Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Hi all,

It`s been acouple of months now, maybe longer but the frequency at which I receive the sky epg i.e. 11778 v is not strong , infact it`s more zero on quality and very strong on strength.

I use my digibox for the epg because it`s so convenient. Yes , I can get the epg off internet which I do, with a 7 day program guide which I use for my battle station receiver.

On that receiver signal of the 11778 v is also bad and I have a TV with satellite tv and that frequency again is bad, so bad you can not get a lock. The BER is -500 and more .

So my question is this , is it my lnb or is everyone in the same boat ? Do you guy`s still get good signals on 11778 v ?

Probably a question for the expert on the forum.

In any case thanks.:)

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

We had all manner of problems and blamed it on the satellite signal, then we had a new double LNB fitted and the dish realigned....BINGO!
We now have perfect reception using both Sky boxes! :thumbsup:

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

I read an article recently which said that by 2020 Satellite broadcasts will stop, everybody will be on fibre and the service will switch to live streaming! Believe that when I see it.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Meg, thats a very good example. The LNB is the active part of the dish system, it sits out there in all weathers and just "does what it does" without complaint, just like the car. And we know what happens with them!

A new dual lnb would be about £20 for a universal, a bit more for a hi-tec hi-spec one, plus carriage.
For such a low cost to give you so much it really is worth it.

Just remember that the cable may need cleaning up or replacing as well, as water will find every little nook, cranny, hole.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

bob, I have to agree with you
:flypig: squadron landing near you

here I cannot get a telephone landline, Telefonica engineer took one look shook his head and went off muttering. Our street is "work in progress", there is no proper surface (except dust). The pipes are there into our house, but there is a big gap tween us and the next completed house. They refused to do aerial bundling as they used to. And I live in the middle of a white village of 5,000 people.
so how the heck are they going to get me fibre, letalone find the money for all the FO interfaces.
FO needs less interfaces and boosters than copper cable but costs are still high.

hopefully I will be back here in 2020 having a chuckle with you on this one Bob.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Your problems is the same for everyone.
Frequency 11778 is one of a number of frequencies on the "north beam" of Astra 2a.
This north beams reception varies a lot during the day. It is especially weakest at 5-6pm.
It means that even on 2.4m dishes in my area, that many channels can be unavailable at the time : Sky Movies, Sky Sports 4, Sky Sports News 4, Eurosport 2, to name a few.
Changing the LNB to a more newer powerful model may help, as can adjusting the LNB skew, but it may only help a little bit - the issue is with the beam that the frequecy is on.
With the new satellites being launched shortly, the first of three goes up late 2012, reception of many channels will change - it all depends which beams those channels are placed on and what reception is like of those beams in spain.


re via intenet - i dont think you will see the demise of satellite for many years to come. its still the cheapest manner of sending the vast amnount of signals to a wide area. however, you may find that satellite and internet start to compliment each other, such as Iplayer and Sky Anytime+ - ie live tv via satellite, and catchup via tinternet.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

good response Guy, as usual it all makes sense.

so many people seem to think that their internet is just a landline wired thingy that works, they don't realise how many alternate routes there are and that a number of legs are actually via satellite.
satellite is an integral part of the whole communications infrastructure, doing lots lots more than putting out television and photographing the earth for Google.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

My advice is don't spend any cash on a new LNB until you've checked the dish alignment. If you can access the dish without difficulty, then firstly, mark its current position with a pen or pencil where it sits on the supporting 'pole'. Then loosen the bolt and just nudge the dish first left then right by very small amounts and see if this improves things. Have someone viewing a poor reception channel on your TV at the worst time of day for reception to help you. As you've marked its position you can always return to its original one.
Only when you've checked the alignment, either yourself or by a 'professional' would I suggest a new LNB as the first action you should take.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Appreciate the advice.

Pigs will fly , that`s something to bring up at an after dinner party ! Course that will never happen, could be wrong. Never say Never, seems a familiar catchphrase,:lol:

My problem in a nut shell is that my Amstrad digibox ( The first generation, it`s 12 years old ) was working fine till recently. I could receive a complete 7 day epg but now the epg goes up till 7.00 pm and then nothing after that.

I always check the epg in the morning around 9.00 am and the signal quality was good ( the blue bar was just hitting the center , other days just under ). This was a few months ago then I saw a gradual signal quality loss until there was very little blue bar . I could still get epg due to the weather. However, at this moment signal quality is zero and the signal strength has gotten higher which could be the lnb !

Thing is the lnb I have is not very old not even 2 years. It`s a quad inverto ultra which had good press about it`s captive power at fringe areas. Needless to say, on my TV and other receivers I have , signals very good , in fact better than before due to the new 1N satellite.

I am puzzled. Ah, CBS Action and Drama are a bit low on quality but I don`t watch those channels - just use them for reference.

One thing is certain on all 3 receivers ( which includes the tv ) 11778 v is zero . Sometimes on my Amstrad Digibox I get the - no satellite signal - then I go to my other receivers and there fine .

Problem seems to be that 11788v frequency . In any case I get my 7 day guide from my Reelbox off the internet.

Just thought this was a generic problem !

Thanks all ! :)

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

I've been reading a joint US and Japanese report and they reckon that it will continue at least beyond the next 30 years and possible more.

If you Google the "future of sat broadcasting" or similar you should pick it up.

Jim

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Thanks Jim, absolutely nothing to worry about ! :thumbsup:

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

What is cable anyway? At home I can only get sky not even terrestial. I even have to walk down the road to get an O2 signal for my mobile. My digital reception in Spain is better, and that varies as the day goes on. Ok I can see the town and cities getting cable, fibre optic etc, where there are lots of people, but in the campo in whichever country, I can't see it happen, as the providers won't pay for a relativily few customers. Oh and a friend of mine ( In Scotland) about 15 miles down the road still has only dial up connection for the net.
Pete

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Thanks for that , great joke. :lol: No, seriously. This is all a big joke. Great after dinner conversation though....:)

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Problems with Satellite......Connect your computer to your TV and FilmOn are now free for 2 mb connections. It's not brilliant but worth having a look at if you are loosing satellite signal, or just to see the way things are going.
The BBC have gone worldwide for BBC iPlayer on iPads as from yesterday (my wife watched an episode of 'Only Fools and Horses).
Also, connect your computer to your TV via an HDMI cable and Netflix offers a one month free trial..... What have you got to lose?
Give Expat Shield a try, costs nothing!

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

I am still using SCART, although we have one tv that hasnt even got that.
The last time I tried to use BBC iPlayer - last weekend - they told me I was not in their approved zone

Technology ??
:hysterical:

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

That's why you download and use Expat Shield it's free, and you should have no problems!

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

It doesn't work on mine. Have you tried it today?

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

I use Expat Shield when I am in Spain, but I did find one quirky and annoying blip with it,,, I am a member of Lovefilm and try as I might it wouldn't let me watch any movies, it kept telling me they were not authorised in my location... but on everything else such as Itv player and Sky it was fine... how the heck did lovefilm know where I was :frown:

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

I posted here in another thread - Expat Shield didnt work after I downloaded it, the IP was showing California IIRC, so no one would let me in.
So I deleted it.

We get enough of things like Bones, NCIS, etc etc and also at least one film per night all in original language on standard FTA digital via a TDT

Both manage to fall asleep whatever is on
:rofl:

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

perhaps lovefilm dont accept logins from a blank IP ??

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

good point Domino.... as all of you who "know" me I am not at all technically savvy.... bit of a bummer tho, I'll have to cancel my membership when we move over there... I'll go back to Blinkbox. They're free anyway, films are not much cop but better than nothing

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Doris, the thing I find annoying is that over the decades many films have been made with "govt money" and they have been flops. But they never get to be seen on any channel that I am aware of.

It should be a requirement that public funded films should be made available to the public that funded them.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

You should have tried again, quite a few of us use it, and for both iPlayers it is fantastic. Helps you get away from all of the rubbish reality progs!!!

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Yes I agree, it works fine with Expatshield. You haven't answered my question about the iPad. I definitely cannot use it here and also I cannot find any episodes of Only Fools and Horses.

Are you sure it was BBC iPlayer?

Incidentally I can get ITV iPlayer directly on my TV via my Humax but not BBC iPlayer - very odd.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

When I queried the same thing, I was told that the ITV Player is not restricted to UK only as the BBC iPlayer is. Like me Fred, you cannot get the BBC iPlayer on your TV. I can get it on my PC, via Expat Shield but this does not mean apparently that it will work on the TV despite the fact that it all goes through my router.
I would welcome an easy step-by-step way to get round this problem.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Sorry Fred I didn't see your question (I was involved with a PM). You have to have Wifi and download the BBC iPlayer app. Yes it was Only Fools and Horses!

John.

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Use Expat Shield on your computer, which you connect to your TV via an HDI cable. Simples ttch.
By the way, what internet speed do you have?

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Yes I've just checked it out and it isn't the normal BBC iPlayer - it's a global version which is available in Spain and other countries.

It is what they describe as "video on demand" rather than a "catchup player"

It's very confusing as all the logos are the same but you will find that if you download BBC iPlayer from the UK store it's the normal version which won't work in Spain. If you go to the Spanish store the only version you get is the "global" version. Some old programs are free but anything else requires a subscription.

I have now got both versions running but the icons on the iPad are identical!

Re: Astra 2 signal problem - Again !!
 

Film on........ is free.. check it out..www.filmOn.com click on Free in righthand corner of screen..