# Astra Satellite Footprint



## witzend (Jan 23, 2014)

Hello All just wondering if anyone has any information from their own experiences in the last few weeks. I've found charts on internet and it looks pretty grim for reception in Europe


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## Covey (Jan 23, 2014)

I am currently down in the Algarve at Luz Bay near Lagos and the main BBC channels are still working in their normal settings on Astra 2 although it is said that the BBC will move to the new Astra sat in mid Feb14.

Reception in this end of the Algarve is good at present using my Oyster 80cm dish with the LBN skewed around to "8 o'clock" rather than the default 6 o'clock setting.  The default setting is fine for northern Europe and still worked in Burgos in northern Spain, but as you go further south in Spain and Portugal you have to twist the LBN around clockwise (looking at the rear of the LBN).  On the Oyster LBN the connecting cable to the control box is normally installed so that the cable exits the LBN at 6 o'clock.


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## barnyb2012 (Jan 23, 2014)

*Dish/Dome Help*

Morning,
I am looking into buying and fitting an auto dish/dome, could I ask what would be the best size dish or dome to enable a viewable picture in light of the up and coming changes to the service?

Thanks


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## witzend (Jan 23, 2014)

[No message]


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## maxi77 (Jan 23, 2014)

barnyb2012 said:


> Morning,
> I am looking into buying and fitting an auto dish/dome, could I ask what would be the best size dish or dome to enable a viewable picture in light of the up and coming changes to the service?
> 
> Thanks



We are currently in the Algarve and there has been no obvious change so far. The general suggestions so far are to wait and see when the change over happens. The new satellite has another beam which will give good coverage for the Iberian peninsula tand there are some reports that Sky and Freesat want to use this if they can deal with copyright problems. Mind you new actions by the EU may remove the copyright problems.


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## witzend (Jan 23, 2014)

Last winter Nov/Dec while in the Algarve I was reading a expat newspaper and there was mention about the BBC promising to maintain a television service in Portugal for a few more years. Pity I didn't save it or remember the exact publication but the wife read it as well so not just my imagination


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## phillybarbour (Jan 23, 2014)

Thanks for all the posts found it very useful myself.


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## wisper (Jan 23, 2014)

barnyb2012 said:


> Morning,
> I am looking into buying and fitting an auto dish/dome, could I ask what would be the best size dish or dome to enable a viewable picture in light of the up and coming changes to the service?
> 
> Thanks




Hi
I have fitted a 85cm manual crank up dish, am very happy with it and so easy to set up 

Paul


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## witzend (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi Paul I've not mentioned it as Barnyb seemed set on a auto system, But I also use a Maxview 85cm manual dish with a Maxview receiver and its so easy to find the Satellite with this I'd never think of spending more for a auto system. The wife or myself rarely take more than a minute to locate the Satellite 




wisper said:


> Hi
> I have fitted a 85cm manual crank up dish, am very happy with it and so easy to set up
> 
> Paul


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## Kontiki (Jan 24, 2014)

I have a Camos dome on my van, it's the first auto satellite I've had. It was already fitted to the van, found it useless down in Spain last year so not expecting much this year on Astra 28, couldn't even get the radio. Taking our old suitcase dish to try out this time, downside of an auto system is that if it can't get a good signal it won't lock on & just keeps spinning around searching, with a manual system  can position it even if it is a weak signal & get some of the channels even if they break up a bit. 
I would go for a decent manual crank up system if I were buying one, all my Camos does in Spain is waste power.


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## scotchjock (Jan 24, 2014)

*Tv reception in southern Spain*

We are over wintering in Manilva (25 miles north of Gibraltar) and there are people here getting UK freesat channels on a 60cm dish but this is likely to change soon. This is from a local newspaper:

So the countdown begins... Astra 2 E is on the move as of the middle of January. It will take 10 to 14 days to move in to position at 28.2 degrees from its launch position at 43.5 degrees then a further 10 to 14 days testing at 28.2 before it transfers the Freesat channels over from the outgoing Astra 1 N which, if your still interested and still sticking with me, will move over to its new position at 19.2 degrees.

So does this mean I will lose everything from my Freesat? If you have a standard Sky or Freesat box without a sky subscription, yes. You will still receive sky news, shopping channels and a few odds and sods. 

What if I have a sky or Freesat HD box?. You will lose most of the channels from a Freesat HD box and if you have a Sky HD box without a subscription, same applies. And if I have a subscription? Well, that's the thing. Channel 5 HD and ITV 2/3/4 HD channels will still work, along with all your movies/sports/documentaries/kids and entertainment channels (Sky 1/2/3 Dave, UK gold's, livings, foods, etc will still be fine. 

So I won't get the BBC/ITV HD channels if I have a Sky subscription? 
That is the million dollar question that you are all asking and that is the one that absolutely nobody can answer... Our gut feeling is no, they will all be lost except CH 5 as they have a contract with sky running until 2015. 

It's rumoured that we will still receive ITV HD if we have a Sky contract?
That is complete rumour and speculation. The answer is that it is possible as some unusual testing was taking place with ITV HD 10 days ago that was picked up by some of the satellite (train spotters) but that is all it is and I really wouldn't bank on getting any of the Freesat channels even with a Sky subscription. We (as a lot of you are already doing) will wait and see.

A few expats are going for IPTV set ups (internet tv) with great results but no good if you are travelling


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## Kontiki (Jan 24, 2014)

I know you can't get much with a small dish but I could at least get the BBC radio (with some occasional loss) on my cheap suitcase dish, all the Camos would do was continually search for a signal. We tend to just use the Spanish digital TV, many of the channels have programs that are dubbed into Spanish from English but on some you can change the language back to English.


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## witzend (Jan 24, 2014)

witzend said:


> Hi Paul I've not mentioned it as Barnyb seemed set on a auto system, But I also use a Maxview 85cm manual dish with a Maxview receiver and its so easy to find the Satellite with this I'd never think of spending more for a auto system. The wife or myself rarely take more than a minute to locate the Satellite



Which has received signals in all of Portugal, Spain, France and as far east as Friedricshafen in Germany where I started to lose some channels


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## kenspain (Jan 24, 2014)

Friends of mine here that must have English T V have just had a 2.4 size dish and lose bbc at 9.30 most nights now


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## harrow (Jan 24, 2014)

kenspain said:


> Friends of mine here that must have English T V have just had a 2.4 size dish and lose bbc at 9.30 most nights now



At Fuengirola on the Costa Del Sol we happily watched BBC1 and BBC2 last week


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## witzend (Jan 24, 2014)

harrow said:


> At Fuengirola on the Costa Del Sol we happily watched BBC1 and BBC2 last week



Please What size dish and receiver?


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## harrow (Jan 25, 2014)

witzend said:


> Please What size dish and receiver?



Oh it was with an 80cm dish and an old Pace sky box


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## maxi77 (Jan 25, 2014)

Have just checked we still get most freeview  channels except ch5  and it's associated channels, even BBC news and Sky news which some have said have dissappeared are still available her in Armacao de Pera in the Algarve, that is with a 1.5 metre dish


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## barnyb2012 (Jan 26, 2014)

*Useful*

Thank you everyone for your info on the subject, I will have a look at and have a more in depth look into auto dishes given the info. Its just that I used to have a manual dish on my old 'van which was a bit of a pain to set up on each outing.


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## witzend (Jan 27, 2014)

Quoted from Barnyb2012 above post
Thank you everyone for your info on the subject, I will have a look at and have a more in depth look into auto dishes given the info. Its just that I used to have a manual dish on my old 'van which was a bit of a pain to set up on each outing  

Yes I know how it can be finding the satellite with some receivers I used to use a Sky box with a sat finder but their responses were so slow that you'd passed the sat before they responded. Then I bought a maxview receiver just because it had a remote eye so you could site the receiver in a cupboard out of sight just leave the remote eye in view much tidier. When I started using it it responded immediately it has a teardrop on screen which goes as soon as the satellite is reached and picture follows made life a lot easier for us. These receivers are quite expensive thats the down side but if you can manage with out the remote eye Aldi do a Silver Crest receiver which is identical to the maxview for less than half the cost which I only found out afterwards


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## ally121062 (Mar 8, 2014)

*not able to pick up signal*

Hi, we are packing the moho to go our first trip of the year and on checking everything is in working order, found we still cannot pick up astra 2 on our i-sat system! Does anyone know if we need to buy something new to install? Its only about 18 months old!
Thanks


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## ally121062 (Mar 8, 2014)

*i-sat nae signal*

We are heading to Edinburgh. We are at home at the mo in Dumfries and cannot pick up anything. It was working fine before they started messing around with Astra.

Thanks


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## witzend (Mar 8, 2014)

ally121062 said:


> It was working fine before they started messing around with Astra.Thanks



Batteries Charged. Television working ok indoors can you try this in van


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## Deleted member 967 (Mar 10, 2014)

We are just above Torrevieja on the coast of Spain (Costa Blanca) and had ITV and CH4 solid from Friday to Sunday.  This morning at 09:30 (8:30UK) the signal began to break up.  This could be because we are right on the fringe.  Still no ITV2 or BBC.   CH5 is just there, but not usable at this location.

This is the first we have been able to receive on our FTA box with Oyster 85cm dish since the big change over.  I will continue to post as we come north.  Due back in UK on 7th April


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## Deleted member 967 (Mar 10, 2014)

ally121062 said:


> Hi, we are packing the moho to go our first trip of the year and on checking everything is in working order, found we still cannot pick up astra 2 on our i-sat system! Does anyone know if we need to buy something new to install? Its only about 18 months old!
> Thanks



Are you using a set up that relies on a fixed signal on a particular transponder frequence to lock on and set the Program Guide?

Some systems used a frequency to lock the dish too that is no longer there.  Some Sky boxes will not lock if the set frequency is not receivable.

We use a Free To Air (12V) box and are getting some signals on the Costa Brava.


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## Tezza33 (Mar 10, 2014)

ally121062 said:


> Hi, we are packing the moho to go our first trip of the year and on checking everything is in working order, found we still cannot pick up astra 2 on our i-sat system! Does anyone know if we need to buy something new to install? Its only about 18 months old!
> Thanks


Some motorised systems needed an update after the recent sat changes, I would contact i-sat info@mobiltech.it to see if one is needed for yours, as John Thompson says they lock on to certain transponders or frequencies and some are no longer there


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## Deleted member 967 (Mar 10, 2014)

Hi David

We lost all BBC ITV Ch4 on the switch off.  We had them all at Almerimar up to changeover.  There are some signals on Astra 2F and I think it is these what we are getting.  We lost CH5 near Teruel on the way down, so picking it up even a little here was a surprise.

Transponders we are getting here are: 
11051 CNN
11052 ITV 1 Meridian  ITV 1 Central  ITV +1
11127 Channel 4 HD  4Seven
11334 has been on all of the time 

Some others have a Q of 34% and are showing "No Signal" or "Encrypted Channel" yet others at this and up to 50%+ are readable other with similar reading are not.


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## lebesset (Mar 10, 2014)

I also live in france 
but I understand that the BBC's remit is to broadcast to licence payers in the UK , and the new satellites they are now using have improved reception there 
why should they be concerned about whether or not people can receive their transmissions elsewhere ?


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## maxi77 (Mar 10, 2014)

lebesset said:


> I also live in france
> but I understand that the BBC's remit is to broadcast to licence payers in the UK , and the new satellites they are now using have improved reception there
> why should they be concerned about whether or not people can receive their transmissions elsewhere ?



But why is the UK the mean one in Europe when it comes to TV, I am presently in the Algarve and my German chum gets all his home channels on a 50cm dish, equally the French, Belgiums, Dutch Italians Danes etc all seem to have no difficulty getting home TV with not restriction or difficulty usually with much smaller dishes than we Brits need.


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## Deleted member 38556 (Mar 10, 2014)

In Southern Spain Almeria area (Mojacar ) 
Lost all UK channels three weeks ago 

Now a larger dish is required with a new payment  to receive 

One big rip off.


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## maxi77 (Mar 10, 2014)

I do believe the new UK beam will allow us nasty northerners to be able to use the same size dish those nice people in the deep south rather than the big ones we have needed in the past


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## witzend (Mar 10, 2014)

John Thompson said:


> This is the first we have been able to receive on our FTA box with Oyster 85cm dish since the big change over.  I will continue to post as we come north.  Due back in UK on 7th April



Thanks for this John this is the type of report I'd hoped we'd get to make a footprint of actual reception


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## Tow Itch (Mar 11, 2014)

I was part way through a long response (do I do any other) about various dubious practices by Sky News Corp Hacked ITV Digital Out of Business in the UK Pay-TV Wars (Updated) | Gizmodo UK Sky pays gasmen to spy on pubs (From York Press) asking who was honest and who were the thieves. I then relented and thought no if the guy pays for something that he doesn't need to because he believes it's right good on him. 
 Now I realise that infact you are conspiring with Digger who has no right to transmit the majority of his programme material to you.

 Living in a glass house it's hard for me to throw stones. I know not if it's morally superior that with XBMC content is being distributed by people who don't own a licence to distribute it but nobody makes any money out of it.  XBMC FAQ - XBMC

 The BBC not allowing non UK IP addresses to access iPlayer isn't about whether they have paid a licence fee or not but it relates to their licences to show vast portions of their material abroad. Not that it wouldn't be reasonable for the BBC to deny service to people who don't pay anything to them. World service must be worth a few quid a year and you get that for free.

 You were saying about not being able to get BBC iPlayer. Not being great on technology I gather the Sky anytime component is missing because of your geographical location.
iPlayer does not show quite a bit of content because of distribution license. 
You get live BBC channels courtesy of Sky. You could get it from various live TV providers on line (Off topic to the original post) or of course through the aforementioned XBMC.
 Now if you are bothered about the possibility of dubious programmes (I have never had any issues with XBMC) you will of course be very cautious about some of these services but you can use various web sites to geographically move your IP address or copy the page you wish to use and play it through a web proxy. Not a suggested provider just a brief explanation: Change IP Address Country Location
As these options aren't complex I assume there is a reason why you are not using them?

 My apologies at being off topic to the OP on satellite reception but it may be of use to some. I assume for some long term exiles then some mobile providers must provide an equivalent to 3's all you can eat data plan.


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## Deleted member 967 (Mar 11, 2014)

witzend said:


> Thanks for this John this is the type of report I'd hoped we'd get to make a footprint of actual reception



No Problem.  It makes sense if those of us moving around, post the actual hot and black spots

As I reported earlier the signal was starting to break up yesterday here and that continued last night with the picture being very pixelated and the sound squawky.

I do pay a UK TV licence, as this is required for the Motorhome in the UK, as we have no other residence.


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## Deleted member 967 (Mar 12, 2014)

John Thompson said:


> No Problem.  It makes sense if those of us moving around, post the actual hot and black spots
> 
> As I reported earlier the signal was starting to break up yesterday here and that continued last night with the picture being very pixelated and the sound squawky.
> 
> I do pay a UK TV licence, as this is required for the Motorhome in the UK, as we have no other residence.



The signal was back to solid last night.  I did notice that one of the ITV1+1 was from Tyne Tees region.  Nice to get the local news even if it is 2 hrs after broadcast at home.


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## Deleted member 967 (Mar 18, 2014)

We are now just 30km below Teruel and can get ITV solid on 11052 with a Q of 51% day or night.

BBC however is hit and miss, being strongest about noon on 10818 with a Q of 34% but very broken early in the morning and in the evening.  CH5 and CH4 were solid also at noon but also broken morning and evening.  This has been the position for two days.

Other useable transponders are 10906, 12051, 10964, 11127, 11344, 11426, 11343 and 11307  The latter 4 have been solid since switchover as far South as Almerimar

That is using an 85cm dish and a freesat box not SKY.


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## Byronic (Mar 18, 2014)

The smaller the footprint and the larger the dish required is OK by me and a number of others, should thin out the wild/free camping hordes here in the s. of Spain. Internet (proxy server)TV at a campsite, yep that sounds like a good solution to me....only thinking of numero uno of course 

Now if only the same fate befell the German satellite system then we'd really have wild/freecamping nirvana, just like the good ol' day .


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## witzend (Mar 26, 2014)

maxi77 said:


> But why is the UK the mean one in Europe when it comes to TV, I am presently in the Algarve and my German chum gets all his home channels on a 50cm dish, equally the French, Belgiums, Dutch Italians Danes etc all seem to have no difficulty getting home TV with not restriction or difficulty usually with much smaller dishes than we Brits need.



Do you know which Satellites your friends are using


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## Tezza33 (Mar 26, 2014)

witzend said:


> Do you know which Satellites your friends are using


Germans will be using 19.2E and the Italians/French/Dutch ect. will be using 13E, you will need a different satellite box to a Sky one, I use a 12v Dreambox 800HD but there are other cheaper ones


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## nomad-col (Mar 26, 2014)

Is it not that the BBC are trying to put an end to people FREELOADING just the same as many expats are trying to stop motorhomers from wildcamping in Spain


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## Kontiki (Mar 26, 2014)

There was a lot of adverts on the English speaking radio down in the south of Spain about the loss of the UK TV channels & about paying for a subscription to get the TV via the internet. Just seems that it is making a nice earner for somebody whilst depriving us UK licence holders of getting TV via satellite. Even saw in one of the local English newspapers they have here trying to get people to contact their MP if they were still a UK resident or if not get friends & family to campaign to get the TV back!!

The outcome will be people living permanently in Spain can easily & quite cheaply get around the changes to the satellites but us motorhomers who pay our UK TV licence will be deprived of it unless we want to get a large dish to lug around with us.

Personally we tend to tune in to the Spanish digital TV, it is possible to change the language to English on many of the programs if they were originally made in English. Also our main TV packed up when we were about a week into our trip so we only have a small 16" TV in the bedroom if we want to watch it. 

Managed to find the Qatar MotoGP live on Asttra 19, apart from the German commentary it was OK.


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## witzend (Apr 2, 2014)

*What I Got*

With 85cm disc and Maxview receiver going South. Nort sur Erdre good all channels, Fontenay le Comte good all channels, Monpazier breaking  reception and some channels missing but rainy weather,St Antonin Noble Val better reception but still channels missing, Autreive South of Toulouse All Gone Tried twice since still going south and no signals received. So trying other Satellites on 13 & 19 so should be well versed on world news soon


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## Deleted member 967 (Apr 10, 2014)

Update on our travels and UK TV reception 85cm disk and FTA receiver.

Villarreal Del Huerva  (near Teruel) - Some ITV channels receivable + CH4 and 5. No BBC
Olete - No signal dish wouldn't even lock to satellite.  Good clear view of sky without obstructions.
Capbreton - All channels receivable  (BBC ITV Ch4 CH5) 
St. Porchaire - All channels receivable
Saint-Germain de Marencennes - All channels receivable
Maillezais - All channels receivable
Vouvant - All channels receivable
Bouére - All channels receivable
Chalonnes-sur-Loire - Satellite would not lock on, however another UK van seemed to have locked on.  Could have just been my location and trees.
Saint-Pierre-Des-Nids - All channels receivable
L'Oudon – Le Billet - All channels receivable
Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Talle - All channels receivable
Fort-Mahon-Plage - All channels receivable
Calais Port - All channels receivable

So as far as I can see Spain around Valencia to Torrevieja is fine Q of 35 to 50 some ITV and others at times but no consistency, no BBC.  Some of the Spanish highland is OK but a bit hit and miss.   Over the border into France the signal becomes stable and of a Q of at least 70%


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## John H (Apr 10, 2014)

John Thompson said:


> Update on our travels and UK TV reception 85cm disk and FTA receiver.
> 
> Villarreal Del Huerva  (near Teruel) - Some ITV channels receivable + CH4 and 5. No BBC
> Olete - No signal dish wouldn't even lock to satellite.  Good clear view of sky without obstructions.
> ...



Thanks for that excellent summary, John. Do you know whether it is still possible to receive BBC radio stations via satellite in Spain?


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## maxi77 (Apr 10, 2014)

John H said:


> Thanks for that excellent summary, John. Do you know whether it is still possible to receive BBC radio stations via satellite in Spain?



Radio went the same way as the TV


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## Siimplyloco (Apr 10, 2014)

John H said:


> Thanks for that excellent summary, John. Do you know whether it is still possible to receive BBC radio stations via satellite in Spain?




All the UK BBC radio stations can be had for free on the BBC.co.uk website.
John


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## John H (Apr 10, 2014)

siimplyloco said:


> All the UK BBC radio stations can be had for free on the BBC.co.uk website.
> John



True but the problem with that is that, when I was in southern Spain in the winter 0f 2012/13, reception suffered from buffering. It was far easier to get the signal via satellite and, since the TV reception seems not to have altered very much, I wondered if radio was still available.


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## maxi77 (Apr 10, 2014)

siimplyloco said:


> All the UK BBC radio stations can be had for free on the BBC.co.uk website.
> John



But if you are overseas they are now blanking out some programmes for copyright reasons


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## Deleted member 967 (Apr 11, 2014)

maxi77 said:


> But if you are overseas they are now blanking out some programmes for copyright reasons



Web viewing is not practical if you are wilding over the winter and relying on poor/slow WiFi or limited date usage on a SIM.   We had only 100Mb a day on our Carrefour (Orange) SIM card.  Our UK Vodafone contract limited us to 25Mb a day roaming and then charged £3 per Mb excess usage.  This was for the additional £3 per day roaming charge.

The camperstops/Aires we visited had WiFi but it was very slow due to the number of other users.

We took a large holdall of DVDs to supplement.


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## John H (Apr 11, 2014)

John Thompson said:


> Web viewing is not practical if you are wilding over the winter and relying on poor/slow WiFi or limited date usage on a SIM.   We had only 100Mb a day on our Carrefour SIM card.
> 
> The camperstops/Aires we visited had WiFi but it was very slow due to the number of other users.
> 
> We took a large holdall of DVDs to supplement.



Any news about BBC radio channels via satellite in Spain?


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## maxi77 (Apr 11, 2014)

John H said:


> Any news about BBC radio channels via satellite in Spain?





??????????????????????????????


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## John H (Apr 11, 2014)

If that was the case, then I wouldn't have asked the question. The fact is that on an 85 cm dish it used to be possible to receive BBC radio but not BBC/ITV etc television when we were in Almeria. From John Thompson's post it would seem that the television coverage in Spain and France is not so very different to what it used to be. I therefore asked whether the same applied to radio.  Does anybody out there have an actual answer to this question?


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## Byronic (Apr 11, 2014)

The superceded  transponder footprint seemed to have localised Spanish hotspots where reception was possible in areas well outside the various footprint ranges where one might not have expected to receive a signal,the reverse was also true. The transponder transmitted 2 beams the North and the South on 2 differing frequencies, the LNB had to be skewed the appropriate angle. Sometimes people in fairly close proximity with like for like equipment would get opposite results.

The quality and sensitivity of the receiver, LNB, not only dish size all have a bearing on reception, as might be expected.

I found that getting truthful answers from some people was problematical. I was certain they weren't owning  up to getting very limited coverage, after an outlay of some £1800 on an Oyster System,I suppose there might have been a bit of embarressment. 

I can say that the domestic satellite installers for the Brit expat market in southern Spain are fitting 1300mm minimum size dishes, and mostly pushing Internet connection as the TV solution, that tells you something I guess.


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## John H (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm sorry but you misunderstand what I asked. My point was that in the winter of 2012/2013 I could, using my 85cm dish, get BBC radio but not television when in Almeria. John Thompson's excellent summary of the current situation regarding tv reception suggested to me that it was not much different to what it used to be - ie almost full coverage in France and northen Spain but nothing much south of Valencia. Since it seems that he is now getting a similar television coverage to what I got a year or so ago, I was asking whether radio coverage was still available on an 85cm dish in southern Spain. The answer to that question cannot be ascertained from reproducing maps or theoretical points - it needs someone who has experienced trying to tune in to give a yes or no answer. Failing that, I suppose I will just have to wait until I go there again next winter.


.


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## maxi77 (Apr 11, 2014)

John H said:


> I'm sorry but you misunderstand what I asked. My point was that in the winter of 2012/2013 I could, using my 85cm dish, get BBC radio but not television when in Almeria. John Thompson's excellent summary of the current situation regarding tv reception suggested to me that it was not much different to what it used to be - ie almost full coverage in France and northen Spain but nothing much south of Valencia. Since it seems that he is now getting a similar television coverage to what I got a year or so ago, I was asking whether radio coverage was still available on an 85cm dish in southern Spain. The answer to that question cannot be ascertained from reproducing maps or theoretical points - it needs someone who has experienced trying to tune in to give a yes or no answer. Failing that, I suppose I will just have to wait until I go there again next winter.
> 
> 
> .



And my answer which you ignored was that the radio went with the telly. your experience was most likely down to dish misalignment as alignment becomes tricky when you are on the edge. The guy I used to get to align my dishes had to work hard to get me STV rather than ITV London for example. In Portugal you cant get anything with a 1.5 dish and apparently they have tried 3 metres without any luck.

This lot seem to give genuine advice and info BBC, Sky, satellite & media news for Spain, Portugal and Western Europe. Astra 2E and Astra 2G news.


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## wints (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm in Benidorm and can't get BBC, ITV, CH4, CH5 etc on either my roof mounted 80 cm dish or my floor mounted 110cm dish.
The 80 cm dish lost the channels somewhere south of Brive, which was our last stop in France prior to going further south.
Last winter whilst in Benidorm the 110 cm dish got all the channels.
The 80 cm dish still appears to receive a strong signal whilst aligning the dish, I've got a pace 12 v receiver, and it shows well over 50% quality on the signal graph.  The epg loads up all the channels, but it's only the rubbish ones like shopping / auctions, old films, music videos, dating channels etc that you can receive.
None of the BBC radio stations listed on the epg can be received.  Some of the commercial staions on the epg can be heard.

The site we're on (LaToretta) has a good selection of brit tv channels coming through the services bollard, you just have to supply your own sat cable, and then remember how to perform a digital search on your tv.

regards
Allen


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## lebesset (Apr 11, 2014)

radio requires a lot less bandwidth that TV , so it is highly likely that you can get radio reception in some areas

eg there are areas where you can get free SD channels but HD channels break up or ar not viewable at all 

but , if you have an automatic system it would have to be able to lock on to the TV first ....I don't have such a system but would I be correct in thinking that they are set to seek a 2A or 2C southern frequency which are still largly receivable in southern spain albeit with Sky encrypted channels ?


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## Deleted member 967 (Apr 12, 2014)

Just to clear things up.

We were at Almerimar when the switch over took place.  We had lost Ch5 at Teruel on the way down.  We had had good reception on all other channels down to here however on change over we were left with: 
Information TV
Food Network
Food Network + 1
CBS Reality
Bloomberg
France Eng
CNC World
CBS Drama
on transponder 11344
True Movies and True Drama plus lots of selling and pop channels etc. on transponder 11307

We did not get any radio. However I have never been able to get them on this box.   I tuned to the transponder but nothing even in the UK.  I may be missing a trick somewhere.  The box is an EagleBox HD MINI not a SKY Box

When we go up to Cartagena we began to get some ITV on transponder 11052  This was very weather and cloud dependant.  It could also go pixelated and broken sound.

Torrevieja the ITV was solid when the sky was clear but lost with heavy cloud. No BBC


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## Siimplyloco (Apr 12, 2014)

wints said:


> The site we're on (LaToretta) has a good selection of brit tv channels coming through the services bollard, you just have to supply your own sat cable, and then remember how to perform a digital search on your tv.
> 
> regards
> Allen



Hi Allen. I can't PM you but as I'm in Raco perhaps I could call in and say hello sometime?
John


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

maxi77 said:


> And my answer which you ignored was that the radio went with the telly. your experience was most likely down to dish misalignment as alignment becomes tricky when you are on the edge. The guy I used to get to align my dishes had to work hard to get me STV rather than ITV London for example. In Portugal you cant get anything with a 1.5 dish and apparently they have tried 3 metres without any luck.
> 
> This lot seem to give genuine advice and info BBC, Sky, satellite & media news for Spain, Portugal and Western Europe. Astra 2E and Astra 2G news.




Do you have actual first-hand experience of that from southern Spain since the February changeover? And radio reception under the old satellite was not down to dish misalignment. The television/radio companies have always put out different channels at different strengths. For example, with a 85 cm satellite dish in Almeria, it was possible to get BBC News, BBC Parliament and for some bizarre reason, BBC Alba (the Gaelic service) and Channel 4 in Welsh but none of the main channels. It was also possible to get all BBC radio channels except Five Live. 

John Thompson - apparently the only other person on this thread with actual experience - reports that television reception with a roof-mounted 85 cm dish is very similar now to what it used to be. My question is simple. Does anyone know whether or not radio reception is similar to what it used to be? I know the theory, I have studied the maps - but, as anyone who has travelled Europe with a satellite dish will know, that information is a very loose guide to what may or may not be possible. The only definitive answer to my question can come from someone who has tried to get satellite radio reception in southern Spain with an 85cm dish since the changeover in February. So far, it seems there are few people on this thread with that experience (although Wint 's answer was quite helpful) so I guess I will just have to wait until I go back there next winter.


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

Concur with the above, the technological theory behind satellite transmission is no doubt an exact science. The practical appication at the consumer end is anything but.

Over 20 years ago I contemplated getting an Oyster set up, but was a bit sceptical about reception in southern Spain and Portugal with high hopes for Morocco, decided on a basic manual setup first..... based on advice  given by an "expert" at Maxview these were early days in sat TV reception, there were very few alternative sources of advice. He, "the expert" was wrong, the dish was too small, the Pace box not sufficiently sensitive, I found this out the hard way by actually attempting to use the set up in situ.

Lesson learned, this time I'll wait until the main body of opinion comes down on one set up guaranteed to work, or as near as dammit. In other words I'll let others try first. Unbelievable how many hours some people spend, in obtaining or attempting to obtain sat reception, and then find out all they can get even on an auto system is Sky News. often it's wildcampers on beautiful sunny days (trying to keep the leisure battery topped up) twitching the dish and tuning away indoors for hours:rolleyes2:   
.


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## lebesset (Apr 12, 2014)

I was  at javea since the change ,in fine weather .....someone parked near me was getting , on his manual 85 dish , only CNN and Sky news [ and some other odd channels I think ] but was getting BBC radio , maybe others but he didn't say


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

lebesset said:


> I was  at javea since the change ,in fine weather .....someone parked near me was getting , on his manual 85 dish , only CNN and Sky news [ and some other odd channels I think ] but was getting BBC radio , maybe others but he didn't say



Thanks - that was helpful. It is beginning to look as if what is possible now might not be so very different from what was possible before the changeover - which was the object of my question. If others could publish their recent experiences then we might be able to build up an accurate picture (pardon the pun!).

Some people on here have misunderstood the question. It is quite simple really - have you noticed any change in satellite radio reception in southern Spain since the changeover? The weather, the topography, the location and the time of day have always had an effect on reception - they are not relevant to this question. What I am asking is whether or not, all other things being equal, reception is significantly different now.


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## lebesset (Apr 12, 2014)

for technical reasons the signal strength has to have weakened in the area you are interested ...but is that the point ?
the question is ...will the strength still be sufficient to receive the radio programmes on your equipment ? the answer to that is ....to a greater extent than the freesat TV channels are ; that , as observed , is yet to be determined ; but for sure , it is not as in the days of 1N !

if it is important to you it is easily solved for 50p/day plus an internet radio , carrefour spain SIM in your smart phone , tether the radio to that by wifi ; you could even play it through your laptop


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

lebesset said:


> for technical reasons the signal strength has to have weakened in the area you are interested ...but is that the point ?
> the question is ...will the strength still be sufficient to receive the radio programmes on your equipment ? the answer to that is ....to a greater extent than the freesat TV channels are ; that , as observed , is yet to be determined ; but for sure , it is not as in the days of 1N !
> 
> if it is important to you it is easily solved for 50p/day plus an internet radio , carrefour spain SIM in your smart phone , tether the radio to that by wifi



Thanks. I have said above that internet radio is not as good because it tends to be slow and buffers a lot. If all else fails, it is better than nothing (and tv can be received on the internet via Filmon etc) but satellite is the best option if available - which is why I am interested in people's actual experiences since February.


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## kenspain (Apr 12, 2014)

John there was something on the Spanish TV news about trying to stop many Xpats from getting sky TV here now some friends of mine are having problems getting BBC here with a 2.4 dish if you look on Google under Spanish TV in think there is a lot on there about it :wave:


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## lebesset (Apr 12, 2014)

John H said:


> Thanks. I have said above that internet radio is not as good because it tends to be slow and buffers a lot. If all else fails, it is better than nothing (and tv can be received on the internet via Filmon etc) but satellite is the best option if available - which is why I am interested in people's actual experiences since February.



you have experienced buffering on internet radio ? I've certainly had the problem on any form of video , but not radio

maybe it depends on the radio , I have a new one awaiting my next trip to the uk so hope that is ok ; reason for that one is that it is supposed to run for 12 hours on the rechargable battery , and the battery is recharged by 12v DC !


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## Wooie1958 (Apr 12, 2014)

kenspain said:


> John there was something on the Spanish TV news about trying to stop many Xpats from getting sky TV here now some friends of mine are having problems getting BBC here with a 2.4 dish if you look on Google under Spanish TV in think there is a lot on there about it :wave:





One of these should help :-


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

John H said:


> Thanks. I have said above that internet radio is not as good because it tends to be slow and buffers a lot. If all else fails, it is better than nothing (and tv can be received on the internet via Filmon etc) but satellite is the best option if available - which is why I am interested in people's actual experiences since February.



By the time you get definitive responses that you "trust" you could probably learn Spanish and/or French, if you don't already speaka el lingo of course. Fortunately I am conversant with one of these languages, but perhaps not so fortunate when it happens to be Spanish. Spanish TV? dire is the word that comes to mind , however French TV is not much, if any better, or so I'm informed by the fmore fluent. Another option is Terrestial DVBT, Nitro can be picked up in many areas mostly English language American cop type progs and fims. Spanish stations often have dubbed English language films twiddling with the remote to delete subtitles brings up the English soundtrack. 

I tune in to NZ radio stations in Spain France etc. and if the wifi is slow most of the stations have a slower speed connection option to overcome buffering problems. I don't know if the BBC radio provide likewise?

BBC Radio 4 is still available on longwave. I receive it nearly everywhere in Spain and France, quality of reception varies greatly, mainly down to distance from source but mountains, buildings, other obstructions all have an effect.


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## wints (Apr 12, 2014)

siimplyloco said:


> Hi Allen. I can't PM you but as I'm in Raco perhaps I could call in and say hello sometime?
> John



Hi John, we're on pitch 26, and will be here till April 24 (ish), maybe longer, depends on how the night of the 23rd goes ???

It appears a few folk on here don't read all of the threads that are posted...*.here in Benidorm I definitely can't receive any bbc radio on my 110 cm dish, whereas last winter I could. *

 I can't get any bbc, itv, ch4, ch5.

regards
Allen


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## kenspain (Apr 12, 2014)

I thought that the idea of having a holiday was to get away from the rat race don't matter what country you come from i could never understand why any one sets in doors watching tv when on holiday, not wanting to upset anyone with this,:wave:


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## Siimplyloco (Apr 12, 2014)

wints said:


> Hi John, we're on pitch 26, and will be here till April 24 (ish), maybe longer, depends on how the night of the 23rd goes ???
> 
> It appears a few folk on here don't read all of the threads that are posted...*.here in Benidorm I definitely can't receive any bbc radio on my 110 cm dish, whereas last winter I could. *
> 
> ...



We're on 269. We'll have to put some more beer in the fridge....
My folding 70cm dish hasn't been out of its bag as it's pointless nowadays!
John


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

kenspain said:


> I thought that the idea of having a holiday was to get away from the rat race don't matter what country you come from i could never understand why any one sets in doors watching tv when on holiday, not wanting to upset anyone with this,:wave:



Some of those mid winter nights in Spain even in the best "hotspots" can be a bit parky and with dusk falling at 5:30pm it's no bad thing to have TV reception in addition to reading, radio, getting plastered, particularly when wilding somewhere somewhat isolated and long terming. Just a personal view, but put it this way I'd like to have the choice

It's another matter in the summer though, when on say, just a couple or three weeks holiday, I would then make every minute count in lieu of TV viewing, again a personal preference.


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

wints said:


> It appears a few folk on here don't read all of the threads that are posted...*.here in Benidorm I definitely can't receive any bbc radio on my 110 cm dish, whereas last winter I could. *



Yes -  I read that. And I read the other useful replies too. Clearly there has been a weakening of the signals but the overall effect, from what people have reported, seems to be that overall reception is not so very different to what it used to be - certainly not as bad as some people feared.

And Byronic - its not a matter of getting a definitive answer that I can "trust"; it is a matter of finding out from people's personal experiences whether the anticipated reduction in service has been as great as feared. From what has been posted so far it seems more likely than not that we can continue to listen to the Archers Omnibus throughout next winter (sad, aren't we???)


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

[No message]


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## lebesset (Apr 12, 2014)

I think motorhomers haven't yet fully realised that the footprint has large lobes so that reception is not dependant just on how far south you are , but where you are related to the lobes 
eg 
in southern france near the pyrenees residents who formerly got good reception on 80cm dishes now get only intermittant reception on 1.2 metres according to the weather 

in the barcelona area where 1 metre used to give good reception a 1.6 to 1.8 metres is required 

in javea where a 1.4 metre used to be the absolute minimum a well tuned 1 metre is now giving all channels after the change in good weather ...we didn't have any bad weather while I was there so I don't know what happens in that case  ; I am surprised to read of no reception in benidorm [ not one of my haunts ] on a 1.1 metre dish , especially for radio ; unless , of course , the poster is talking about a dish 1.1 metres high and 1 metre wide which performs as a 1 metre dish despite what is put in the adverts ; even so I would have expected a correctly tuned dish to bring in radio

finally , in france at least , for a given distance south the reception gets worse the further east you go 

I can't give eye witness reports further down the coast as I was late going south this winter and only got as far as murcia where I didn't meet up with other english people and discuss this 

oh , for the long wave brigade , the thermionic valves used in  the BBC equipment are no longer manufactured , so when the small stock they have is used it will be the end of the road for LW


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## WildThingsKev (Apr 12, 2014)

lebesset said:


> I think motorhomers haven't yet fully realised that the footprint has large lobes so that reception is not dependant just on how far south you are , but where you are related to the lobes
> eg
> in southern france near the pyrenees residents who formerly got good reception on 80cm dishes now get only intermittant reception on 1.2 metres according to the weather
> 
> ...



Agree, except that I think people will now find that SE France gets better reception than SW France.


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## maxi77 (Apr 12, 2014)

John H said:


> Yes -  I read that. And I read the other useful replies too. Clearly there has been a weakening of the signals but the overall effect, from what people have reported, seems to be that overall reception is not so very different to what it used to be - certainly not as bad as some people feared.
> 
> And Byronic - its not a matter of getting a definitive answer that I can "trust"; it is a matter of finding out from people's personal experiences whether the anticipated reduction in service has been as great as feared. From what has been posted so far it seems more likely than not that we can continue to listen to the Archers Omnibus throughout next winter (sad, aren't we???)



I can assure you that the lack of reception in much of Iberia is a reality, the suppliers of dishes to expats are now selling IPTV services as fast as they can, as I said try that madid companies websit for info


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

It appears that what may eventuate is a chioce between the lesser of 2 evils as is personally perceived, and that is (a) go for the satellite reception areas and probably overcrowded as a result, with a 2M dish to cover all eventualities, or (b) go for the no satellite reception areas, but probably no crowding, what a dilemma:sad:
To a degree this is what happened in the past. Such is the allure of Corrie and E.Enders.


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## lebesset (Apr 12, 2014)

kevina said:


> Agree, except that I think people will now find that SE France gets better reception than SW France.



why do you think that ?

it's where I rest my head and can assure you that what you say is not the case !


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

Well John H do you not think recent posts make my point succinctly. Satellites I tell you,they're the work of the Devil:sad:


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## WildThingsKev (Apr 12, 2014)

lebesset said:


> why do you think that ?
> 
> it's where I rest my head and can assure you that what you say is not the case !



I was receiving all freesat channels at 100% at La Plagne near Grenoble at the end of February with a 68cm dish.  This seems to be better reception than people have reported in the southwest of France with 85cm and larger dishes.

Kev


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

[No message]


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

maxi77 said:


> I can assure you that the lack of reception in much of Iberia is a reality, the suppliers of dishes to expats are now selling IPTV services as fast as they can, as I said try that madid companies websit for info



It has always been the case that the kind of dish that you can fit to a motorhome would not pick up the main television channels in southern Spain - thus things will not have got worse! My question related specifically to BBC radio reception, which used to be ok all over Spain. It appears that there may now be corners of the country where radio reception is not possible but I am cheered by the evidence that it is still possible in many parts of the south.

I am fully aware that expats are having to buy larger dishes (or maybe not get television reception at all). That was not the subject of my query. The kind of dish needed to receive television in Almeria was always well beyond what any sensible person would fit on a motorhome.


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

Byronic said:


> Well John H do you not think recent posts make my point succinctly. Satellites I tell you,they're the work of the Devil:sad:



Maybe so - but we're still addicted to the Archers! :lol-053:


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

All I can say W. is that TV programme personal preference is one of the best examples of subjective choice. No two individuals are ever likely to agree, mathematically the permutations possible on a list of programmes 50 long are astronomical. They may agree on a genre or two I suppose.

The BBC outsources much, but the production does have to meet their exacting? standards. I realise some will say the standards/quality bar isn't set high enough, was always thus, a few repeats from the good old days are sometimes testament to that. 

I believe the BBC even now set the standard by which others are measured even if it is via programmes produced by independents. That the BBC management and executives are overpaid despite the recent pay shakedown, finds no argument with most licence payers. It's my contention that the cameramen/directors/journalists, in other words the people at the coalface produce, in general, quality programmes. Indeed I suspect that many of those outsourced indie programmes would appear to be made by ex BBC employees trained up at Licence Payers expense. Rather like the publcly trained Doctors that end up working for the private sector, a saving to the private sector of £250000+ per quack.

Eastenders.... isn't that todays Shakespeare ?


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## John H (Apr 12, 2014)

I thought it wouldn't take long for you to squeeze your prejudices into a thread where they have no relevance! Of course, that nice Mr Murdoch allows his programmes to be watched on an 85cm dish in Spain - as does ITV and Channel 4 and Channel 5.......and all the other privately-owned television companies. 
 :lol-053:


This is not about who runs the BBC; it is about the reception available for all transmitters on the new satellite. But nice try!

Incidentally, the last time I over-wintered in southern Spain, the only radio channels from the UK that were available were from the BBC. Those nice commercial stations couldn't be received at all.


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## Byronic (Apr 12, 2014)

John H said:


> Maybe so - but we're still addicted to the Archers! :lol-053:



Definitely a very bad case of Toxophily!!


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## Tezza33 (Apr 12, 2014)

Byronic said:


> Definitely a very bad case of Toxophily!!


I think you can get tablets for that now


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## maxi77 (Apr 12, 2014)

John H said:


> I thought it wouldn't take long for you to squeeze your prejudices into a thread where they have no relevance! Of course, that nice Mr Murdoch allows his programmes to be watched on an 85cm dish in Spain - as does ITV and Channel 4 and Channel 5.......and all the other privately-owned television companies.
> :lol-053:
> 
> 
> ...



Sorry but it was the choice of the BBC and ITV. both of the satellites they use have a beam which covers southern Europe well and they very deliberately chose not to use it. It does piss me off to be parked up next to Germans and Frogs who get their full home TV catalogue with a 50cm dish whilst I get almost nothing with 1,4 metres. Not only that but the tinternet has been pretty poor since the change over as most people are trying to watch UK TV over the internet Yes you can still get Sky programmes and some others though it is rumoured that when the next satellite goes up Sky programmes and most others will follow BBC, ITV and channels 4 and 5.

The reality is that it is only UK expats and holiday makers who are denied by deliberate policy of the broadcasters the opportunity to view home TV. Typical of 'Nasty UK'.


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## lebesset (Apr 13, 2014)

I think a point that is overlooked is that people who live in other countries are gradually having to change to pay satellite 
 as a french speaker I enquired about getting french satellite reception only to find that I would have to subscribe to canal + ....can't you still get Sky TV in spain for the moment anyway ?

french satellite TV can be viewed over the border in spain ; uk satellite TV can be viewed over the border in france ...what's the difference?


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## John H (Apr 13, 2014)

[No message]


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## John H (Apr 13, 2014)

lebesset said:


> ..can't you still get Sky TV in spain for the moment anyway ?



Basically, with a large enough dish you can get everything. However, it is a bit difficult to fit a 2.4 metre dish to the top of my Hymer!


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## John H (Apr 13, 2014)

Got to you then, did I? :raofl:

PS if anyone can tell me the relevance of this to the thread then I will happily withdraw my previous comment. Otherwise, point proven, I think.


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## John H (Apr 13, 2014)

Not my sole aim - but I must admit it is fun! 

PS A grammatical point (I know you are keen on those): if you are "not bothering" with me any more, why do you ask me a question? A question implies an answer; an anticipated answer implies that it will be read; if it is read it implies there will be a response. 

PPS Another grammatical point: I did not ask for the support of others; I asked if anyone could explain the relevance of your point. "Anyone" includes you. I take it, therefore that not even you can justify the relevance. 

PPPS My apologies to anybody else who is still reading this - but he does ask for it!


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## Tezza33 (Apr 13, 2014)

No need to apologise, I only carried on reading it to see if somebody blames it on a dog walker or cyclist


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## Siimplyloco (Apr 13, 2014)

Classic thread degeneration into puerile ping pong....
John


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## barryd (Apr 13, 2014)

siimplyloco said:


> Classic thread degeneration into puerile ping pong....
> John



Yeah but there is nothing else to do on a Sunday afternoon.  Carry on.  Ill get some popcorn!


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## Krnwllms (Apr 13, 2014)

*In the south of france*

So  is it true, I can not get any channels with my oyster dish, it worked at the Milau , but not at argeles on the south. Please could some one let me know so I can stop my husband messing with the dish .
Thanks karen


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## barryd (Apr 13, 2014)

Krnwllms said:


> So  is it true, I can not get any channels with my oyster dish, it worked at the Milau , but not at argeles on the south. Please could some one let me know so I can stop my husband messing with the dish .
> Thanks karen



Yep it appears so.  There is a huge long thread about it on FACTS and it seems the very south of France is about as good as you will get if your lucky with the biggest motorhome dishes and its sporadic from the Dordogne downwards.  It may work in one location and 20 miles down the road it may not.

One member who has an 85cm dish on his house in the Lot had to jig it about a bit to get it working.

Its a shame but what can you do?

As soon as wifi and 4G becomes better and lower cost then eventually we will all be watching TV via the internet I reckon.  If the roaming rates are done away with next year which seems to be likely then that should be the start of things changing for us motorhomers.  We will probably in a few years look back and say "Remember when we all used to cart bloody great dishes around Europe to get the telly!"


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## Tezza33 (Apr 13, 2014)

I use premiumize me for downloads, it basically gives you premium access to lots of download sites but it also gives you a proxy service which you can set to anywhere you like, if I want to watch American TV that is not allowed here I set the proxy to USA, if I forget to change it back to the UK I can't watch iplayer or the ITV even when I am in the UK and in Europe I set the proxy to UK which allows me to watch anything, it costs €50 for a year but I think it is worth every penny, I don't subscribe to filefactory/rapidgator/hipfile etc

 any more so save money


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## John H (Apr 14, 2014)

All the main broadcasters block foreign IP addresses but there are plenty of proxy services (some free, such as filmon and some that charge a nominal amount) that enable live television to be watched via the internet wherever you are. However, as mentioned by several people above, buffering is a major problem here - and on a campsite where everybody is trying to watch Eastenders at the same time then speeds are not going to be very good!


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## barryd (Apr 14, 2014)

Wint (and everyone) go to FILMON TV FREE LIVE TV MOVIES AND SOCIAL TELEVISION (as already mentioned above) and you can watch live TV anywhere including BBC, ITV etc but as also mentioned you need to be on top of a good wifi connection or on a site thats not over subscribed on the wifi.  As I said, its the future.  When 4G is widespread and cheap thats what we will all be doing and no worries about Sat Range.  Anyone want a Camos Dome, going cheap?


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## Byronic (Apr 14, 2014)

John H said:


> All the main broadcasters block foreign IP addresses but there are plenty of proxy services (some free, such as filmon and some that charge a nominal amount) that enable live television to be watched via the internet wherever you are. However, as mentioned by several people above, buffering is a major problem here - and on a campsite where everybody is trying to watch Eastenders at the same time then speeds are not going to be very good!



Could record buffered content then playback, hopefully then smoothed out. 
I only wildcamp, therefore anecdotal only..... but I'm informed that campsite wifi operators are limiting daily downloads to overcome the strangulation problems, brought about mainly by excess TV use of course. 
Soaps should be transmitted @ 15fps anyway, the audience wouldn't notice the difference, it's hardly fast moving action, so I am informed, and the jerkiness would liven it up!!


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## John H (Apr 14, 2014)

Byronic said:


> Could record buffered content then playback, hopefully then smoothed out.



I never thought of that - but it requires forward planning and we don't watch that much television anyway! As long as I can get the Archers on Radio 4 I am happy


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## Byronic (Apr 14, 2014)

John H.....despite the gloomy news re. the  imminent demise of thermionic valves, I'll still replace the recently malfunctioning cab radio with a LW Band model. Kenwood make a reasonable version with FM/LW +USB connection audio out conn. etc. 
Although I've never tried myself, some bods reckon earthing the antenna directly to ground  improves the LW signal reception, in dry Spanish ground I think a few buckets of water poured around the probably rudimentary earth rod or scrap rebar would help.


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## John H (Apr 14, 2014)

Byronic said:


> John H.....despite the gloomy news re. the  imminent demise of thermionic valves, I'll still replace the recently malfunctioning cab radio with a LW Band model. Kenwood make a reasonable version with FM/LW +USB connection audio out conn. etc.
> Although I've never tried myself, some bods reckon earthing the antenna directly to ground  improves the LW signal reception, in dry Spanish ground I think a few buckets of water poured around the probably rudimentary earth rod or scrap rebar would help.




But since our LW reception of UK radio dies out half-way down France, I can't imagine that doing any of that would bring it back in Almeria!


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## Byronic (Apr 14, 2014)

barryd said:


> Wint (and everyone) go to FILMON TV FREE LIVE TV MOVIES AND SOCIAL TELEVISION (as already mentioned above) and you can watch live TV anywhere including BBC, ITV etc but as also mentioned you need to be on top of a good wifi connection or on a site thats not over subscribed on the wifi.  As I said, its the future.  When 4G is widespread and cheap thats what we will all be doing and no worries about Sat Range.  Anyone want a Camos Dome, going cheap?



Keep the Camos, turn it upside down point it at a strong satellite signal (probably German) you now have a microwave wok. A belated 1st of April suggestion, and I know perfectly well what I can do with it

When 4G is widespread "and cheap" you're not serious.......are you? I don't believe in eternal life!! 3G itself still isn't cheap really, just appears cheap compared to the exorbitant roll out rates and  roaming rates as the mobile networks clawed back(and still do) the 20 billion quid they gave to HM Gov. for 3G transmission rights.


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## Byronic (Apr 14, 2014)

John H said:


> But since our LW reception of UK radio dies out half-way down France, I can't imagine that doing any of that would bring it back in Almeria!



I get 198 LW in s. Spain and the Algarve and as I've stated in a previous post, a bit hit and miss, and sometimes only at certain hours of the day. I always give it a try. I guess your particular site spot in Almeria is a bit of miss rather than hit.


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