Astra 2F: Iberia & Balearics Discussion

[Lazarus]

Holding Thread for Region specific debate

 

[Lazarus]

As promised, now Open for use.

No Transition from 1N to 2F yet, but clearly it's imminent.

Speculation to remain in the existing Hot Thread, please.

Otherwise - carry on!

 

[ea7vpg]

Looks like Malaga is going to be a no go area. Do you think I should start assembling my 2.4m Fortec Star

-http://www.fortecstar.com/240.html

with my Red Classic Quad LNB ? Yes I know the Fortec's are awful but needs must.

atb

 

[Analoguesat]

Wait and see a week or so. We only have results from one (HD) transponder so far and things can change with polarity & transmission mode.

Also remember that most FS big dishes only work as a dish half or two-thirds their size due to the lack of rigidity in them.

 

[Betzdorf]

For reference:-

Costa Cálida. Cartagena / Mazarrón area.
1.8 dish. (Unknown Manufacturer).
Invacom Quad LNB.
Comparing:-
BBC One HD and "8911"
Humax, and "EYE TV for Mac"

Identical.
No change since transponder activated.

 

[Huevos]

No change since transponder activated.

Thanks for the report. What are you using as a meter? And what are the quality readings.

By the way 10847V has had a competing transponder on 26E (Badr 5) for more than a year and due to this was quite a bit lower than 11023H to start with qualitywise. If they are now at the same level 11023H has lost power (which it has here). Compare 11023H with 10964H or 10994H.

 

[Betzdorf]

Huevos, I only have access to the EYE TV on screen meter and Humax information banner.
Two screen-grabs.

Outbound links to image hosting site removed, uploaded as attachments.
Please make note of forum rules [Admin]

 

[Huevos]

The problem is if both show 100% quality there is no way to compare the two.

 

[Betzdorf]

Agreed, however, two different TPs, via the same dish, same LNB, same RX, identical Q (100%) and Strength (99%).
Identical picture quality (visually!). Able to watch it all night with not a single glitch.
I am merely reporting what I saw, how I saw it, and the equipment used.
BBC One (Leeds) SD / "833 8901").

Same goes via the Humax.
Identical readings on both TPs selected. Same cable, dish, LNB feed.

 

[Huevos]

100% just means it is off the scale. It doesn't mean both are the same. If you cover part of the dish with a wet towel you will get the signal quality down to a level where it is possible to compare the two.

 

[joddle]

Looks like Malaga is going to be a no go area. Do you think I should start assembling my 2.4m Fortec Star

-http://www.fortecstar.com/240.html

with my Red Classic Quad LNB ? Yes I know the Fortec's are awful but needs must.

atb

I would not bother - I tried a 2.4M Fortecstar dishe in the 2D days and eventually found they were easily outperformed by a better but much smaller one. In fact my 1.2M Tagra was only slightly worse!!!! and a good 1.9 easily eclipsed it.

 

[ea7vpg]

Signal report;
Costa Del Sol, 20Km east of Malaga. 36.812554 N -4.008826W

Satellite receiver Technimate TM1000-C1

Satellite finder meter MF-1900

Dish 1.3m offset octo LNB
Dish 2.4m prime focus Fortec Inverto quad Red Classic

Astra 1N on the 1.3m offset 11.4 dB
Astra 1N on the 2.4m prime focus 16.6 dB

Astra 2F test freq 11023 H 1.3m offset dish Nothing, no signal
Astra 2F test freq 11023H 2.4m prime focus Nothing, no signal

Bit disappointed, took some doing getting the big a baby up.
atb

 

[joddle]

Signal report;
Costa Del Sol, 20Km east of Malaga. 36.812554 N -4.008826W

Satellite receiver Technimate TM1000-C1

Satellite finder meter MF-1900

Dish 1.3m offset octo LNB
Dish 2.4m prime focus Fortec Inverto quad Red Classic

Astra 1N on the 1.3m offset 11.4 dB
Astra 1N on the 2.4m prime focus 16.6 dB

Astra 2F test freq 11023 H 1.3m offset dish Nothing, no signal
Astra 2F test freq 11023H 2.4m prime focus Nothing, no signal

Bit disappointed, took some doing getting the big a baby up.
atb

[font='Arial'']Hmm - happy days eh - I remember lugging a 2.4 Fortecstar onto my roof in bits many years ago - then assembling it - took ages and afterwards the result was very disappointing. However there are a few things you can do to tune the fortecstar as it rarely goes together very true and you will find many people have needed to adjust theri dishes after assembly.

One of the biggest problems is they are flimsy and the petals bend out of shape very easily - you need to keep checking the dish after a windy night.

If you can, make sure you add good washers to the bolts holding the petals together - ie one on each side - this help greatly keep the petals true when assembling - I wish I had known that the first time I did it a I had to rebuld the dish once I realized it was so far out of true th first time,

Also once assembled you often find the rim is way out of true ( and that’s the bit with the largest reflector area) - use the cross threads trick to see if the dish is anything like true and if not adjust the fitting to get a better shape. you can do this to a degree by bending the outer flange of each petal whilst looking at a meter or listening to a beeper to see if you increase or decrease the singal stength. Takes ages to get right but does make quite a bit of difference.

Also make sure the focus is at the right place - I spend ages getting mine right and in the end used an invacom C120 LNB and matching adjustable feedhorn and got the dish to perform better I also needed a different clamp then that had been supplied with the dish but they may have changes those since then.[/font]
[font='Arial''] [/font]
[font='Arial'']After you get fed up of doing that after every high wind you might consider getting a decent dish! - I did and have not regretted it since.[/font]

 

[Huevos]

I think the real problem down south is no one has got a big dish down there. Astra 2D only needed a 1.3m so that's what everyone has. Up here (especially north Costa Blanca) big dishes were a necessity so plenty of us have them.

The FS 2.4m dishes I would rate between 1.2m and 1.4m. I've never seen one that performed better than that. Even in the slightest breeze they are like a big wobbly jelly.

 

[dxn]

Just for the record,
A friend of mine who lives in Sesimbra, more or less 70 Kms from me in Lisbon area and have a 2,40mt dish also no signal on 11023h.

 

[Huevos]

Just for the record,
A friend of mine who lives in Sesimbra, more or less 70 Kms from me in Lisbon area and have a 2,40mt dish also no signal on 11023h.

What 2.4m is it?

 

[ea7vpg]

All noted on the Fortec Star.... umh! Moving onwards after reviewing some of the reports on the Costa Blanca perhaps we could set up a swap shop, you can have our 1.3m offsets for your quality 2.4m offset or PF with cash adjustment of course. Just read that maybe 2B is going to 2F tomorrow on the PE beam.
Once the dust has settled and I know what actual size dish is required for the UK spot beam from Malaga (if possible) I may put an ad in the Friday Ads for Costa Blanca for my dream dish.

 

[joddle]

Love the idea of the above - lorry loads of huge dishes migrating south in exchange for smaller dishes and cash migrating northwards. There must be a buiness opportunity there somewhere......

 

[Huevos]

@Joddle,

I know you have have said you have the signal level changing all day. Mine is 100% stable. Have either Woborny or Pipino noticed anything like that?

 

[joddle]

@Joddle,

I know you have have said you have the signal level changing all day. Mine is 100% stable. Have either Woborny or Pipino noticed anything like that?

Hang on there - my signal has not been changing at all!!!! - seems pretty well rock steady - I did say others on the east and west fringes were reporting changes during the day but I've not noticed anything here in Valencia - just rock steady - with a 20db attenuator on I can still get 60%+ SS and almost 100% quality any less attenuation and the SQ stays at 100% and with no attenuation both SS and SQ ae 100%...