Seeking help for German TV in Kent

Goldbern

Goldbern

Member
My Satellite Setup
Sky
My Location
Canterbury, Kent
With the recent loss of the German-English news service DW-TV from Sky, I'm thinking of leaving Sky behind and installing a new, basic satellite setup that would allow me to receive all or most of the FTA German TV and radio broadcasts. Other than using a professionally-installed Sky dish and receiver, I'm completely new to satellite equipment and installations and would very much appreciate some guidance. I've looked through the forum and am getting a feel for the kind of questions I need to be asking, but I wonder if there are any recommended bits of kit - dish and receiver, in particular - that I should consider for receiving FTA German broadcasts in the southeast corner of Kent (Canterbury). I'd like to be able to record the occasional programme and take advantage of any HD channels. I'd also like to self-install, as long as it's not too technically demanding. Any suggestions and advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks, Gary
 
Astra 1 at 19.2 E will get you lots of German Channels. Your current dish pointed in that direction - with a suitable receiver, will do the job.
 
There are also several German channels on Hot Bird 13E, with two DW FTA channels.
They might be duplicates from the ones on Astra 19.2E (I can't receive this satellite in my location), but thought this might help.
 
For what you require, nothing is critical, as 19.2E is very strong in the UK.

A 60cm dish of some sort, coupled to a HD FTA sat receiver is all you need. The choices of specific equipment would really come down to cost and ease of use in my opinion, as there are no technical issues to worry about specifically.
 
Just swing your Sky dish round to 19.2e :D

It will pick up 19.2e with no major problems in Kent. I very often find Sky Zone 1 dishes dishes pointing at 19.2e while out at work :D
 
That's assuming you no longer want any English FTA channels of course.
 
You can always get a three LNB dish (replacing the Sky dish) for the FTA channels on Astra 1, Astra 2 and Hotbird. Meaning you won't lose out on any English TV and you gain all the German stations you require. Or keep the Sky dish for Freesat (your current Sky box should do the trick for that) and get a 60cm dish with a monoblock LNB for Astra 1 and Hotbird. That's what I had when I was living in Oxford.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. It does sound as though this is a fairly straightforward and relatively inexpensive project to undertake as a first step into self-install satellite TV. I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks again!
 
For a variety of reasons, I didn't quite get started on this project when I originally intended but it's now back on and I have one further question about dish size. Would it be possible to do away with the Sky mini dish completely and replace it with a 60cm dish and two bracket-mounted LNBs pointing at 19.2E for the German FTA channels (with an extra receiver) and 28.2E for the Sky service? Would 60cm pull in those two satellites comfortably or should I really be thinking of a larger dish?
 
Possibly, but I have both 28E and 19E well off centre on my TD88 and they only begin to break up if the rain becomes truly torrential. Personally, I'd go for mounting them either side of centre, it's only a 5 degree offset for both of them then. Unfortunately with multi sat it's kind of suck it and see, as I'm sure you appreciate.
 
A belated thanks to everyone who offered advice on this thread and to the forum as whole for being an excellent resource of help, tips, advice and suggestions for anyone contemplating their own install. I now have a multi sat set up on a TD64 feeding a TM5402HD and access to all the German channels I need. Thanks again!
 
Excellent and thankyou for letting us know
 
Back
Top