Confused?!!*

[billyburger]

Hi all you satellite wizards, I am a new member to the forum and have joined because I know zero about sat TV but am moving to just north of Alicante in Spain mid August and need my British TV.

I have already installed a 1.1M dish, 0.6 universal LNB and Panasonic DSB30 at my house in Spain. I get no ITV (I'm on the south beam) and channel 4 is unwatchable. I am trying to decide what size dish to go up to for 2D but have heard nothing positive from my area yet.

My immediate question relates to viewing cards. I have bought 3 more Panasonic DSB30's which I am taking over with me at the end of this week - my children want British TV in their rooms - along with a 0.3 manhattan quad LNB. I was under the impression that the viewing card was for BBC as it is issued to TV licence holders. Am I to understand that ITV, channel 4 and channel 5 also need this card and still will even if BBC go free to air? If this is the case it seems that I have wasted an awful lot of money on digiboxes which will only pick up a few advertising channels! I don't think th Beeb will issue me with 3 more cards!

Does anybody know the correct way to ensure that the skew angle is correct on the LNB - I appear to be able to twist mine wherever I like without making the slightest difference.

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Bill

 

[rolfw]

Welcome to the forum Bill, some of your questions have been answered in other very recent threads, but the Skew from where you are should be about at about 7:00 on the clock face when looking at the dish from behind the LNB, this really is a suck it and see job though.

There are a few members from down your way, so there should be some hard and fast information available.

With regard to the viewing cards, you should still be able to get the cards from the BBC, you should be OK with another three, but they will give you a grilling. If you have problems, get a friend to order one for you.

 

[billyburger]

Many thanks for the response - I take it that as you mentioned BBC cards still available that it IS needed for itv, channel4 & 5?

I phoned the BBC straight after posting and they have agreed to send out 3 cards but I had to fax them my info as an 'order'

cheers

Bill

 

[pmcmill]

Hi Bill,
I'm in Alicante and get CH4 nearly all day . I lose it (in the summer) between 2pm and 6pm . Winter's better . I'm using a
Channel Master 1.2 with matching feedhorn and 0.5 LNB . Mind you my Samsung 0.6 LNB does the same job . More money wasted
At present I've heard that ITV is possible with a 1.8/9 . BBC may be to but we'll have to wait and see which transponders they use . Some 2D transponders are imposible to get here . Even with a 4m dish !!
Regarding the skew . If I go oneway I get CH4 but lose SkyOne . Going the other way I get SkyOne but lose CH4 . I've been using a FTV card for a while now so I prefer CH4 but as rolf says it's a case of trial and error . With my setup a movement of 1mm makes a great deal of difference .
By the way you've got 2 Sat shops in Campello . MedSat and Blue Sat . They're both on calle Germaine right across the road from each other . The MedSat guys are English so they'll be able to help you out si no hablas bien Español .
Hope this helps.
Paul

 

[billyburger]

Many thanks Paul - nice to actually hear from someone in the area who has results. I'm driving over on Saturday so intend to 'have a play' while I'm there. I had one of the guys from Blue Sat come out and check my dish alignment (before I found out about transponders!)

I'm thinking of going up to Gandia next week, there is a shop there doing 1.9M dishes for 545 euros (they are prime focus not offset) I'm going to use my existing 1.1M to pick up 19.2 on an analogue receiver I've got.

Cheers

Bill

 

[pmcmill]

Hi Bill,

Yeah , I know the shop you're talking about . Ciber......
Let me know how you get on as I may take the plunge once the BBC goes to 2D .

Cheers

Paul

 

[billyburger]

Hi Paul

just got back to UK

Went to Ciberland in Gandia - their prices are unbelievable. I bought a 1.9 M prime focus dish, quad 0.3 LNB all mounting hardware with a polar mount thrown in 533 Euros the lot!!

Didn't have time to instal it but it looks quality gear.

Cheers

Bill

 

[pmcmill]

Sounds good Bill . Let me know how you get on once it's installed .

Cheers

Paul

 

[GaryL]

Guys this is a cut from a mail recieved from an installer in Campello

Firstly, we have found the Pace 2600 to be the best box out here on the Costa Blanca and we have certainly had much fewer problems The Panasonic DSB 30 is fine although an older model and not quite as quick. The 35 wont do the
job. The the 1.9m dish you mentioned. (the one from Ciberland) Once again this is an inferior product and will certainly not give you 24 hr viewing on Northern beam channels. This is a Prime Focus dish not an Offset. We use the 1.8m offset Channel Master dish which is the best dish on the market and therefore is more money. We charge 1345 euros for this dish, fitted with the best LNB we can
find, along with a concrete base and mount. If you wanted the Prime focus dish then we can install for 1000 euros but you lose ITV, BBC etc at around 10pm.


Regards

 

[billyburger]

Hi Gary

my neighbour has just had a 1.8 fitted by a Company in Campello, I don't know whether it was Medsat or Bluesat.

They have fitted a 1.8 prime focus and it is certainly not Channel Master. The "concrete base" is in fact 8 concrete kerbstones piled around the base of the mounting pole - this is a 1.8M dish mounted on the roof on his sun terrace!

he is using a DSB30 with 0.6 LNB and receives BBC1, ITV and channel 5 all day, BBC2 for two hours each morning and channel 4 all day except 16:00 to 18:00 hrs.

I don't understand why he says my dish is inferior other than it undercuts his massive prices by quite some margin. The dish and mount are extremely well made, and very sturdy. I will be installing it in August and wil keep you posted

cheers

Bill

 

[GaryL]

please can you get me the details i am off to Spain on Thursday, knowing who to phone will be great..

 

[deeno]

What about when its raining, thats a good time to whach tv.