorrow or Monday - 21 dishes on route from Benidorm as I write .
Happy days!

 

[joddle]

Its a shame more people did not take note of the warnings this and other forums gave out when 1N started up. More the pity that so many installers did not care or simply did not want to advise people of the temporary nature of the "good reception". It was easy business for them but more expensive now for many of their unlucky clients. However there are and were many "good" installers who advised people properly and I am thankful one of those advised me accordingly. He also contributes on this and other forums.

Now things have settled down a bit perhaps normality will once again resume as there is unlikely to be much more speculation regarding reception for quite a while now - thank goodness!

As an aside, I had intended to take my Tagra 1.2M dish to Javea if 2E was strong enough to be free of the expensive rebreoadcasting system in our villa there - anyone an opinion on that in light of recent events?

 

[Huevos]

More the pity that so many installers did not care or simply did not want to advise people of the temporary nature of the "good reception". It was easy business for them but more expensive now for many of their unlucky clients.

This is just not true. No one knew what dish size would be necessary. The price of a complete system was only a couple of hundred €uros and the dish only makes up a small part of this price. All other parts of the system can carry on in service with the new satellite. Only the dish needs updating. So the customer is out of pocket of about 40€ for 18 months use. And in the scheme of things, they probably live in a 500,000€ house in Moraira with a pool and a C-class Mercedes on the drive. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you need to see things in perspective. Also, 2F channels were possible on a 1m dish, and as the footprint maps published by SES were almost identical the assumption was 2E should be possible on the same size dish, which it more or less is.

 

[terryashbyash]

I have to say with my 85cm dish I never expected any freesat channels now so I am more than happy, may try a dish tweek to pull in bbc 1+2 SD but my android covers these so no great loss if no improvement. My dish was installed with an lnb for astra1/hotbird so all good compared to a few years ago.

 

[Nagusia]

I spent about 2 hours up on the roof on Sunday tweaking away and trying different Feedhorns and it was all to no avail. Basically I gave it all up as a bad job. I've just rescanned all the channels and now much to my surprise find I am receiving all the BBC SD channels and even BBC 1 Scotland HD. Has something changed with the footprint? Or is it because the wind has died down a bit and the dish isn't wiggling around so much?

 

[woborny]

As an aside, I had intended to take my Tagra 1.2M dish to Javea if 2E was strong enough to be free of the expensive rebreoadcasting system in our villa there - anyone an opinion on that in light of recent events?

Have had decent levels on a 110x120 dish in Javea.
Not much for rain fade - but then when it rains in spain even the 2,4s struggle!

 

[Ricardo Servet]

Thanks for the 2.4m suggestion, I'll also have to ask my local installer for some idea of cost on that.

I can't answer your question yet, as I don't know what a 2F spot transponder is. How do I check on that?

I think with 2.40 m Famaval, good and matched feed, and a top LNB as well, you may have a chance. You are on the "fast drop-off" zone, so I wouldn't rule out that you could still receive it. But you should wait for some reports to come in and probably arrange to see how your spectrum looks like as it is. Do you receive any of the 2F's spot transponders?

 

[joddle]

Have had decent levels on a 110x120 dish in Javea.
Not much for rain fade - but then when it rains in spain even the 2,4s struggle!

Thanks for that - I was hoping you may put in your opinion. I think I will give it a go and see what happens. The mounts for the dish are still in place from when it was there in the old analogue and early 2D days so setting it up should be a doddle - just bolt onto the mount then align (which may take a little longer). If successful then a local re-broadcaster will be one customer less and we will be better off by 30e per month!

 

[Salva]

Hi, I have seen an improvement of signal over the last two days, whereas at the beginning of 2E I lost BBCHD tp around 2 AM and got it back at around 7AM, last two nights seems that I did not loose any TP from 2E.

Anyone seen that kind of improvement ?

I have not changed anything on my setup, so It has to be something in uplink end or weather.

 

[Tururu]

It's official movement that some notice of Astra2E, was 28.34 ° East.
Ya es oficial el movimiento que algunos notamos del Astra2E, esta en 28.34ºEste.
Link to news/enlace a la noticia:
http://skyinmadrid.com/pages/news.html

Until Monday the lowest signal about 17:00 GMT, since they placed the satellites (tuesday) and departed the Astra1N, the signal improved.
All the old installations ASTRA2D now have more signal without touching anything (logical).
----------------
Hasta el lunes la señal mas baja sobre las 17:00 GMT, desde que recolocaron los satelites (martes) y partio el Astra1N, la señal mejoro.
Todas las viejas instalaciones al Astra2D tienen mas señal ahora sin tocar nada (logico).

 

[solly]

I've had a number of reports from Murcia/Alicante area of 1.4 m dishes not receiving the BBC. I may be corrected, but as far as I'm aware, Sharp have never made prime focus LNBs. It looks as though one installer has been fitting these home made prime focus LNB/feedhorn combinations. The owner says it was installed last year. Appears to be a Sharp offset LNB with the front cut off and an ADF-120 or similar prime focus feedhorn stuck on. The performance is well down on what it should be, needless to say. Another close up pic shows a decayed label - the LNB wasn't even new!

are you need change feed

 

[davidcmadrid]

Reception Report 2E

Location Aranjuez 60kms direct South of Madrid Center.

SD channells pixelated with heavy Rain
HD Channels no lock

 

[satpete]

Here in La Zenia, just south of Torrevieja Costa Blanca, although anticipating the worst at change over apart from losing bbc1/2 hd round about 17.30 pm I am able if necessary to watch the bbc's in sd signal 88% Q 71% is not far off what I had been receiving on 2f ( S 90% Q 72%) on all the channels I watch. Readings taken from my ariva box. The up side of all these changes is that my Sky box now has the 7 day planner and I have gained a lot more channels that I previously didn't get i.e ITV 2/3/4 in HD.

 

[Huevos]

Reception Report 2E

Location Aranjuez 60kms direct South of Madrid Center.

SD channells pixelated with heavy Rain
HD Channels no lock

Using what equipment?

 

[davidcmadrid]

Using what equipment?

Oops

Reception Report 2E
Location Aranjuez 60kms direct South of Madrid Center.

SD channells pixelated with heavy Rain
HD Channels no lock

1.10cm cheapo LNB.

 

[Salva]

As I have mentioned in post #274 there has been a definitive improvement of reception of 2E here, when 2E started there was no 24x7 of BBCHD, lost it mid afternoon and midnight, whether this is due to Satellite relocation or power increase, I don't know.

 

[Lazarus]

It hasn't relocated yet (If indeed it is ever going to): Currently in a slightly elliptical orbit at between 28.35 and 24.45, roughly. I can't recall the exact limits (They've been posted a couple of times recently, bit I can't find them!) but that gives you the general idea.

As for power increasing, we've seen no firm evidence of that: Indeed, I would expect that in due course the wick would be trimmed downwards in order to maximise life-span.

 

[Pride Of Cucamonga]

It hasn't relocated yet (If indeed it is ever going to): Currently in a slightly elliptical orbit at between 28.35 and 24.45, roughly. I can't recall the exact limits (They've been posted a couple of times recently, bit I can't find them!) but that gives you the general idea.

As for power increasing, we've seen no firm evidence of that: Indeed, I would expect that in due course the wick would be trimmed downwards in order to maximise life-span.

How does lower power increase lifespan? The limiting factor is fuel surely?

 

[Salva]

It hasn't relocated yet (If indeed it is ever going to). Indeed, I would expect that in due course the wick would be trimmed downwards in order to maximise life-span.

If I look at the facts at my side, with the same install and dish/lnb settings I have seen an increase on levels, now, BBCHD is possible 24x7, this was no near possible over the firsts days of 2E operation. Perhaps if no power increase or relocation has been the culprit, they have changed a little bit the attitude of the bird.

Now, Being on Gandia and having a 1.20 offset, Is anyone seeing this improvement I am experiencing ?