Help Required Communal Sky system help

Derek Grant

Derek Grant

Regular Member
My Satellite Setup
Communal Sky dish that I need out of!!!!
My Location
Falkirk
Basically wondering you guys can help, I'm currently part of a communal system in a group of bungalows and I'm desperately needing out of it and to commission my own dish - this not quite as easy as just bolting on a dish to my house, this mostly due to the fact we sit in a valley and signal from Astra Sky satellite is impaired with trees up the valley.

The length to achieving a clear sky signal is around 130 metres up the valley to a farm field where the farmer has given me permission for a dish. Couple of questions I'd be grateful of your help with:

1: Would good quality WF 100 coaxial cope with this length with too much signal drop?

2: Are there any guys in the Falkirk area central belt of Scotland to help with an installation (don't want Cambell + Kennedy)

Thanks for help in advance, below shows the layout of my query
Satellite layout 2.webp
 
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Hi Derek, welcome to the forum.
This is not an everyday installation and therefore possibly beyond a hobbyists board like this however, we do have installers contributing here, so in this case patience may be a virtue. Having said that my own view of this is that WF100 would not cope with this. Also how do you intend protecting any cable type on such a long run? especially having to get past a concrete path. Rats and squirrels love to chew cable.
 
It might be useful to know why you are so keen to rid yourself of the Communal System, in case someone can offer a resolution to whatever the problem is.
 
Whilst WF100 may be OK for the length (WF125 would be better) as Topper says I'd be more concerned about the terrain it would have to run over.

I've had a look on Google Streetview and you'll have to pass over an, albeit minor, road. In addition trees would not really be rigid enough to use as mounting points (they also change length as they grow!). I think it would be really costly to do the job even half properly.

EDIT - just noticed you'll have to pass over a railway line as well!
 
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Lazarus said:
It might be useful to know why you are so keen to rid yourself of the Communal System, in case someone can offer a resolution to whatever the problem is.
Click to expand...

A nice motorised satellite system one hopes.

Whilst the image posted shows the position of the outdoor equipment, can you pinpoint where the main switching equipment is, if not at the same place. It will require power (at least the good ones do) meaning somebody is also paying for the electricity.
 
From what i see a long pole T&K system on the front of the house looking over the trees should do the job .. or on the lawn , near the road can also work maybe 2 meters high . It will not look very nice but could work . will be ok with a minidish .
 
mariust5 said:
From what i see a long pole T&K system on the front of the house looking over the trees should do the job .. or on the lawn , near the road can also work maybe 2 meters high . It will not look very nice but could work . will be ok with a minidish .
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I'd have thought it highly likely that there are Covenants denying the installation of any individual dish on properties in such a development.
 
Is that railway line visible on the map operational? If so forget it - no one in their right mind is going to start stringing cables across an open railway line. (Or if its shut any line that could potentially be reopened)
 
Even if its a long closed track now used as a walkway you are looking at all sorts of problems with liability if the cable should come down for any reason.
 
Lazarus said:
It might be useful to know why you are so keen to rid yourself of the Communal System, in case someone can offer a resolution to whatever the problem is.
Click to expand...

Thanks for you reply - Basically the communal system needs cables replaced from the main dist board to my house because when the system was installed about 10 years ago the contractors only fitted the dish and the board in the first house. All the houses downstream that are fed from the main dist board had their cables installed by a previous owner and he never used armored cable etc. Now over the years the cables to mines have deteriorated and now need changing which involves digging up neighbors drives etc. I really just wanted out of the syndicate because it's been nothing but hassle over the years and I now thought this was the best opportunity to try and get my own dish. I would like someone out to survey the system and if there's a way to rectify the communal feed to me then I'll be for it.
 
Analoguesat said:
Is that railway line visible on the map operational? If so forget it - no one in their right mind is going to start stringing cables across an open railway line. (Or if its shut any line that could potentially be reopened)
Click to expand...

Yes it's operational by a steam heritage group and they have informed me that it would be possible to dig out some ballast to sink a steel conduit pipe to pull a cable through, thats why I seek advice from you guys because every alternative I look at creates a new problem.
 
What about going across that road?
 
Derek Grant said:
Thanks for you reply - Basically the communal system needs cables replaced from the main dist board to my house because when the system was installed about 10 years ago the contractors only fitted the dish and the board in the first house. All the houses downstream that are fed from the main dist board had their cables installed by a previous owner and he never used armored cable etc. Now over the years the cables to mines have deteriorated and now need changing which involves digging up neighbors drives etc. I really just wanted out of the syndicate because it's been nothing but hassle over the years and I now thought this was the best opportunity to try and get my own dish. I would like someone out to survey the system and if there's a way to rectify the communal feed to me then I'll be for it.
Click to expand...


Ouch. That's pretty poor .... as for the perceived impairment by those trees, are you absolutely sure of that?

I'm not sure if you're aware but, even though the face of the communal dish will appear to be close to upright, it is actually looking upwards at up to 25degrees or so.

So, have a look at the Dishpointer.com site and check whether you actually do have a potential problem or not. I've got big trees closer than that and only have minor issues tracking a whole range of Satellites.
 
Channel Hopper said:
A nice motorised satellite system one hopes.

Whilst the image posted shows the position of the outdoor equipment, can you pinpoint where the main switching equipment is, if not at the same place. It will require power (at least the good ones do) meaning somebody is also paying for the electricity.
Click to expand...
Satellite layout 3.webp
 
Lazarus said:
Ouch. That's pretty poor .... as for the perceived impairment by those trees, are you absolutely sure of that?

I'm not sure if you're aware but, even though the face of the communal dish will appear to be close to upright, it is actually looking upwards at up to 25degrees or so.

So, have a look at the Dishpointer.com site and check whether you actually do have a potential problem or not. I've got big trees closer than that and only have minor issues tracking a whole range of Satellites.
Click to expand...

I hired a cherry picker recently, and with a dish bolted to it, we risen above the front peek of my house, we were up >3 m and still no signal ! with a similar app on my phone up in cherry picker the Line of sight was still below tree level !!! the google image doesn't give a full appreciation of the climb up the embankment where it's pretty steep.
 
Derek Grant said:
I hired a cherry picker recently, and with a dish bolted to it, we risen above the front peek of my house, we were up >3 m and still no signal ! with a similar app on my phone up in cherry picker the Line of sight was still below tree level !!! the google image doesn't give a full appreciation of the climb up the embankment where it's pretty steep.
Click to expand...


Bu**er :(
 
How is your broadband speed?
Maybe a IPTV receiver might work.
 
Mickha said:
How is your broadband speed?
Maybe a IPTV receiver might work.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that's another non starter - we only get 4/5 mbps so BT won't even turn on BT tv box so we could at least get some sports etc. Its a real pain in the butt location for every avenue we look at, as we just completed a lot of work on the house and on't intend moving this is a mission of mines that I will now certainly be determined to resolve one way or another.

Even have one of those andoroid boxes, all the hype about them from work colleagues etc but they are still not a replacement for SKY
 
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