Can't find 28.2 from Munich

[timhan]

Hi, I'm trying to get the BBC. I have a technomate 5400 USB/CI with a 80cm dish. I can find 19.2 and 13 with no problem. But couldn't find the signal on 28.2. Is there a certain transponder that I should try? I tried several. I should at least be able to see some kind of signal, even if it isn't 99%, right?

Thanks!

 

[Robbo]

Hi, try one of the Eurobird 1 (28.5E) transponders like 11222H, you should get that really easily. With an 80cm dish, 28.2E and 28.5E are effectively co-located. This will get your dish lined up near enough.

You are just of the edge of the footprint for 2D, according to Lyngsat

_http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/astra2d.html

so your dish may be a little too small, but worth a try anyway.

Robbo

 

[Analoguesat]

You will need a bigger dish for the BBC on Astra 2D - probably 1m for interruption free viewing:

_http://www.astra2d.com/germany.htm

 

[timhan]

Thanks very much for the replies. I'll try Eurobird 1 today and think about a 1m dish... which I have been thinking about anyway... Have to get enough good channels to get the wife to agree to a bigger dish.

 

[T_G]

If you have to get a bigger dish go for a 1.2 if you can...

 

[timhan]

I was able to find the Eurobird 1 at 28.5E and get a signal with quality over 80%. I could not pick up a thing on 28.2. As I'm using a cheap 80cm, would the Triax 110 TDS make a major difference?

Thanks again!

 

[PaulR]

When you say you can't pick up anything at 28.2 do you mean that you can't get anything on Astras 2A/B either? If so then there's something else wrong as these are just as strong as Eurobird at 28.5. You would have to have a very large dish (over 3 metres in diameter I would guess) before you could differentiate reliably between 28.2 and 28.5.

 

[Robbo]

I was able to find the Eurobird 1 at 28.5E and get a signal with quality over 80%. I could not pick up a thing on 28.2. As I'm using a cheap 80cm, would the Triax 110 TDS make a major difference?

Thanks again!

I have learnt to my own cost that upping the dish size by a mere 20cm and going from one cheapo dish to another does not make a major difference, if you are after a weaker satellite. The Triax 110 is only approx 102cm accross and not 110cm. The elevation mount on it is also a right pig to adjust. If you want a major difference go for a 1.2m or similar.

I'm also surprised you can't get something from some of the other 28.2E satellites (not 2D), is your transponder list up to date?

 

[timhan]

Thanks Paul, time to rephrase what I wrote.

On my Technomate, 28.2 and 28.5 are together when looking at the signal strength (which makes sense). I was able to find the transponder 11222H and had a decent signal. On most other transponders I wasn't getting a signal.

I just purchased the Technomate, so I assumed the transponder list is pretty close. I've just downloaded the latest channel list I could find on alsat (Jan 2008) and will load that.

My process for adjusting was to find the 11222H transponder, then move to another transponder (the one I saw listed for the first couple of BBC channels) and then moved the dish around a bit to try to get a signal.

At the local shop there is a vision 115cm steel dish for 30 euros. The Gilbertini's run 60 euros for the 100cm and 145 euros for the 125cm. From earlier reading, I had the feeling that the Gilbertini was a higher quality dish, but it seems that Robbo and a few others still say it is a cheap dish (not professional quality). Now I am thinking the cheapy 115cm would be the best thing to try next. Any thoughts are welcome.

Thanks everyone for your help. It is very much appreciated and I'm going to get there.

 

[rolfw]

The Gilbertini 125 isn't a cheap dish, it isn't a professional dish. but it is well made and if you use their feedhorn with a C120 LNB, is a great performer.

Don't go cheap, you may well just be throwing your money away.

 

[Robbo]

From earlier reading, I had the feeling that the Gilbertini was a higher quality dish, but it seems that Robbo and a few others still say it is a cheap dish (not professional quality). .

I didn't say anything about the Gibertini. I was going to get one of those, but it was out of stock and I was to impatient to wait.

 

[timhan]

Ok, I'll say that Gilbertini isn't cheap and not professional. It's what I'm thinking about, because it is in stock at the local shop. I'll take the wife's idea of TV and finances into account when deciding between the 100 and the 125.

Any recommendations corrections to what I was doing above to try to get the 28.2 in? If I am on the 28.5 (TP11222) with a decent signal, should I even need to move the dish at all? As PaulR mentioned, the 28.2 signal should be just as strong as the 28.5. Is there something else I should be checking besides channel list and transponder list?

 

[Robbo]

When I'm trying to adjust the dish for a weak transponder, I firstly get it setup for a strong one.

Then I change to one of the weaker ones and without loosening any of the clamps etc, I flex the dish a little to see if I can improve the signal.

Also other things to adjust obviously are the LNB skew and the LNB position in and out.

The LNB make/type has a marginal effect as well.

 

[dxsat]

Gibertini 125 dish is good quality, I had one of these. It's almost as good as an Andrew or Prodelin dish in terms of gain, but let down somewhat by flimsy arms which can wobble in a high wind. It's better than most other dishes of this size.
The Technomate you have looks very similar to the 1000D, which I know to be really poor on Astra 2D for BBC, as I have one of these in Spain. They are claimed to have 'super- sensitive' tuners but I don't believe this at all.
You don't mention which LNB you are using, this could be the biggest factor in your problems.

 

[timhan]

I have 3 different LNBs. The first is a 10 euro no-name, then I have 2 models from Smart (smart-electronic.de) Both are Titanium edition with 0.2 db noise. From looking at the box they have a conversion gain of 50 db min if that helps. The difference between the two is one has dual output and the others are only single-output (single coax connector). The wind is really strong out there this morning, so I won't be able to try any adjustements... I'm sure it would move before I could get anything tight.

 

[dxsat]

You should be able to get a result using the smart titanium LNB.
Reading your posts again, you've only been able to find 11222H but still nothing on the others? You may not have found the right position for 28 degrees.
Bear in mind 28.2 is lower in the sky than 19 degrees so if you just sweep to the east you'll get nothing.
Trying to find a sat using the signal strength readout on a receiver is very difficult.
Even a cheap sat beeper will be better. (Now about £7 in Maplin)

 

[Robbo]

Trying to find a sat using the signal strength readout on a receiver is very difficult.
Even a cheap sat beeper will be better. (Now about £7 in Maplin)

I don't understand how a sat beeper would be better in this situation. Eurobird1 is just going to scream at him surely?
as he won't be able to tell the difference between 28.2E and 28.5E with such a small dish, without using the tuning capabilities that the receiver provides.

 

[timhan]

I uploaded the newest channel list I could find this morning and I see a lot more channels. I can also receive some that I could before. I am guessing that I had out-of-date information there. As soon as this wind slows down a bit, I'll get out there and try it again. Thanks again guys for all this help, it is very much appreciated!!!

 

[dxsat]

I don't understand how a sat beeper would be better in this situation....

If you're a novice and can't find 28.2 degrees a sat beeper is the way to do it. The original post says can't find 28.2...
There are common frequencies on adjacent positions (e.g. 19 degrees and 28.2)
Many FTA receivers are fooled into thinking they have 28.2 when they haven't.

 

[timhan]

Got out there again and here is where I am now. I can't receive anything from the transponders lower than 11222. I also cannot et 11856. The rest of them come in with at least 60% quality, with most being between 70% and 90%. I am able to see many of the channels, but none of the main BBC or ITV channels.