Astra 2D satellite TV reception in Hamburg

Hi all,

first of all: apologies! I am new to this forum and haven't spent enough time reading all the posts to learn the written and unwritten rules... so if I break any of them please excuse me and be patient - I will learn!

I have spent some time reading posts about installing satellite dishes for english-speaking TV in Hamburg (have also follwed the 'good deed of the day' link), but I haven't found a concrete answer to my problem. So here goes...

I have finally had a satellite dish installed on Monday (by my brother, not a company). It's a 80-cm dish that is supposed to get me both Astra 19.2 and Astra 2D (28.3?), with a 'cross-eyed' LNB arrangement. We had no trouble finding the German satellite, but there was no signal whatsoever for the English one. It seems that the footprint is large enough for Hamburg (I am in the west) and even Berlin, so what could be the problem? Any ideas?

Thanks a lot in advance... and hurry, I'd love to see 'Who do you think you are' this week...
baw

are you sure you haven't pointed one LNB at the Hotbird sat by mistake with this "cross-eyed" arrangement?

Hi,

I don't think so - and even if we have there was no signal from it...

baw

what type of receiver do you have connected?

errr... the technisat digicorder...? I hope that's what you mean...

ok, so not a digibox. Have you tried connecting that receiver to the other LNB to make sure there is not a fault with the receiver?

Hiya,

I am told that the receiver is already connected to both LNBs. We switch from one to the other with a DISEQ switch in a mini matrix: two twin LNBs are connected to two DISEQ switches (2-in, 1-out) into two antenna inputs...

The DISEQs are parallel, not cascaded - both are directly connected to the antenna. We've checked the cnnections and they should be okay. We have a signal for Astra 19.2 on both and no signal for astra 28.2 on either...

Astra 2D is targeted to the UK. see the enclosed link below for the footprint. You will see from this that Hamburg is outside of the 120cm band. I am in South Germany and am also outside of this 120cm band to the same extent as you, but I manage to recieve transmissions (just) with a 1m dish and an extremly sesnsitive LNB. Your dish is simply too small to receive the satellite and you must also remember that a "crosseyed" dish setup as you have is not focussed exclusively on Astra 2D. The upshot of this is that your set up is equivalöent to having at most a 60cm dish pointed at the satellite in an area that "officially" should be twice that size. My advice is aim the 80cm dish exclusively at 2D (28.2degrees east) and look again for the signal on a clear day. Alternatively get a (much) bigger dish.

http://www.astra.lu/corpSite/site_en/04_AS...tra2d/index.php

I picked up Astra 2D in Bremen on a 80cm dish, which was on the fringes for that size of dish but I had no problems at all, the signal was perfect. Hamburg is say around 100km further east, so you will be able to pick up Astra 2D with a 1.2m dish, probably even a 1m.

I had a 1 m dish in Hamburg and got the signal OK.

A 1m dish is probably fine if its pointing at ASTRA 2D directly...I'm surprised that the previous poster forgets that when you try and get two satellites 10 degress apart with one dish you normaly point the dish somewhere in the middle...which means you are not using the dish at its prime focus and that's the equivalent of using two smaller dishes.

Hi,
I'm in Hamburg and receive it fine with a 1m dish but I'm told a 60cm is also ok.

I think your problem is that there can be a delay of about 30 seconds between pointing the dish in exactly the right position and the picture being visible on your TV. This makes it impossible to position it yourself without the correct gear. The stuff that they sell at media markt and saturn is a waste of time.

I had mine done by a a little old geezer in Hamburg who's telephone number is 447532 and I think he charged me about €50.

Some chanels have better reception than others so he'll also show you how to select different ITV channels and stuff. I've found that the one for East Anglia has the best reception.

Hi all,

thanks for all those replies - I'll give it another shot and contact the 'little old geezer' if I don't get it to work. Does he speak English or German?

Keep your fingers crossed,
baw

It was a while ago. I don't think he had much English - my German is almost non-existant and we managed to get by OK.

So to get the english channels in hamburg I need a 1m dish pointed at astra 2d? any other tips cause I'm moving soon and dish size won't matter where I'm going;-) (Big Garden or is the roof better? wind etc.)

German Sky (Sky card provider in Hamburg) doesn't seem to be working? anyone know where they've gone?

Lots of English TV channels are free to air. BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, ITV1,2,3 & 4... and loads more...

Unless you particularly want Sky movies or sport just get a cheap decoder from Saturn and tune it in yourself...

If you want sky, you need to have an English address to give them and a UK bank account to pay from

This might be of interest...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7384928.stm

Link to Astra/BBC and ITV info

Anyone suggest anything larger than a 1m antenna in HH?

Anyone know if there is anyone possible to get freeview in Hamburg , maybe through the internet.

Freeview is a terrestrial DVB-T transmission service. Hamburg is too far away from the UK coast to receive it.

No chance to get anything english in your car in HH but BFBS is available a little south of Hamburg.

in his car?

BFBS Germany Yeah reception is possible in the car after about 10-15min after Kreuz Süd towards Hannover or towards Bremen. My car radio can get it and its just an opel(vauxhall?).

Your car radio gets TV?

Sorry wrong thread thought he asked about radio in the car. Duh!

He could put this on his car!

Any ideas why my signal strength is 39%. Thats the signal from the LNB to the receiver right?

Heres a screen shot. I have already tried a different cable with the same result and it doesn't change if I switch to a different satellite.

Oooooookkkaaayyy, I can get Sky now and some important channels like the community channel and Britasia(Hindu rap...just what I wanted) or whatever its called. Sometimes they pixel but most annoying is I cant get the transponders with BBC.

Should I get a different receiver?

Got a Palcom DSL-380 hooked up to an 85cm dish.

No..
Pay someone to professionally set your dish for you..