Problem with 90cm. Dishes

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Fri 14 Dec 2012 19:51

I have experienced problems when testing a newly Delivered 90cm. Triax Dish this evening. It may be that they are trying to reduce the signal even more or that this dish is not big enough!!!
So for now, all new installations are 'On Hold' until i can resolve this.
watch this space for more info!!!

interiors66 · Post by **interiors66** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 09:13

What did you experience?
2 nights ago I lost all channels except the ch4's.
Ch4 were showing full signal all the others were 0%.
It came back later that evening.

monsans · Post by **monsans** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 10:01

During the day the '5's are working but during the evening the whole signal goes with all the '5's. It says 'audio 'something needs attention. It is too quick to read the message. Also Channel 4 HD went last night. Just checked all channels are there as of this moment. Thanks for any info.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 14:04

They have defintely weakened the signal some more since the changeover 11 days ago!!!
Whereas i had perfect reception during the day to start with on the Fives etc.
they are now even breaking up in the day....
I will post all and any findings when i can

russell · Post by **russell** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 14:56

When I checked a couple of days ago I was getting a signal strength of 240 or so on all channels on the old satellite and about 140 on the new one as reported by the "system health check" on my Sky box. Today the signals from the new one have disappeared completely, or at least my Sky box won't lock on to them

Even with just the drop from 240 to 140 this represents a drop of about 4.6 dB, assuming that the Sky box is measuring voltage. To get the same performance as an 80 cm dish will require a 1.4 m dish! Let's hope things will improve.

Russell.

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 16:14

To start with we were only losing all the 5 channels around 7 or 8pm then it became 6pm and now we cant get them by day!

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 17:07

We have three dishes on our roof....all inherited when we bought the house. At present we are using one of the smaller one and have the problem of losing C5 etc ....wondering whether it is worth moving LNB and trying out the largest dish...seems to me to be at least a meter across if not more...any help in effecting this move would be appreciated

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 18:18

Nigel
A friend down the street has a 90 cm dish and he has perfect reception on all channels. This is located in Sorede. Not sure about the LNB but it was the generic version which was installed by Expert a few years back. He said that there's some problems in rain but this for most channels.

Blackduff

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 19:12

Sue wrote:To start with we were only losing all the 5 channels around 7 or 8pm then it became 6pm and now we cant get them by day!

Yes, this appears to be what is happening. i am next going to try a 115 Dish and then take it from there.. a real Bummer.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 19:14

blackduff wrote:Nigel
A friend down the street has a 90 cm dish and he has perfect reception on all channels. This is located in Sorede. Not sure about the LNB but it was the generic version which was installed by Expert a few years back. He said that there's some problems in rain but this for most channels.

Blackduff

are you sure he is testing C5 , 4 seven , C5+1, 5 usa and 5* etc at night....?? A 90 here, is even struggling in the Day!!!

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 22:07

montgolfiere wrote:
blackduff wrote:
Blackduff
are you sure he is testing C5 , 4 seven , C5+1, 5 usa and 5* etc at night....?? A 90 here, is even struggling in the Day!!!

I've talked with both him as well as his wife. Both know the stations which I have a problem with ~ they're on Anglophone-Direct too. The guy said Expert said his dish has a coating which gives as good as a 1 meter. I don't what the Expert guy says but the fact is still the same, he's getting a good reception.

I was speaking with another friend, two doors down the road, and he doesn't get anything at all for the special channels. He only has a 60 cm though.

From what I can see, the problem is coming from the Astra people. This is happening too specific and now the weekend days are bad too. I cannot believe that this is caused by the weather. These channels are the "least" important for the British viewers, so they can reduce the power from those transponders.

I have ordered another LNB from the store in the UK ~ Brymar. Maybe this will help but if not, I'll wait for the Astra F starts next year. I can live without the channels which are missing, if the new sat does't improve.

If nothing else, we're getting an exercise for the brain. We tend to get lazy in the Midi and this gives us something to think about. "Fun" almost but maybe this isn't true.

Blackduff

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Sat 15 Dec 2012 23:42

We are now having problems with the HD channels. ITV1 Yorkshire has a weak signal and Channel 4 Hd has no signal at all.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 07:31

Allan wrote:We are now having problems with the HD channels. ITV1 Yorkshire has a weak signal and Channel 4 Hd has no signal at all.

Yes Yorkshire East and Yorks 1 + 1 and C4 HD are on 2F.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 07:38

After terrible reception on the 2F Channels Friday evening all day yesterday and last night i have switche don the TV this morning to full reception at 0700 on all the Fives Yorks 1 + 1 4seven etc.
So what is going on is anyones guess at the moment...
MY suggestion to everyone is to be patient and not rush into any conclusions before the situation has stabilised. ( this is a nightmare for me personally as of course i am putting installtions on hold until i am satisfied that what i install will actually work satifactorily).
Reception reports from around the region are critical to help in this process.
Please post them on this forum or i would be pleased to receive emails at:
oneworlddreaming@aliceadsl.fr.
Watch this space for regular updates
Regards
The (very stressed) Skyman

monsans · Post by **monsans** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 11:09

ALL systems go at Argèles Plage at 11.00 a.m.

russell · Post by **russell** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 11:11

Yes the signal has come back today, a bit stronger but...
ch strength quality

BBC1 240 133
BBC2 233 136
ITV1AngliaW 208 15

With those signal strengths we would only need to increase the dish size from 0.8 m to 0.9 m, however the very low signal quality is preventing reception at present. I suspect this may indicate that the polarisation angle has changed slightly and my installation has been optimisd for the old satellite. I will try getting up on the roof and tweeking it.

Russell.

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 11:20

Good here too this morning on the edge of Argeles village.

russell · Post by **russell** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 16:21

Just been up on the roof and checked the LNB skew with a digital level. It was a couple of degrees out so I reset it, went indoors to check the signal and, guess what, the signal has been switched off again!

The coverage map here: http://www.astra2.org/astra2f-maps.html show the eirp in the PO to be about 38 dBW which, according to them, will require a dish of between 0.8 and 1.2 m and that is for clear weather reception (no rain fade)

Russell.

monsans · Post by **monsans** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 17:20

All working except channel 4 HD at Argeles Plage at 5.20 p.m.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 17:52

I am ordering a 1.15 dish tomorrow for testing:
(and it would be relatively easy and not too much more expensive to go to a 1.30/1.40 dish)

as i feel that 1.15 may be the minimum size required around here....

The signal is a lot better today/this evening but i am already losing Yorks ITV 1 + 1 although the other 2f channels are still ok.... (18.00 Hrs)

Although this situation is unforseen and a 'Pain in the Butt' at least these sort of Dish sizes are available and relatively easy to install. Imagine if we all had to go to 2 metre prime focus Dishes where a Concrete Base is also required etc....
(you would then be looking at a cost of maybe 1000 euros ++ !!!)
anyway, lets keep positive and hopeful!!!
the Skyman

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 17:54

All the usual ones have gone!

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 17:56

Sue wrote:All the usual ones have gone!

Just starting to go here too!!

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 17:59

Never mind the cost of a 2 metre dish its the space too. I rather just have the channels I can stream on my laptop than lose the courtyard to a dish!!

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 18:24

Are the broadcasters not providing any information for installers based in the Uk?

Surely someone must know if the recent reduction in signal strength is permanent or whether they are simply testing at present.

It seems to me that more information is required rather than testing different size dishes that may work today but not tomorrow.

I can understand that information will not be forthcoming in areas outside the UK, but surely the UK satellite industry needs information to function.

I am not sure who controls the satellite feed to these channels but surely someone must know what is going on.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 19:09

Nothing will change in the Uk, in fact their signal will probably be stronger!! so the UK Based Installers have nothing to change!!!

I am afraid SES ( the Luxembourg based company who run the Satellites) is a very Secretive Organisation and unfortunately does not give out any information if at all possible.

SO... i am afraid that we are left with 'Local Deduction' as the signal varies from location to location. So Field Testing is our only option!!!

What is likely is that once we find the correct size for this area we will then have +/- 12 years of reception until the Satellites are once again replaced.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 19:11

Sue wrote:Never mind the cost of a 2 metre dish its the space too. I rather just have the channels I can stream on my laptop than lose the courtyard to a dish!!

You are lucky to actually have a Courtyard. Many people would not even have that option!!!
(with reference to the Monty Python Carboard Box Sketch!!!!)

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 19:14

Maybe you would like to contribute your findings....?

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 19:15

I realise Montgolfiere Im lucky to have outside space, my quote was only meant to be tongue in cheek. You must be totally stressed with all this.

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 19:17

My reply was 'a la Monty python'!!! in jest too!!!!
and yes, it is giving me a certain ammount of insomnia, but the rest of the time i am working on a solution!!!

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun 16 Dec 2012 19:19

Sorry it was lost on me, not being a M P fan!!

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