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Hi,

Anyone trying to align a dish to Astra 2F? We are on the Dordogne/Charente border near Saint Aulaye. I am using a 1.1metre dish with a Inverto IDLB-QUDL40-ULTRA-OPP Quad LNB . Scanning at 28.2deg East to SSEast. But upto now not a blip on my meter.

So anyone had any success searching for this satellite, as we do miss the old telly and the snooker?

Just to add, the IPlayer is no use as our broadband is to slow.

James2

 

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1 meter is a bit overdone in that area, once properly aligned you will have a huge signal. But, as you have noticed, aligning a big dish is a lot harder to do, every mm counts. Set the elevation at 31 degrees , turn the dish way too much to the east and then slowly back west until you get a signal. The first signal you encounter should be the Astra2 position.

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Thanks Jako and all replies, the reason for the 1.1m dish is because of the new 2F footprint my 600mm dish no longer works. Danny`s link to Dishpointer.com directed me to my location and confirmed correct alignment for Astra 2F.

So now armed with a better idea with your info, I will try again.

         Thanks for all your help   James2

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  • 2 weeks later...

No luck so far, installing a 1.1metre dish on Astra 2F. I spent all day with the dish set up as per Dishpointer.com recomended which is:-

                 Elevation at 31.0 degrees

                 Azimouth at 143 degrees from N

                 LNB skew to -17.5 degrees

using a Triax 1.1 metre dish with a Inverto IDLB-QUDL40-ULTRA-OPP Quad LNB .

                 Very careful scanning from East to SSE, there was no response on my signal meter for Astra, allthough a full signal was detected on the French satellite by scanning further to the south.

               Our house in France is surounded by open country-side with no immediate hills or forests to interfear with the signal.

                                     Any further help would be appreciated.

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Throw out the signal meter, point the dish so that it points higher tan the elevation of the satellite, have a box and TV near by tuned to CBS (any channel on a pan european beam) and move the dish thorugh an arc that covers where the satellite is. Then drop the dish down very slightly and move it through the arc. Repeat this until you get reception. Mark the dish mount and dish so that you can return to this point. Now tune to BBC, ITV etc and fine tune the dish to get the best signal quality - done.

I have used this twice with good results, the signal meter was absolutely useless.
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I used the combination of the Satellite Finder software on my mobile phone and a meter but that was up to 90cm in size. At 1M and beyond personally I have never had much luck as the movement is so small so I call in a guy from the local shop to do it for me. He takes about 30 minutes to get it set up spot on and well worth the money in my opinion.
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forget the skew for now, that is just for fine tuning. Concentrate on the elevation, it doesn't take much with a big dish to miss the mark even if you think you are pointing in the right direction. 

What have you got the dish fastened to ? If it's a chimney then make sure that you are working off a vertical. Ours was leaning by 6degrees so it took a while to adjust.

You should have found the satellite by now though, We had our 1.5m dish fastened to a wooden stake hammered into the garden and managed to get a signal OK (not the best but it worked for the 6Nations).

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Grrrrrrrrrrrr Spent all day yesterday, scanning the sky, using all the info given but to no avail. Deep disappointment as we are returning to Bristol next week so I have run out of time. We return to France in August so no doubt I will try again.

 

                          A disheartened James2 signing off.

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Get a specialist in to do it for you. Not only will it save time but he/she will do a much better job. He does not have to enter the house to do it either so organise it now then pay him/her when you get back and have tested it.
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Satellite hunting can be very frustrating. Half a degree out and you miss the main beam by some 400 miles.

The first time I did it was for a dish attached to a tripod ( it was an appartment and I wasn't allowed to clamp anything to the balcony)

After hours of trying I found nothing and it a fit of temper just slammed the tripod down and what do you know?  Perfect alignment !!

Not suggesting this as a reliable method of finding a Sat though [:P]

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When using a cheap satfinder you need to make sure that the needle is always pointing in the middle, that way you are able to detect even the slightest improvement and weakening of the signal strength when searching for a satellite. With the needle pointing all the way to the left you will never find it, turn the amplification always up until the needle is in the middle when you receive nothing. Once the sat is located you have to turn the amplification down to keep the needle in the middle and keep improving reception until the signal is optimal.

Then turn to the signal strength meter of the receiver and fin-tune until the signal quality is at its highest.

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Hi

After a good 18 years on sat TV using old sky boxes cheap brico receivers and a Manhattan box along with a 100cm dish I have given up

I now use internet Tv on a 2.3MB copper line its brilliant having access to BBCiplayer and all UK TV we no longer watch rubbish I pay £4,03 on last months exchange rates a month no contract.8 days free trial with no card details try

http://www.unotelly.com/unodns/

C
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