freesat

[lingus75]

Have finally got around to installing a dish for my freesat TV. However, after being fitted (by GF father) the set cannot find the Astra 2 satellite. It appears we have not set it correctly and after looking at instructions it seems very complex.

We bought a signal strength spectrum thingy and set it to 5 (as per instructions but don’t really understand what it means) and thought this would sort it but it needs setting properly. As dish and cables all installed how much should it cost for someone to set it properly?

[Plotloss]

£50 or so

[lingus75]

Sounds about right, one bloke said I would have to hire a cherry picker!

[headcase]

Basic instructions for aligning a dish.

1. Assemble the dish and set the angle as per the instructions that came with the dish, this will vary slightly depending on where you live.
2. Mount it so it can point the same way as everyone elses with no obstructions.
3. Connect up your meter and turn its sensitivity knob approx in the middle then slowly move the dish left and right until you get a signal, if the signal maxes out the meter then turn the knob down so you can see the reading again, if you get no reading then turn it up, keep swinging left and right (and turning down the meter) until you find a center point of max signal.
4. Once you have found the center point then do the same for the angle of the dish, move it up/down until you find the strongest reading.
3. Tune in TV, and make sure you are not aligned with hotbird wich is the satellite just next door to sky
4. Lock off the dish adjustments without moving it (easier said than done) and enjoy.

For your 1st attempt expect the alignment to take you about 30 mins

[TooLateForAName]

Just a final bit. Once you've got the alignment of the dish you can also rotate the lnb in its holder (if it isnt a fixed one) to tweak the signal to absolute max.

[Wilseus]

If it's a Sky Digital type dish, you won't be able to rotate the LNB. Instead, there's a skew setting on the LNB. You simply set that to 3 for most of the UK, 2 for southern Ireland, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, and 4 for north east Scotland.

[rhinochopig]

Ah so you want to join the world of one and one quarter HD channels. Save the money you'd spend on getting aligned and wait for freeview HD. It really is crap - freeview is much better. It's only worth it if you like watching really really poor low budget horror films on the the horror channel.

[igiveup]

rhinochopig said:

Ah so you want to join the world of one and one quarter HD channels. Save the money you'd spend on getting aligned and wait for freeview HD. It really is crap - freeview is much better. It's only worth it if you like watching really really poor low budget horror films on the the horror channel.

Which is great if you can get Freeview!!

[headcase]

But then you need a freeview HD box as it cant be picked up by a regular freeview box.

[lingus75]

Well, I know thereismt a great deal of channel choice but the main reason is for champions league and worldcup.

[rhinochopig]

lingus75 said:

Well, I know thereismt a great deal of channel choice but the main reason is for champions league and worldcup.

I have been enjoying the 6 nations and the Olympics in HD so I can see why you'd want it. Although I don't really like football, it does look spectacular in HD.

[FunkyNige]

rhinochopig said:

Ah so you want to join the world of one and one quarter HD channels. Save the money you'd spend on getting aligned and wait for freeview HD. It really is crap - freeview is much better. It's only worth it if you like watching really really poor low budget horror films on the the horror channel.

You also get the iPlayer on Freesat.

[rhinochopig]

FunkyNige said:

rhinochopig said:

Ah so you want to join the world of one and one quarter HD channels. Save the money you'd spend on getting aligned and wait for freeview HD. It really is crap - freeview is much better. It's only worth it if you like watching really really poor low budget horror films on the the horror channel.

You also get the iPlayer on Freesat.

How?

[FunkyNige]

Only on the Humax boxes I think - plug the box into your broadband modem with a network cable, go to BBC1, press the red button, press 5483, press OK and voila!

[rhinochopig]

FunkyNige said:

Only on the Humax boxes I think - plug the box into your broadband modem with a network cable, go to BBC1, press the red button, press 5483, press OK and voila!

Ah, I have a Panny HDR Blu ray combo thingy. It will connect to the internet (as will the TV) so I might give it a try.

[CaptainSlow]

FunkyNige said:

Only on the Humax boxes I think - plug the box into your broadband modem with a network cable, go to BBC1, press the red button, press 5483, press OK and voila!

any way on doing this wirelessly?

[FunkyNige]

CaptainSlow said:

FunkyNige said:

Only on the Humax boxes I think - plug the box into your broadband modem with a network cable, go to BBC1, press the red button, press 5483, press OK and voila!

any way on doing this wirelessly?

I think you'd have to get some kind of device that converts wireless to wired, I thought these were called 'wireless access points' but they seem a tad pricey! Think you'd better ask on the computers forum to be honest, thought one of these may do it - http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.as...

(just an example, no idea if that one or even that shop is any good)

[CaptainSlow]

cheers, will check it out

[bobthemonkey]

Or look at powerline adapters.

[CaptainSlow]

bobthemonkey said:

Or look at powerline adapters.

This looks like the way to go and is demonstrated on the Freesat website, I'll give it a go and report back.