g8vkv

Much of our income (OAP etc) is transferred directly into our French account. So I use that effective rate €total/£total (rounded down) as the rate for everything else. I "declare" this in a covering letter and also on the tax form and take photographs of those. Paranoid or what?

Here's the situation in Centre Var. We have a "carelessly aligned" 90cm dish and Humax FoxSat HDR. When the 11023H tp started, I received it with SQ 75/60 on the Humax. This signal would always collapse, anywhere between 13:00 and 17:00 and reappear next morning. Since the other tps have migrated, they can be received with SQ 80/70 consistently for 24 hours. The 11023H signal has also strengthened slightly and doesn't collapse. The weather conditions have been good during this time (Provencal wall-to-wall blue), so that could be a factor.

http://tinyurl.com/c824qgp

As someone who can distinguish between north and south Liverpool accents and the posh stuff on the Wirral, I can assure you that it's 90% Scouse, with a dash of Foreign.

Jako - It's all quite interesting. I was up at 03:00 this morning (I have "man-flu" and needed a cup of tea) and noticed that the (presumably) 1N signals were all (unusually) very strong - lighting up the SQ bars on my Hummy. This is still the case, 8 hours later, all still showing 100/100. The 11023H signal has also improved in strength, but not quality (100/60) I just wish they'd get on with it!

Danny .. You're very likely correct - maybe I got over excited for a while. However, I've never noticed 1N signals this strong before and the 11023H signal is now sitting at an SQ of 100/60 (previously a stubborn 75/60 until it disappeared) A bit interesting.

Anyone know what's going on? All signals much stronger since about 03:00 - typically SQ 100/100 or 100/90. It's almost as if both 1N and 2F are running together - but I didn't think you could do that because of phasing, clock synchronisation and all that? Very odd and I'm sure it won't last.

I've been in touch with a chap about 60km east of us who says his 11023H holds up all day with a 1m dish, so that gives me hope that things aren't necessarily terminal. It's true that our dish setup is less than perfect. It wasn't especially aligned for maximum signal (just until it was "OK") and also the LNB is held in place with sticky tape (the clip is broken) So it looks like getting the ladders out again.

11023H signal disappeared at 13:30 yesterday. Reappeared this morning at 08:00 - just as the sun was pushing clear of the horizon, roughly "inline" with the sats. So - evidence suggested that the beam is being distorted (favourably for anyone in the SE) by the solar wind and this effect goes away later in the day? All other tps still seem to be on 1N as far as I can tell.

Jako ... Looks like you could be right. Signal now oscillating between SQ 75/50 and 0/0 Time 13:30, weather good.

It just occurred to me that maybe they've moved 11023H back onto 1N. They wouldn't do that, would they?

I can report that things are much improved this morning (weather much better). The 11023H transponder is showing 80% strength and 60% quality and both 8601 and 8611 feeds are looking good. Maybe it was the weather yesterday? Maybe they were running low power? Until things finally stabilise, I guess reception will be "variable"

I may be being dim - but isn't the only transponder functioning at the moment on 2F the one at 11023H? All the rest are still on 1N?

I should add that it's overcast here, with a heavy cloud layer.

Location 60km north of St Tropez. Equipment : Humax Foxsat HD + 90cm (oval) dish Transponder at 11024H showing no discernible signal strength. It will find a channel on scanning, but picture very broken up.