Is my 35 cm Sat dish OK?

[JohnI.Stephen]

Hello chaps; I had the Sat shop round yesterday and they installed my Maplin's Digital Satellite set up at my home. I was given the full walk through and now know that I need to set my disk pointing at a fraction before 150 degrees on the compass.

I used Garry's sat signal meter and all went well. HOWEVER, we only got 35% signal strength with my 35cm dish. The 60cm job on my house gets excellent strength.

The Sat man advised that it should be OK but 'not easy' depending upon where in the UK we travel with our caravan.

Any thoughts on this? we shall be going to the Lake District in May.

Thanks; John

 

[Rod_5041370]

The Quality bar is far more important than the Signal strength.

A 35cm dish should be easier to align than a larger one but don't take it to Scotland, Spain or Southern France.

 

[Jan_374241992]

The quality of the LNB is important - we use a small dish with a good quality dish and get a very good reception - we live in NE Scotland

Jan

 

[Rod_5041370]

Yes Jan, but how small is your small?

The smallest Sky dish is usually 45cm but they normally install 60cm in Scotland.

 

[COLIN_5095629]

hi i use a sat in a box kit,and had no problem using it at keswick c.c.c site

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

OK that's encouraging; thanks.

Of course, my Maplins satellite kit picks up a load of TV and radio stations (including Classic FM TV which is fabulous !); however I can't get C4 or C5. I belive I would need to scrap the Maplins receiver and buy a Sky freesat receiver and pay

 

[Rod_5041370]

151.8 degrees!

 

[COLIN_5095629]

c4 ,c5, will work with sky next year or at the end of this year[some deal they are stuck with].we bought a second hand sky box and used that.but we now have sky in 2 rooms so we just take a box with us and we get all the channels we pay for and the local news progs

 

[Jan_374241992]

Yes Jan, but how small is your small?

The smallest Sky dish is usually 45cm but they normally install 60cm in Scotland.

We use a sat in a case size (small) fixed onto the jockey handle - perfect reception in Culloden and Grantown on Spey - much better than our previous 60m dish. BUT the lnb is high rating (or rather low!)

Jan B

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

151.8 degrees!

OK Rod; the sat guy said "a hair's breath under 150" which I understood meant 149.x. However, 151.8 it is then !!

That's good news Colin; so guess a re-scan should bring up Channels 4 and 5 when they become free-to-air or whatever it's called.

John

 

[JeremyClarksson]

JIS

I agree with Rod 180 - 28.2 = 151.8

I think they meant just before the 150 position when coming from a south (180) bearing.

South is always used as a reference bearing because all geo stationary satellites rotate around the equator.

Glad to hear you are on top of things now, as I said the first time is always the most difficult.

I would love to know exactly when the CH4/5 agreement with Sky is going to run out, but it should be before the terrestrial digital rollout completes in 2010.

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Hello All :

Thanks again for the info; of course it makes absolute sense that I have to be pointing south in the northern hemisphere and presumably north in the southern. Shame we can't use absolute degrees as opposed to degrees offset from south. However, it's understood now.

The compass I bought is rubbish and I now need to get one where I can set 151.8 degrees with some accuracy. Suggestions welcome but I am now trying to find the WWI officer's compass that my grandfather gave me when I was a small lad. No THAT compass allows you to accurately line up a distant point and read off the bearing with some accuracy. I need to find it first though !

cheers

John

 

[COLIN_5095629]

just seen item on local news, channel 5 is coming onto free veiw and sky in cumbria as they are turning to digital tv in that area .they didnot give exact date.

 

[BJ]

All (or most of your issues can be answered on this website.

http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

 

[GeorgeB]

John,

The only trouble is..............it depends on where you are in the country, that will alter the bearing to the satelite!!!!!

If you start with the dish pointing at about 140 deg magnetic, then slowly sweep to the right in 1 deg increments every ninute or so, you'll have little or no problems finding the satelite, and the paradox is that the smaller the dish the less acurate you have to be!

GeorgB

 

[JeremyClarksson]

JIS

Have you set the kit up in anger yet, how are you finding it?

 

[Trevor_5122845]

I suggest you go to site "Satelite for carvans" where you will find a lot of information on how to set up your dish. I bought one of Maplins "Satelite suitcases" early last year and at first could not get anything until as I was on what was going to be my last attempt before putting it on ebay someone on the site came along and showed me what to do. Result - instant picture. My dish is only 35cm but have now used it as far north in this country as Inverness and as far south as Bergerac in the south of France. If you go to the site suggested you will find a shedule of the settings to use throughout UK and Europe. Happy viewing