Transponder Settings - Conrad Anderson did well

[StuartO]

My satellite aerial stopped working properly recently and since there have been a series of changed to the way Astra 2 signals are sent out, it looked like the settings inside the dome needed updating. I had used the work-around suggested on the Conrad Anderson website:

 

http://www.conrad-anderson.co.uk/articles/view/kvh-tracvision-r4-and-r5-update

 

and that worked for a while but recently satellite TV just wouldnlt find Astra 2 at all. It would still find Hotbird so it was clear that something techie needed doing. We were transiting past Birmingahm so I made an appointment and diverted.

 

One of the guys came out with a well used old laptop and plugged in. Apparently the special software from the manufacturer needed to talk to the (now obsolete R$ series of aerials) will only run on old versions of Windows, so this laptop is retained specially for the purpose. He was able to see what was going on inside the dome and uploaded the requisite replacement transponder numbers, which is what the dome uses to identify the satellites. It must have got a bit complicated because it took a while and involved some "Ah"ing as he found this or that aspect. He lost me in no time.

 

But eventually he got a picture from Astra 2 again and we were in business. And along came an even geekier superior (witha really bushy beard, so the genuine geeky article) to check he work, who seemed to understand things at an even higher plane and did a number of additional tweeks, to regularise the settings. All gobbledegook to me but I did get them to slow down and explain some basic things to me.

 

I still have to do a channel download and then save relevant new channels to favourites, which the geeks explained how to do. Apparently the series of changes to Astrra 2 are now finished, so having updated about now, I should be good for the future indefinitely.

 

They charged me £30, which i thought was excellent value. Good eggs at Conrad Anderson and although geeks, they are nice people too. Nightmare getting out of Birmingham afterwards because Junction 6 was closed, but that wasn't their fault.