Direction for Astra 2

Reyman

I'm in Dublin and I just want to be clear on the exact bearing for the Astra 2 Satellite.

I know it says 28.2 E but I presume the pointing direction depends on where you are. Some of the guys say it's in the direction of the sun at 11.30 am but don't specify whether that's in summer or winter?

If I use a compass do I need to make a correction between the magnetic north bearing and the true north bearing?

Is the elevation around 22 degrees?

pjq

Its summer time , for me in the South East its +-11:00 .
I think that its easier to pick up the beeps and picture for Astra 1 at 19E , tune to ARD or ZDF . Once you have identified Astra 1 then look for Astra 2 which is slightly to the East .

Your dish will be faceing the horison ie. vertical , if possible set it up on the ground firstly so that you dont have to go up and down ladders checking cables etc. from a position where you can see the TV. With a bit of luck you can locate 19E by swiveling the dish on a piece of cardboard sat on the grass (dish +- vertical) .

pjq

Tony

dont get too hung up on the sun direction its just a guide.

Reyman

pjq wrote:

Your dish will be faceing the horison ie. vertical , if possible set it up on the ground firstly so that you dont have to go up and down ladders checking cables etc. from a position where you can see the TV. With a bit of luck you can locate 19E by swiveling the dish on a piece of cardboard sat on the grass (dish +- vertical) .

pjq

PJQ --- I can't make out what you mean here ! Thanks

Ger Roe

I know what PJQ is talking about - I did the same thing myself.

When I first unpacked the dish, I was swinging it about the place wildly, trying to get a signal. You have to actually receive something to know how small and critical the movements are and it's not worth setting up a permanent installation until you grasp that aspect.

Bring the system and a TV in to the garden and rest the dish bottom on the grass (with clear view to the sky). Point it roughly in the same direction as a nearby Sky dish with your own dish just about vertical (with bottom resting on grass). From there, move slowly left to right and up and down and see can you pull in a signal while the TV is selected on a channel on Astra 28.2 (BBC London for example). Use a menu display where you can also see signal strength / quality bar indication. Remember that there is approx one second delay before movements result in changes on the receiver, so take your time.

It's a bit of a black art, but it's easier (and safer) to try it out at ground level - purely to learn how critical the movements are.

Once you manage it, all will become clear.

Good luck.

Reyman

Thanks Ger. I get what you're saying - I should set it up in the garden first to get the hang of it .
The problem I have is there's lots of bushes and things around my garden at ground level.

Is there not a certain amount of tilt to hit the satellite and maybe avoid all the bushes?

Blaster99

If you swing from left to right, Astra 2 is the first satellite you'll come across. Get a basic sat signal meter, it will help immensely. You can get them on eBay for pocket change. When I set mine up, I also had an approximate compass bearing. Found it on a site somewhere. This is useful for sanity checking.

Ger Roe

Hi Reyman.

The tilt is not nearly as severe as you would imagine - dish is almost vertical when lined up. The sat is in a very high orbit and the signal hit's the dish from an almost overhead position and not face on to the dish as you might expect.

Pick a position that is as clear as possible and give it a go. I once had my dish directly facing a high wall about six feet away, but still got a signal because of the high angle that the beam hits the dish. I have also set up a portable system in the garden with the dish at ground level and back about 20 ft from the house.