Freesat in cyprus

[borderman]

I have perused this site and it's a bit technical for me!
I am moving to live in Cyprus, Paphos area. I read an article that implied that Freesat can be receivd on the island. Can anyone advise the true situation and recommend an installer who could do the set up. I have not yet bought a dish so can get the most suitable size.

 

[satelliteman]

Welcome to the forum borderman.

Doing a quick search, this thread below might be of some interest, but in the meantime why not try the forum search facility yourself where there's a wealth of info regarding freesat, dish sizes and reception reports throughout Europe. We do have a handful of local members here who may be able to help further.

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...on-tech/162016-moving-cyprus-freesat-sky.html

 

[borderman]

Thanks for the information. As you say there is plenty of comment on this subject but I cannot understand most of it!!!! It seems that there are varying opinions but I'll keep watching.

Thanks again.

 

[satelliteman]

In addition, there are a couple of installers on the forum based in Cyprus, hopefully they may stumble across this thread.

 

[borderman]

Thanks again. We are shipping out today so it will be a week or more before I can check again. Incidently Panasonic UK technical support say that this TV will not work in Cyprus but I am pretty sure that it can be rechipped if necessary.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Lazarus]

Not sure what Panasonic it is, but if it is one with a DTT/Analogue Tuners alone, it still will have SCART/HDMI for taking signals from DSAT boxes.

If it is an integrated Freesat one, it'll work (from a Technical standpoint) in the same way as in the UK. You obviously have to enter a UK Postcode! And the range of Channels will depend, as you know, on the size and quality of your Dish installation.

Edit: Just seen it is a TV with external Foxsat HDR. I assume Panasonic had in mind DTT/UHF transmissions when you contacted them. Not really relevant.

 

[borderman]

Thanks for the input. Now arrived in Cyprus, pouring rain and hailstones the size of golf balls, so can investigate more locally. The TV is the one with built in Freesat receiver as well as anaolgue and assorted HDMI/SCART connections as well as a card slot.

Not sure what Panasonic it is, but if it is one with a DTT/Analogue Tuners alone, it still will have SCART/HDMI for taking signals from DSAT boxes.

If it is an integrated Freesat one, it'll work (from a Technical standpoint) in the same way as in the UK. You obviously have to enter a UK Postcode! And the range of Channels will depend, as you know, on the size and quality of your Dish installation.

Edit: Just seen it is a TV with external Foxsat HDR. I assume Panasonic had in mind DTT/UHF transmissions when you contacted them. Not really relevant.

 

[farside]

Freesat works fine in Cyprus.
I'm using a Foxsat HDR and all I did was put in a postcode and it downloaded all that I wanted.
I'm in the Paphos area with a 3 metre dish.

 

[Pyrgos]

I have just installed my Foxsat HDR in Pyrgos (near Limassol) with a 3m dish. All is working fine with excellent reception. Does anyone know if I can get "five USA" (FTA channel) using a CI-module and my existing new sky freeview card in the common interface slot at the front?

Thanks for your help

 

[borderman]

Thanks chaps (or chapesses) sorry about the delay in replying, busy with property matters. Did you need support from some local satellite expert or was it straightforward?

Thanks again.

 

[PaulR]

I have just installed my Foxsat HDR in Pyrgos (near Limassol) with a 3m dish. All is working fine with excellent reception. Does anyone know if I can get "five USA" (FTA channel) using a CI-module and my existing new sky freeview card in the common interface slot at the front?

Strictly speaking Five/+1 and Fiver/+1 aren't FTA they're FTV (Free to View) - hence the need for the card.

All I can say is that in recent past people have been able to use a CAM (Dragon I think?) with a $ly card in the mnanner you want. Unfortunately $ly is nearing the end of its new white card roll-out and it will then switch off support for the old yellow house card. It is widely supposed that the new card has been introduced to combat card sharing groups but a by-product is that it will almost certainly stop the unofficial personal CAM support.

 

[Pyrgos]

Many thanks PaulR

I spoke with Humax support and they basically said the same as you. I have now put in a splitter on one of the lnb cables and use this third cable on my old Sky+ box for all the freeview channels. I simple have to put one box on standby as we watch tv on the other box. Pretty sad really but it is winter here!

Does anyone know how to increase the number of days we can view on the TV guide. We can only view about 2 hours at present?

Thanks again

 

[Lazarus]

I recommend you bin the splitter and instead use an A/B Switch.

The latter is a proper Isolation Switch with nice clunky buttons and will be less lossy and more predictable than a splitter - and will save you having to remember to put the secondary box into standby.

As an example, see eBay Item 190351592624.

Many of use use these switches with great success.

Splitters are dubious devices for use with domestic Satellite installations.


As for the TV Guide, I don't know for sure why it isn't populating properly: Does this happen on both the Sky Box and the Humax?

Freesat and BSkyB send 7 day EPG Data from different "Default" Transponders, so if you get different results on each box (in terms of how much data you get), it may be a signal strength problem, but I'm only guessing.

 

[Pyrgos]

Many thanks Tivu,

I have ordered this A/B switch from E Bay (£3.99)
The TV guide works fine on my Sky+ box. Other people have mentioned the lack of TV guide on the Humax. I do not think it is a signal stength problem.

Very many thanks

 

[Lazarus]

Well now that you've clarified, it actually might be just that............ The Freesat EPG is sent from a Transponder on Eurobird 1.

Eurobird 1 is 0.3 degrees further east than Astra 2A, B, C and the use of a big dish (which has narrow beamwidth) can cause problems getting good results from all four birds.

So I wonder whether what you are seeing is the basic DVB-S Now and Next Data that is sent with each bouquet of Channels, rather than the proper 7 day Freesat EPG which is streamed from the default Transponder.

In fact, I'd lay odds on that this is the case.

 

[Pyrgos]

Many thanks again Tivu,

When I booted up for the first time it would not accept my UK postcode so I did a manual tune. This puts the Humax receiver in "non-freesat mode"
Perhaps you need to be tuned into "Freesat mode" for the Freesat EPG?

If this is the case I need to find some way of putting in a valid Postcode and retune in Freesat mode?

 

[Lazarus]

Your are quite correct! In non-freesat mode the Freesat box acts in the same way as a generic DSAT box and you'll only ever get Now and Next.

So, do a Factory Reset and start again - this time enter any valid UK Postcode: That has the effect of selecting the Regional variants for BBC and ITV on 101 and 103.

The syntax for entering a Postcode can be a little peculiar, so take care ........ I have a Foxsat and I think there is something weird about how to separate the two parts of the code ............. I'm sure a bit of trial and error will sort it for you!

Fortunately, you can change 101 to anything Region you like, afterwards, using the Menu Function "Edit Customisable Channels". You cannot do that with ITV, though, so select a Postcode which equates to a Region from "back home" that you favour.

Once you've got it going in Freesat mode, I also recommend you do an OTA update to Application Software Version 1.00.26 which is the latest.

Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Zorba]

Hi,I just stumbled across this thread. Its hard to find threads like these on the new format,or maybe I was in the right place right ime on old threads.
Anyway,I have a customer who brought over a Grundig freesat tried lots of different post codes but it will not start scanning, and i cannot override the menu like the Humax.
I borrowed a Grundig freesat from a friend, looks the same but one model earlier and it works with any post code entered. And the tv guide goes up to a week in advance.The other problem is when I used a London post code it obviously could not find ITV london so I sort of manually tuned 10.832 for ITV central south but it put it in a different channels list(non freesat) but when you try to do a favourite list you can't select from the non-freesat list.

 

[Zorba]

Why don't you bring in another cable from the dish ? Or do you not have a quad lnb ?

Many thanks Tivu,

I have ordered this A/B switch from E Bay (£3.99)
The TV guide works fine on my Sky+ box. Other people have mentioned the lack of TV guide on the Humax. I do not think it is a signal stength problem.

Very many thanks

 

[Zorba]

Well now that you've clarified, it actually might be just that............ The Freesat EPG is sent from a Transponder on Eurobird 1.

Do you know what the frequency is ?