Costa Blanca, 2E/2F, seasonal signal fluctuation.

[Archive4]

Well, you could watch Alastair Cook for approx 5 mins, if you were not on the sunny balcony adjusting the dish!

Anyway, enjoy the extra calories!

 

[Huevos]

Today's signal compared to one month ago.

 

[Menorca Man]

Hi Huevos,

It seems that where you are, the signal strengths of the UK spots have increased over the past month. However, here in Menorca there has been a definite weakening of the UK spot beams over the past few days. Since the end of last week some of the 2E FTA channels, namely the BBC HD vertically polarised ones, have started pixelating badly around mid-afternoon. Prior to that, since upgrading the size of my dish in June, all channels were receivable 24/7.
Not sure whether this is due to seasonal atmospheric changes or a cyclic shift in position of the main beams/side lobes, thereby putting Menorca deeper into one of the "notspots". What do you think?

Regards

 

[RichardinSpain]

My signals here in Totana, Murcia have increased using my tecatel 1.2 dish, In fact 10714 is coming in at 8.2db, never had that before, and also i'm getting 10847 all evening where as back in Feb i was only getting it for at most 1/2 hour and quite happy with 2f as getting much the same signals as back in February

 

[RichardinSpain]

Hi Huevos,

It seems that where you are, the signal strengths of the UK spots have increased over the past month. However, here in Menorca there has been a definite weakening of the UK spot beams over the past few days. Since the end of last week some of the 2E FTA channels, namely the BBC HD vertically polarised ones, have started pixelating badly around mid-afternoon. Prior to that, since upgrading the size of my dish in June, all channels were receivable 24/7.
Not sure whether this is due to seasonal atmospheric changes or a cyclic shift in position of the main beams/side lobes, thereby putting Menorca deeper into one of the "notspots". What do you think?

Regards

Hi Menorca Man
Maybe wise to have a look at your dish being that it was a new instal back in June, maybe if it wasn't tightened properly it could have moved, or maybe tweak the lnb or as you say could be just your area

 

[Huevos]

putting Menorca deeper into one of the "notspots". What do you think?

I don't really know, afterall you are more than 400km from here. Maybe the beam has moved south-west a few kilometres putting the Barcelona null a bit closer to you and the warm spot closer to us. But that theory would need to be confirmed from other areas. Or like Richard says maybe your dish has moved a bit since it was installed.

 

[Menorca Man]

Hi Richard & Huevos,

Thank you for your responses.

The dish definitely hadn't moved as everything was bolted up as tight as a drum. Rechecked dish az/el and LNB skew using my Satlink WS-6930 but couldn't improve on original setting. In addition, I've just found out that a friend a mere 4km south of me with the same size/make of dish has also started losing the 2E UK spot channels.
As some areas have experienced an increase in signal strength over the same period, I'm inclined to conclude that the decrease being experienced in this region is due to a cyclic shift of 2E, leading to a corresponding shift in the "hotspots" and the "notspots". I have also concluded that a 1.65 x 1.5 dish is marginal for this area but I'm hopeful that the cyclic shift will come back in our favour over the next week or so!!

Regards

 

[Huevos]

I'm hopeful that the cyclic shift will come back in our favour over the next week or so!!

I doubt it. Changes seem to be sudden and happen about once every 6 weeks, maybe due to orbital correction.

 

[RichardinSpain]

Hi Richard & Huevos,

Thank you for your responses.

The dish definitely hadn't moved as everything was bolted up as tight as a drum. Rechecked dish az/el and LNB skew using my Satlink WS-6930 but couldn't improve on original setting. In addition, I've just found out that a friend a mere 4km south of me with the same size/make of dish has also started losing the 2E UK spot channels.
As some areas have experienced an increase in signal strength over the same period, I'm inclined to conclude that the decrease being experienced in this region is due to a cyclic shift of 2E, leading to a corresponding shift in the "hotspots" and the "notspots". I have also concluded that a 1.65 x 1.5 dish is marginal for this area but I'm hopeful that the cyclic shift will come back in our favour over the next week or so!!

Regards

Hi Menorca Man

Well, you might be correct then if you have noticed a significant drop and your friend has confirmed the same..I don't suppose you can compare what sort of reception you were getting in Feb as you have only had the dish since June. Could you get any e2 in feb on your smaller dish?, if so hopefully things will improve for you reception wise..Im currently getting all 2e transponders from 10714 to 10936 (with the exception of 10847, which will come back early evening) and last week they were weak but having said that i did swap my dishes over back to my 1.2m so may have realigned it a bit better

 

[Menorca Man]

Hi Menorca Man

Could you get any e2 in feb on your smaller dish?, if so hopefully things will improve for you reception wise

Hi again Richard,

Yes, with my previous dish (130 x 120) and a LNB change to an Inverto BU Quad, I did manage to pull in some of the 2E UK spot SD channels for a few hours between mid morning and mid afternoon. So, keeping my fingers crossed that the signal strength & quality revert to their previous levels in the fullness of time as suggested by Huevos.

Regards

 

[RichardinSpain]

Hi again Richard,

Yes, with my previous dish (130 x 120) and a LNB change to an Inverto BU Quad, I did manage to pull in some of the 2E UK spot SD channels for a few hours between mid morning and mid afternoon. So, keeping my fingers crossed that the signal strength & quality revert to their previous levels in the fullness of time as suggested by Huevos.

Regards

That must be the same size dish as i am using now, a tecatel that measures 137*123. Yes hopefully the signals will get better for you

 

[bema]

I have also lost a lot of signal strength the last time. I'm on the first side lobe in Sweden and especially 2F is much lower than normal. My dish s mounted on a garage so maybe the there can be some movements since it's wood and the temperature has been around 30 degrees which is not so usual in Sweden.

http://www.eta.chalmers.se/~muy/weather/wx/grafer_astra.php

 

[cazhh]

I have also lost a lot of signal strength the last time. I'm on the first side lobe in Sweden and especially 2F is much lower than normal. My dish s mounted on a garage so maybe the there can be some movements since it's wood and the temperature has been around 30 degrees which is not so usual in Sweden.

http://www.eta.chalmers.se/~muy/weather/wx/grafer_astra.php

No, it's not your garage. Much stronger signal here on the other side of the null compared with last year. We are roundabout on september '13 levels currently

 

[Pride Of Cucamonga]

Anyone in the Valencia region having trouble with 11023H? I;m getting no lock and this used to be one my strongest transponders (I normally watch BBC1 HD Scotland as stronger than the England feed). Note: clear skies and all other transponders working.

 

[terryashbyash]

All ok in Alqueria (Gandia area) but 10847 from 2e a bit flaky in the middle of the day(cricket lunch 2-240 cet) and all other transponders about normal for me.

 

[briangw]

Anyone in the Valencia region having trouble with 11023H? I;m getting no lock and this used to be one my strongest transponders (I normally watch BBC1 HD Scotland as stronger than the England feed). Note: clear skies and all other transponders working.

I am a bit further south, but I've noticed the same thing over the last 2 days - also 10994H (ITV regions). Although either side of them 10964H and 11053H are as normal. I thought it was my LNB at first, then saw something similar on another dish. I used BBC1 HD Wales for the same reason, but have reverted to the 10847V England version for now.

All other frequencies across 2E/F seem to be behaving within the normal levels of reception. Could it be anything to do with 2C doing testing in similar frequencies with strong signals, as the problem seems to have appeared as the testing started?

 

[woborny]

11023 fine (all channels coming in) on the 80cm dish here in Gandia....at 2026... but signal is a tad weaker than it has been

 

[Huevos]

I've noticed the same thing over the last 2 days - also 10994H (ITV regions). [...] Could it be anything to do with 2C doing testing in similar frequencies with strong signals, as the problem seems to have appeared as the testing started?

Possible. 2C test transponder is around 11008V and very strong.If your skew is even the slightest bit out that signal will leak in and flatten those 2 transponders.

 

[Huevos]

Checked my table and compared to 3 days ago there is absolutely no change on those transponders. If this is causing you problems you need to check the LNB skew.

 

[Fredrik M]

Huevos, I think that you are right. If Astra 2C has a test transponder on 11008V, it is probably contributing to the fact that I rarely get 11023H since a few days ago. Before that I only lost that transponder in really bad weather. I have e.g. switched from watching BBC One Scotland HD to BBC One HD and sometime only one of the SD versions. ITV HD and Channel 4 HD are still OK. I do not own any equipment to measure signal strength in a reliable way. However, I have a feeling that the signal from the Astra 2E/2F has become weaker over the line confirming Bema's observations.