Astra 2 in the Pyrenees

[Bertiebe]

Hi

Has anyone based in the Pyrenees managed to receive BBC etc via Astra 2 in the central Pyrenees region, edge of Haute Garonne/Hautes Pyrenees.  We have spent hours and hours searching but only seem to locate Astra 19 on our new satellite receiver.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Bertiebe

[Anton Redman]

Assuming you are using a French purchased digital satellite reciever I would see if I could borrow a Sky digibox to locate the satellite. I use a French purchased receiver for anything outside of channel 4 and  channel 5 that I want to decode but they are normally not supplied with an up to date set of parameters for the cluster of satellites than Sky use.  I know somebody who used an 80 cm set up while touring with a caravan so it is possible.

[Martin963]

At least if you've found Astra 1 then you know which way to go.

Standing behind the dish you need to swivel it a bit to the left (ie eastwards) and also tip it down a bit (say three to four cms as measured at the LNB). 

The frustrating part is once you've found it you'll wonder how you ever missed it;  mark the Astra 1 direciton carefully because if you've found that you're nearly there.

What size dish are you using?

[Bertiebe]

Thanks both for the info.  Anton, we are unable to borrow Sky box as we are the "only Brits in the village"!! 

Martin, we are using an 80cm dish, will try again tomorrow to locate Astra 2 as recommended.  If this fails we have also ordered a Satellite Beeper but not sure if this will help us locate any satellites other than those we have already found?  So far we have Sirius 2 (mainly Ukraine stuff) and a very poor Astra 19, with limited channels.  I assume Astra 19 is the same as Astra 1??

 

[Mike1958]

We cant be far away from you as we are also close to 65 but in 31 (right in the mountains). We have recently had a 80cm dish fitted and our reception is fine. We did pay for the installation and we are picking up Astra 2B with no interference unless we have really bad weather like the other night.

 

[Fridgeman]

Buy a compass then find south then move it to 28.2 East of south, this is where your dish should point, on the back of your dish should be a scale hopefully with a marking of 30 start off with the dish at 30 tighten bolts up just enough so you can still move the dish, make sure there is nothing between the dish and the sky (trees, branches, power cables, buildings etc.) set your receiver to Astra2 and one of the preset channels on Astra2 and with a bit of luck you should get a picture, if not try moving the dish left and right a cm at a time and allow a minute before moving again a cm, your receiver should have a signal strength and quality meter, the quality meter is the one that counts check this as you move the dish. Please note the quality meter is ONLY a guide but can help, the strength meter is a waste of space, just take notice of the quality meter. The dish does not need to be fitted to the chimney or the highest part of the house as long as there is a CLEAR view to the south (Mine is sited on the side of the house so I can reach it with a small set of steps) and I get a perfect picture using a cheapo receiver, in the UK I have a motorised dish with a Technomate receiver which will be coming to France when we finally make the move this year.

I hope the above helps, if not come back and ask again there are a lot of helpful people and more technical than I on the forum who will be more than willing to assist.

 

 

[joidevie]

[quote user="Fridgeman"]

.. in the UK I have a motorised dish with a Technomate receiver which will be coming to France when we finally make the move this year.

I hope the above helps, if not come back and ask again there are a lot of helpful people and more technical than I on the forum who will be more than willing to assist.

 

 

[/quote]

Wow.. I can only dream of setting up the motor I bought a while

ago.. A recipe for disaster! Let me know how you get on with the beeper

as I now have one and will want to try it out in a couple of weeks..

I'm deep in South Aude where in the past, reception has been fine  but now my LNB may need to be changed.. Long story!

This calculator / web site has some good info http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/ and http://www.dishpointer.com/

Good luck

[Anton Redman]

As you will find if you use the calculator the 28,2 degrees is only a notional position over the equator  and where you point the dish depends on where you are in France. Broadly about 40 degrees East of South with an inclination of 32 degrees and with the head on the LNB twisted/skewed along the 8 o'clock to 2 o'clock axis.

You may not have any channels in the receiver’s memory for 28 degrees East

 

www.lyngsat.com

 

http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html

 

Give a full list  These were the French instructions, followed by my bad translation, for adding channels to the very cheap Euros 68 including dish receiver which I purchased. ( so that I had a backup for our digibox and a way of recordings one programme and watching another. )  I needed to add almost all the Sky channels using the parameters on the list

 

<<Programmation du récepteur numérique   ( Partie réserve aux utilisateurs avances )

 

Bien que le récepteur soit livre pre programme, vous pouvez avoir besoin de programmer de nouvelles chaînes ou de reprogrammer un canal dont les paramètres ont change.

 

Pour mémoriser de nouvelles chaînes reportez-vous aux paramètres contenus dans la presse spécialiste. En plus de la fréquence, des information sur la polarisation ( vertical ou horizontal) et la débit symbole utilise y figurent

 

Vous devrez pur obtenir de nouvelles chaînes soit entrée du canal correspondant ; soit effectuer une nouvelle recherche. >>

 

“ Programming The Digital Receiver  (Reserved for advanced users)

 

Although the receiver is delivered pre programmed , you may need to program new chains or re programme  a channel whose parameters have been changed  .

 

To memorize new chains input the parameters contained in the specialist press ( or check the Internet if you are in the 21^st Century) . In addition to the frequency, information one the polarization (vertical or horizontal) and the symbol flow figure used is needed.

 

 

[Quillan]

To be honest for all the grief of lining it up it might pay you to get a local company to align it for you. The guy from Miravets in Quillan charged me 80 Euros including a new dish. He used a scope box thing connected straight to the dish and it's spot on. It took him longer to bolt the dish to the pole than to align it. At least you would know that bits correct.

[George]

Have no wish to confuse the issue, but you might also want to view this link.  My problem was solved by changing the Monoblock LNB to a Universal one which was available in the local Brico.  If you have one of these it has a single outlet with two heads, one offset to specifically view the french satellites.

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/709862/ShowPost.aspx

[briwy]

We have a place in 65 which is on the south west facing side of the valley right on the mountainside.

I have tried for ages to get Astra 2 without any joy and have come to the conclusion that it is out of sight behind the mountain.

Next door neighbors have dishes up pointing more south so I guess they are looking at Astra 1.

Ive been trying using an 800mm dish with both a Sky box and one I got from Maplins.

I think if I cant get the Sky reception sorted Ill just use the Maplins box which can be set for different satellites and at least get a decent French TV picture.

Is there a French equivalent of Freesat??

Incidentally these people may be able to help.

English TV & Radio.  Geoff & Gaby.  0033 562 66 08 25.  Located somewhere in the Gers area.

They have successfully sorted out  some Sky setups in our town with people on the other side of the valley who have a clear view of Astra 2.

Brian

[microwave mike]

Or you could try a proper installer ... Paul Stevens of www.euroinstallations.com on 06 80 55 06 09 

[Anton Redman]

In broad terms the level of skill required is about the same as riding a bicycle. The first time you see somebody do it you wonder what is the problem.  Then you try and do it yourself and it seems totally impossible. The third time you do it you wonder what the fuss was all about and it stays with you for life.  

[Martin963]

If there IS a mountain in the way then you're in trouble.

Somewhere on the net there is a programme that predicts where the satellites are in relation to the sun's passage across the heavens,  when the two arcs co-incide in mid October and (presumably) late Feb.   For the life of me I don't know where that logiciel is now,  but you would get a rough idea even at this time of year by watching the sun.

How late does it rise at your place at the moment?

[Bertiebe]

Thanks everyone for info.  We have located Astra 2 but we are having to point dish approx. 40 deg E of S, which means we can't fix it where we had hoped.  Looking at ways of fixing to house at moment without killing myself, so have also left a message with the installation people just in case I chicken out (or kill myself)!

This is part of the fun of choosing to live in the mountains.  But,boy have we got fantastic weather again today!