After some help in setting up a Sky dish.

I know I am technically breaking some rule somewhere but I have a holiday home in France and take my sky box and card on holiday. I already have a dish down there but have to set it up when I arrive (don't ask). Assuming that the dish is only a couple of feet off the ground anybody any ideas of how and where to line it up ? Is it a case of just wiggling it until some picture arrives or do you have do know some more ? I do know that it has worked before but I ain't that technically gifted !

Thanks for any input

Have a look here: http://www.satellites.co.uk/

Regarding set up of your dish its pretty easy, have a look at this guys excellent website:http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk, I almost forgive him for being a caravan owner!

I followed his instructions for set up and can now set up the dish in less than 2 mins. It's not quite as easy as waving it around, but almost!

Good luck.

Not sure if you will pick up a signal on the standaerd dish in France. When I was in Spain I was told I would need at least a 90cm dish to get a signal.

RichardC

On the minidish you will be pushing receiving Astra 2D channels like the BBC. I live in the south of France nr the spanish border and use a 60cm dish which works well (50%) signal quality and receives the lot. The dish and LNB cost 27€ from Castorama the DIY chain and the ready made 20M cable another 10€. Pretty cheap as it came with bracket and everything needed to do the job. In Northern France the minidish should work for the SKY channels.

Sorry should have included that this was Southern Spain.

Hope you get it going.

RichardC

I've set a dish up in a campsite in Le Mans so its certainly possible.

1) Astra 2 is 28 degress East (of south). Get a compass to find the approx direction - dont rely on it completely

2) 40 cm dish would be pushing it. a 60 cm in Le Mans worked just fine.

3) if its an offset dish (oval with the LNB off centre ) the dish itself should be more or less vertical. Beware of low tree branches - the angle of the sat away from the ground can be quite steep.

4) There's a signal strength meter in a hidden menu on the Sky box - use that to see how close you are

5) Because its digital, you can't wave the dish around and see instant results, move it in very very small steps and wait a few secs then check the meter (as above). You do need to be able to see the screen, its the easiest way. move it in one direction at a time only (horizontal or vertically) e.g. scan across for a bit then move it vertically slightly and scan across again.

6) be patient. The signal is there. there is no black magic.

7) As soon as you have it once (even slightly) mark it on your brackets. its easier to fine tune from a known position rather than start from scratch when you knock it !

Deano

p.s.

I actually practiced in my garden at home before I went (to the wife's amusement!) - I had a an old 60cm dish with universal LNB that worked fine with my digital box and a ground mount pole I used at a previous house.

It probably took about 3/4 hour faffing about the very first time. Once you know the rough direction though and roughly what angle the dish should be at (it has to point higher the further south you go) it should be no more than a few mins.

Make sure you use a decent cable though - you dont need a crap cable causing problems if you're trying to pick up a weak signal in the first place.

I used one of the satellite meters from Maplin (£40 i think) to align my dish. Didn't take very long to do.

John.

I am using my Sky in Germany and it's okay.Like john_s says, get yourself the satellite alignment thing. Got mine for about £20, I think - cheap as chips ;)