No HD channels in SW France?

[Rodders53]

But ALL HD channels missing??? (If that's an accurate statement, as in my reckoning "all others are fine" would include the SD ones on a shared transponder - eg the Channel 5 bouquet)?

I know nothing of Samsung TV sat tuners - is it possible to accidentally by 'finger trouble' delete all the HD channels somehow? Is this 7 series a true freesat-approved type?

That's a lot of different transponders and probably on more than one spacecraft - so one moving to an edge of box position seem even less likely a cause, to me.

 

[MCR01]

OK, I've checked every channel again; with clear blue skies the majority of HD channels are still missing, but the following have about half, or less, signal strength (as indicated on the Samsung TV): -
105 Channel 5 HD
120 S4C HD
167 Quest HD

Does this give any more clue as to what is happening, thanks.

 

[graham34]

I've got the same issue as MCR01 and am also in France west of Montpellier.

All I can add is that in the past (5 to 10 years ago) the Astra satellites repositioned in the spring, apparently to give a stronger beam to other geographic areas. This also produced a drop in signal strength for many channels.

 

[Rodders53]

OK, I've checked every channel again; with clear blue skies the majority of HD channels are still missing, but the following have about half, or less, signal strength (as indicated on the Samsung TV): -
105 Channel 5 HD 11307 H -S QPSK 27500 2/3
120 S4C HD 11426 V -S2 QPSK 29500 8/9
167 Quest HD ^^^ as above

Does this give any more clue as to what is happening, thanks.

Not really.

Two of those are on the same transponder. Both Tps are LO band.

Do you have a Foxsat-HDR?? Why are you not quoting figures from that rather than this TV?

What does LCN 999 the Home Transponder 11425 H report?
159, Yesterday SD on 12129 V (Hi band)?
202, Sky News on 11836 H ?

I've got the same issue as MCR01 and am also in France west of Montpellier.

All I can add is that in the past (5 to 10 years ago) the Astra satellites repositioned in the spring, apparently to give a stronger beam to other geographic areas. This also produced a drop in signal strength for many channels.

So probably another inadequately sized dish? Insufficient gain for the out of area reception wanted?

Remember the BBC (and other UK broadcasters) have chosen spot beams from Astra as a way to limit overspill into other countries as a matter of International Copy Rights protection.

Any minor spacecraft repositioning by SES / Astra should make very little coverage changes. They don't burn fuel unnecessarily though (it reduces the life of the satellite) so will only move when it's essential and I'd doubt it to be a routine thing in the Spring.

 

[MikeSh]

I'd doubt it to be a routine thing in the Spring.

Although each turn around the sun may produce a predictable gravitational effect, so they need to tweak the birds annually. Spring might just be when they do it.

so one moving to an edge of box position seem even less likely a cause, to me.

But if it's one of the outer ones (I think there are 3 in the Astra group) it could be on the edge of the dish acceptance angle.

 

[MCR01]

To answer Rodders53 I do have a Foxsat-HDR.
But I just don't know how to get the data you mention: I will look at the Foxsat manual and see if it makes sense to me.
Thanks again.

 

[graham34]

I've improved things a bit with some manual dish adjustments - first for a few years. Bigger dish not an option as it's roof mounted and wind is an issue (as it has been the last three days). Fortunately I have access to it.

If it doesn't work out then we'll have to subscribe to a VPN.

 

[Rodders53]

To answer Rodders53 I do have a Foxsat-HDR.
But I just don't know how to get the data you mention: I will look at the Foxsat manual and see if it makes sense to me.
Thanks again.

Manual section 10.1 page 55.

First tune to the channel you want to check (101, 999, 159 etc.,.)

10.1 Diagnostic
You can view system status information.
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Select System and press the OK button.
3. Select Diagnostics and press the OK button.
4. The system status information will be displayed

Exit out of that.
Change channel you are viewing and repeat.
(It's easier than it sounds typed out like that)

The diagnostic meter shows info for the channel being watched/tuned. I don't think you can access it if a recording is in progress (from memory).

 

[MCR01]

Thanks, sounds simple enough, I'll try it.

 

[MCR01]

To answer Rodgers53 post above.
Foxsat-HDR
Software version HPRSFCI 1.00.21
Loader version U 7.54
Using the Foxsat-HDR Diagnostics I have: -

999 Tuner1 11426,H,27500,2/3 and TUNER 2 11462,H,27500,2/3
T1 Strength 85%, Qual 40%
T2 Strength 80%, Qual 50%

159 Tuner1 12129,V,27500,5/6 and TUNER 2 12129,V,27500,5/6
T1 Strength & Qual both zero
T2 Strength & Qual both zero

202 Tuner1 12070,H,27500,5/6 and TUNER 2 12070,H,27500,5/6
T1 Strength 90%, Qual 100%
T2 Strength 85%, Qual 100%

Channels 101 to 104 inclusive: Strength zero data, Quality zero data

SD channels as before
Does this help? Many thanks.

 

[Rodders53]

Really need some more tests of any working frequencies on the Humax. Both tuners give very similar numbers usually and no need to document both, nor type out the parameters in future measurements.

159 = Hi V doesn't work (possibly?)
202 = Hi H does work (and quite well, too).
along with the TV readings of 105 and 120/167:

Overall to me that suggests that all 4 modes of the LNB do work though. Checking other frequencies to confirm should not be onerous.

999 numbers suggests that some dish 'tweaking' for better quality numbers may be required? LNB Skew, perhaps as per prpr's suggestion?

What postcode? Or BBC / ITV region do you usually have? (For Tp frequencies of the 101, 102, 103 and 104 you can't get)? C4 has also become regionalised and moved to 104 from 126.

Do you get any reception on any channels if you skip down from 999 towards 950 where the BBC regions are, and ITV London too, I think still?

How long are the cables and what type of cable? (for cable Loss calculations).

 

[MCR01]

Simple stuff first: Cable is <15m long; white, sourced locally. Brico or similar, (certainly wasn't bought as a special "low loss" cable), now 15+ years old; Cable markings: none. LNB is about 4 years old.

981 - 950 All zero except 977 which is 80/60% and 968 which is 85/40% with severe picture break-up.

I use SG6 4TS (Letchworth, Herts) as postcode entry.

Skew was set correctly on installation.

Will 'tweak'dish in a week or so; thanks again for the help.

 

[graham34]

MCR01 it may help that we (in a marginal reception area) are finding great variability in the signal. At the moment, 8am UK time, BBC HD channels give 90% strength and 70% quality. Last night it was no signal. On Tuesday evening a recording 9pm to 10pm started very heavily pixelated but by the end had a perfect picture. Clear sky and no wind the whole time.

So if you're going to have a go at dish tweaking then perhaps first thing in the morning could be a good time?

 

[sine24]

So if you're going to have a go at dish tweaking then perhaps first thing in the morning could be a good time?

Or best of all you could try the next dish size up.

 

[winos]

Thanks for all that information.
"Last week" seems clear enough, no? It was working last week (before 24th April 2023) now it isn't. This is the same timeframe for my neighbour too.
Thanks again, will check the obvious and report back.

Also in SW France but maybe a little further north, All our channels except 103, 113, 115 are now working fine, the missing channels are repeated further down so no loss.
Even the TV guide on my phone shows those channels as not available.

 

[winos]

update on previous comment,
"Also in SW France but maybe a little further north,"
Missing channels re-appeared last night. All now working as normal.

 

[MikeSh]

Just been reading about the severe drought developing in this area which makes me wonder if it's a weather effect. Terrestrial transmissions are sometimes thrown out by certain conditions.

 

[Rodders53]

Just been reading about the severe drought developing in this area which makes me wonder if it's a weather effect. Terrestrial transmissions are sometimes thrown out by certain conditions.

Terrestrial is affected under certain weather conditions due to enhanced propagation (distant transmitters seen that aren't normally); sometimes caused by signals 'bouncing' off the atmosphere. THAT can't happen with a dish pointing into space.

Certain times of year you will get sun outages... when that big hot thing in the sky is directly behind the satellite cluster the dish points at and causes interference (noise). Twice a year for a short time (up to 15 minutes) over say 10 days, probably with $ky minidishes... Bigger dishes should suffer shorter interference/outage times (and fewer days)?

Low-pointing dishes may see heat haze type signal diffraction effects (but low pointing dishes are much further North than France)? {At the equator non-offset dishes will point straight up at the sky.}

 

[prpr]

At the equator non-offset dishes will point straight up at the sky.

Only if at the same longitude as the satellite. Others will just be at a different elevation and the same azimuth until you go over the top when you have to turn it by 180 degrees effectively.

 

[MikeSh]

THAT can't happen with a dish pointing into space.

Not quite true as the dish is pointing at an angle such that there is more atmosphere in the way than an equatorial dish would have. My spherical trigonometry is very rusty but the 50°ish latitude plus the 28° easting means the path must be only about 40-45° above the horizon.
Heavy rain, etc, can affect it, so I wasn't going to discount other phenomena, however unlikely.