Before buying sat equipment...

[ozzietiro]

Cheers sidereal wizards,
Please be kind to me and don't laugh! I'm an absolute beginner stranded in the outback of Europe (Portugal) and dying to hear (and see) some decent English. Since Strine is below the horizon, the next best thing is dear Auntie Beeb's beacon at Astra 2D. My problem is: 1. How to get a reliable basic kit from a reliable supplier here (It may be diplomatically incorrect but I find the locals very unreliable, unprofessional and difficult ... and very many other things!); and 2. How can I check whether Astra 2D is 'visible' from my site before buying the nuts and bolts. There is a steep hill on the southeast about 1000 feet from the site which I believe to be in the way, the elevation being about 30 degrees. It must be very close, touch and go. I went to a local supplier, told him my problem (with plenty diagrams) and he sold me gadget (Vitecom Satellite Finder) knowing that I did not have a dish! Another one would charge me 1,200 euros to install a complete kit but wouldn't tell me the brands and models of the components. Your help is desperately sought before the local conmen take advantage of me.

[Robbo]

Hi ozzietiro,

One of the problems is that Portugal is way off the official footprint of the Astra 2D satellite. Although you may get lucky with a 1m dish from a sidelobe. Otherwise maybe a 1.5m dish or something like that may be required.

Also the dish elevation required for your dish would be just under 30 degrees approximately, so it is very touch and go whether you have a clear view of the satellite or not.

If you can get an accurate measurement of the elevation of the hills that would be useful. You could give it a try with a 1m dish. Astra1(19.2e) would need a higher dish elevation of approx 35 degrees incidently, so you should be able to get that one, although the the UK channels are not on that satellite.

Robbo

[ozzietiro]

Thank you for your help Robbo. I was thinking of getting a 160cm dish anyway to be on the safe side; so, if I can't get the UK channels , I can point it elsewhere as you suggested. About the other question (a reliable supplier), I'l be able to get a dish locally but might order the other bits and pieces from England. Would you kindly recommend a good entry level receiver (FTA only) and LNB monoblock? By the way, what's the performance of an axi-symmetric (prime focus?) compared to an offset dish? And, here is a silly one, would it be feasible and advisable (perhaps laughable as well!) to line up 2 dishes to get a double-strength signal from the same source? Thanks again and g'day... and merry X'mas to the techwatch community.

[ozzietiro]

Hello friends,
I'm still on the ground trying to get my dish up. I found out on the web there are 3 makers of satellite dishes around here but they don't answer my emails or return my calls and the suppliers are hard to find on the ground. Got lost many times among he villages and hamlets without finding them. This country is a bloody nightmare!
I could go to a local electronic superstore and buy a TEKA kit for around 150 euros but the disk is only 85cm, not big enough. Since I'm staying here for only one year I don't want to spend more than the bare minimum. Back to my previous question: can I have the signals of two dishes linked together as a single input to the receiver? If yes, would the signal strength increase and by what factor?
Please help a stray ozzie in a strange land.

[Robbo]

Originally Posted by ozzietiro

Hello friends,
I'm still on the ground trying to get my dish up. I found out on the web there are 3 makers of satellite dishes around here but they don't answer my emails or return my calls and the suppliers are hard to find on the ground. Got lost many times among he villages and hamlets without finding them. This country is a bloody nightmare!
I could go to a local electronic superstore and buy a TEKA kit for around 150 euros but the disk is only 85cm, not big enough. Since I'm staying here for only one year I don't want to spend more than the bare minimum. Back to my previous question: can I have the signals of two dishes linked together as a single input to the receiver? If yes, would the signal strength increase and by what factor?
Please help a stray ozzie in a strange land.

No, you cant link two dishes together and get a better signal, not for an amateur anyway. Even if you could, the gain comes down to the area of the dish. Go to SatLex Digital :: Home , it has a dish gain calculator, enter the figures and you will see how the gain of a big (1.6m) and two small ones compare.

Another option my be to subscribe to TV Cabo, there are often movies on there with English audio, plus a few English language FTA broadcasts from 30W, like BBC World or example.

Robbo

[nanochickin]

Theres also a TVTel on 9e which is worth looking at



Nano

[will-in-estoril]

Hi, I live about an hour south of you, although I'm currently in the UK.

We have a Televes 1.4m dish, with a Sharp LNB. There is absolutely no problem picking up Astra 2D in central Portugal, but I understand your problem regarding line of site.

In terms of installers many expats use companies from the Algarve, as bizarre as this may seem. We used a local company called Esteves Antena, father and son outfit, for whom nothing was too much trouble. Cost of dish installation was €400. His number is 214841428.(Do you speak Portuguese?) By the time you've got a dish delivered to you (not so cheap in Portugal) you might be better off getting someone in.

I also have a spare receiver (Pace) and card, if you are interested.

[ozzietiro]

Thank you Robbo, Nano and 'Everton' Will for coming to the rescue. I'm a bit of a fussypot about TV - I haven't watched it since the fall of the Soviet Empire! I just need the sound of English (but not US English) to keep me sane in this forlorn economy. So, it must be old aunty!
Things are moving since my last post. Went directly to a sat dish factory and after much insistence came home with a no-name offset 125/130cm dish, bought a Sradix receiver and Inverto LNB from a shop and a pipe from another one (200 euros the lot) and I'm about to put everything together - a major job in this country (eg. the dish came with a bundle of pieces, nuts and bolts but no instructions!). I still have a mountain to climb (the pun is intentional) but, with your help, I'll get to the top of it. Thanks again and g'day mates.

[Analoguesat]

This is the map for 2D reception in Spain & Portugal. cant vouch now accurate it is in Portugal, but its fairly accurate in southern Spain

[ozzietiro]

Hello friends, and a warm wellcome to Analoguesat for joining the rescue party. I heard rumors on the web that some people get Astra 2D at Oporto just 60 km north as the crow flies with a 120cm dish. So I took a punt and got the biggest dish I could carry on the roof of my car (125x135 offset), praying all the way to the satellite gods that the local road cavalry did not detect me. They are a rough lot!
Managed to get everything together but the elevation does not look right: the dish is pointing straight at the side of a mountain, instead of up 30 degrees.
The other problem is that the receiver does not work, apart from showing it's 'on'. Do I need to buy a TV set to get the receiver working. I don't want to get a box unless I sure of getting Beeb.
Most grateful for your advice, fair dinkum.
Kim