ASTRA 2D BBC & ITV RECEPTION

[iceman]

Originally posted by Vangos
I have manage to receive the Vertical frequency of ITV, including ITV2 , 10906 V, but not all time of the day.

Equipement used:
Panasonic TUSB 30,
LNB Invacom 0.3 Quattro
Dish 2.4 Aris plus wings total surface 3.0 m

Vangos, Rhodes

Very interesting input indeed.
THX for the info Vangos,i didnt think vertical transponders were possible at all from east mediterranean.
I am using 4.2m dish in Kyrenia North Cyprus & vertical freqs are ZERO..

iceman

 

[puffin]

It now appears that BBC will end up on one of the vertical trsp. That means that I will have to upgrade from my 1m dish (in Centralsweden) to the Channel Masters 1,2m dish. Is there anybody who have recommendations for a LNB?
I was first thinking of getting the Invacom 0,3 dB LNB but I have since heard repports that the early MTI 0.6dB range performs better for the low frequencies.
Are there any kind people in this forum who can confirm this?

Tia
Puffin
btw I have the Panasonic TU-DSB 30

 

[valb]

Here in Hillerød, North of Copenhagen, I've always had problems with ITV2, whereas all the other transponders on 2D have been OK except in bad weather - the new Sky music channels are fine, Hallmark, Disney etc. are also OK and I am getting BBC LDN fine as are BBC2W & NI but BBC1 etc. on 10733 seems to be a problem. With a manual tuning the signal quality and strenth are the same as the other 2D transponders and lock says OK. Then the Panasonic box I have says "no signal found" - most odd!
Any comments, all you experts out there?

 

[puffin]

Originally posted by valb
Here in Hillerød, North of Copenhagen, I've always had problems with ITV2, whereas all the other transponders on 2D have been OK except in bad weather - the new Sky music channels are fine, Hallmark, Disney etc. are also OK and I am getting BBC LDN fine as are BBC2W & NI but BBC1 etc. on 10733 seems to be a problem. With a manual tuning the signal quality and strenth are the same as the other 2D transponders and lock says OK. Then the Panasonic box I have says "no signal found" - most odd!
Any comments, all you experts out there?

Hi valb
Trsp 45 with the BBC channels on 2D goes in clear in Centralsweden (Borlänge) where I can get just as good picture as the other horizontal trsp.
You did write 10733. Was that a spelling error? - trsp 45 is on 10773.

Cheers
Puffin

 

[Expat]

Finally managed to pick up 2D on a 1.2m prime focus dish, using my Samsung (non skydigital) receiver. Some adjusting to be done before it is watchable. New Sky music channels are ok.
Any tips to maximize reception welcome!

 

[valb]

Well done Expat. I seem to rember you starting before Christmas! How's 10773 where you are?
Yes Puffin It was a slip of the finger. Anyway I hope that once the progs. on this transponder are on the EPG it will be easier to fine tune. As you know the trouble with the manual tune facility on the digibox is that it doesn't give you many seconds before it reports "No signal". Designed by someone who hadn't a clue, or on purpose?

 

[Expat]

The signal from 2d just will not lock, could a better lnb help, mine is a digistar 0.7db? I have heard that the mti blue lnb is good with low frequencies? What time of day is best to allign the dish, when is the signal at its best?

 

[skyoutUK]

Blue mti LNB is very good across the frequency range but has a nasty habit that after few months plastic on LNB cap cracks and disintegrates. This may be less of a problem if you don't live in the coastal area.
Better choice is Samsung LNB they are extremely robust and reception is on par with blue mti (and they are cheap as well around 10€). Declared noise is 0.6 real value (unlike some 0.3 which are really 0.6).
Best time for signal searching from my experience is around 7PM.

Good Luck

 

[Corrigapp]

What time of day is best to allign the dish, when is the signal at its best?

Expat, here in Lund I get a peak in signal level between 17.00 and 18.00. I've then found it useful to 'chase' the satellite making tiny adjustments as it fades.




Even though I have manually added (Panny 30) all the channels on the BBC's two new H transponders (10773 & 10803) using the installer's menu, I'm still not convinced that the picture I'm actually getting on my tv is really coming from 2d. I've read on a couple of boards that the two new 2d transponders are mirrors of the existing ones with identical PIDs. Manual tuning also reveals identical transport stream numbers between the old and new transponders.

Could it be the case that my stored 2d transponders are somehow 'reverting' to the original 2a transponders, or have I completely lost the plot?

The reason for this scepticism is the brilliant picture 24 hrs a day when I normally lose 2d at about 20.30.

 

[rolfw]

If they have been tuned in by using the Add channels and accessed subsequently in the other channels menu, then they should be as you tuned them.

 

[valb]

The channels you view from the Add Channels are the ones stored there. Last night when it rained hard my BBC One LN (on 2D) started to break up, whereas there was no problem with BBC on EPG 101. Can you get both ITV2 on 10906 and BBC on 10773? As 10906 is vertical and 10773 is horizontal I have a feeling that my LNB skew needs adjusting, but it's tweaked for sparodic ITV2 reception at the moment. I guess I'll have to adjust it for BBC when (if) they finally move to 2D. Never mind. Give me BBC any day - rather than ITV!

 

[Corrigapp]

Last night when it rained hard my BBC One LN (on 2D) started to break up, whereas there was no problem with BBC on EPG 101. Can you get both ITV2 on 10906 and BBC on 10773?QUOTE]

Valb

By 'BBC One LN' do you mean the channel currently being transmitted on 10847 V? If so, it's not really surprising you suffered breakup during heavy rain (being a V transponder), or that BBC on 101 was ok seeing as it's still being transmitted from 2a and you have a large dish. I can't receive any V transps. at any time with my current setup.


Hope the following makes some kind of sense ...

I can get 'access' to the 2 new BBC transps. during the day, for instance. But after say 9pm, when using the installer's menu, I can't get into the transponders to see which channels they carry. The 'transport stream' and 'network id' boxes just zero and then the 'no signal' banner comes up, as Valb was reporting a couple of days ago. This is the kind of reception pattern that I would have expected. BUT, at the same time as not being able to get 'access' to the transp, I get a perfect picture on the channels I have stored previously (on 10773 & 10803) and this is the bit that doesn't make any sense to me and makes me suspect that these channels aren't really coming from 2d at all.

Curiouser and curiouser ...

 

[valb]

Yes! By BBC ONE LN I'm referring to the 10847V transponder. I must agree with you that it does seem odd that you can't get a lock on 10773 and yet are able to view programs you have stored from this frequency. Is it possible that the BBC techies have found a way of blocking for adding channels after they found out that people were using the add channel feature? I've experienced with my other receiver (Force) for example that some channels on 28.2 are invisible to a search and yet can de added manually by entering the correct PIDs. It'll be interesting to see what becomes available once everything is moved to the EPG.

 

[Corrigapp]

Is it possible that the BBC techies have found a way of blocking for adding channels after they found out that people were using the add channel feature?

I seem to be able to add channels ok on my digibox. I think the problem (if there is one) could be when I view them using the 'other channels' menu. At this point, I suspect that the channel I'm really seeing on my tv screen is from one of the original transponders (11720H or 11798H) which share the same program IDs as the new ones on 2d. I say all this principally because the picture is too good to be coming from 2d. Yes, call me an old cynic ...

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by rolfw
If they have been tuned in by using the Add channels and accessed subsequently in the other channels menu, then they should be as you tuned them.

Agree 100%

Originally posted by valb
Yes! By BBC ONE LN I'm referring to the 10847V transponder. I must agree with you that it does seem odd that you can't get a lock on 10773 and yet are able to view programs you have stored from this frequency. Is it possible that the BBC techies have found a way of blocking for adding channels after they found out that people were using the add channel feature? I've experienced with my other receiver (Force) for example that some channels on 28.2 are invisible to a search and yet can de added manually by entering the correct PIDs. It'll be interesting to see what becomes available once everything is moved to the EPG.

Lets not forget these are still test transmissions & might not fall in with the normal transmitting procedure.
I noticed one thing when i searched for these new transponders using a Nokia 9600.The new 10773 transponder has a slightly stronger signal than the ITV transponder on 10832.

iceman

 

[Old Satellite]

Inva-com LNB and similar Low noise LNB are generally good and if correctly set up generally will provide a very small marginal improvement on recieved signal.

However the simplest way to improve the signal is a larger and also equally a dish of higher effeciency- above 80 % is generally exceptionally at 85 % its very expensive normally as well.

With the information in this section, from many areas of Europe and also those from outside of Europe, use the information to help in your estimates of what is required at your chosen location.

Generally the further you are from the targeted footprint area the greater the difficulity will become.

There are many examples however where there are out of targeted footprint reception areas still on reltively small dishes, but be carefull at several times of a normal day this area of reception will will change significantly due to the Satellites station keeping process by the uplink facillity, to maintain the targeted footprint area.


For any of those that are still looking to identify if it is possible to recieve SKY at thier location then read the vast amounts of information copied here, it is becoming very likely that some one close may have already tried. with or with out success

Regards

Old Satellite

 

[Expat]

I have found that vertical transponders "peak" at around 17:00-18:30 CET. I am now testing the H transponders, I have just moved my dish and set it higher up to give it maximume view of the horizon, this has improved reception a bit. Which is the strongest H transponder and what is the best time to zoom in?
I get zero reading om 10.906 V (ITV2).

 

[valb]

10832H usually gives me the best reception. You can see ITV London here when Anglia on 10891H starts to break up. Good "hunting"

 

[Expat]

Valb, can you get this transponder all day, or what is the best time to home in?

 

[valb]

All day - weather permitting.