No Sat Lock - Spain

[IanRJ]

Hi folks, newbie here first trip with this new MH, though experienced in Europe with a Caravan.

I have a Target sat dish with Maxview receiver, used fine in UK last month. Now down in Gerona and had hoped to get some reception, not necessarily UK channels but some Spanish TV.

The Maxview is pre programmed for 5 sats Astra 1,2 and 3, Hotbird13 and Thor, it’s playing to an Avtex tv. However seems the dish will not lock-in to any sat at all, just keeps hunting.

Loads of foreign vans have connection by the look of them so feel sure I should be able to get something.

This is the media pack that came with the Autotrail Delaware, the manuals are either rubbish of don’t exist, so it’s all a bit hit and miss.

Could some more experienced funsters clarify :

Is it necessary for the tv to be tuned to one of the says before the receiver will lock on to one, or are they independant?
Is there something I can do to force the dish to lock a specific sat?

Any advise would be welcome and appreciated.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Allanm]

You’ll probably find the foreign vans are using Astra 1 or Hotbird 13 to receive their programmes, but they may also be using a smartcard in their receivers. We have a TNT smartcard that allows us to receive French TV if we are desperate!
However, you should get a lock on one of those satellites, depending on the size of your dish and sensitivity of your receiver.

If the dish can see the sat, it will lock on without the tv being tuned in. They are independent.

 

[IanRJ]

Thanks Allan. Seems the dish simply does.nt see the sat, doesn’t even stop, regardless of which sat I’m searching for.

Back to streaming then lol.

 

[Satandpcguy]

There are only about 3 or 4 Spanish TV channels available for free on satellites. All are under the pay wall.
If you want Spanish, then in most cases a tv aerial will do, and will be able to receive the Spanish equivalent of freeview, 40 Spanish digital channels for free.

 

[IanRJ]

Thanks (Sat and pc guy). Unfortunately I don’t have an aerial, and though I’m not wedded to Spanish either, figured that would be the best available. I had understood there were lots of FTA sat channels across those available in northern Spain, but since I can’t get a lock on anything it’s all moot!

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[Jaws]

Thanks (Sat and pc guy). Unfortunately I don’t have an aerial, and though I’m not wedded to Spanish either, figured that would be the best available. I had understood there were lots of FTA sat channels across those available in northern Spain, but since I can’t get a lock on anything it’s all moot!

As a starter you really need to confirm the basic set up is still working ok
You do not say where in Spain you are, but find somewhere that does sat stuff and get a cheapy meter and connecting lead. Alternately ask fellow campers if they have one you can borrow
Plug it in and set the dish to search.
Watch the meter... it should show signs of life very briefly as the dish does its thing.. That will show you all is well and you can start looking for other issues, such as skew etc

You do not say what size the dish is, and that would give an indication of what you can expect to receive, but even a 40cm dish SHOULD be good for hotbird or Astra1

 

[IanRJ]

Jaws, thanks for your comments.

I’m in Gerona at the moment, had the same issue in Carnac, La Rochelle and Zaragoza too, just thought it was lack of available sats, but here there are lots of foreign vans getting reception.

Not sure if I should be adjusting skew to try and get Hotbird, based on the fact it was only really set up for uk by the dealer?

My dish is 65cm I believe (without climbing the roof to measure it), I’ll see if I can get a meter on route to Salou tomorrow.

Also going to pick up an amplified external aerial if I can find a caravan shop enroute.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Jaws]

Jaws, thanks for your comments.

I’m in Gerona at the moment, had the same issue in Carnac, La Rochelle and Zaragoza too, just thought it was lack of available sats, but here there are lots of foreign vans getting reception.

Not sure if I should be adjusting skew to try and get Hotbird, based on the fact it was only really set up for uk by the dealer?

My dish is 65cm I believe (without climbing the roof to measure it), I’ll see if I can get a meter on route to Salou tomorrow.

Also going to pick up an amplified external aerial if I can find a caravan shop enroute.

Cheers

Ian

Looking at the LNB,
is it straight ( withe the connector at the very bottom ) ?
If it is, giving it about a 10 degree skew would certainly help.. just look at other set ups around you and copy them.
I set mine and have left it as is .. the signals are so strong in the UK it makes no real difference, but in a weak signal situation it is possible it will be the difference between something and nowt

 

[Jaws]

BTW, adjusting the skew is easy,, simply loosen the LNB clamp, twist LNB where you want it, and reclamp

 

[IanRJ]

Yes the LNB is pretty square to the bracket. Maxview have suggested that I leave the dish scanning for up to 15 mins, I had thought 4 or 5 cycles should have done it but apparently it will just self park if nothing is found after that.

All else fails I’ll try it again in another location, then take the steps suggested by you experts!

Thanks all

Ian

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[DBK]

Jaws, thanks for your comments.

I’m in Gerona at the moment, had the same issue in Carnac, La Rochelle and Zaragoza too, just thought it was lack of available sats, but here there are lots of foreign vans getting reception.

Not sure if I should be adjusting skew to try and get Hotbird, based on the fact it was only really set up for uk by the dealer?

My dish is 65cm I believe (without climbing the roof to measure it), I’ll see if I can get a meter on route to Salou tomorrow.

Also going to pick up an amplified external aerial if I can find a caravan shop enroute.

Cheers

Ian

If you couldn't get a signal at Carnac I doubt the problem has anything to do with skew. You should have no problem getting BBC in Brittany it's not far from Cornwall.

Are you certain your dish can see the satellites? The sky needs to be clear to the south east and about thirty degrees up with no trees in the way.

 

[Neil S]

Jaws, thanks for your comments.

I’m in Gerona at the moment, had the same issue in Carnac, La Rochelle and Zaragoza too, just thought it was lack of available sats, but here there are lots of foreign vans getting reception.

Not sure if I should be adjusting skew to try and get Hotbird, based on the fact it was only really set up for uk by the dealer?

My dish is 65cm I believe (without climbing the roof to measure it), I’ll see if I can get a meter on route to Salou tomorrow.

Also going to pick up an amplified external aerial if I can find a caravan shop enroute.

Cheers

Ian

we are just back from Spain with our caravan which has a 65cm twin LNB Maxview Seeker and it locked on to Astra 2 without any problem at the following locations
Crevillente
Madrid
Zaragoza
Haro
Using the Avtex Tv with its built in Sat Decoder could only receive a few news channels and
Pick TV , Challenge , Smithsonian documentary and a few other channels like Retro movies
Your Dish should be locking on to Pan European Beam via Astra 2
only other reason could be the Maview Dish may requires a software update depending on its age which is easy to do with via a USB stick

 

[IanRJ]

Thanks Niel S. I’ll try again from Salou tomorrow.

 

[IanRJ]

Salou an hour ago and locked on to Astra 2 immediately.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Ian

 

[Hymer Life]

Does anyone know if BBC is available on Astra 2? I thought it was but although I'm locked on, no BBC channels are present (Sky News works fine so no issue with the system

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[Sheddy]

Does anyone know if BBC is available on Astra 2? I thought it was but although I'm locked on, no BBC channels are present (Sky News works fine so no issue with the system

Where are you? and size of dish?
Cheers
Ed

 

[Satandpcguy]

Does anyone know if BBC is available on Astra 2? I thought it was but although I'm locked on, no BBC channels are present (Sky News works fine so no issue with the system

Yes, BBC channels are still on Astra 2, and have been since they launched of digital satellite uk tv back in 1998.
Although as this thread is entitled "No Sat Lock - Spain" reception of those channels depends on where you are in Spain and what sized dish you have, as reception of those channels varies so much in Spain, the dish sizes require range from 80cm to 4m...

 

[Hymer Life]

Where are you? and size of dish?
Cheers
Ed

50KM south of Alicante with an Oyster 85cm (I think) dish

 

[Satandpcguy]

50KM south of Alicante with an Oyster 85cm (I think) dish

Very unlikely you will get the UK beam channels (bbc, itv c4, fives, uktv, Discovery sd (quest)) that far south on a dish that size...and if you o it will not be a stable signal, and needs the dish to be aligned 120% correctly, with a very good lnb, and 120% skew accuracy, and even then it will not pick up all the channels...

 

[Sheddy]

A map of reported dish size for Freesat reception

Cheers,
Ed

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[Satandpcguy]

A map of reported dish size for Freesat reception

Or to be more accurate, a map of reported dish sizes for reception of channels on the uk beam on one of the three uk tv satellites..... as some channels on Freesat can be received on a 80cm dish in that area, ie those on the European beam... and sometime even the Freesat data stream (on the uk beam) can be received better than some of the actual channels on Freesat...

(and here is the full interactive map for the uk beam on Astra 2e : https://www.satandpcguy.com/uk-tv-a...e/astra-2e-satellite-reception-reports-spain/ )

 

[Hymer Life]

Thanks for your help guys, great info.

I watched BBC on my iPad instead; maybe it's time to strip this Oyster system out

 

[DBK]

Or to be more accurate, a map of reported dish sizes for reception of channels on the uk beam on one of the three uk tv satellites..... as some channels on Freesat can be received on a 80cm dish in that area, ie those on the European beam... and sometime even the Freesat data stream (on the uk beam) can be received better than some of the actual channels on Freesat...

(and here is the full interactive map for the uk beam on Astra 2e : https://www.satandpcguy.com/uk-tv-a...e/astra-2e-satellite-reception-reports-spain/ )

Thank you, a really useful map link. As I noted you don't have any reports from Corsica I can say we had no signal from the very northern tip of Corsica, Cap Corse. We had earlier had good BBC reception at Montgenevre in south west France so our system works . Crank up Max View dish.