Setting up the Lidl Satellite System: For Beginners

boardy

Ok, so we're newbies to setting up a satellite system. Hopefully, by setting up a new thread, we can get help setting up our systems and avoid intruding on the other Satellite posts.

Question 1: I've everything connected but I'm getting 0% signal. Granted, I'm holding the dish out the window facing at what I think is 28.2 degees south for Astra 2, and there's no obstruction ahead of me. Shouldn't I at least get some sort of signal by moving it about. I know to keep it in the one position for a while before moving it again. Am I being too imprecise? Is the Sat-Finder that came with the system required to pin-point the satellite? At the moment, I am just using a portable TV looking for signals.

KTRIC

I'm getting one of these this evening, was just wondering is the finder device the same as the one the are selling seperatly for 11.99 ??

DjDangerousDave

Get onto that roof you slacker! 10 Mins and im driving at top speed to get home to install mine. You are going to have to point it South East anyway, so im going to start by putting the mounting bracket on the wall in that direction.

You need to sort out the inclination of the dish too. I think about 28 deg abouve the horizon is where u need to be pointing the thing. maybe thats why ur getting nothing.

DjDangerousDave

K-TRIC wrote:

I'm getting one of these this evening, was just wondering is the finder device the same as the one the are selling seperatly for 11.99 ??

LOL, will i tell him or will i leave it to someone else. They are sold out since 9am.

Tony

You really need to fix the dish on the mount and make very small changes in direction and elevation before you get a signal.

boardy

There's only one problem with me getting on the roof: I may be able to get up there, but the only way down would involve a call to the fire brigade.

I wish there were an idiot's guide to setting this stuff up. If I point the dish to the South East, there should be at least some signal (even 1%). But I'm getting didley squat. I even rewired the coaxial connections to make sure that the LNB is getting power.

swoofer

if it was that easy there would be no installers, u dont say what size dish, 60cm is a must for ireland, u can use smaller but it is even harder to find the sats.

the guide is

1. fix dish on pole that is 90% perpendicular. it has to be straight, if not u are blowing in the wind.

2. ensure lnb is fixed correctly.

3. set the elevation angle, for sky is is quite upright, look at dishes nearby.

4. have a compass, find due south - 8%w.

5. move dish to 28%e using compass.

6. have sat meter plugged in

7. move dish back and forth / up/down very slowly.

good luck

boardy

Thanks for the input GB.

The dish size is 57cm, which is the standard that came with the Lidl system.

By the way, for those who purchased this system today, did the included Sat-Finder come with a cable? Because I had to cut a piece from the long coaxial cable and try to slot one end into the LNB and the other into the Sat-Finder as they didn't supply extra coaxial connectors either. Is this cable suppose to supply power to the LNB?

Lidl were also selling an LED Sat-Finder for around 12 Euros - maybe I should have bought that one.

DjDangerousDave

Im getting an average of 65% signal strength on Astra B1 @ 19.2E and im recieving MTV2 POP Grand.

Astra 28 East says i have a signal of about 60% too, but im sure this cant be correct. This is happening when i turn to BBC1 on the reciever.

Would astra 28 east be better?

Dave.

DjDangerousDave

boardy wrote:

Thanks for the input GB.

The dish size is 57cm, which is the standard that came with the Lidl system.

By the way, for those who purchased this system today, did the included Sat-Finder come with a cable? Because I had to cut a piece from the long coaxial cable and try to slot one end into the LNB and the other into the Sat-Finder as they didn't supply extra coaxial connectors either. Is this cable suppose to supply power to the LNB?

Lidl were also selling an LED Sat-Finder for around 12 Euros - maybe I should have bought that one.

I used another cable to connect it up. none supplied.

Chong

Does anyone what the going rate for getting a technician to install the dish.

The Muppet

WDK wrote:

Does anyone what the going rate for getting a technician to install the dish.

Probably more than you paid for the system. It's straigh forward to set it up. If there are any sky dishes near you point it in the general directtion they are pointing. Connect up the reciever and power it on with the sat finder in line. and the slowly move the dish until the beep from the finder is loudest and you should be on a sattelite. If its not the one you want continue to do this until you find the one you want.

Chong

Well I have all the brackets connectors and cable, I bought my dish in Maplins. I have done everything possible I have spent 4 bleeding hours at it.

The Muppet

WDK wrote:

Well I have all the brackets connectors and cable, I bought my dish in Maplins. I have done everything possible I have spent 4 bleeding hours at it.

Where are you based ?

Chong

I can get installed for 45 euro which is not bad.

deadl0ck

So, is Astra 2 the best Satellite to point at for general English programs and movies ?

Tony

deadl0ck wrote:

So, is Astra 2 the best Satellite to point at for general English programs and movies ?

look up www.lyngsat.com and decide for yourself

deadl0ck

OK - looks like there are three Astra 2 sat feeds all on 28.2 degrees: 2A, 2B and 2D

Does this mean I can get all three of these feeds ?

DjDangerousDave

are u using one of the lidl boxs deadl0ck? if so, when u point it at 28.2 you will get all the bbc stuff and all the stations that are tuned into 617 > 680 on the box. I had mine on the 19 E astra 1B and you get a lot of european stuff, u get german eurosport and bbc world service, cnn, cnn europe, euro news, and a few good music stations sky news too. I also had it pointed at hot bird and there was a lot of european stuff also, i did not really see anything of intrest. but it may be worth a look. ur best bet is to try out the different sats and decide for urself. im going to point mine at astra 19E. i hope all this info is correct im just remember it off the top of my head from lastnight.

Tony

deadl0ck wrote:

OK - looks like there are three Astra 2 sat feeds all on 28.2 degrees: 2A, 2B and 2D

Does this mean I can get all three of these feeds ?

Yes of course as well as eurobird

deadl0ck

Yep - it's one of the Lidl systems.

I got it for my parents as a surprise, as they live in the arsehole of nowhere and have only an Ariel (RTE1, RTE2, TG4, TV3 and bad reception of BBC1, BBC2 UTV and Channel 4). I won't get a chance to set it up until sometime next week when I'm down there so I'm trying to get as much advance info as possible.

Looks like Astra is the way to go for programs for them.

On the lyngsat page, will I be able to view any channel (on my selcted satellite, of course) that has an "F" in the Video Encryption Coulmn (I'm assuming this means free) ?

boardy

I got my lidl system all sorted. It's up and running fine now.

Here's a few tips:

Use the supplied Sat-Finder, making sure that you plug it into the dish side (and not on the receiver end)

It's ok to actually hold the dish and try and find the satellite. Then you will be able to get a rough marker for when you are putting it on the bracket. I didn't have to put the dish on the roof - it's at a convenient location at the back of my house

I used a portable television to help me fine-tune the signal

Make sure that the channel on the TV (receiver) is set to the satellite that you are aiming for e.g. Channel 617 (and up) for Astra 2 (It sounds obvious but as a newbie, I wasn't doing this and wasted time)

I think my biggest problem was with the LNB. As it can be secured on a number of positions on the holder, I moved it all the way to the end (away from the dish) and then tightened it. That seemed to have solved the problem that I was having (no signal).

And finally, use the helpful information provided in these posts as I wouldn't have been able to complete this little project without it

Cheers Lads.

boardy

And one more thing .......

It ain't all that difficult.

Drag00n79

deadl0ck wrote:

I got it for my parents as a surprise, as they live in the arsehole of nowhere and have only an Ariel (RTE1, RTE2, TG4, TV3 and bad reception of BBC1, BBC2 UTV and Channel 4). I won't get a chance to set it up until sometime next week when I'm down there so I'm trying to get as much advance info as possible.

Deadl0ck, you might be better off with a digibox and a UK Free to View card. Perfect reception of the ITV regions, Channel 4 and Five as well as getting your BBCs free to air.

deadl0ck

I'll see how I get on with this first. My parents are happy enough with the 8 channels and reception they have, so any extra channels with half decent programmes and films and they'd be delighted.

Pataman

Where can I get one I have tried a few Lidl's and they are all sold out!

Chong

Afternoon all I decided to tackle my dish again today. I got a lend of a compass of neigbour and set too it. After 2 hours I finally got Astra 19.2, I am ecstatic plus there is an added bonis of not having to pay for someone to install it.

Just keep it at cause its hard without a sat finder.

Best Luck

deadl0ck

boardy, exactaly what channels have you got on the system so ?

alanceltic

Was lucky enough (or unlucky enough haha) to get one of the lidl dishes and duly slapped it up on my house the following day and pointed it in the general direction of my neigbours sky dish. Using the sat finder I manage to find a decent reception but when I went to view the channels they are all in german!!! It seems to be pointed at the astra sat 1B 19.2E. What im looking for is the english channels which seem to be programmed on numbers 617 onwards. Do I need to re-direct me dish slightly further east, and if so do I also need to adjust the upwards/downwards angle too??? What is puzzling me is that if i click the info button on one of the Astra28EAST channels (Eg BBC1 London Channel 617) the system is saying that the signal is at 86% and the quality is at 70% (same as they are for ASTRA SAT1B (eg channel 1) but im not getting any picture........ Someone please advise me if i need to re-adjust the dish before I trundle back up on my roof because im puzzled why im picking up a signal on ASTRA28EAST but no picture. Any advice would be HUGELY appreciated,

Cheers

Al

Jenny_H

I need advise on tuning in the Lidl Satellite Dish. We have spent 4 to 5 hours att his since we got it and still haven't managed to pick up anything.

Can anyone help with following?

How do you use the sat finder -the higher the tone the better? or the lower the tone?

Will you get a picture while the sat finder is connected?

What does 28 East mean? Is is 28 on the compass or 28 degrees from the East?

We're based near Limerick - can anyone tell me what position the dish should face (tilt upwards/downwards)?
Do we have to tune anything on the receiver or will we automatically pick up something once the positioning is correct?

Finally (I think) does it matter which position on the LNB we connect to for single use?

Is ther anything else we need to watch out for?

Sorry for all the questions but we are desperate at this stage.

Chong

1) Higher the tone the better.

2) No you wont get a pic while the sat finder is connected.

3) If there is any Sky Digital erected dishes in your area try and judge by them. Also its 28.2 Degrees South East . Must have is a compass.

4) Most channels come pre installed plus should have the slightest of tilts.

Note the compass is vital!!!