Barly

The BBC will change to Astra 2E and 2F. Is there a chance we'll be able to get the channels in Alsace in the North-East of France, or should we drop the idea of installing a dish right away?

Chatter Static

It should not be a problem but it's just outside the theoretical shown footprint but untill it goes on it's a case of ?

But dont buy a Mini Dish get a decent one installed.

Image borrowd from the Sat and PC Guy

This is the predicted Astra 2e UK spot beam.

Barly

Yes, I saw that picture - that's what made me wonder. :-) I suppose I'll have to find a trustworthy local technician and ask with that map in my hand.

(And nothing new, I know, but it's a shame you can't get the regular BBC and ITV channels via cable or internet TV even if you're ready to pay, just with shaky proxies on your computer.)

Domino

I would suggest everyone just wait until the mid/end of summer before starting to worry about it, the satellite is due to be launched until JUNE !!

We all need to wait and see what the footprint turns out like, alot of this is speculation by people with vested interest in getting you to part with your money.

But until the thing is actually flying - and it may take a belly flop in an ocean - no one knows for definite.

but in the meantime I would have thought you would still be getting the FREESAT signals.

happy watching in the meantime

`

Barly

Yes, we'll ask local technicians and wait until more is known about the new satellite. (We're moving in April or May, should survive the gap.)

Also, damn your sig. :-)

cjm

Agree with Domino, also Sat and PC Guy says wait until 2E is launched to see how the footprint works in reality.

Tweedpipe

I think I'll still stick with my crystal radio and cat's whisker.......

dennerlymum

Domino

oh dear, I fully understood the techy bits in that, and even worse did something similar myself but as I was only 14 I didn't have a briar pipe and although he had a couple of spares dad wouldn't let me use his

Tweedpipe

Now I understand why you use that sig.

Domino

yes, it was a big shock to me to find I didn't have a use for my #26 enamelled wire, cotton insulating sleeving, coil formers, etc etc
ISTR even carrying out experiments with a piece of wet string as an aerial - which worked if there was a good earth (made from a Jacobs biscuit tin)

Im_and_Er

The predicted footprint is highly theoretical and is what Astra would like to see, the reality will likely be very very different.

Certainly the changes which have taken place so far have had zero effect here on a standard UK Sky 'tractor saddle' dish.

ethix98

Hi

We are addressing this issue in the Midi Pyrenees changing 60 ad 80 cm dishes for 100 cm and quality HD LNB.s

We will soon have a quantity of the used dishes and they should be appropriate for the North


Anyone interested ? please email me

grannybunz

Don't panic!

We have had these predictions before and they have never really materialised.

We were assured that, here in Provence, we would never get a freesat picture about three years ago. We put in the largest allowed parabole and it works even on HD and 3D - if that sort of thing rocks your boat.

If and when it stops working then we'll get worried - French TV/any TV is fine for a little while but then one wants to start throwing things!

Give me the radio any day and that is available on-line

Novocastrian

Have you discovered a device called Jambox? It's a bluetooth stand-alone loud speaker that has excellent sound quality but measures only about 4" by 2" by 1". (Excuse the lack of metric but I'm foreign).

We've been using ours all the time to listen to BBC radio via iPlayer and the laptop (Mac).

Check it out.