Satellite issues

[Tony Jones]

OK friends, who are the satellite techies on here? Our 2005 van came fitted with a flat, square "Kathrein BAS60" satellite antenna, and a little TV, but no decoder. Although we're in France, I want to get UK TV when we're touring. I've tried using a domestic Humax Freesat box we brought with us, but all its channels have been erased because we tried (unsuccessfully) to use it for French satellite channels. Connected up in the van, I used instructions from sat-direction.com to point the antenna at the Astra 2 (28.2), but the box just showed "no signal or signal too weak" when I tried a channel search. Possibilities: (1) I'd missed the satellite by a mile; (2) the antenna isn't man enough to get UK stuff over here; (3) the box objects to not having a UK postcode to work from. Any ideas which it might be, or other suggestions? TIA.

[BKen1]

Answer is No 2

[Robbo]

I would have thought you should be able to get Astra 2 in your location with the equivalent of a 50 to 60cm dish.

 

Sounds like you have a manual system. You seem to have resolved the horizontal angle you're looking for. The vertical angle should be about 30 degrees. Suggest you invest in a cheap signal meter so you can refine the adjustment for horizontal/vertical positions.

 

The signal meter should only been used for alignment purposes and then taken out of the satellite feed. Just remember to switch off the digibox when removing the signal meter. Quick release satellite F connectors can make the whole process much simpler. I used a fly-lead to connect the dish with the digibox when the signal meter was not in the circuit.

 

If still confused, I'm happy to answer further questions. I assume you can get Astra 2 on your home system - if so, what size satellite dish are you using and how does that compare with the dish you have on the van?

[Way2Go]

Hi Tony,

 

I agree with Robbo about getting a satellite finder. This sort of thing on Amazon.fr would be ideal and its pretty cheap https://www.amazon.fr/Metronic-Pointeur-Mesureur-satellite-aiguille/dp/B003K170TK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1503810229&sr=8-8&keywords=satellite+finder

 

Also, I didn't know it at the time but when we moved to Germany our house is South facing and I have an excellent reception for English Sky TV. It wasn't until a few days had past that the penny dropped that we weren't pointing to the North beam but in fact pointing to the South beam. I didn't know there was a south beam but apparently there is.

 

I can't find the details at the moment but you would probably get a stronger signal pointing to the South beam instead.

 

I hope you're settled in now and are enjoying yourself.

 

Barry

[Way2Go]

You might also find this useful :-

 

Address: Les Sables d'Olonne, Vendée

Latitude: 46.4930°

Longitude: -1.7955°

 

Satellite: 28.2E ASTRA 2E | ASTRA 2F | ASTRA 2G

Elevation: 29.0°

Azimuth (true): 141.5°

Azimuth (magn.): 142.2°

 

The details above was obtained from http://www.dishpointer.com/

 

I just typed in your details and it displayed the direction your dish should be pointing.

[Tony Jones]

Thanks for the help. I've now ordered a cheap finder, I'll let you know how I get on.

 

We're well settled in now Barry, thanks, and enjoying retirement. Getting to know some of the neighbours, improving our language skills, and we've also started going to a local French Baptist church. Off to Spain for September.

 

How's Germany?

[Way2Go]

WUNDERBAR Tony.

 

The last 3 years have been 'interesting' but sooooo rewarding. We live in a lovely region about 1/2 hour from the Mosel and the Rhine and about an hour South of Koblenz. And we aren't short of family and friends who want to stay with us and explore the region which is nice.

 

We pop back to the UK twice a year to see our 90 something parents and marvel at how noisy and congested everywhere is and can't wait to get back across the channel.

 

Have a great time in your new life and let us know how you get on with the satellite.

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi , I have just looked up the humax box info.

 

To get past the initial uk setup requiring uk post code, there is a sequence of button pushing to get the box jnto a mode fro controlling a diseqc motor drive for a dish.

 

The sequence is as follows

 

Go to Menu

Setup

Freesat tune

Then pres red,green,yellow,blue green,yellow,blue in sequence

 

This gets you to antenna settings 7 button pressings

 

 

From which you can then insert the relevant azimuth and elevation of the satellite you require for your location.

 

Then set the dish to those settings, and attempt to scan for service.

 

If you have a motor drive on the dish, then the antenna would move itself automatically. But I assume your dish is not motorised.

 

You should be able to do a scan for service which bypasses the need for uk postcodes.

 

I was given this information by a fellow Amateur Radjo enthusiast, who is married to a german lady, and they therefore wish to watch german tv in uk.

 

Hope it helps.

 

Tonyg3nwl

 

Ps the setting are lost when you switch off the box, and have to be reentered again.

 

 

 

[BKen1]

I have the Humax box here in Spain all you need is a valid UK post code could be anybodies ...could try the DVLA code that might work ...just to get you further into the menu......Interesting about the N / S beams ...the beams are transmitted from the Astra 2 group of satellites the only thing I can see is the north beam defaults on 11778 and the south default on 12207 depending on your dish size and location .

I have a 2 mtr dish with the signal default on 12207.

You also need to take into account the LNB squew ,,no idea how to do it on the Katherien Square dish ....as this can loose you the signal if not correct .

I still believe your square dish is an issue for UK Sky ,they are maunly on German/ French vans looking at Astra 1

 

Getting Sky is messy if you are travelling to southern Europe.

 

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi again, further to my post above.

I have just played with my box at home, and have been through that sequence.

It works but seem to have omitted something.

 

Once you get into the manual menue, you have to scroll down to the dish image on left of screen , then enterr dish parameters.

 

And accept that you wan AL L stations.

 

The resulting scan, will take some time, and I suggest that you should opt for tv only stations, not bother with radio.

 

Once scan completes, all the channel numbers have altered, and now start at 5000 upwards...not much help if you have tv times of course.

 

Alternativey, just insert your home post code and treat it as a new installation,

 

Astra 2 beam is targetted at uk, so the further south you go, the less likely it is that you can receive uk tv, unless you have a large dish, around 80 cm dia for example.

 

You could also of course turn tv off and read a book..much less hassle. Just enjoy you holiday, and let the world pass you by.

 

 

Tonyg3nwl