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French Bought Satellite Dish/Grundig UK Freesat Box


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Any reason why they shouldn't work together?

I bought the dish (80cm) from the local brico and installed it facing the correct direction with no obstacles in the way. I then connected it to my new Freesat box via co-axial cable.

I have absolutely no signal. Nothing. Zilch.

I even had the TV out in the garden to make things easier.

Any ideas?
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You need no dongle, your dish should have been supplied with a universal LNB (attached to the arm that protrudes from your dish). Provided that you are pointed at the correct satellite, have the correct degree of "skew" on the LNB, then you should be able to acquire a signal, just as with the sky box.

However, if your Freesat box is also a recorder, you'll need TWO discrete cable connections from the dish, in which case you will need an LNB with dual (or more) outputs. Easily obtained at most Bricos.

Chris
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The LNB came with the box so I assume it was a universal type.

I tried all angles on the dish but nothing.

Is there anything I should have done to the LNB??

I'm puzzled because I thought I would have picked up some kind of signal even if poor.

Not a recording box by the way
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All I can suggest, then, is that you are not pointing to a (any?) satellite. You can buy a simple signal meter which does help. Is this the first effort, or did you already have a Sky box with an aligned dish? How can you be certain that the dish is established in the right elevation/azimuth?

Chris
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Chris

This is the 1st dish.

I bought the signal finder but it wasn't picking anything up either.

I used a compass too and the house just down from me ( and other properties in the village) are all pointing in the same direction.

Could it be anything to do with the cable?

Someone mentioned on another thread that there is a big difference between Satellite co-axial cable and TV co-axial cable
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Assuming this is France, and assuming that all the otehr houses are owned by French people, you may well be looking at the wrong satelite - even assuming that you are close.

 

the alignment has to be pretty accurate, it is not just a question of pointing vaguley in the right direction.  The fact that your finder also records nothing suggests one of 2 things, either the LNB is not working, or you are not correctly aligned for the satelite.

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When I was looking for the satellite I pointed the dish in roughly the right direction then moved it very slowly until the sat finder indicated some signal. Then I gingerly moved the dish up and down, side to side until I had got the strongest signal. I then put the TV on it only to discover that it wasn't the satellite that I wanted! It took quite a long time to get the right one at max strength!
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[quote user="meiklejohn"]Chris

I used a compass too and the house just down from me ( and other properties in the village) are all pointing in the same direction.

Could it be anything to do with the cable?

Someone mentioned on another thread that there is a big difference between Satellite co-axial cable and TV co-axial cable[/quote]

As a crude rule of thumb if you want UK TV your dish needs to be aimed roughly 10 degrees further East than dishes aimed at the satellite which transmits French TV.

Google 'satpointer'
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Let's go back to basics here.

You've got the TV out in the garden.   Good.     You've gone into the menus on the satellite receiver and brought up the screen that shows signal strength and signal quality.   Excellent. (*)  And you've checked that they're the right settings for Astra 2,  (although often Astra 1 will give a reading too),   not Hotbird,  not Atlantic Bird 3.  (*) - see below,  realise this doesn't apply to you.

You've pointed the dish roughly SSE and finger tightened the bolts for both elevation and azimuth - good.

As a matter of interest,  if you unscrew the connector from the LNB and touch the connector and inner conductor to your tongue do you get a sharp tingling acid taste (don't do it too long!) - Good.   (Ideally measure the DC volts at the connector,   should be 13V or 18V,   hence the tingling!)

Reconnect the LNB,   and give it a 20 deg twist CLOCKWISE (as viewed from in front of the dish) from its "natural" symmetrical position.

Now all you can do is VERY slowly move the dish sideways a degree at a time,   pausing each time and checking the meters.   Go from SE to due S.    If nothing,  change the azimuth a smidge and try sideways back and forth again.    Each sideways sweep should take you at least a minute,  - don't rush it.

When the dish looks too tilted up,   repeat the process but with little downward tilts after each sweep.

You've probably done all that.   Ideally use a non-Sky sat receiver that is ALREADY known to be working on Astra 2 and has at least the BBC channels saved on it.

It varies from receiver to receiver,   but on many if you have no "strength" at all it can mean the LNB has gone west or the cable isn't properly connected,   but not always.   many of mine show a strength reading even with the LNB sitting on the ground!   As you realise,   quality is all important.

We'll get you there somehow,   (in fact we quite enjoy it!)

You have checked that there's not a ***** great tree/mountain/building SSE of you haven't you.

Dish setting is very hard (seemingly) the first time you do it,   after that one sort of develops a sixth sense.   Having said that there are the odd occasions where I still seem to have trouble for a couple of minutes.    Generally I use a receiver set up for various satellites and if I don't find Astra 2 in the first minute I change the search to Astra 1,  work out my bearings from that,   and then I know more accurately where to aim for Astra 2.   (You can tell from that I use neither signal meter nor compass,    working out where SE is isn't too difficult!)

(*) Just re-read your post and realise it's a freesat box.    So you've got the initial set up menu up on the screen with the signal meter (which reads quality only);   better still go to settings and signal strength and have a look at the dual meter there.    If you can,  take the box to a friend,   get it working on their dish,  then bring it back to your place.

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There is usually a screw which keeps it locked in its round collar. If  you loosen the screw, you should be able to rotate the LNB.

For the Astra 2 satellite this (skew) needs to be turned to about roughly 7 o'clock i.e the cable coming out the bottom should be turned from the vertical (6 O'clock)

The amount will vary depending on your location and you can adjust it for the best reception when you have found the correct satellite.

Assuming that nothing is faulty, just to summarise, there are 3 basic things to get good alignment

Elevation - up and down angle or tilt.

Azimuth - left to right (or east to west) position.

Skew (or twist or polarisation) of the LNB in its collar.

Anton's link http://www.satpointer.com/ is great in showing exactly what direction (azimuth) your dish should be pointing - you can zoom in on your roof or whereever you are mounting the dish and get a good line to the chosen sat. Also indicated are the elevation and skew.

Danny

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