ITV in Gothenburg ?

Maxi 1

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Hello,

I have gained access to all free channels including BBC (in Gothenburg, Sweden) but not ITV. I am using a Panasonic 30 reciever and a 1m dish.

The Banner at the bottom of the screen shows the schedule for the ITV programmes but there is a seperate message above saying "No satellite signal". How can this be if I am able to recieve the schedule ?

It has been suggested in a posting on one other site that it is a fault with the card and ITV will need to be contacted. Also a sales person is saying that I should buy from him a Grundig G57 universal LNB.

What is the answer ?

Has any one any knowledge of how I can get ITV. I have found conflicting reasons on searches through the web.

In would be very very grateful if someone could please help.

Thankyou for taking the time to read this request.
 

Corrigapp

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Hi Maxi 1,

Because ITV1 (and 2) is on the very much weaker astra 2d satellite, it is very difficult to pick up in Scandinavia. A 1 m dish is not the best size to try with although some people in Stockholm, Borlänge etc have had success with dishes as small as 85 cm.

As regards the schedule, this comes in on the default transponder (11778 V) from one of the two the main Astra satellites (2 a or b, I'm not sure which without checking) so it's not surprising that you can see what's on on even if you can't watch it.

It's not very likely that your card is faulty, it's much more likely to be a reception problem. Your digibox is a good choice (assuming it's working OK) so that leaves the dish and/or LNB.

The consensus of opinion seems to be that the best place to start is by buying a bigger dish. I live in the Lund/Malmö region and I had to go from almost a 1 m dish to a 1.5 m Gibertini before I got anything at all from 2d.

I don't know anything about the Grundig LNB. It's definitely not one of those LNBs that gets mentioned in contexts like these (ie weak signal areas). What LNB are you currently using?

Peter
 

Maxi 1

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Thanks Peter for the fast response.

At the moment as I am away from home and I dont know the LNB model. Many writers are saying that all LNBs are really the same and not much gain is achieved with a change (i.e wasting money).

Is it possible to have the satellite pointed at the other Astra beams such as BBC and miss the 2D beam. Could I still find the beam if I move the dish slightly and keep the BBC in contact.

I really do not want to spend more cash on tgis and if I really need to I will consider so in The spring when the snow is off the roof. But if I do change the dish to a larger size can you know where I can get one near Gothenburg ? Also is it possible to have a larger dish secured to a chimney ?

Please reply I appreciate your help.
 

Old Satellite

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The only way to recieve ITV in your region simply is to install a larger dish at least a 1.5 and prefer a 1.8 mtr. the signal levels are generally to weak in your area and hence require the larger dish.

Regards

Old Satellite
 

Corrigapp

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There are some differences between LNBs, but it's not as simple as choosing as low a noise figure (eg 0.4 dB etc) as possible and spending more money. The LNB also has to work well with the dish and the cable, which is probably what gives some people in these parts access to 2D with a small dish. Its skew (rotation within the holder at the end of the boom) is also a sensitive adjustment. So you could buy a Syntech 2000, for example, and be disappointed with it (see the Astra 2D/ITV thread).

As regards your second paragraph, see also the above thread.

Third paragraph, see this link; http://www.hansa-electronic.com/.
I'm afraid I don't know anything about how large a dish you can safely install on a chimney but I would guess at 1 m max. I certainly wouldn't have installed my Gibertini on the chimney and besides when it's at ground level, tweaking it becomes a whole lot easier!

Lastly, I agree with Old Satellite's comments but I would like to add that over 1.5 m, the price of dishes skyrockets.


Peter
 

Old Satellite

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I agree the price of dishes past 1.5 mtrs tend to increase quite quickly.

there are however whole sellers like Doebis in Germany that does carry a 1.8 mtr for around 350 euro + shipping for those interested.

For those seriously interested in not increasing thier dish size but looking to improve the LNB hoping that it will resolve the problem. be warned that many of the so called 0.3-0.5 db LNB are actually around 0.7 to 1.0 db at certian parts of the frequency spectrum.


Only the PLL ( Phase Locked Loop) LNbs generally have consistance performance across the frequency spectum and that is one of the reasons why they cost three to four times has much as a normal universal lnb
Regards.
There use also requires greater flexibility in the equipment required to achieve the benefits - (normally a magnetic poloriser is required)

Regards

Old Satellite
 

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Thanks peter and old satellite.

This info should help my little knowledge of satellites, but I do have two more questions:

1. What is the best brand and model LNB I should use ?

2. What is a magnetic poloriser ?

Your help is greatly appreciated.
 

Corrigapp

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As regards your first question, it's very difficult to answer this. I would recommend obtaining as many different LNBs as possible from your local friendly satellite stockist on 'öppet köp' and then comparing them as I did here. Unfortunately in my case, they were all run-of-the-mill LNBs so none of them made any real difference. In theory, the lower the noise figure of an LNB - the more efficient it will be in producing a usable signal for the receiver. However, in practice things work out differently, as Old Satellite pointed out. Ideally, you and I want an LNB that works very well in the low band, where 2D's transmissions are located. But the quoted noise figures are nearly always 'typical', ie they represent the best result that an individual LNB can achieve under certain conditions.

I've emailed Gibertini asking for their recommendations re. an LNB for my dish but have still not had a reply. Maybe you could do the same with the manufacturer of your dish?

Peter
 

Maxi 1

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Astra have responded to an e-mail I sent to them.

The repeated the usual story about footprints but also said -

"You will be very lucky to receive frequencies from ASTRA 2D using an 80cm satellite dish. I can only assume that the reception sites mentioned in your e-mail are within nodes of high power. Viewers, in Sweden, have confirmed that they cannot receive ASTRA 2D frequencies using a 120cm dish."

So maybe I should give up as it looks like an expensive effort.

Thanks for the info you have given me.
 

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A magnetic polariser is used to adjust the incoming signal from the satellite it is normally on a C120 flange. There are still many shops has to where they can be puchased . The problem is that they need from the reciever a magnetic output tyipcally either 50 MA or 100 MA at 5vdc- none of the standard digiboxs are able to provide this output.

Plenty of the old analogue recievers had this facillity as standard and can be ontained for a few pounds- but then you would need to use two recievers ! not so easy

The advantage is with a magnetic or Mechanical Poleriser is the ability to adjust the skew with greater precision. they can still also be fitted to a majority of both offset and prime focus dishes with a small modification. you can then also utilise a PLL ( not cheap) specification LNB to best effect .

LNB options if you still wish to continue in this direction you could also try talking to SMW in your area and highlight that you are conducting a test for reception and ask them to provide you a matched specification lnb - they may have good response to this ?

HOWEVER, sorry to highlight once again but even this type of modification you would still be unlikely to provide the increase in signal required to resolve your signal reception problem on Astra 2d, the only assured way is to increase the size of your dish.

Regards

Old Satellite
 

Corrigapp

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Can a PLL LNB be advantageously used on an offset dish (40 mm mounting) without the magnetic polarizer etc as a one-for-one substitute for a normal LNB? Or is it absolutely necessary to use the extra eqpt. mentioned in your post? I don't mind spending a lot extra on a good LNB as I've now reached max. dish size.

Peter
 

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No the PLL LNB would require both a feedhorn and the magnetic/ mechanical poloriser. and a reciever to control it.

A PLL LNB is very much a professional lnb and has such it is not like a normal universal lnb, they can be fitted to normal offset dishes however with only the requirements as identified above - there are still many suppliers of feedhorns and polorisers that work very well with PLL LNB's.

Even with a 0.4 db PLL lnb and Poloriser I still believe that this would not provide the extra required signal strength.

regards

Old Satellite
 

Corrigapp

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Oh well it was worth a try. Thanks for the info.

Peter
 

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HI THERE .
back to the original thread . has anyone had any success getting ITV with a sky digibox in GOTHENBURG ? surely if stockholm can recieve the signal , us on the west coast should be able as well.

SKÅL
 

Maxi 1

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I was wondering when some may go back to my original question.

I really would be grateful if anyone in Sweden could help me get the Astra 2D signal.

Maxi 1
 

Corrigapp

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I really would be grateful if anyone in Sweden could help me get the Astra 2D signal

Maxi 1

What is your present equipment and location?

Corrigap
 

Maxi 1

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Hello Corrigap,

I am not able to say what the LNB is.

I am using the panasonic 30 reciever.

The dish is 900mm dia.

Your help is much appreciated as I dont know where to fit a larger dish. Even if I do I might be wastin´g time and money if it is not possible. So thats why Iam trying to find out how I can be sure that there is a possibility first. Is there away that you can use some kind of gauger that tells you the signal strength and what size of dish one would need?

Thanks

Maxi 1
 

Corrigapp

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Maxi 1

By 'location', I meant wherabouts in Sweden are you. This is of great importance when deciding on a dish size.

Corrigap
 

rolfw

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Maxi1 is in Gothenberg Corrigap, see first post.
 

Corrigapp

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Maxi 1

First off, you have a good receiver. Your dish, however, is distinctly on the small side. We're both more or less equidistant from the outer edge of the official footprint (measured from the outer contour which specifies a 120cm dish and which just skirts the west coast of Denmark). I moved up from an 80cm to a 98cm (Funke) but got absolutely nothing from 2d, about £100 down the drain. I had to move up to a 1.5m Gibertini before I got anything at all. Now I can receive the H transponders from 2d for most of the hours of the day. I normally lose 2d at around 20.30 CET, with the signal returning again at about 23.00 or thereabouts. So it's just during a part of primetime that I can't get 2d's H transponders. I have no reception *at all* from the V transponders.

My advice to you would be to wait and see what crystallizes out of the ongoing BBC/Sky conflict. If the BBC go ahead and go FTA on 2d and continue on the same transponders they're currently testing on, then a 1.8m dish might just do the trick for good reception 24/7. If, however, the BBC decided to use one or more V transponders, then a much larger dish will be required to guarantee reception at all times. Here I'm not sure about the size, but I've been looking at a couple of 2.4m dishes which will *probably* work ok. The V transponders are 3dB weaker than the H ones.

Please note that none of what I've written represents any kind of guarantee. People in our situation have do a lot of this by trial and error and sometimes (like in my case) money gets wasted.

My advice here is based on my own personal experience. So your first thought if you want to receive anything from 2d should be upgrading your dish. There is talk from time to time of people in Stockholm/Borlänge being able to get 2d on dishes between 85cm and 100cm and that there could be a sidelobe in that general region. Whether this applies to the Gbg area or not, I just don't know. It might be worth your while trying other LNBs before comitting to a new dish.

Corrigap
 
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