Help in the Canaries

[Canislad]

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I am pleased to have discovered this site and especially this forum.

Having located to the Canaries recently I have set up my Sky system using a 3 metre fixed dish. I receive several channels, mostly ones of little depth. However Sky news (501) is clear and stable with good picture and audio quality; as is S4C (104) even though Welsh speaking. Total channels amount to about 20. I am tuned to Astra south beam; technical set up data is: Fec 12.129 : Pol V : 27.5 : 2/3 : I believe I am on the very edge of the footprint of this beam, hence the deteriation of several channels late in the day.

My questions are these. Can I increase my quality channel numbers and/or, with the news highlited on this forum of the launch of Hotbird, am I able to access this satellite, and if so how?

Sorry I appear a little technically vague, but I have set up my system using data gained prior to moving from the UK.

I would appreciate any help, if needs be via my e-mail which is idwaxer@hotmail.com.

Many thanks in anticipation of your replies.

[Jimdefruit]

Welcome to the forum canislad.

Have a look HERE
It shows some of the maps of the 19.2E satellite footprint. The same site lists channels and other satellite info for your location.

[BGonaSTICK]

Hi Canislad :welc1:

Yes, you're most certainly on the edge of the footprint (in fact well beyond on some beams), but you are doing well to get as much as you are for a first go.

What receiver are you using?

Tuner sensitivity is one of the many things you'll have to address to squeeze every last drop of signal out of your setup.

Also, what make of dish and LNB are you using?

You should easily get all the channels on Astra 2A and 2B south beams and maybe even something from the north beams :?

You should also get the horizontal channels from 2D depending on which island you're on.

The Panasonic TU-DSB30 receivers are still regarded as one of the best boxes to have out there.

As for Hotbird, you may be in with a shout, but I haven't heard enough reports from the newer and more powerful craft such as Hotbird 7A and Hotbird 8 to be able to give you much of an idea.

You're certainly outside the recognised footprint for Hotbird too.

I'd try and get some good local advice on the latter. Have a chat to some local installers.

HTH

STICK

[Analoguesat]

Hottie 7A should be ok:

_http://www.eutelsat.com/fr/satellites/13ehb7a_popd.html

[Canislad]

Thank you all for the welcome.

Many thanks for the replies to my queries. Many helpful links and information there ... thanks. I shall sift through the information this month and report back.

In reply particularly to BGonaSTICK ... my receiver is a Panasonic, but the TLH-DSB30 model? I am using a new Telifonica dish as for LNB ????

Local (not many ex-pats technically adept and my spanish is fundamental to say the least) Spanish, .... I live in Gran Canaria by the way, in the north of the island away from hordes of raucous holidaymakers, suggest a 3 metre dish, possibly motorised! Not a nieghbourly action methinks as the Spanish live notably "cosy".

Anyway thanks once more for taking the time to reply, and of course should you find yourselves on the island I will only be to happy to show you sights unknown and unvisited by normal tourists.

Of course any further information is valuable.

Best regards

[BGonaSTICK]

Motorising a 3m dish is not a trivial matter, as I'm sure you'll appreciate, so I would forget that

Can't find any reference to a Panasonic TLH-DSB30 but assume it's the same thing as the TU-DSB30.

The Invacom Quad C120 with matched feedhorn is the usual pick when it comes to extreme fringe reception of 2D.

Let us know how it all turns out.

We're always interested to get Astra 2 reports from far afield. The Hotbird reception would be interesting too.

STICK