Astra 2E: Iberia & Balearics Reports

[terryashbyash]

For the return of gardeners what? gardening, playing football, or setting up sat dishes!

Oops that was gardeners world for the missus. Must to remember to post before drinking 3/4 of a bottle of wine next time.

 

[Nagusia]

I now get 7.7 db on 10906V and 6.7 db on 10803H which are the TPs I use for alignment at 18.30 this afternoon. The result is being able to see absolutely everything - all SD and HD channels with a quality level of over 66% on the Foxsat.

Yesterday in heavy rain at 16.15 I lost a lot of channels although some regional SD variants still worked. I guess that means I am pretty much on the limit.
@Huevos. In a previous post I think you said that the difference in position between 2E (28.2º) and 2F (28.35º) was equivalent to 3mm at the rim of a 2.4 m dish. Would that be 1.9 mm on a 1.5 m dish? I have the impression that my reception of C4 HD (2F) has suffered since I re-aligned on 2E transponders. Is that possible? I'm frankly not that bothered as I prefer to give priority to 2E reception but I am curious as it gives an idea of how precise you have to be.

 

[Huevos]

I guess that means I am pretty much on the limit.

Not really. 1.1m dish here has been 100% reliable over the last 7 days on every transponder, but in heavy rain I can completely lose signal on the 1.8m dish.

I have the impression that my reception of C4 HD (2F) has suffered since I re-aligned on 2E transponders. Is that possible?

You need to use transponders for alignment that don't exist on Badr5. Otherwise you are aligning for minimum interference from Badr5. This is further east than 2E's real position, so will hurt 2F reception.

Personally, when I realigned the 1.8m dish for 2E I picked up quite a bit of signal on 2E for almost no loss on 2F.

 

[Cala d'or]

Not really. 1.1m dish here has been 100% reliable over the last 7 days on every transponder, but in heavy rain I can completely lose signal on the 1.8m dish.
You need to use transponders for alignment that don't exist on Badr5. Otherwise you are aligning for minimum interference from Badr5. This is further east than 2E's real position, so will hurt 2F reception.

Personally, when I realigned the 1.8m dish for 2E I picked up quite a bit of signal on 2E for almost no loss on 2F.

So which transponders would be best to realign a dish in the Balearics ?I'll try next time I'm there in April, many thanks.

 

[Huevos]

10818V is the strongest here.

 

[Pride Of Cucamonga]

Not really. 1.1m dish here has been 100% reliable over the last 7 days on every transponder, but in heavy rain I can completely lose signal on the 1.8m dish.
You need to use transponders for alignment that don't exist on Badr5. Otherwise you are aligning for minimum interference from Badr5. This is further east than 2E's real position, so will hurt 2F reception.

Personally, when I realigned the 1.8m dish for 2E I picked up quite a bit of signal on 2E for almost no loss on 2F.

Huevos, when you realigned did you use a 2E or 2F transponder? I'm thinking because 2E is fractionally weaker here than 2F, it's better to aim at 28.35. But then again, that position could be temporary and might well move back to 28.2.

 

[Tururu]

The blindscan works fine. If it doesn't it is a fault with the image/plugin. What image is it?

En otros sintonizadores funciona mucho mejor la busqueda ciega (Blindscan).
Cuando comparas, en el Vu+DUO2 no es muy precisa o funciona mal, si tienes un analizador de espectro y sabes manejar, ves facilmente lo que quieres.
La imagen que tengo en el sintonizador? ya respondi a esta misma pregunta el otro dia, la tienes aqui, aparte de la original, claro:
http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...reate-signal-graphs.160590/page-3#post-870500
---------------
In other tuners works much better blind search (Blindscan).
When you compare, the Vu+DUO2 is not very accurate or malfunctions, if you have a spectrum analyzer and know how to handle, easily see what you want.
The picture I have in the tuner? already answered this same question the other day, you got here, apart from the original, of course:
http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...reate-signal-graphs.160590/page-3#post-870500

 

[joddle]

Huevos, when you realigned did you use a 2E or 2F transponder? I'm thinking because 2E is fractionally weaker here than 2F, it's better to aim at 28.35. But then again, that position could be temporary and might well move back to 28.2.

Are you having problems with 2E? I can't see any difference between the 2F and 2E transponders but then that could be the overkill with my setup yet I have not realigned anything since the 2D days! Was curious because I would have thought that in Valencia your set up was more than adquate for either.

 

[terryashbyash]

Some levels after changing dish for 1m (1.08V x 1,02H ish) and adjusting to the best of my ability.I read in this thread somewhere about using a satellite receiver and portable at the dish end, such good advice.

Transponder F3 signal quality %
10714H 67-70
10729V No lock
10758V No lock
10773V 65-67
10788V 65-67
10803H 65-67
10818V 71-72
10832H 67-70
10847V No lock
10906V 67-70

Adjusted on 10818V to get peak.
Between 2E and 2F I now have BBC1 BBC2 BBC4 ITV1 + C4 in HD and pretty much everything else in sd so all good. Strangely on the F3 signal level appears to have dropped was 89-90 across the spectrum but now 85-89, however pretty much everything stayed on during drizzle yesterday.
All good now in sunny spain

According to the kingofsat web page 10803 + 10818 have moved to the european beam?

 

[timo_w2s]

According to the kingofsat web page 10803 + 10818 have moved to the european beam?

Ignore KOS, they are of course still UK spots, I've tried to update a number of inaccuracies there but they just ignore most of my suggestions. Also, the top band 12.5-12.75GHz is 2F Europe beam not UK spot as KOS would have you believe.

 

[Pride Of Cucamonga]

Are you having problems with 2E? I can't see any difference between the 2F and 2E transponders but then that could be the overkill with my setup yet I have not realigned anything since the 2D days! Was curious because I would have thought that in Valencia your set up was more than adquate for either.

I can see a small difference between 2E and 2F - although get 24/7 coverage the rain margin is low, especially on the transponder i watch most - 10847.

 

[Huevos]

Huevos, when you realigned did you use a 2E or 2F transponder?

2E. How could I align to 2E using a 2F transponder?

I'm thinking because 2E is fractionally weaker here than 2F, it's better to aim at 28.35.

Yes. Quite a bit. Look at the attached graph.

But then again, that position could be temporary and might well move back to 28.2.

If that happens, realign.

 

[terryashbyash]

Not sure if it is my dodgy dish alignment or not but I aligned on a 2E transponder but many of the 2F transponders are stronger. Somewhat hoping it is the slight differences in footprints on the fringe or I might have to have another go.

 

[Huevos]

En otros sintonizadores funciona mucho mejor la busqueda ciega (Blindscan).

Yes, we're having that discussion in another thread. Be interesting to see how the Solo2 performs once the blindscan drivers are available. Or try one of the C-Tech receivers. Uno, Ultimo and Duo2 use the same tuners so what applies to one applies to the others.

 

[Huevos]

I aligned on a 2E transponder but many of the 2F transponders are stronger.

2E is weaker most of the day. It's as simple as that. In that area you should get all the transponders most of the day except 10847, 10862, and 10936, which probably won't work at all. Just tried on my 90cm dish here (where signal is a bit weaker than your location) and I am getting all SD transponders except 10729 and 10758. And no HD transponders.

In that area, for a customer on a tight budget, I'd fit a 1.1m dish and be confident they would be happy with it.

 

[terryashbyash]

2E is weaker most of the day. It's as simple as that. In that area you should get all the transponders most of the day except 10847, 10862, and 10936, which probably won't work at all. Just tried on my 90cm dish here (where signal is a bit weaker than your location) and I am getting all SD transponders except 10729 and 10758. And no HD transponders.

In that area, for a customer on a tight budget, I'd fit a 1.1m dish and be confident they would be happy with it.

In total agreement, I have all the channels I want and my outlay over the last couple of years for a skybox F3, an inverto black ultra and 1.m dish cost less than 150 quid. The free bit is the wealth of information on the forum to enable me to have a go myself.
I am sure it must be possible to make better brackets (with gears or something)to make fine adjustments to the dish elevation/rotation easier, now that I would buy!
My dish is roughly 1.1 x 1m so not sure if it is a 1m or a 1.1m but sold as a 1.1m by demon multimedia, I am a glass half empty type so thought it was a 1m.

 

[Menorca Man]

My dish is roughly 1.1 x 1m so not sure if it is a 1m or a 1.1m but sold as a 1.1m by demon multimedia, I am a glass half empty type so thought it was a 1m.

As seen by the satellite, a 1.1m x 1.0m elliptical dish with offset LNB will appear as a 1.0m circle. It would therefore make more sense if ALL suppliers/installers used the horizontal (narrow) dimension when describing the size of a dish.

 

[RichardinSpain]

I read in this thread somewhere about using a satellite receiver and portable at the dish end, such good advice.

I used to do this, much better than relying on someone shouting numbers at you through the window....Now i have gone one step further ...I use a Android App on my phone connected to my router and all i have to do is take my phone to the dish..Just bought wifi extender to get better wifi outside..Its perfect

 

[Huevos]

As seen by the satellite, a 1.1m x 1.0m elliptical dish with offset LNB will appear as a 1.0m circle. It would therefore make more sense if ALL suppliers/installers used the horizontal (narrow) dimension when describing the size of a dish.

What makes sense is everyone uses the same standard, and in Spain that means measuring the dish vertically, just like a planning officer in the UK would.

 

[Menorca Man]

What makes sense is everyone uses the same standard, and in Spain that means measuring the dish vertically, just like a planning officer in the UK would.

Hi Huevos,
Getting everyone to use the same standard would definitely be a step in the right direction. However, surely it would be less confusing for the average, non-technical, customer if suppliers/installers used the lesser dimension? After all, how many of those customers are aware that, RF wise, a 110cm offset dish no larger than a 100cm prime focus?