what size satelite dish will be ok for mid france (la rochelle region)

[Thelma65]

I know that probably a 60 cm dish will be the best but i dont want to get that size if i can get away with it!
has anyone used one of the suitcase variety that comes with about a 40cm dish ??
Will this size be able to pick up a picture ok?

anybosy got any experience if this size dish will work ok before i buy one?

 

[DavidKlyne]

This is the Astra 2D footprint which would suggest a bigger dish than 40cm. We have used a 60 and 80cm dish in France. We have the larger dish because we travel further east.
David

 

[Thelma65]

thanks for that -
anyone else used a suitcase sort dish in france?
do they still work?

 

[Thelma65]

thanks for that -
anyone else used a suitcase sort dish in france?
do they still work?

 

[gm4pgv]

We are Holland right now and using a suitcase type dish can get all variations of BBC, Sky news etc.Last year in Gwermany could not get BBC or Sky news but did get all sorts of german stations.

 

[Gafferbill]

Not a suitcase type dish..... but I have used a standard Sky 45cms dish down in Biarritz and received all normal channels.

 

[DavidKlyne]

I think you have to make a distinction between Sky and FTA. My understanding is that Sky can be picked up much further south than FTA on a smaller dish because they transmit on different Astra satelites where as the FTA channels on Astra 2D have a much smaller footprint. www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk is a useful website to have a look at.
David

 

[otherclive]

I use a 54cm Fastfinder kit and down in Carcassonne,Beziers it has picked up FTA Astra2.

 

[otherclive]

Here is an alternative beam map that shows coverage in southern france for 50cm dishes. So La rochelle should be well within the range. http://www.brymar.co.uk/info/Astra/astra.html

 

[Lutz]

The Brymar link only shows Astra 2A North and South beam footprints, not those of Astra 2B, nor 2D (which is probably the one that carries the channels that most people in the UK watch).

 

[otherclive]

The 'more info' button on the website link shows the Astra 2D footprint. However I find the published data on reception v dish size is quite conservative as by most norms a 54cm dish should not obtain FTA BBC/ITV etc channels yet in southern France I have no problem accessing FTA in Beziers and even near to Albine on a site surounded by hills and forests. Al-Jezera and Bangla Today are addictive!!!

 

[Lutz]

To add to David's comments, Sky transmits a number of channels, but no BBC, on Astra 2A and/or Astra 2B, both of which have larger footprints on the European continent than 2D.
One can find which channels are on what satellite with the help of the following channel finder:
http://www.onastra.com/2183/channelfinder?advanced=yes&country=&country_filter=available_in&free=yes&frequency=&language%5B%5D=3&orbital_position%5B%5D=FP%3A2A+North&package=1&pay=yes&revise=yes&type=digital
For users of Google Earth, the footprint projector showing all Astra satellites is quite useful, too:
http://apps.ses-astra.com/gearth.html
(UK viewers will probably centre their interests around Astra 2A, 2B and 2D)

 

[Lutz]

Neither Al Jazeera nor Bangla TV are on Astra, though. They are both on Eurobird at 28.5° East, which is close to Astra at 28.2°, but Eurobird has a different footprint again.

 

[DavidKlyne]

Going slightly off topic:- Lutz, are the F1 Grand Prixs on FTA in Germany and if so what channel?
THanks

David

 

[Robbie]

RTL transmit F1 and it's free to air. You will need to move your dish to Astra 1, but a Sky box will not be suitable.

 

[Lutz]

To my knowledge, RTL has secured rights for F1 transmissions in Germany. They transmit FTA on Astra 19.2°E at a frequency of 12188MHz, horizontally polarized. RTL HD is, however, encrypted.

 

[otherclive]

Lutz,
With my 54cm dish and a Technomate box I get the UK and overseas programmes on Astra 2e down to southern France which includes Aljazera and some MOH would not wish to be watched..... !!!! The only info that seems to be missing from the transmissions is a good EPG.
http://www.islesat.com/Astra_Eurobird.htm
Cheers

 

[Lutz]

But Al Jazeera doesn't transmit on Astra. The link that you have attached has lumped channels on Astra and those on Eurobird together because they are so close, but you should be aware that the footprint of these satellites is completely different. Eurobird has a much bigger spread than Astra 2D, for example.

 

[otherclive]

Understood; so I get the UK channels (and Al Jazerra News, Bangla, etc) on Astra 2/Eurobird on a 54cm dish in southern France. As a regular traveller in that region I don't really care which satellite I get my TV from, but my point is that I can watch UK TV in southern France on a FTA satellite using a relatively compact dish that sits almost on the ground, but which can, if required, be mounted on a normal tripod.

Cheers

 

[Gafferbill]

As a regular traveller in that region I don't really care which satellite I get my TV from, but my point is that I can watch UK TV in southern France on a FTA satellite using a relatively compact dish that sits almost on the ground, but which can, if required, be mounted on a normal tripod.

…….I totally agree with you Clive and that was the point I was trying to make in my earlier post about using a Sky 54-inch dish in the La Rochelle area.
I was trying to emphasise that that size of dish is fine for Astra 2D in that part of France (the OP’s question) regardless of what receiver you use. .............I should have made that clearer!

 

[DavidKlyne]

Thanks to Lutz and Robbie

Trying to think of alternatives for next year as I don't want to pay for Sky. It did cross my mind that if I could get a continental station FTA I could always listen to the commentary on Radio 5 Live!

David

 

[Gafferbill]

David……. The system I use is FTA and it is the Sky system that is not widely advertised ………….. they want you to pay a monthly subscription.

On this system called Sky Feesat…. you get the channels listed on the link
anywhere your dish can pick up Astra 2D

http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/what-can-i-watch/

If you are ending a Sky contract then you effective will then move onto Sky Freesat if you keep the equipment.
Using a 1 metre dish it is possible to pick up Astra 2D down as far as Valencia in the south.
Further south you have to retune to Astra2A/2B with a much reduced UK TV selection but all the radio channels

 

[DavidKlyne]

David……. The system I use is FTA and it is the Sky system that is not widely advertised ………….. they want you to pay a monthly subscription.

On this system called Sky Feesat…. you get the channels listed on the link
anywhere your dish can pick up Astra 2D

http://www.sky.com/shop/freesat/home/what-can-i-watch/

If you are ending a Sky contract then you effective will then move onto Sky Freesat if you keep the equipment.
Using a 1 metre dish it is possible to pick up Astra 2D down as far as Valencia in the south.
Further south you have to retune to Astra2A/2B with a much reduced UK TV selection but all the radio channels

Bill
I sort of hijacked the thread. I was thinking of just setting my caravan system up in the back garden at home to watch the F1 races that won't be shown on BBC1. My son has Sky and I measured his Sky box but unfortunately its a bit too big to use in my caravan. Currently I have a Comag receiver in the van which is very compact. We currently use an 80cm dish and we were able to get all programmes as far east as Lubeck on our recent trip. Fortunately BBC News and more importantly the BBC streams (red button) are broadcast on a different satellite so I was able to keep up with the F1 Grand Prixs whilst away. We were thinking about Denmark next year and although it is no further east than Lubeck ( at least a good bit of it) it is much further north so I am not sure an 80cm dish will be big enough.
David

 

[Lutz]

David, if you look at the Astra 2D footprint you will see that the isoclines run in an almost due north-south direction through Denmark. This means that reception should be as good in the north as in the south and obviously better in the west than in the east. Therefore, if you got good reception in Lübeck, you should expect similar conditions in Silkeborg and Viborg, for example.

 

[DavidKlyne]

David, if you look at the Astra 2D footprint you will see that the isoclines run in an almost due north-south direction through Denmark. This means that reception should be as good in the north as in the south and obviously better in the west than in the east. Therefore, if you got good reception in Lübeck, you should expect similar conditions in Silkeborg and Viborg, for example.

Thanks Lutz

David