Astra 2E/2F Technical Thread

[Martin963]

Indeed.   Astra SES have been playing billiards up there these last few weeks,  it's a bit like one of those games you used to get with 16 sliding tiles,  or rather 15 tiles and 1 space.   You had to re-arrange the tiles to make a picture.

They'd never admit it,  but I think it's fair to say that the way the replacement satellites has been deployed has been somewhat convoluted,   Astra have to ensure that each of their positions (eg 19 deg E,  23 deg E,  and "our" 28 deg E) have enough capacity AND that some sort of back up facility is available.    I don't think there's much doubt that some odd things have happened that Astra won't admit to (such as the premature failure of 2D,  at least that's what it looks like) and as a result they've had to shuttle their sats around more than usual.  For instance 1H has been all over the place,   2C is in the wrong place,   1N is in the wrong place (1N and 2C will probably swap, but in light of developments over the years 2C is NOT the ideal craft for its original destination of 28 deg E,  even though it probably will come back) etc etc.

But as has been said 2E is virtually on station now,   and it seems likely that tests will start in the next few days.

So we will FINALLY know our fates fairly soon,   although in 24 I'm not too worried.   18 months ago Jako told me I'd be lucky to get 2F on a 1 m dish,   (I begged to differ at the time) and in fact 2F still romps in on a 60 cm dish. 

But that's not to say that I don't have a lot of sympathy with those in the deep south,  things may get fairly difficult,  and I hope that our esteemed Quillan will get some reports in - Jako and I can try and keep an eye on which transponders get fired up first and tip you all the wink on here so that those that want to can carry out tests in good time.

[Martin963]

[quote user="Jako"]Astra2e will be in position and expected to be operational this weekend. Moving transponders could start on Monday, should they wish to do so.

[/quote]

By the time I'd written my essay you'd beaten me to it!

[Quillan]

Well I just checked again and it is now at 29.89 (was 30.58 yesterday) so at these speeds it should be in place in three days time (roughly speaking). I take it that the testing time will be much quicker as they tested it when it was at 43 deg. So just in time for the 6N, I knew it, still there is always Filmon if things get bad.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Indeed Quillan - just in time for the 6Nations.  France2 are showing all the matches (it's not quite the same tthough is it ?)

[Danny]

the satellite in now in position and it seems that most Sky and PSB (BBC etc) will be transferred over the next week or two.

http://www.ses.com/4233325/news/2014/16858202#sthash.ZsdrC8rJ.dpuf

It is already testing some unused frequencies, apparently.

UK TV users outside of the UK will find out shortly if their reception will continue or not.

Danny

EDIT EDIT maybe not all Sky channels [:-))] don't panic - we shall have to wait and see what goes over. Also, on the new satellite there are different beams - one tight beam on the UK and the other over most of Europe so it depends on which beam the channels are placed on if the reception area will change.

[Jako]

SES also won the dispute with Eutelsat. The remaining Eutelsat frequencies will also move to Astra2E/F/G but Eutelsat will still commercialise these frequencies. http://www.ses.com/4233325/news/2014/16846982

[Martin963]

A kind and very technical bod has put this up

http://satellites-xml.org/28E-SNR.php

although he's a long way south.   But maybe it will give the first indications of transponders coming up.

[Quillan]

To the none initiated (was going to say unwashed [;-)] )what are we looking at and what do we expect to see change?

[Jako]

That is a list of transponders with their respective S/N ratio daily measurements in dB in southern Europe. As soon as a transponder moves from Astra1N to Astra2E/F that signal will drop sharply.

As the BBC is not allowed to broadcast the Olympics outside Britain we might assume that transponders carrying BBC2 will move soon:10773,10788,10803,10818,10847

[PaulT]

I have just printed off 100s of copies of that to wallpaper the lounge - that will stop the OH asking me to decorate.....

Seriously, it will give a valued indication of changes.

[Martin963]

re the Olympics - you may well be right,  but of course they've been in the clear via the BBC on DSat since Auntie went FTA in 2003,   ie in 2004/2008/2012,  so TBH I doubt that's going to be a real priority.

Certainly it's quite fun waiting for the first reports,   notwithstanding that prat "Europa" on Digital Spy,  who's wasting everyone's time,  true to form.  No wonder so many of them migrated to another forum.

[Danny]

reports are indicating that all of the 2A satellite channels (mostly encrypted Sky ones) have been migrated overnight to the new satellite last night.

It seems that they are on the Pan europe beam so pretty good reception outside of the UK.

You can follow reports here.

Danny

[Martin963]

They appear to be playing with us!

[Martin963]

The playing is over.  We have a date.   Thursday morning (very early,  ie during the night of Wed -> Thur).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/news/news_item25.html

I trust Quillan will be up with the lark and telling us all about it!!

[Jako]

"The effect on coverage within Europe: Northern France and Belgium may

see an improvement, outside of this area there may be a slight reduction

in coverage with the need for a larger receive antenna."

For some in the south of Europe this is the understatement of the year: from good reception with a 80 cm dish to no reception at all regardless of dish size.

[Martin963]

I must say Jako I thought exactly the same as you did when I read that!   I imagine the BBC worded it thus to try and avoid a deluge of "complaints" before the change has even happened.

I've put an alert on the Post Bag section of the forum and suggested that anyone with concerns should join us here for advice and help.  Hope that's OK with the rest of you illuminati.

[PaulT]

Expecting that I will need to fit a larger dish on our next visit. Tried searching for French suppliers of 1.2m (hope will not need the size of dish in an episode of Only Fools and Horses) dishes and cannot really find any - anyone know of suppliers?

We could have a little sweepstake predicting the size of dish needed in various places in France.

[Danny]

here is a 110cm

http://bfsat.fr/parabole-acier/1775-triax-blanche-adt110-parabole-110cm-en-acier-galvanise--5702661369049.html

also on eBay 90 euros delivered

plenty on offer here too

http://www.2galli.fr/boutique/liste_produits.cfm?type=30&code_lg=lg_fr&num=21

I am sure you will be OK with this one

http://www.2galli.fr/boutique/fiche_produit.cfm?ref=AS2700&type=30&code_lg=lg_fr&num=21

These are both reportedly reliable dealers

If you do buy a larger dish, you should ensure that the LNB you use is compatible - focal length, LNB fixing diameter.

Ideally buy both from the same supplier as designed to work together.

Danny

[PaulT]

Thanks Danny - need to wait and see what size I will need.

[Gardian]

I await Thursday morning with bated breath.

The potential loss of TV & radio reception strikes me as a major technological advance. [:'(] What on earth have these people been playing at for the last year or two, only to end up shafting us poor souls down here?

BTW, and just in case anybody makes the point, I'd be more than happy to pay the licence fee if there was any kind of mechanism to do it, but of course there isn't.

Let's see what Thursday brings - I'll let you know what (if anything) we can get down here.

 

[Jako]

This night many transponders were moved from 1N to the old 2A. It seems they now want to prioritise moving Astra1N  to 19.2  and use the Astra2A as Astra2G's temporary stand-in.

Regarding the rights issue, that is actually in the process of being resolved on a EU scale and involves paying for the actual amount of subscriptions in Europe  instead of the number of 'potential viewers' per area.  This would however only be a solution for subscription viewers and not the BBC unless they would start to encrypt again and issue viewing cards , but a EU solution is still many years away.

[PaulT]

Jako

I wonder how those of us who are still UK resident and pay the UK Licence (and as a by the by the French charge) if a viewing card for BBC came in - would we get one free?

Just thinking about the pub landlady in the UK who was showing football matches via a Greek provider and the courts upheld her right to do so under EU Rights Laws.

[Jako]

It is exactly that ruling that was the trigger to find a solution. Personally I do not think the BBC would ever want the huge extra cost of encryption an viewing cards back as the spotbeam provides a better solution: More signal at a lower cost for the UK.

[Jako]

Does the BBC read this forum?

The sentence "The effect on coverage within Europe: Northern France and Belgium may

see an improvement, outside of this area there may be a slight reduction

in coverage with the need for a larger receive antenna." has been removed from their website...[:D]

[Quillan]

I would have thought it should have been dish anyway?

Strangely, must be the atmospherics tonight, but we are having problems with 2F reception.

It will be interesting to watch a few of the forums tomorrow if the changeover for the BBC happens tonight. I was thinking of the standard post like "Is anyone having a problem with the BBC channels?" Don't know about being up at the crack of dawn but I will report in sometime during the morning.

Problem with my Sky box is it shows the same signal quality and strength for every channel. I assume it just picks up on the strongest and best then displays that.