Satellite Dish Size - Torre del Sol, Cambrils, Spain

[Peter_374293316]

We are heading for this site in September and have decided to take our Humax Freesat HD Box with us to watch TV if the sun isn't shining!!! We may head further south for the next trip in January to the Malaga area.

I'm new to this (though I have used a sat finder to locate the Astra 2D at home in Lot et Garonne France). What size dish will I require to receive the usual BBC and ITV channels etc? I'm tempted by an 82cm dish and LNB at the local brico for 40 Euros. I can use our existing roof mounted antenna for the usual local analogue/digital/Pal channels in Spanish and French. I will then buy a tripod of some sort to mount the dish on.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

 

[anotherDavid]

You should be ok with an 80 cm dish in the Costa Brava, I have received UK channels there with 65 but it has been unreliable and fading off in the evening. With an 85 CM dish I have had some success (not this year though) on the Costa de Luz getting BBC etc and thats as far south as you can get. Have a look at David Sullivans site he covers dish sizes and all other aspects of satelites.

Dave

 

[KeithJ]

I have only had my sat dish for three years, it is 85cm but I have never been able to pick up British TV in Spain. Astra 1 is easy so you can get Sky News and one or two other English channels, but Astra 2D, necessary for the majority of popular British Channels, is much more difficult and if possible at all obviously requires more skill than I've got!!

Also at Torre del Sol you might have difficulty finding a pitch with a clear South East facing "view", because of the trees.

Sorry to put a damper on it, by I, personally don't seem to have as much luck as others appear to have.

Keith

 

[DJM]

Hi Peter,

I have used my 88cm dish and successfully received Astra 2 at Torre Del Sol after a lot of hassle setting up. This location is about on the limit for this size of dish and as KeithJ says the palm trees at Torre del Sol can be a problem. Your dish will be pointing towards the beach,therefore have a good look at the options for the clearest view before pitching.You will also find that Channel 4 and ITV signals fade off around 6pm in the evening. A bigger diameter dish will help to stop this problem. I now have a 1.3 dia dish which I use in southern spain to receive Astra 2.

Good luck and enjoy Salou and Cambrils.

 

[Peter_374293316]

Many thanks for all your comments and tips. I'm now wondering whether to go for a bit bigger dish though I understand from David Sullivan's website that they are even more difficult to align! Yes, the palm trees are a bit of a nuisance and we toyed with the idea of staying at Cambrils Park, but have decided the walk along the beach is worth it. Looking forward to going once the roads are less busy.

Peter