Please help a poor, desperate satellite virgin!

[alex.w.russell]

Hi and thanks, in advance, for any advice anyone can give.

OK, I am lost and, well, you know that point when you are just exhausted from trying...

I have poor terrestrial reception; don't know why it's just normal around here. Always resisted Sky, cos I don't like Murdoch and he doesn't need any more cash (yeh, I know, silly old principles!), but gave in as I just wanted to watch Top Gear et al comfortably. Well a 12 year old neandothal comes round, grunts at me that the trees are too tall (they call it the new forest for a reason!) and is gone 60 seconds after arrival. Out of sheer spite I did a little research, made up a 28 degree east and 25 degree elevation "block" with a pipe along the top edge as a sight, fixed it to my tripod and went round looking for clear skies! Found it can be done, either by pointing through a gap or going halfway down the garden!

So, I got a 90cm dish and Fortec receiver (I suspect it's not up to your standards, but Maplin was handy!) After some playing I got signals, but I can't find BBC/ITV. More research, more trying, more confusion. I am not even sure if I am on Astra 19 degrees or that and Astra 28.2 at the moment (but think both is unlikely). I thought I had it straight in my head by looking at the channels, from which I concluded I had Astra 19 degrees. Now I am not so sure; I did the test for 2d I found on this site, by manually installing 10773 22000 H, 10803 22000 H and 10847 22000 V, as a result of which I searched and found 45 channels (mostly foreign and all scrambled!

I know information is the key for you so:
My Latitude is 50:57:58N
My Longitude is 1:42:24W

I have reception on what the receiver says is Astra 2A, signal varies but aways with a picture. Examples of channels and transponder frequencies are: Alice Sat 10774 22000 V, L1mburg 11895 27500 V and 11895 27500 V, Musica Digi 10847 22000 V, Euronews 11817 27500 V, France 3 12012 27500 V, RTL Televis 12188 27500 H. A total of 345 channels, not all vertical; that was just a coincidence the above examples were mainly vertical signals.

The Astra 2D test gave me signal strength 64 to 67 and quality 51 to 54, always with a good picture on those not scrambled. Got 45 Channels, examples being; Belsat 10773 22000 H, Guia Digia 10847 22000 V, Test CSD1 to 10 10847 22000 V, TV1702 to 1705, 10847 22000 V.

On that which the receiver says is Astra, examples stations would be:
Euro 1080 HD 10772 22000 H, Nederland 4 11740 27500 V, Portado 11436 22000 V, BBC World 11596 22000 V, RNF Plus 12148 27500 H, FR3 Toulous 12699 22000V. Total 961 channels, signal strength tonight (high wind/rain) 52 and quality 41, but usually better and still good quality, unbroken picture on those channels not scrambled.

I also get 123 channels on Nile Sat, but lets not even go there!!

Sorry to be such a bore and put so much, but I want to give the best info I can. I am a complete newbie and don't really understand even what a transponder is, other than it relates to an individual frequency being broadcast!

I figure I am either way off 28.2 degrees, or I may have to play with my LNB, but I am now so confused! I can't find the Astras further east of the position I have the dish in now, but that could be the trees. I don't mind rigging up a mast in the back garden and burying 30 metres of cable, but I would like to be sure I haven't got it wrong and can receive Astra 2d/BBC/ITV from this position first.

This is how I feel!

If you can help, I would be really grateful. Sorry again the post is so long and desperate!

Very best to all out there.
Alex

 

[splifi]

if you try going on the website dishpointer.com it will show you were to piont the dish from your house

 

[rolfw]

Crumbs, you really know how to get confused. ;)

Just pick one frequency and check it on the satellite. Look at 10,773 Horizontal, if you are actually seeing a picture of Belsat, then you are on Astra 19.2.

so from standing behind the dish and looking towards the satellite, move the dish 10 degrees to the left and down very slightly. http://www.lyngsat.com/ will give you the list of channels on each satellite, http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html will give you the channels on Astra 28.2 East (the Sky satellite).

the best thing for you to do, is go to factory reset, otherwise you will have lots of unreceivable channels listed.

 

[johnsattuk]

Have you tried 'www.dishpointer.com' , it's good for showing the angles and landmarks to help aim the dish

Late again !!:mad:

 

[Robbo]

Yes, My! That is a long list of channels,transponders,symbol rates. You have listed the lot. .

I have checked a few of them, like BBC World, France 3 and RTl, and assuming you actually get the right programmes (and can watch a the correct picture) for those channels you are on 19.2E.

To get 28.2/28.5E you are going to need to swivel you dish left about 10 degrees and down a bit (from behind).

And as Rolf says, just pick one transponder and see what channels you get, and check those against Lyngsat. No need to scan the whole satellite.

Also select the satellite you think it is in the menu.

and by the way, I have the same dish from good ol' Maplin and currently watching the MBC channels on 26E, so it can't be that bad

Robbo

 

[T_G]

If you can help, I would be really grateful. Sorry again the post is so long and desperate

Welcome to the forum Alex
One thing is sure: We prefer a long and detailed post which lists all the equipment and facts known to you to the classical one liner "Im newbie my dish dont work why?"

 

[Analoguesat]

Hi Alex welcome to the forum. Its esy to get confused at first. First of all well done for getting *something* so far - thats half the job done.

The reason you seem to be getting loads of ssatellites is that the same frequency blocks are reused over and over again on all the satellites. therefore if your dish is actually aligned on 19E but you scan for instance 7W you will get at least some channels appear where the frequencies coincide on both sets of satellites.

I agree with the others - you have found 19E. (Quite an interesting set of satellites but not the ones you actually want) So take a sightline along the dish arm towards the horizon and memorise it so if you get hopelesly lost you can start again and move the lnb on the dish eastwards a bit (and up a fraction to allow for change in azimuth of the satellites) The lnb probably needs to move 3-4 inches, ceratinly not much more.

See if you can find the strong signals from the Dutch regional channels on 11914 H 27500 3/4 These are on 23.5E, so if you can find them you are halfway there (literally).

 

[alex.w.russell]

:-worship
I am indeed in the presence of greatness!

I would like to express my very great thanks to all of you who took the trouble not only to reply, but to reply so quickly. As with so many things in life, it's easy to avail oneself of information, tools, gadgets and opinion, but good, solid, experience based knowledge and expertise is what is required to understand. You guys clearly have that in bundles.

Looking at the posts when I got in from work last night, I could not resist having a go (despite the dark and risk of falling off the ladder!). Even in the rural area I am in, Dishpointer.com showed me that my dish could "see" through the gap in the 2 groups of trees AND allowed me to spot the corner of a nearby house as a target. Knowing I may need to change the elevation, I was brave enough to try moving the dish again whilst scanning just one frequency. As a consequence, I had tightened the dish in position, made a coffee and was flavour of the month with the other half as we sat down to watch the new series of Torchwood by 9am. Not the strongest signal just yet, but I will do some tweaking at the weekend, when I can see where I am falling!!

If I may, can I offer a tip for other newbies borne out of your advice. As my dish is quite low down (single storey house), I use one of those ladders that turn into a raised platform to stand on. With the 10 degree advice, I cut out a large 10 degree angle from some card and laid it on the platform, so the "O" side was up to and paralell with the side of the platform. I lined up the inner edge of the card by eye with the LNB arm, left the platform in position and moved the dish until the arm was in line with the outer edge of the card and platform. Knowing I was in the right area, altering the elevation started picking up signal peaks. A little more sideways adjustment and bingo! Probably a bit of luck in there, but the platform was a good visual guide.

Hope that helps someone and thanks again so much. I will undoubtedly recommend you and offer my support.

Now, I would like to learn Spanish. So to get those Spanish channels I need a good motor, oh and I need to get a receiver in the bedroom, then maybe a dish that is set to look to the west of the trees......................
Addictive this, isn't it!!!!!!

 

[Robbo]

Well, done mate! glad you got it sorted.

The basic stuff is quite straight forward once you get the hang of it.

If you want some spanish channels, twiddle your dish back to 19.2E, there are quite a few on there free to air. Also on 30W.

Yes, it certainly is addictive.

 

[Analoguesat]

Fantastic stuff - well done

When you have finished and got a strong signal mark the dish clamps/ fixing points with paint, tippex or indelible ink just in case the dish moves in a gale. It may save hours of work putting it back together again!

You may need to adjust the skew (twist) of the lnb a little - 10-15 degrees anticlockwise should do nicely to peak the signal up.


Spanish channels are a topic for another thread. Ask away when you want to tackle that and we will give you more help.

And yes the hobby can be addictive - theres literally hundreds of channels available in the clear in the skies above Europe from dozens of countries.

 

[Yorks]

Well done Alex. That's the end of your spare time then!

And yes the hobby can be addictive - theres literally hundreds of channels available in the clear in the skies above Europe from dozens of countries.

My name is Yorks - and I'm a satterholic!