Suggestion for purchase

[geotux]

Hi,

I'm wanting to upgrade my dish/LNB system as the one I have is old and rusty (its the standard eliptical dish they install with Sky). I would like to buy some medium to good quality products but have no experience. I'm also more inclinded to increase the diameter as I suspect some very high trees may be scattering the signal (i cannot move the dish higher).

12 years ago, my brother in Italy bought a Fracarro 80 cm Penta (allumiunium) and says that its good quality and given that it's still going i'm tempted to believe him. I can't seem to find resellers here in the UK and the Fracarro website is not much of help for UK residents. What is the UK equivalent of Fracarro? Also, what really good LNB should I choose?

Also, what is a real good quality mounting bracket that I can fix to a vertical pole? I need something that you can setup with samll movements. The traditional cheap brackets dis-align the dish when you losen the bolts ... they are really rubbish ...

I don't have a complicated setup. I just want to point to Hotbird 13 and receive the TiVuSat programmes. I live in the Midlands. My digi box is a Topfield box activated for TiVuSat programmes.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Many thanks
Antonio

 

[Lazarus]

Well you actually only need a small dish for Hotbird >>> 60cm is more than adequate.

Also, fitting a bigger dish will not overcome any line of sight difficulties you might have as the coherence of the signal is vital - any disruption will reduce Signal Quality, regardless of Signal Strength (provided the latter is sufficient in the first place, which it will be if the existing dish has remained properly aligned).

Furthermore, a bigger dish has a narrow beamwidth so needs precise alignment.

All-in-all, I suggest you re-examine exactly why your current dish is not performing: Rust is common place and although unsightly won't cause problems. So, if there are trees in the way, you really will have to establish a new site for the dish or deal with the offending branches.

You suspect scattering by trees, but why? What effects are you observing on the received signals?

 

[geotux]

You suspect scattering by trees, but why? What effects are you observing on the received signals?

Well, I assume it's scattering because the image is disrupted (you get the blocks on the fast moving scenes, etc.) when the wind blows and the trees move. It doesn't happen on all channels. If you are familiar with TiVuSat, then you'll probably know that RAI channels appear to have a stronger signal while Mediaset channel appear to have a weaker signal. When the wind blows (but even when very cloudy and raining (no wind conditions) the Meidaset channels are disrupted while the RAI channel are fine.

Unfortunately there is no option for moving the dish. Very small property ...

Antonio

 

[Analoguesat]

The problem you have with trees is that they grow!! You could easily find you have no signal at all in 4 or 5 years time (It happened to me and now our Sky dish is halfway down the garden as thats the first place I get clear line of sight onto 28E)

You may just find the either the dish is marginally misaligned, or the lnb is old and starting to fail - here there is very little difference between Mediaset & the RAI 1 2 & 3 channels - a couple of percentage points on the signal meters

 

[geotux]

You may just find the either the dish is marginally misaligned, or the lnb is old and starting to fail - here there is very little difference between Mediaset & the RAI 1 2 & 3 channels - a couple of percentage points on the signal meters

I think its a bit of both:
1) old LNB: suggestions for a good purchase?
2) slightly misaligned dish: maybe but then why are all non-mediaset channels ok and do not suffer from the problems I encounter with the mediaset channels? I struggle to aling these dishes with cheap brackets. That is why I was asking if there were any posh mounting systems with bearings maybe that allow very fine movement on each exis?

 

[Lazarus]

Well, I assume it's scattering because the image is disrupted (you get the blocks on the fast moving scenes, etc.) when the wind blows and the trees move. It doesn't happen on all channels. If you are familiar with TiVuSat, then you'll probably know that RAI channels appear to have a stronger signal while Mediaset channel appear to have a weaker signal. When the wind blows (but even when very cloudy and raining (no wind conditions) the Meidaset channels are disrupted while the RAI channel are fine.

Unfortunately there is no option for moving the dish. Very small property ...

Antonio

Yes, familiar with TivuSat (Check my User Name!) - If you can't move the dish, then is it feasible to get the trees trimmed? (I'm guessing not, owing to ownership and height).

Any difference between Mediaset and Tivu Strength is negligible, so the differential effect you mention reinforces the fact that the coherence of signal being received is right on the cusp.

One thing you might do is adjust the skew of the LNB, if you haven't previously done so.

As it's a BSkyB dish, then just set the LNB to position "1" (I guess it's on the default "3" right now?). Replacing the BSkyB compatible LNB (They are not the same as standard 40mm LNBs as they have a Feedhorn shape to match the squashed oval dish shape) could be a pain as designs have altered subtly over the years and the method of fitting might entail using an adaptor.

As for a replacement, any 60cm dish and current model 40mm LNB will do for such a strong signal as Hotbird provides in the UK, so it really matters little what you go for. But I don't think that alone will solve your problem - dealing with the line of sight is the key.

However, replacing the dish/LNB is an inexpensive exercise and won't make the situation any worse, so it might be worth doing simply in order to give you slightly easier adjustment. Fortunately, a 60cm dish is not only more than adequate for Hotbird, but has broad enough beamwidth that alignment should be straightforward without any fancy mounting system (Not that I'm aware of any anyway!).

 

[geotux]

As for a replacement, any 60cm dish and current model 40mm LNB will do for such a strong signal as Hotbird provides in the UK, so it really matters little what you go for. But I don't think that alone will solve your problem - dealing with the line of sight is the key.

OK, so do you think a Triax TD64 64cm dish with an invertor LNB will suffice? Given that you are using TiVUSat, what receiver are you using? This dam Topfield receiver keeps blocking and I have to reboot it once or twice a day.

Cheers

 

[PaulR]

Has anyone suggested that the power supply may be on its way out? Symptoms such as these, especially needing to reboot, are common on other receivers (Thomson and Grundig $ly boxes) when they get on a bit or are housed in an enclosure causing them to overheat.

 

[Lazarus]

OK, so do you think a Triax TD64 64cm dish with an invertor LNB will suffice? Given that you are using TiVUSat, what receiver are you using? This dam Topfield receiver keeps blocking and I have to reboot it once or twice a day.

Cheers

TD64 and an Inverto would be just dandy for any and all Hotbird Channels >> but also qv the idea PaulR mentions above.

I don't have TivuSat per se, but have a special interest in it as my Italian Wife likes to watch Rai etc: As most of what TivuSat offers is Free To Air for most of the time, there's not been a need to get a CAM & Card as yet.

But that doesn't alter the fact that all Hotbird Channels are very strong in England.

However, I don't want you to be disappointed if you install a new Dish and the problem remains - which it almost certainly will do if you don't improve line of sight .................. (ie Get the Trees trimmed!)

Also, do adjust the LNB skew as mentioned earlier, just in case this is (at least partly) a Polarity issue.

And the need to reboot your Topfield is a concern .................... it's entirely possible a dying Receiver is the cause of all your problems and that the Trees are a dead-herring!

Can you borrow another generic Satellite Receiver to try on your dish? That will tell you a lot.

 

[Topper]

A photograph from behind the dish showing the tree would also help to diagnose your situation, it is often worth more than words

 

[PaulR]

And the need to reboot your Topfield is a concern .................... it's entirely possible a dying Receiver is the cause of all your problems and that the Trees are a dead-herring!

Ahem!

Has anyone suggested that the power supply may be on its way out? Symptoms such as these, especially needing to reboot, are common on other receivers (Thomson and Grundig $ly boxes) when they get on a bit or are housed in an enclosure causing them to overheat.

 

[Lazarus]

Ahem!

I credited your Post .................. see the very first paragraph of Post #9 !!

Tsk :-crying

 

[PaulR]

I willingly withdraw my comment, Mr Speaker. ;)