Astra 2E: Scandinavia & Baltics Reports

[4wd]

More metal/FG is the answer, but streaming is the future

No doubt streaming will grow further.

About the maximum twin, similar to the single in practice, and no miracles (still can't produce tv programs out of thin air or fog :O)
But am very impressed for keeping up with (and beating) MTI & IBU when it comes to squeezing out those %'s Q as sat signal drops, just what the setup here needs to make the 120 dish useable (tolerable). And experiencing that best results not always equals most expensive.

As you say not worth the hassle to return

Am keeping, as it ftm looks good enough to replace the single, got the possibility for another cable to a twin tuner.

 

[skomedal]

Frosty nights/optimal conditions soon

Regards

 

[archive10]

The build, lightweight so as to believe it's all empty plastic + 2 plugs

Probably not more than that.
As I understand it, they are made almost entirely from plastic, including the feedhorn. Dielectric plastic constructions has come a long way.
Not sure how they react to irradiation or other EM interference.
Or how much they disturb other nearby LNBs.
Luckily, most Sat enthusiasts only has one LNB on a single dish...

 

[4wd]

^^^ and zero pride of ownership when handling those pieces of plastic :O) but in my situation on the variable edge of fringe I have to go by what I see on the tv, some lnb gives more watching time, that's the lnb that end up being used. See attachment, in practice those green dots are what saves my evening reception for 2e on the current dish.

In addition to testing lnb's, millimeter dish adjustments needed, I have to sacrifice 2g uk to get good 2e uk. In reality what seems needed here would be 2 x 150+ dishes, one for 28.2 and one for 28.5 but I don't think that will ever be done :O)

 

[margusten]

I have same problem, I have to adjust antenna for 28.2 or for 28.5 . I can't receive both at same time.
Why these satellites can not be closer?
I can receive hardly lowest frequencies of Astra 2E UK beam. And different LNB-s give different result like 4wd just shows.
Here are latest scans and 3M antenna pictures.

 

[4wd]

^ impressive dish!

 

[puffin]

I think I'm finally admitting defeat and will do an upgrade fom my 150 Gibertiny.
The 180 ChannelMaster will with a high likelihood be enough to get the UK spot beam.
My wife is addicted to Eurosport that have disapeared after the move to 2F's Europabeam.
Does anybody in Dalarna have any reception of Eurosport with a 180cm dish?
We live in the Falun/Borlänge region.

Yours hopefully Mr and Mrs Puffin

 

[Captain Jack]

Slightly off topic, but isn't Eurosport the same on 1W? And pretty sure it has English soundtrack too.

 

[Nalleman]

There are Eurosport Nordic and Eurosport 2 N/E on 1W and British Eurosport on 28,2E. I don´t know if there is any difference in programming but it might be. On Eurosport Nordic there is no English soundtrack as it is on Eurosport 2 N/E. However to watch theese channels you need a Canal Digital subscription which isn´t cheap.
I think you should be able to get Astra 2F European beam in Falun with a Channel master 1,8 metre antenna combined with a good LNB and and a good receiver.

 

[Captain Jack]

I would say even a 1.5m dish would be enough to get European beams in Sweden... (judging from receptions reports, so I might be wrong).

 

[dmaavrigdo]

I think I'm finally admitting defeat and will do an upgrade fom my 150 Gibertiny.
The 180 ChannelMaster will with a high likelihood be enough to get the UK spot beam.
My wife is addicted to Eurosport that have disapeared after the move to 2F's Europabeam.
Does anybody in Dalarna have any reception of Eurosport with a 180cm dish?
We live in the Falun/Borlänge region.

Yours hopefully Mr and Mrs Puffin

11856/29500V is showing 74% here at 60.517691, 14.278013 but can't test as I don't have a sky box.BBC HD channels are OK at 70%.
12148/27500H 67%, BBC works ok at that level.

 

[margusten]

Some updates from new Year. 3M antenna.

What is happening on horizontal higher frequency?
12609 H 29500 3/4
I have no LU any more, but LU during this scan.

 

[Fredrik M]

I lost Astra 2E SD channels at lunch time today for no weather related reasons. During the last couple of month I have had stable reception on all channels on 2G and 2E. The 2E HD channels with limited rain margin though. The SD channels returned today in the afternoon and the HD channels (however somewhat pixelating) in the early evening. Astra 2G also seems a bit weaker compared to a couple of weeks ago, even though e.g. 11023 H seems to have been watchable for most of the day (however pixelating during rain showers). Would be thankful if you could share some of your observations, from both sides of the "Jutland Null".

 

[archive10]

I must admit I haven't watched 28.2E stuff for a couple of days (haven't found the time).
But SWMBO has not complained, and a quick browse just now shows no problems, so I can't contribute anything specific.

It may be seasonal variations (or even 2E moving out of the way of stray sats f*cking up the Clarke belt).

But I can ask "how old is your LNB"?
As a fringer, you will experience degradations as soon as they appear.
Normal users will just have less head-room, whereas you will be having the equivalent of driving around with no air in the tyres - first little bump is felt really hard.

Maybe be it is time to try one of the Maximum XO-11, that @4wd swears by these days - you are after all on the same side of the NULL as he is...

 

[skomedal]

Maybe be it is time to try one of the Maximum XO-11, that @4wd swears by these days - you are after all on the same side of the NULL as he is...

Bergen - Gothenburg

Gothenburg, SW 11.9667
57.7167
Bergen, NO 5.3247
60.3911
Miles: 299.28
Kilometers: 481.64
Bearing: NW

Distance between Gothenburg sweden and Bergen norway

Each on different sides of the proverbial first null

But please do try the maximum xo single, great results here living even closer the the ( big pinch of salt ) first null

Central southern norway.

Regards

 

[4wd]

Excellent levels here for 2 e\f\g, even keeping all hd's during the evening lower signal period. And in stormy rainy weather. Maximum xo-12 twin currently on the 28e dish (after testing the excellent but short-lived Inverto twin). But dish adjustment is crucial down to the last mm when the signal is at the lowest.

Skomedal:

Each on different sides of the proverbial first null

Would think so too, null going through mid norway somewhere.

On a general note, am guessing the decent levels along the west coast here is due to the relative closeness to shetland, which I suppose is served by good freesat reception.

 

[Nalleman]

I lost Astra 2E SD channels at lunch time today for no weather related reasons. During the last couple of month I have had stable reception on all channels on 2G and 2E. The 2E HD channels with limited rain margin though. The SD channels returned today in the afternoon and the HD channels (however somewhat pixelating) in the early evening. Astra 2G also seems a bit weaker compared to a couple of weeks ago, even though e.g. 11023 H seems to have been watchable for most of the day (however pixelating during rain showers). Would be thankful if you could share some of your observations, from both sides of the "Jutland Null".

No problems with either E/F/G here. Yesterday (Sunday) very good reception of all three satellites during the day.
Midday it looked like this on my Vantage:

2E UK: S 87/Q 88-89 (12 129: 86, 12 304: 84)
2F UK: S 87/Q 88
2G UK: S 87/Q 88

In the evening (around 21.00 CET) when the signals always are weakest at my place it looked like this:

2E UK: S 87/Q 88-89 (12 129: 85-86, 12 304: 77-80)
2F UK: S 87/Q 87
2G UK: S 87/Q 88

 

[Fredrik M]

Thanks for your input. The cheerful reply from 4wd may be bad for us on this side of the "null" ;-). Maybe I should try a new LNB. My current Inverto Black Ultra Single is about two years old. What about the Maximum quad and twin? Are thet as good as the single? I did have good reception on all channels yesterday evening. However, I did loose BBC two (Both SD and HD) during the first quarter of the Super Bowl game last night @12:45 a.m... I guess it was time to go to sleep.

 

[Nalleman]

Thanks for your input. The cheerful reply from 4wd may be bad for us on this side of the "null" ;-). Maybe I should try a new LNB. My current Inverto Black Ultra Single is about two years old. What about the Maximum quad and twin? Are thet as good as the single? I did have good reception on all channels yesterday evening. However, I did loose BBC two (Both SD and HD) during the first quarter of the Super Bowl game last night @12:45 a.m... I guess it was time to go to sleep.

Maybe I should have mentioned I watched BBC One till 1:30 AM without problems so your problems seems to have been local or within your equipment.

Just out of interest - what are you watching on Telstar? MSNBC? (I saw you have a fixed antenna for that satellite).

 

[archive10]

Bergen - Gothenburg

Gothenburg, SW 11.9667
57.7167
Bergen, NO 5.3247
60.3911
Miles: 299.28
Kilometers: 481.64
Bearing: NW

Distance between Gothenburg sweden and Bergen norway

Each on different sides of the proverbial first null

But please do try the maximum xo single, great results here living even closer the the ( big pinch of salt ) first null

Central southern norway.

Regards

Just looked at the null-map - and yes Bergen is on the other side of the null.
(seemed to remember the lines being otherwise aligned, but, hey...)

Nevertheless, Gothenburg is very similar, if not better, to where I am.
So you should be ok.