Astra 2F: Iberia & Balearics Discussion

[nml]

I arrived in Loja about 38km west of Granada Southern Spain .yesterday with my shiny new Satcatcher Mk4 Nit,
Set up the Gibbertini 1.25 no signal on the foxsats from 2f,
I tested with the meter today dBuv of 62.5 but no quality, cber, vber or c/n, so I put up the Gibbertini !.5 this improved 1n channels but virtually the same on 2f both with Inverto Black Pro Octo this is about 5 years old.

I also tested on my small motorised 1 mtrwith new Black Ultra Quad same result apart from dBuv increased to 70.

I will over the next few days try the Ultra on the large dishes and report back.

Nml

 

[Analoguesat]

Thanks for the reports - they have now been added to the map.

 

[Huevos]

dBuv of 62.5 but no quality, cber, vber or c/n, so I put up the Gibbertini !.5 this improved 1n channels

Can you post a spectrum image from the Satcatcher showing both satellites. Even just a grab with a mobile phone camera would be good.

Satcatcher shows C/N down to about 3dB so well below what is required for lock if not showing anything.

 

[Acuario]

I took a shot of the spectrum from the HD-TC8. I can't see how to upload it here so I've put in a link - can the forum mods move it here?
The scan was from a 1.5M dish in El Perello. Signal strengths were:
11023





Mod Note: Will happily convert Link to attachment for you - but no Link is visible ! Have another go and we'll sort it for you.

 

[joddle]

I'm based in Southern Catalunya and since the migration on 4th December we've lost all the '5's etc.
I've been doing various tests around the area (I'm an installer and have a Promax Sathunter and a Horizon HD-TC8 that I have been testing with).
So far on a 1.3M dish, nothing - on a 1.5M dish, nothing. Best signal has been 72.7dBuv on 10994 but no lock - this was on a 1.5M dish in a village called El Perello.

Tomorrow I'm driving down to Alicante and am taking a 1.3M dish with me in the van. I'm planning to stop off in various places to try to see where the reception edge is for 1.3M.

I'm hopefully going to buy a 1.9M dish to bring back with me to try - again stopping off and doing various tests en-route.

Here's hoping...

As you will more than likely go down past Valencia and close to Javea I would be very much interested in your reports with the 1.3 at both those locations I would be most interested to know of your reports in those two areas. I am using a 2.4 a few km south of Valencia but it is overkill but I am not about to junk it yet - too expensive and who knows I might need it in the future!

 

[Huevos]

Was in Benissa yesterday, just a few miles from Javea. 100 x 90cm works but with zero margin. 120 x 110cm would work fine.

 

[joddle]

Was in Benissa yesterday, just a few miles from Javea. 100 x 90cm works but with zero margin. 120 x 110cm would work fine.

Looks like my 1.2 Tagra PF might find a new lease of life down there then - I even have a spare invacom C120 dual knocking about!

 

[Huevos]

Looks like my 1.2 Tagra PF might find a new lease of life down there then - I even have a spare invacom C120 dual knocking about!

Here's a picture of one I fitted a couple of days ago in Calpe. Famaval LH110 (120 x 110cm), with Black Ultra. SNR on C5 is about 9.6dB.
To be honest you can just about get away with an LH100 (100 x 90cm) for 2F band C. I fitted quite a few between Denia and San Javier this year and haven't had one call to say C5 is not working.

 

[Acuario]

I was trying to work out how to add a file and accidentally posted... anyway, the scan is here:
http://pstrack.co.uk/images/spectrum.jpg

Ok, interesting results on the way down. All the readings are with a Gibertini 1.25M offset dish with a 0.2dB LNB unless noted.
Nearest place: Lon Lat 11023 10964 10994 11053 11126
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freginals 0 29 47 40 39 18 71.7 72.5 72.5 72.4 71.8 1.5M dish. No lock or MER on any channels
Benicarlo 0 24 18 40 07 58 70.3 69.6/5.5 70.2 70.7/6.2 72.5/6.9 MER is second figure - 3 out of 5 transponders have MER
Benicasim 0 08 21 40 07 58 71.3/6.7 70.8/7.9 71.3/7.5 72.4/8.7 73.9/9.1
Castello 0 07 27 39 51 52 72.2/7.4 72.2/9.2 72.7/9.2 73.3/9.9 74.6/10.2
Rojales 0 43 40 38 03 52 72.8/7.1 72.9/8.5 73.5/8.7 73.4/9.1 74.7/9.1
Rojales 0 43 40 38 03 52 72.7/7.3 73.3/9.3 74.0/9.2 73.9/9.7 75.4/9.7 1.5M Gibertini 0.2dB LNB
Rojales 0 43 40 38 03 52 70.9/9.0 72.3/12.8 71.5/12.7 71.4/12.9 70.8/12.7 1.9M Famaval prime focus

Looks like a 1.2M dish should be ok south of Benicassim.
I didn't take any readings further south than Castello as it appeared there was sufficient signal not to worry about it. From Valencia I go inland towards Albacete, then over the top at La Font de Figuera rather than dropping down past Denia.

A 1.5 isn't enough further north - I'm going to try with a 1.9 and see what I get but that won't be until after Christmas.

 

[Acuario]

I'm back in Tortosa with a 1.9M prime focus Famaval and I can now receive all the 'lost' channels - including the BBC HD test channels on 11023 :-)

 

[Analoguesat]

Excellent thank you Acuario - that 1.9m report fills a hole in the Costa Brava

 

[Acuario]

..humm - I'm on the Costa Dorada - Costa Brava is a bit further north but as far as I'm aware this is the furthest positive reported recption to the south of Barcelona.

 

[Huevos]

What's the MER for these transponders on that dish? What meter are you using? And what feedhorn/LNB are you using?

 

[davidcmadrid]

I'm back in Tortosa with a 1.9M prime focus Famaval and I can now receive all the 'lost' channels - including the BBC HD test channels on 11023 :-)

Thanks for the report , it starts to fill in the blanks on that null , the interesting thing is that a " spectrum analysis " type report from Barcelona City Center suggested a 1.9m would work. Over time hopefully we can fill in more gaps and understand in particular if that 1.9m is in the fall off region into a deeper null or if a 1.9m would be fine for that whole region. If i have the right Tortosa you are appx 200km from Barcelona

Do you think from looking at your spectrum analyzer you have much db Margin ?

 

[Acuario]

What's the MER for these transponders on that dish? What meter are you using? And what feedhorn/LNB are you using?

Sorry it was late when I got back - and getting dark, and I was tired.
More info:
I'm approx 200Km south of Barcelona. The meter(s) I'm using are a Promax Sathunter and Horizon HD-TC8
LNB is an Invacom C120 twin 0.3db
Readings (from the Promax) are (dB/MER):
10964 67.9/6.1
10994 67.9/5.7
11053 68.4/7.0
11126 66.2/7.5

I'll photograph and post the spectrum from the Horizon later.

 

[Acuario]

I can't work out how to post images so I've created a web page with the scans here:


hxxp://tortosaforum.com/astra2f.htm

 

[Acuario]

Bad news - as the day has progressed so I've started to lose channels - so far (10:45am) transponders 10964 (the 5's) is breaking up badly and 11023 has totally gone.. The rest are ok still.
Maybe a 2.4M is needed here :-crying

I'll keep checking throughout the day.

 

[Analoguesat]

Theres a report on the astra 2 forum of successful reception of 2F at Seixal just south of Lisbon - 2.3m dish used.

Doedsnt help the expats in the Algarve of course, but I think thats the furthest south successful report so far along the Portuguese coast

 

[davidcmadrid]

Theres a report on the astra 2 forum of successful reception of 2F at Seixal just south of Lisbon - 2.3m dish used.

Doedsnt help the expats in the Algarve of course, but I think thats the furthest south successful report so far along the Portuguese coast

Im looking for it but cant find the source , do you know if both H and V are recievable 24 hours a day ?

 

[normcatalunya]

Hi ...
We live in a place called ORCAU -25655- Catalunya- Spain.....
N 42 10
E 01 00

No Astra 2F reception with......

Humax HDCI 2000
100cm Offset Parabolica
Invacom Quad...

I am waiting to try out a new LNB (INVERTO BLACK ULTRA HIGH-GAIN QUATTRO)
but doubt that will make up the signal strength thats missing!!!
I am thinking of getting a 150cm dish ( 180cm very expensive) but not sure of the results it will give...

Any advice welcomed please

Norm