Dont panic if you have problems with some channels today.

[krusty]

From freeview site.

"In the early hours of Tuesday 14th February some technical work is taking place on the full suite of ITV, STV, UTV and Channel 4 channels. There may be a short interruption to these services during this time.

Once the work is complete these channels will be restored automatically.

Following this, if you have problems tuning to these channels a retune or first time install on your box should bring them back."

[Martin963]

Could you elaborate a bit please krusty.

I'm not doubting your word,  but have failed to find any mention of the re-organisation you cite.

[BJSLIV]

It's a quote from

http://www.freesat.co.uk/how-to/faqs/support/

[JSKS]

[quote user="BJSLIV"]It's a quote from

http://www.freesat.co.uk/how-to/faqs/support/[/quote]

Note that this applies to FREESAT not FREEVIEW as mentioned in the OP.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="krusty"]

Following this, if you have problems tuning to these channels a retune or first time install on your box should bring them back."

[/quote]Bow locks.  Why do they always do this stuff when I'm away and have left loads of stuff on record?  Thanks for the heads-up, Krusty.  If I get home and have missed a load of stuff, I'll at least know what the probem was.[:)]

Did anybody have to re-tune, as it happens? 

[Martin963]

Thanks for the link.   Lost the will to carry on previously before I'd drilled down that far...

[Clair]

[quote user="cooperlola"]Did anybody have to re-tune, as it happens?  [/quote]

I recorded The Grammys on C4+1 during the night without any problem.

I have just flicked through all the C4 and C5 channels and they're all there without a retune.

[Jako]

These channels were moved from the astra2d to the astra1n satellite without even a glitch....

[Martin963]

...  and it's interesting because it does indeed confirm what you Jako (at least I think it was you) said a while back,  namely that Astra do seem to be trying to clear 2D.   It's just that it didn't happen immediately after commissioning.

Which is all rather intriguing,  given that in theory there's more life left in 2D that in either 2A or 2B  (depending of course on which life expectancy figure on the Astra website one believes,   currently 15 years for 2D when I last looked,  but previously reported as 10).    Do Astra know something which we don't about parts of 2D wearing out early?  

If so they really need to get on with the next craft for 28 deg E as 2A and 2B are very near the ends of their useful lives.

Knowing Astra/SES they've got it well under control.....

[krusty]

[quote user="Jako"]These channels were moved from the astra2d to the astra1n satellite without even a glitch....
[/quote]

That might be true for you , but for where I am it means more channels lost for good.[:(]

Sorry for the freeview mix up in my op ......must have been a senior moment.

[Martin963]

What size dish would you need krusty for 1N?

Might be cheaper to run a cable from one of our French homes with a dish across the Med to your place....??!!

[krusty]

Ha ha Martin , I do not beleave yo can get 1N in CY no matter what size your dish , I think the cut off pont is Italy

I have a 4M dish at the moment ....I might be using it as a giant wok soon.[Www]

[pachapapa]

I built a 5 metre dish in the mine workhop up in the andes in the mid 80s but that was for C band at that time the only Ku band was directed at Sao Paulo. It had a central focus so lost a bit of gain, we thought about an offset dish but the aerodynamics of 200 kph winds...said no no! As it was we had to build wind breaks with rails filched from the railway line to La Paz.

[Jako]

BBC will transfer to the Astra1N on the 24th :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/2012/02/changes-to-bbc-services-on-sat.shtml

Don't get used to the powerful signal in southern France, this will only last 2 years

[Martin963]

[quote user="Jako"]

Don't get used to the powerful signal in southern France, this will only last 2 years

[/quote]

So what happens then?    Astra 2E and 2F with narrower beams?

[NickP]

Last couple of days we have been getting quite a bit of pixalisation on BBC1 via satellite in northern France. This is not occurring on any other channels, and not something that we normally experiance. Any ideas from you guys who seem pretty clued up on these things?

[Jako]

Yes, that is the consensus for the FTA channels. Astra1N was not designed to deliver a spotbeam, nor was the Astra2D actually because there were no FTA channels yet back then. (FTV card, remember) It was renamed spotbeam to help the BBC escape Sky's grip.

Current technology is much better, a very narrow spotbeam can be created around the UK. The channel islands will give reception in France an advantage, at least in the western part. Maybe they will even produce a 2nd narrow beam around Gibraltar.

Rumer has it that the Astra2D satellite will move to the Astra3 position, together with the Astra2A and Astra1E (again) to provide backup service for the Astra3B satellite.

[Martin963]

But nothing's actually certain is it Jako?

We heard a lot from people before it came on about how much tighter 1N would be - and it isn't - in many areas quite the reverse.   I've been here long enough to remember people panicking about the BBC's move to 2D and how "they might turn down the power"   ("they" were never identified,   BBC or Astra/SES);   I tried to set peoples' minds at rest but there was a lot of unjustified unease.

Whilst Ka beams can be - and sometimes are -  very tight,  I'm not sure quite what would be achieved by tightening existing Ku allocations.    In the midst of economic recession the bouquet operators aren't falling over themselves demanding more bandwidth.    Particularly when they can get more capacity the easy way by hobbling bit rates (BBC please note that some of us mind this a lot!!).

As you say,   Channel Isles help the overspill to France;    I might be more worried about Spain being squeezed out of a tighter spot,  but until there's a real demand for frequency re-use I'm not going to worry too much.    Yes more spot beam capacity is required,  but the flood of operators blaming lack of it for their non appearance on satellite hasn't actually materialised now that 1N is actually in place.

Although I'll keep the 1 m dish oiled just in case!!

Liked ppp's story of a 5 m dish....

[Martin963]

Actually it raises an interesting point this.

Historically we're all aware that Astra 2D had a slightly exaggerated skew compared to 2A and 2B  (even if SES Astra denied it to the bitter end);   this involved giving the LNB an extra twist clockwise over and above the necessary skew for the craft being at 28 deg E.

Is Astra 1N more in line with 2A and 2B or is it still over-skewed like 2D?   I ask as I don't in Devon have an easy way of checking it...  (partly at least because it won't ruddy stop raining here for more than two minutes at a time and I'm fed up with getting wet.    Those of us in the south west still can't believe the rest of Britain is experiencing drought conditions - we'd really like a bit of that down here!).