Freesat

[Harry Basset]

I am grateful when people give a "Heads Up" about forthcoming TV features which will interest us. I use Freesat as I refuse to buy Sky TV and terrestial is not very good in my area. Unfortunately I find Freesat to be very unreliable, most of the time I can get the full range of channels but often I can only get BBC1. Freesat say it must be my Sky is not aligned properly but that does not explain why a lot of the time I get a full service.

When the system is playing up I may not get BBC2 England but I can sometimes get BBC2 Northern Ireland or BBC2 Wales which sometimes exposes me to regional variations. Does anyone else have such problems with Freesat or know of a cure? I have tried Freeview but that is not available in my area until September.

[Garry Russell]

If your aerial was slightly misaligned you would get more some days that others depending on conditions

When I started losing some channels some days, that was the problem here.

I don't get a problem now as I have done away with TV altogether

[DaveB]

Hi Harry

I don't have my Freesat installed at the moment as I moved yesterday but Freeview in my new area is pretty darned solid so it's the flick of a coin as to whether I put the dish up here

Anyway, from experience down in Berkshire.. I, like you refused to pay for Sky and when ITV started farting around with the channels a few years ago to make way for digital, Freesat was the only option. Our analog signal was iffy and power to Freeview was limited due to transmitters having to transmit analog and digital. The Freesat footprint isn't as large as you'd imagine and the closer you get to the outer edges, the more likely you'll have problems.. the elevation being that much shallower. This may be the reason for your intermittent reception.
My reception in Berkshire was good but I'm not sure if this was due to the fact I bought a 'bonafide' Freesat box. The reason I mention this is because I was given a Sky box for use in the living room and reception was intermittent.. so much so that the wife gave up in the end and returned to Freeview.. by this time, analog had been cut so more power was available to the digital channels. The only time I lost reception was due to high winds pushing the dish an inch or so out of alignment hence, it wasn't lined up with the satellite. Oh.. one more time.. heavy snow built up on the satellite receiver blocking the signal but a bang with a long rod cleared that! Other than that, I was very pleased with Freesat. Now, many more of the Freeview channels are broadcast on Freesat and this will probably continue as analog dies the death down in the London/SE region.. cut off scheduled for Apr 4th.

So.. rule of thumb. Install the dish out of the wind if at all possible Check the satellite footprint and see just how close to the edge.. the closer you are, the more intermittent your reception may be. I'm cheap so my dish was aligned using a compass but if you have a few quid spare, it might be worth you investing on a satellite 'finder' available in various flavours from Maplins. Go for a digital one (like an electronic compass) rather than an 'in line' type. The 'in line' type are unreliable and bloody frustrating to use. They also need to be powered from the sat box which is pee-poor even if you live in a bungalow. They are however, much cheaper.

ATB
DaveB

[Paul K]

I don't get a problem now as I have done away with TV altogether

I'm with Garry; ditch the lot.

[Rick Piper]

Hi Guys

I had the same problem as Dave B

An old sky box worked but intermittent reception.

bought a proper freesat box and no more problems.
Sadly don't even have a TV now

I'm moving into my new House this weekend
Regards
Rick

[Harry Basset]

Thank you for the information gentlemen. I do use a proper Freesat box feb by a Sky dish. It is the fact that some days are better than others (With Freesat) which frustrates me. I'll check the dish alignment to make sure but as it's a random problem I think alignment is probably OK, perhaps it's the gulls. I have to wait until September before the Whitby area gets Freeview.

[Garry Russell]

Does it cut out briefly in heavy rain??

[Harry Basset]

I can't remember the last time we had heavy rain but I don't recall losing channels.

[DaveB]

Hi Harry..

There are a number of satellites within a very short distance from one another which pump out some 5 separate footprints which cover the UK. It may be that you're marginal.. not quite one, not quite another. I've had a look at where you are and while toward the outer edges of the inner footprint, you should still be far enough inside to get good reception. I had a problem when I first did the install (with second hand kit!) in that the Sky dish I was given wasn't big enough to capture the signal in my location. I spent a few quid on a slightly larger one off Ebay and got good signal strength.
This doesn't help you any I'm afraid. If the current dish is in the right place and secure, your reception shouldn't be intermittent.. especially off a Freesat box. Garry mentioned rain.. perhaps you've a slight ingress somewhere I put some special 'outside' tape on my LNB connection (from Maplins) and it was still in place when I took the dish down on Friday. It has a 'correct' name which I can't remember but basically, it's a sponge like material which you stretch slightly when you put it on. Ambient temperatures allow it to seal
ATB
DaveB

[Molyned]

I think you're talking about self amalgamating tape Dave. Very good, as you say, for waterproofing outdoors aerial / feeder connections.
Maplins still sell it - code KW29G .
It's not cheap but as the insurance man would say 'what price do you put on peace of mind'.
Cheers
Dave M(oly)