Low Symbol Rate Irish Radio on Intelsat 901 27.5°W

[satesco]

Another one from 27,5W:

View attachment 146628
Happy New Year 2023

11691.6 V 83 8/9 It's the first time i can lock a frequency with SR under 100 !!!
Pid 101 : Spirit Radio (AAC).
...

...But it is also the first time a DVB application( EBSpro) under Windows locks such a low symbol rate under 100Ks. I don't remember a user locking a card DVB working 1-45 Msps. Great
Happy New Year, 2023!

 

[MCelliotG]

Seems like I'll get myself this LNB as a new year's gift!
Happy 2023 for all!!!

 

[cirio70]

A little update:
i was wrong, the Octagon doesn't lock the frequency, it locks the nearest 11591 V (iRadio).
Since the APid is the same, i heard music and i thought it was spirit radio but after few minutes i realised it was iRadio.
So TBS 1 - Octagon 0

 

[Channel Hopper]

There is a second twin LNB from Fracarro with the suffix FR

https://fracarro.com/wp-content/uploads/product-downloadable-contents/datasheet/287424_UX-TW%20LTE%20FR_it_ds.pdf

as well as a single LTE version that looks very familiar

https://fracarro.com/wp-content/uploads/product-downloadable-contents/datasheet/287337_UX-S%20LTE_it_ds.pdf

Neither datasheet mentions PLL technology (though a stripdown will confirm yes or no)., I've previously had better results with low symbol rate reception using the older designs.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Datasheet mention

https://www.ik7xja.it/xja/pdf/RX_Oscar_100_con_Linux.pdf

'an economic illuminator of the Fracarro UX-S LTE (just 5.30 Euros:, despite the low cost, it becomes very stable after 15/20 minutes'

and

QO-100 – IZ8PPJ Web site

The quad version internals (inc mod for QO-100 reception)

Modifica LNB Quad Fracarro UX-QD LTE – code 287339 per GPSDO

IS0GRB atv antenne autocostruzione winlink winmor echolink proxy riparazioni radio navtex radioascolto comunicazioni digitali ripetitori Roberto abis

www.is0grb.it

 

[Channel Hopper]

Reading around i found out that Fracarro UX-TW LTE is a PLL lnb made by Octagon and is cheap (around 10/15 euros)
More info HERE (is a pdf document in italian but anyone intrestred can easily translate it online)
So, i decided to "throw avway" some money and i bought the LNB.

It seems a good investment since i managed to lock at first shot the freq: 11591 V 250 8/9 (QPSK-S2)
It carries PID 101 and 201 and it should be regionalised version of "iRadio"

View attachment 146602

More to come....

For anyone that is interested, I ordered the non LTE twin version from this seller

Universal Twin Dual Output LNB by Fracarro UX-TW | eBay

Gain: 50-62dB. Output frequencies: Low band: 950 - 1950MHz & High band:1100 - 2150MHz. Input frequencies: Low band: 10.7 – 11.7GHz & High band:11.7 – 12.75GHz. Unbeatable Price and Service. Ripple: < ±0.5dB / 27MHz.

www.ebay.co.uk

and the LTE version as described was delivered late last week.

I should have a chance to swop out the Bullseye on Tuesday and report back

 

[FC GD]

For anyone that is interested, I ordered the non LTE twin version from this seller

Universal Twin Dual Output LNB by Fracarro UX-TW | eBay

Gain: 50-62dB. Output frequencies: Low band: 950 - 1950MHz & High band:1100 - 2150MHz. Input frequencies: Low band: 10.7 – 11.7GHz & High band:11.7 – 12.75GHz. Unbeatable Price and Service. Ripple: < ±0.5dB / 27MHz.

www.ebay.co.uk

and the LTE version as described was delivered late last week.

I should have a chance to swop out the Bullseye on Tuesday and report back

Exciting , we look forward to your report and Fracarro UX-TW’s performance compared to Bullseye

 

[Channel Hopper]

First visual impression of the LNB, it looks like a ribbed pleasure device.

The shaft (ooerr!) allows some 8cms of focal adjustment on the Orbital dish feed support.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Second impression - it's really wet out there.

I've fitted the Fracarro, will leave it running for an hour or so to reach operating teperature and stabilise. I have the dish on 27.5W currently and the BBC mux on 11494V is clear but breaking up. Strength and quality on the GT Combo is fine however.

Unlike the Bullseye I can have a second cable into the office , bypassing the DiSEqC motor and can check losses (if there are any)through the additional connections/circuitry.

 

[Channel Hopper]

My error, the GT Combo clears the 11494 package, but it is encrypted.

 

[cirio70]

I found a new radio on

11596 V 500 8/9 (DVB-S2)
six pids (101,201,301,401,501,601) all with regionalised versions of QRadio in AAC LC

This should be quite easy to tune, i locked it with EBS pro and Inverto Black Ultra and to be honest it was discovered by @satesco few weeks ago.

UPDATE:

11685,77 V 83 8/9 (DVB-S2)
Very hard, i had to use MiniTiouner and slightly move the dish to find the best signal:
Pid 101 AAC LC unfortunately mute.

 

[cirio70]

Another one on:
11689,85 V 167 8/9 (DVB-S2)

Pid 201: Ireland's Classic Hits Radio (AAC LC)
On air now "The Kim Wilde 80's Show"

​

 

[Adam792]

Update noticed on 11690.33 V 166 this week. No longer has Christmas FM on PID 101 (as you’d expect in March!), but there’s another PID now alongside 201 carrying Ireland’s Classic Hits -

PID 301 - Raidió Rí Rá (AAC 128kbps)

Others as before -

11686.26V 83 QPSK 8/9 - Single silent 128kbps AAC stream
11689.16V 83 QPSK 8/9 - Spin South West (PID 101 128kbps AAC). I confirmed that it is this regional version last night as I heard ads for Limerick.
11691.86V 83 QPSK 8/9 - Spirit Radio (PID 101 128kbps AAC)

Then there’s the lower two with iRadio and Q which are a little wider and easier to lock (and seem to be the same as before too).

As otherwise noted, there’s a fair few others with similar parameters and strength but I can’t get them to lock.

 

[FC GD]

Update noticed on 11690.33 V 166 this week. No longer has Christmas FM on PID 101 (as you’d expect in March!), but there’s another PID now alongside 201 carrying Ireland’s Classic Hits -

PID 301 - Raidió Rí Rá (AAC 128kbps)

Others as before -

11686.26V 83 QPSK 8/9 - Single silent 128kbps AAC stream
11689.16V 83 QPSK 8/9 - Spin South West (PID 101 128kbps AAC). I confirmed that it is this regional version last night as I heard ads for Limerick.
11691.86V 83 QPSK 8/9 - Spirit Radio (PID 101 128kbps AAC)

Then there’s the lower two with iRadio and Q which are a little wider and easier to lock (and seem to be the same as before too).

As otherwise noted, there’s a fair few others with similar parameters and strength but I can’t get them to lock.

Adam, Newstalk radio stream is there and on, audio is there too. If you wanna hear something, turn up the volume %300 and youll hear the radio. And if you cant turn up volume so high tune into that channel for hourly news bulletins when audio is loud and clear. It has been always like that! I assume it is a regional feed or something similar. I see also that youve reported to flysat, please revert it the previous state. Greetings from rainy Stockholm

 

[Adam792]

Adam, Newstalk radio stream is there and on, audio is there too. If you wanna hear something, turn up the volume %300 and youll hear the radio. And if you cant turn up volume so high tune into that channel for hourly news bulletins when audio is loud and clear. It has been always like that! I assume it is a regional feed or something similar. I see also that youve reported to flysat, please revert it the previous state. Greetings from rainy Stockholm

Very strange! This is with audio boosted by 60dB - sounds a bit like someone's half unplugged a 3.5mm jack!

Thanks, I will make sure to send the reversion to Flysat.

I wonder if this feed is actually to provide 'on the hour' news to other stations in Ireland then, a bit like INR/Sky News Radio on 28.2°E/9°E in the UK.

 

[Adam792]

Just recorded it over the top of the hour (13:59-14:05 UTC) though and it didn't increase in volume at all this time at least.

 

[FC GD]

Very strange! This is with audio boosted by 60dB - sounds a bit like someone's half unplugged a 3.5mm jack!

Thanks, I will make sure to send the reversion to Flysat.

I wonder if this feed is actually to provide 'on the hour' news to other stations in Ireland then, a bit like INR/Sky News Radio on 28.2°E/9°E in the UK.

;)

Just recorded it over the top of the hour (13:59-14:05 UTC) though and it didn't increase in volume at all this time at least.

check this one...

 

[Adam792]

11690.33 V 166 actually locks fairly easily on my TBS6905 card (when using the PLL LNB ), so that one is a good test one for TBS PC tuners.

With the TBSDTV drivers in Linux it seems that the minimum SR is 100 so trying the ones with 83 gives an error on the other hand.