well i took the advice of john above and attached the receiver to the sky cable and downloaded the programmes that way. Now i will just have to set the dish right when im on site but think it might be easier there than around home, and of course, there maybe another camper whos an expert alongside us. Thanks to Lutz for your input too.
Hi,
I have the Maplins suitcase one, which I guess must be pretty similar. It's brilliant. Having said that, I took it back after I'd tried it the first time at home, as the Sat I needed (Astra 2)was not in the the preset options and all I could pick up the first time was foreign channels.
Maplins assured me that it would work and to keep trying. So back home I went. This time, on their advice I moved the dish very slightly each time, and I mean millimetres at a time. It was very fiddly - at first. I adjusted the dish and moved it around very slightly until I picked up what I thought was Astra 2 Sat and then used the auto scan to save the channels. As soon as you see BBC1 or any of the ITV channels, you know you're on the right one. As I said, there's a Sat very close to it which is full of German and other foreign channels.
Once you have autoscanned all the channels on the Sat it gets a lot easier. With Astra 2 now as an option within the unit I went through all the channels and added the ones I felt I would watch to the favourites list.
Once you have done this, it's easy. When you set up next time, you simply select any channel from your favourites list and press the "info" button on the controller, that then displays the signal strength abd quality bars for the channel you have selected. You then simply move the dish around very slowly, millimetres at a time, and adjust it for the best strength and quality. I can normally get 100% signal strength and 70% signaly quality. I've used it half a dozen times now and it's been easy to find the Sat and reception has been brilliant.
However the last time I used it, I struggled to get it above 50% signal quality and most of the channels were dropping out. I tried to adjust it as normal but still no joy. I was on a site on a hill facing South, so it should have been OK. I then realised that that tripod on which the dish is mounted was not exactly vertical and therefore the dish and LNB were not exactly vertical. As soon as adjusted the legs slightly to make the tripod vertical, bingo 70% quality and all channels loud and clear. The tripod was only slightly out of vertical, but it made enough difference for the channels to drop out.
So to summarize - persevere; make only very very small adjustments; and make sure it's all Vertical.
I've used it in Bethgelert in North Wales which is surrounded by high mountains/hills and it works perfectly every time.
Hope this helps
JohnH
I have the Maplins suitcase one, which I guess must be pretty similar. It's brilliant. Having said that, I took it back after I'd tried it the first time at home, as the Sat I needed (Astra 2)was not in the the preset options and all I could pick up the first time was foreign channels.
Maplins assured me that it would work and to keep trying. So back home I went. This time, on their advice I moved the dish very slightly each time, and I mean millimetres at a time. It was very fiddly - at first. I adjusted the dish and moved it around very slightly until I picked up what I thought was Astra 2 Sat and then used the auto scan to save the channels. As soon as you see BBC1 or any of the ITV channels, you know you're on the right one. As I said, there's a Sat very close to it which is full of German and other foreign channels.
Once you have autoscanned all the channels on the Sat it gets a lot easier. With Astra 2 now as an option within the unit I went through all the channels and added the ones I felt I would watch to the favourites list.
Once you have done this, it's easy. When you set up next time, you simply select any channel from your favourites list and press the "info" button on the controller, that then displays the signal strength abd quality bars for the channel you have selected. You then simply move the dish around very slowly, millimetres at a time, and adjust it for the best strength and quality. I can normally get 100% signal strength and 70% signaly quality. I've used it half a dozen times now and it's been easy to find the Sat and reception has been brilliant.
However the last time I used it, I struggled to get it above 50% signal quality and most of the channels were dropping out. I tried to adjust it as normal but still no joy. I was on a site on a hill facing South, so it should have been OK. I then realised that that tripod on which the dish is mounted was not exactly vertical and therefore the dish and LNB were not exactly vertical. As soon as adjusted the legs slightly to make the tripod vertical, bingo 70% quality and all channels loud and clear. The tripod was only slightly out of vertical, but it made enough difference for the channels to drop out.
So to summarize - persevere; make only very very small adjustments; and make sure it's all Vertical.
I've used it in Bethgelert in North Wales which is surrounded by high mountains/hills and it works perfectly every time.
Hope this helps
JohnH
Is it a Maplins or a SKY box? My understanding is that the Maplins kits (Usually Comag) wouldn't show a SKY channel anyway - same satellite but a 'different' signal (I'm no expert!)
Martin
Thank you John. My thoughts were that now i have loaded the programmes using the sky dish, which i KNEW had to be pointing at the right satellite,when i get on site, i could just turn the receiver to bbc1 say, and fiddle with the dish till i get a picture and you've confirmed that for me. I suppose if i ever get the hang of setting up the dish, there may always be a new career for me as a sky engineer
Just joined hope this message gets to the right person,The floppy piece goes in line on the main cable so it may pass through a window and the window may be closed with out crushing it
Hi
I have one similar, you can only move the dish between 1 - 3 mm at a time and check. You need to make sure the dish is as near as possible to the satelite, them make your minor adjustments.
Practice makes perfect.
I have one similar, you can only move the dish between 1 - 3 mm at a time and check. You need to make sure the dish is as near as possible to the satelite, them make your minor adjustments.
Practice makes perfect.
I have the goodmans freesat box and I find that i am missing quite a number of channels.eg BBC2 Chan4 and 5,I can get ITV london but not Yorkshire.I get a message which states 'New Service please wait'No radio either.
Is this a signal problem or a faulty box.Could anyone advise please?
Is this a signal problem or a faulty box.Could anyone advise please?
I recently bought the Maplin suitcase job with a 380mm dish. First attempt at setting up at home a total disaster. Good signal strength but no quality. You need at least 65% quality to get good reception. I did some research on the web and eventually found out that the LNB needs to skewed because the satellite is skewed relative to our location on earth. Try rotating the LNB about 5 deg clockwise as you face the dish. I did this and tried the system on site in north wales last weekend. Found the satellite using a childs compass and then fine tuned using the signal bars on the TV screen. With the LNB skewed I was gobsmacked to be able to download 900 channels with perfect reception.
Some facts:
1.there are many satellites Sky boxes will only decode signals from 1, astra 28. The generic box, e.g.maxview will decode all satellites.
2. Sky is encrypted and only sky boxes will decode them.
3. The digital signal is transmitted in a complicated way and all decoders take some seconds to process them, usually 2 or 3 seconds.
How to set up:
1. Connect everything up using an inline finder. (Set this by turning it until it just doesn't squeak)
2. Set the angle of the dish to about 23 degrees. Higher if in the south and lower in the north. (Usually between 20 and 25 degrees. )
3. Point the dish due east. It is best to ensure the dish is level, like on level ground.
4. Very slowly move the dish right and wait to hear the squeak. This way you should pick up Astra 28 first.
5. On the squeak, turn it down until you just can't hear it. Then fine tune the dish with very gentle movements. Try the angle to see if it makes the finder squeak again. Some dishes have an azimuth adjustment which means the dish itself rotates but in the UK this is not normally required.
6. you then go to the set and search. After the first time you use it the settings should remain but some channels move so if one seems to be missing do a search again.
7. If the dish wobbles in the wind you might need to guy it but the signal can usually cope with some interruption.
Well worth the trouble on winter's nights.
1.there are many satellites Sky boxes will only decode signals from 1, astra 28. The generic box, e.g.maxview will decode all satellites.
2. Sky is encrypted and only sky boxes will decode them.
3. The digital signal is transmitted in a complicated way and all decoders take some seconds to process them, usually 2 or 3 seconds.
How to set up:
1. Connect everything up using an inline finder. (Set this by turning it until it just doesn't squeak)
2. Set the angle of the dish to about 23 degrees. Higher if in the south and lower in the north. (Usually between 20 and 25 degrees. )
3. Point the dish due east. It is best to ensure the dish is level, like on level ground.
4. Very slowly move the dish right and wait to hear the squeak. This way you should pick up Astra 28 first.
5. On the squeak, turn it down until you just can't hear it. Then fine tune the dish with very gentle movements. Try the angle to see if it makes the finder squeak again. Some dishes have an azimuth adjustment which means the dish itself rotates but in the UK this is not normally required.
6. you then go to the set and search. After the first time you use it the settings should remain but some channels move so if one seems to be missing do a search again.
7. If the dish wobbles in the wind you might need to guy it but the signal can usually cope with some interruption.
Well worth the trouble on winter's nights.
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