HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

I have a free sat box but cant get bbc or itv as i need a good UK postcode..I live in Playa del Inglis Gran Canaria.. It says cant get signal..Anyone help me.. Tommy

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

You can put in any valid UK postcode.

How big a dish do you have - you need a pretty big one in the Canaries.

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

IIRC the postcode defines the UK tv region it will tune to - so whatever your postcode for your old home shud be ok

as Fred says, dish needs to be large, don't think about an amplifier, if there isnt a signal it will only make it louder not improve the quality

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

The postcode on freesat boxes determines which regions you get on 101, 102,103 and 104.

It may be wise to use a Manchester postcode (m60 1aa - it only uses the first 3 digits of the postcode anyway!), and so putting iTV1 granada on 103, one of the stronger ITV1 regions.

All BBC1 and BBC2 regions are on the Freesat EPG / channel list already, so even though you are allocated BBC1NW, you can still access others via the EPG...(from channel 900 i think).

I dont think there is a single good postcode that allocates the best BBC1, BBC2 and ITV1 regions onto 101 102 103...

If it is a HD box, then use BBC1HD, BBCHD, ITV1HD and C4HD instead of the SD versions.

Of course reception of these channels depends on you exact location and size of dish you have. I think in Gran Canaria you will be looking at 2.4->3m for th main BBC / ITV channels...which is probably why the box is saying "no signal" when you go to those channels.

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

Thankyou everyone ,,i will have to get a stronger single or better postcode..

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

I am getting some stations ..like movies for men and BBC news but no itv or bbc channels ..it just says no signal..

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

That's because they are on a different satellite to the other BBC/ITV channels and they are much easier to receive. You will also be able to get all the BBC radio channels and BBC Parliament and BBC Alba.

For all the others you need a big dish.

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

The first question that really needs answering is:
What size satellite dish do you have?

As FJ has said, the channels you are currently getting can be received on what are considered "small dishes".

In the Canaries the satellite "beam" that carries BBC and ITV and C4 and Five is very weak / hard to receive, so to counter that you may need to increase the size of your dish.

Chnaging the postcode will not help reception if your dish is too small to receieve those channels....

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

May be wrong, but I don't know anyone in the canaries who gets Beeb and ITV with less than a 3 metre dish.

I get mine on my laptop plugged into the telly - bit of a faff but a godsend if you can't live without it. Download Expat Shield, then BBC iplayer, ITV player etc.

And yes, I DO have a TV licence.

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

Ihave the BBC and ITV iplayers on the laptop... I can get Sky on my 1 metre Dish with ITV and 5 and a lot of other channels and just though i would try Freesat ...But as most of you say i need a bigger dish... thankyou everyone for your replys... was told to get a bigger dish if i wanted BBC but its not worth watching...

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

The 1m dish is WAY to small to get the free to air versions of BBC1,2,3,4,itv1,2,3,4, c4 and 5 used by a Freesat box.

On a Sky box and with a sky card you can get some other "encrypted" versions / regions of ITv1 and Five...as they are on a different satellite with a "stronger beam" than the other "free to air" versions are....

By the way, a Sky box with no sky card will get the same channels as a freesat box....as the sky box with no card is basically a "free to air" satellite box...which is what freesat boxes are! So if you cannot get BBC and ITV channels on the Sky box then you will not get them on a freesat box...as box boxes use the same satellite and same frequencies for the channels....

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

I get mine on my laptop plugged into the telly - bit of a faff but a godsend if you can't live without it. Download Expat Shield, then BBC iplayer, ITV player etc.

Can you tell me how to do this please !

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

Free downloads. Google 'Expatshield' and follow the instructions
Ditto 'BBC iplayer' etc. You then have to start up Expat before you get a new web page and go to the iplayer. It gives you a UK IP address so they don't tell you 'Not Available in Your Area'. You should have a TV licence!

Sometimes I have a problem with streaming - the picture freezes for a minute or two with an annoying spinning circle in the middle, but if your download speed is adequate you just need to be a bit patient. It's better first thing in the mornings and in the evening. Middle of the night is GREAT! Also you can catch up on missed episodes.

And it's FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Actually I don't often bother plugging it into the TV - just watch it from a shorter distance on the laptop.

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

Thanks for that, we do have a TV licence, free now :)

I will take a look at the website you mentioned, does it still work when the weather is bad ? The TV can be a problem here when it is blowing a gale :(

Re: HELP..Have Got Freesat Box
 

find that if I use 11973.V.27.2/3 that I can get ITV and ITV+1 on sky with a 1 metre dish....Try ..my i player.com for free TV stations