BFBS in Limassol??

[Coca-Cooper]

Around 12 to 18 months ago I was receiving a very weak but unencrypted BFBS transmission from Akrotiri. This stopped when "Capital TV" went on-air using the same frequency 'O'-red

Does anyone know if Akrotiri have stopped the clear transmissions and equipped everyone (entitled) with a decoder?

Just a thought as I'm running out of ways to avoid buying a 3.8m dish

Cheers

 

[geoffreys]

I'd also like more info. As far as I know all BFBS TV transmissions are
now coded (I suspect MAC) and as obtaining the 'official; decoder and
smartcard is virtually impossible one looks towards 'other' ways. On
the base (Ag.Nicholas) near to us BFBS transmits on a high UHF
channel, PAL 'G' coded. The sound is in the clear, signal strong. Any
'old hands' in (or previously in!) Cyprus give us some help in receiving
the vision?
Geoff
Ag.Georgios
Vrysoulles

 

[geoffreys]

Further to my previous reply. The BFBS from ag.Nicholas is on Ch66 UHF
(831.25 MHz) Horiz. I was told it was PAL 'G' but the sound in the clear
is on a PAL 'I' TV receiver. I do hope someone can guide us on how
to receive this channel, i.e. equipment to buy, source of smartcard, etc.
It has a strong signal with me (800M away) and beams towards Dhekalia
but I believe there is a seperate (?) transmitter there. Certainly UN
posts south of here (Achna etc) have aerials for receiving it line of sight.
Geoff
Ag.Georgios
Vrysoulles

 

[geoffreys]

I gather (but not confirmed) that the BFBS UHF transmissions on the
Island are Analog (not Digital). I wonder how many seperate transmitters
there are? Akrotiri, Ag.Nicholas, Dhekalia(?), others (?)
Geoff

 

[Coca-Cooper]

If all "viewer" UHF transmissions are encrypted, I guess the only possible source would be directly from the Satellite beaming the signal to the BFBS relay in Cyprus??

. . . . Or if they use a wireless link to send the signal between Bases??

 

[Zorba]

BFBS is still being transmitted from Akrotiri on 68 but very weak,it can be picked up from Erimi westwards with strong boosters,but it gets bad during the hot weather because the atmospherics also boost the arab channels.Also transmitted from Episkopi garrison on 56 and can be picked up if you have line of site of the masts in Episkopi,eg at the top of Pissouri village you can get a very good picture even without a booster.I know you can get it from Dhekelia but I don't know any details.
BFBS is also transmitted via satellite on 7 degrees east and can be picked up on a 1m dish,but it is encrypted with cryptoworks but I have asked if it has been hacked but no results

 

[geoffreys]

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

 

[Zorba]

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).

 

[geoffreys]

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

 

[Zorba]

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.

 

[geoffreys]

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.

 

[Coca-Cooper]

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!!

 

[geoffreys]

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

 

[Coca-Cooper]

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.

 

[geoffreys]

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

 

[Coca-Cooper]

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

Keep us all updated with your progress.

From memory, viewing the clear BFBS Akrotiri transmission during the summer months had the worst signal quality (lots of Arabic and not alot of BFBS!)

 

[Zorba]

Maybe they were transmitting on 66 and 68,like in Limassol and your casio picked up the stronger scrambled signal.Were you receiving from Ay Nik or Dhekelia?

 

[geoffreys]

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

 

[Zorba]

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

Bad luck Geoff.You can always move to Pissouri,good bfbs and bbc/itv on 2.8m?