Basic Freesat setup in Belgium

[bee_doc]

Apologies for some naive questions but am a total noob to this.

I've been asked by a friend who lives in Brussels if they can have their existing satellite setup pick up BBC (for BBC news, Cbeebies etc.) for Free.

Until I get full details of what they have I have a few questions and perhaps some misapprehensions.

I understand that I can pick up BBC channels via the Astra2 satellite at 28.2deg E.

If I can move their existing dish around (and its suitable) what do I need in terms of receiver and LNB?

Specifically will any digital receiver (as opposed to analogue) pick up these channels for free and is it just the EPG they'd miss out on if its not one of the Freesat promoted boxes?
What type of LNB do you need? i.e. are there specific LNBs for such use or is the LNB just an amplifier/filter?
Is it just the case (simplistically) of pointing the dish with LNB at the correct orientation and setting the receiver to pick those channels (how does it differentiate between all the other channels that the dish will receive from that satellite e.g Sky channels?

Sorry about the simple questions but I'm trying to understand what is the bets approach.

[bigtee]

Hi

If their existing dish can pick up satellite signals fine, then you don't need to change the LNB.

Yes, Astra 2 is very easily picked up in Brussels and yes they will get all the free channels that we get from it in the UK.

Yes, virtually any digital receiver will do with the limitation that they are likely to get only 'now & next' EPG. However, if they only want 28E and no other satellites, you might as well buy a second hand Sky box for between £10 and £50 or the new BBC/ITV Freesat box for £50.

Yes, it is only a question of accurately pointing the dish at 28E. The receiver distinguishes between BBC/ITV channels etc and "Sky channels" by frequency. If you want sky channels, you scan the frequencies on which they can be found into the receiver; if not, you don't scan them. Have a look at following link for frequencies on 28E _www.flysat.com/28east.php

[bee_doc]

Many thanks bigtee for the help so far.

Have found out that they have a Humax Vaci 5300 which was an original setup with dish/lnb but they haven't used for a while. Also have been given an old Sky box (Grundig GDS310/2). Don't think they have ever had Sky though.

Would either of these receivers work (which is preferred?) for Freesat or will the Sky box require a card in order to pick up the non-sky i.e FTA channels?

Thanks in advance.

Bee

[Analoguesat]

The sky box will work just dandy without a card in it, although it will have the wrong regionalisations on it.

BE AWARE many old Grundig sky receivers suffer from faulty capacitors in the power supply which causes all sorts of odd problems with missing channels on the epg!

[Analoguesat]

Stick a card - any card even a business card - in the box and reboot it. It should restart with the last set of regionalisations on the epg.