ITV 1 & Channel 4 Group to switch to 2E on Tuesday

Smiley G · Post by **Smiley G** » Sun 09 Feb 2014 10:52

I have just picked this news up. I'm not sure what will happen to ITV 2,3 & 4.

http://skyinmadrid.com/pages/news.html

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Sun 09 Feb 2014 14:23

I think the ITV2,3,4 SD Versions of this will move to the 2e Narrow beam but the Subscription HD Versions will be on the wide beam.

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 09:04

Hi - I have to provide BBC and ITV channels to my holiday tenants here in Collioure, so my plan will have to be to upgrade my satellite dish to whatever size is necessary. Thankfully the dish is not visible or a problem for my neighbours. But what size of dish will I need? I've seen suggestions of 150 and 180 cm. Thanks for any advice.

Smiley G · Post by **Smiley G** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 11:36

I think the following will be your main problems;
Planning Permission for a dish 180cm in diameter.
Cost
The groundworks required to stabilise such a huge dish with the winds that we get down here. A 180cm dish will prove to be unstable.
Good luck!

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 11:42

Thanks! I'm going to have a talk to the people who put in the existing dish and see what they say. 150cm might be feasible, if it will be sufficient to get the signals.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 12:44

I will be interested to know how big a dish you decide upon

Smiley G · Post by **Smiley G** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 12:58

This is an interim set of dish sizes published for our region.

90/100cm. Dish at the Montpellier/Toulouse level.
110cm. Dish at the Beziers/Castelnaudary level.
120/125cm. Dish at the Narbonne/Carcassonne level.
150cm. Dish at the Limoux/Perpignan level.
180cm. Dish south of the Perpignan/Spanish Border area.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 13:11

Have these size dishes yet been tried to confirm they work OK

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 15:06

We estimate a 125 is good to the LImoux - Leucate level then a 150 down to maybe Argeles and then a 180 to the south of this.
We do have some concrete readings from already installed Dishes but of course the Signal could change..... maybe 'Rushing into' large expenditure is risky.....for at least a few weeks....
Collioure is getting into 180 territory....

For the sizes 125 and 150 i would only advise the make Gilbertini with their feedhorn LNB Assembly. as yet we havent found the 'Best' make Model for a 180.

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 15:26

Thanks for such specific help. I'll wait a while since as you say this is not going to be cheap and signals could indeed change. But when you do have any readings for different sizes of dish for Collioure area I'd love to have them. And if I go ahead and get a larger dish I'll feed back to you all to let you know how things go - with the Mairie as well! Thanks again.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 20:21

We have on our roof a large dish..I haven't been up to measure it but it is certainly looks about 150cm...It was fitted by a previous owner who was German I think so I guess it was for German TV. I am minded to have the LNB on my smaller dish moved to the larger and have it realigned...any one have any idea who may be able to do this for me ?...and at what cost ?

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 20:27

I used Batista in Collioure and they were very good, but I don't know whether they could do a larger dish. I need to ask them. If rejigging your 150cm dish works in Villelongue then I should be able to do the same thing in Collioure!

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 20:32

Jane ..will keep you informed

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 20:39

Thanks Nigel! Do you want me to speak to Batista for you? I was thinking of calling in there tomorrow to make some enquiries.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 20:44

It would be nice to know an approx cost to come to Villelongue and do the job please....I guess it should take no more than an hour to carry out the work

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Mon 10 Feb 2014 20:46

I'll ask.

Smiley G · Post by **Smiley G** » Tue 11 Feb 2014 07:10

7am CET: ITV1, 2, 3 & 4 all gone, as have Channel 4, E4, More 4 & Film 4.
I did find "True Movies etc" on a quick scan!
Anyone want an 80cm dish and PMB set-top box?

Smiley G · Post by **Smiley G** » Tue 11 Feb 2014 07:24

News
Updated Monday, 10th February, 2014
FEB10 ITV SWITCH LIKELY TONIGHT
All remaining ITV One channels are expected to move from Astra 1N to Astra 2E's UK spot beam in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 11th. February.
SES Astra, normally one of the most secretive of companies, publishes weekly emphemeris data predicting the exact orbital position of all its satellites. Position data for Astra 1N is only given till Wednesday, 12th. February, indicating that it will be emptied of channels and will start to move to its new home at 19º east. At the latest, it looks as though all free public service channels will be moved within the next 72 hours. The switch, likely to include all of Channel 4, will add to the misery of thousands of UK expatriates in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany, soon after losing all BBC services last Thursday.

janefmackenzie · Post by **janefmackenzie** » Tue 11 Feb 2014 18:07

To update I have spoken to Batista, my satellite vendor, in Collioure today and they confirm their suppliers have been flagging up the problem to them, but that as yet no supplier is offering the larger size dishes. There is no stock, they say, in the Perpignan area yet. For people with their dishes on the roof they also point out that house insurance can refuse to pay out for dishes above 80cm if your dish comes off in the wind and damages a car/another house etc. I am exploring with them ways of having a dish supported from the ground, since my existing dish is on the wall of my house and not high up.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Tue 11 Feb 2014 23:59

janefmackenzie wrote:To update I have spoken to Batista, my satellite vendor, in Collioure today and they confirm their suppliers have been flagging up the problem to them, but that as yet no supplier is offering the larger size dishes. There is no stock, they say, in the Perpignan area yet. For people with their dishes on the roof they also point out that house insurance can refuse to pay out for dishes above 80cm if your dish comes off in the wind and damages a car/another house etc. I am exploring with them ways of having a dish supported from the ground, since my existing dish is on the wall of my house and not high up.

French satellite suppliers will probably never need to install big dishes as it is only us poor expats that need them.

You certainly shouldn't consider putting a dish like that on the roof but a wall mount is a possibility, particularly if it is not too high.

Big dishes can be mounted on a pole but a 1.8 metre dish would need about 2 tonnes of concrete in the base.

Try www.digitvsolutions.com

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Wed 12 Feb 2014 00:10

Allan wrote:
janefmackenzie wrote:To update I have spoken to Batista, my satellite vendor, in Collioure today and they confirm their suppliers have been flagging up the problem to them, but that as yet no supplier is offering the larger size dishes. There is no stock, they say, in the Perpignan area yet. For people with their dishes on the roof they also point out that house insurance can refuse to pay out for dishes above 80cm if your dish comes off in the wind and damages a car/another house etc. I am exploring with them ways of having a dish supported from the ground, since my existing dish is on the wall of my house and not high up.
French satellite suppliers will probably never need to install big dishes as it is only us poor expats that need them.

You certainly shouldn't consider putting a dish like that on the roof but a wall mount is a possibility, particularly if it is not too high.

Big dishes can be mounted on a pole but a 1.8 metre dish would need about 2 tonnes of concrete in the base.
Try www.digitvsolutions.com

I had a 1.8 meter dish in my garden in Spain. I had a 1 cubic meter concrete base to hold this dish solid. A good tip is make this concrete base to made below the level of the grass level. Then you can remove the dish somewhere in the future and you'll able to grow grass over this monster in your garden.

Blackduff

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