Astra 2E: Iberia & Balearics Reports

[ralphmagno]

Hello to all,
I don't know if i have posted this here. Naples Italy id picking up bbc and itv and ch 5 transponders with an 4 meter prime focus Irte dish. It is using dream box dm 500 units. The signal is about 2 db less that a 2 meter dish before the switch over 1 Feb 2014 . I don't know if they are picking this up farther south of Naples. The dish is not mine but i have seen it working.
Ralph

 

[solarboy]

Am I right in thinking that no-one with any dish size at all has picked up anything in the Algarve from the 2E spot? As yet I haven't heard of a single report from anywhere.

 

[Archive4]

back in 2d days, I bought a 1.3m dish for a rum and coke, and was told it would never work. After e few hours on the roof, with my 14" and decoder, I manageged to get bbc1, then added some bits of light aluminium on the side, in plan with V & H transponders and got ITV as well. It was a weak signal, and only lasted for part of the day, but it worked. Maybe worth investing a couple of hours and a bit of sheet metel to see if you can find something in the Algarve

 

[kota]

yeah right

 

[kota]

Seriously now. When Astra 2F came online last year, there were some tests made at Quinta do Lago using a 4m dish with no success whatsoever. The Algarve is a null zone for both 2F and 2E and unfortunately that's that ...

 

[altman]

First post here,

Been trying to get 2E on my 1.2m old banged around prime feed dish coupled with an old stripped 40mm Televes lnbf so it would fit the narrow neck support
with the sathunter sh200 I got:
10818V22000: 4.6SNR 11dbuV PWR NO lock

on another 1.35m offset system 10km away, with a Inverto BU single:
10818V22000: 6.8SNR 25dbuV PWR (too cold on the roof, during the night, couldn't get a tv up there, but I've got stable picture on 42E with less signal than that)

I'm trying to get access to a friends 2.3m dish for more data
conclusions for now:
-wont bother buying a proper c120 IBU single for my 1.2m, its hopeless for 2E/F
-1.35m offset isn't enough either

 

[riceypamplona]

Get a bigger dish and sorted. If you have an 85cm (says on your profile) you won't get much and certainly not BBC or ITV when it goes but with a 1.2 for example I would have thought you would be fine - someone nearer can verify but you're not in a black hole like here in the north.

Hi, I am based in Pamplona and am trying to work out whether increasing the size of the dish will mean that I get a signal again for BBC etc. Have heard rumours that people are getting a signal in San Sebastian. Where is the black hole area in the north? Many thanks

 

[altman]

news from the roof:
Tried two MWI 0.6 and 0.7db PF lnbs I had around and.. tremendous signal on strong TPs, nothing on 2E
back to the old Televes, half a turn here, a tweak there and got a lock on 10906V
6db of SNR and 20dbuv of power, lock led flickers about, but its a major improvement!

 

[Analoguesat]

Am I right in thinking that no-one with any dish size at all has picked up anything in the Algarve from the 2E spot? As yet I haven't heard of a single report from anywhere.

Forget it - you are under an extremely deep null. You have no chance on any sensible sized dish.

 

[Archive4]

news from the roof:
Tried two MWI 0.6 and 0.7db PF lnbs I had around and.. tremendous signal on strong TPs, nothing on 2E
back to the old Televes, half a turn here, a tweak there and got a lock on 10906V
6db of SNR and 20dbuv of power, lock led flickers about, but its a major improvement!

If Huevos was not in transit, he would say try BU single, from my own experience 10906 is stronger in my area than 10818.

Kota, now do you believe?

 

[Analoguesat]

Hi, I am based in Pamplona and am trying to work out whether increasing the size of the dish will mean that I get a signal again for BBC etc. Have heard rumours that people are getting a signal in San Sebastian. Where is the black hole area in the north? Many thanks

You must understand the edge effects are incredibly steep on 2E - we have had one of the Costa based installers out with a mobile 1.9m dish and he was finding the signal varying from ok to gone over 4 or 5 km. The reports is from about 3 or 4 weeks ago here in the Balearics section somewhere.

There is only one way to find out what will work at your place - put a dish up and find out if it works. The signal reports from nearby towns are only guidelines with this satellite!

 

[altman]

Yes I received a BU last week, but before trying it on this system I went straight for the 1.35m dish as that was pristine and had a 40mm bracket, now I cant access it as the owners went on holidays.
it might pick up another dB, fishing out a few transponders, but its not a miracle, this Televes was sorted from dozens of LNBs, BU should be better, but I need a bigger dish AND a BU

 

[Archive4]

If Huevos was not in transit, he would say try BU single,

Of course that would not work on a PF dish, but the invacon single isn´t bad for PF

 

[altman]

this Televes was a 40mm offset lnbf, and it works wonders where "good" feedhorns and PF lnbs cant pick up a signal, I've considered the PF edition of the BU, but this dish has dents, the polarmout is crooked and rusty, and the lnb mount is almost crumbling apart, so.. Ill get a bigger dish for 28E and turn this old pan to another target ;)

 

[kota]

If Huevos was not in transit, he would say try BU single, from my own experience 10906 is stronger in my area than 10818.

Kota, now do you believe?

Never doubted your findings in your area for a minute. 2D was a completely different story. It's just a different ball game over here now. I'd rather go to my local than messing with pieces of aluminium around my dish feed horn if you ask me ;)

 

[Bertoni]

Hi, I am based in Pamplona and am trying to work out whether increasing the size of the dish will mean that I get a signal again for BBC etc. Have heard rumours that people are getting a signal in San Sebastian. Where is the black hole area in the north? Many thanks

You might find this map useful:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?m...l=54.876607,-4.064941&spn=10.228184,19.753418

 

[Nagusia]

You might find this map useful:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?m...l=54.876607,-4.064941&spn=10.228184,19.753418

Actually it won't be that useful as near to his location there is only myself - about 60 kms to the north-west of Pamplona. I'm getting all the spot-beam channels on a Gibertini 1.5m dish (when there's no rain). I know of someone in San Sebastian who is getting the SD channels on a Gibertini 1.25. The only report from Pamplona is from someone with a 80cm dish which doesn't pick up anything. Unfortunately Pamplona is possibly just in the null area which stretches across from Barcelona parallel to the Pyrenees.
Here is a great explanation of the whole topic: http://www.a516digital.com/2014/02/special-what-changed-in-european.html.

 

[altman]

that explanation, together with two drawings form a member here give the best insight on fringe reception for the 2E

 

[Menorca Man]

Verified report from Menorca:

Urbanisation Cales Coves (39.87N, 4.16E)
170cm x 155cm offset
2E & 2F UK spots OK

 

[Huevos]

Kota, what dish size are you using? TBH, I don't believe the stories down there of 4 metre dishes not working. And if Altman has already locked one transponder with what he's using I'm sure stepping up to a 1.5m would get him the rest.