We are off to France in a couple of weeks and just decided we would like to watch english television now and again. We have an Avtex Television with built in decoder. What satellite dish would be the best to get?
We don't want an expensive automatic system just one that works and is easy to set up.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
We also have a great choice of kit with options for ready to go Easyfind flat dish systems along with DIY and suitcase type kits.
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You Avtex will have a technology called "Easy-Find" built into its decoder and this is worth exploiting. Basically on the LNB is an LED that operates as a traffic light so guiding you when finding the "right" satellite.
So I would buy a dish plus specifically an "Easy-Find" LNB.
As Francais has stated the dish size you will need depends on where you are going but don't over egg things in that the bulkier the dish then the greater the issues stowing it will be. Again purely in de hassling stowage I like the Triax range of dishes with folding arms.
I find my 54 CM Triax dish with an "Easy-Find" LNB and my Avtex TV works along the Dordogne river even with the new more difficult satellite beam. It only fails there if the weather is very bad with particularly dense water laden clouds.
You can Google Easy Find, Triax etc and note from your Avtex brochure how to activate the "Easy-Find", or ask here for advice.
Obviously the EasyFind software is using a specific Frequency and Polarity to ensure that you find the correct satellite.
But I wonder in the case of Astra2 if EasyFind is using a Frequency that is on the Wide Beam or Spot Beam.
If it's using a Spot Beam Frequency, or to be more correct a Spot Beam Transponder, then EasyFind may not be able to locate the satellite, when in actual fact you possibly can.
It would be interesting to know, from those that use EasyFind, if it is possible to check what Frequency/Polarity EasyFind is using, and if that setting can be changed or not.
I have not checked the frequency when using Easy Find as it simply works and so I have not studied why. Next time I am out I will see if I can be more informed.
It uses UK Channel 4 as the prerequisite channel required for it to be enabled, that I know.
Now that is interesting JTQU as Channel 4 is indeed carried on one of the Spot Beam Transponders, of course not a problem when you are in the footprint zone.
But should you be out of footprint with an undersized Dish, EasyFind may not detect a signal, although you could probably still be able to pick up say Sky News and a few radio stations.
I can understand why they would choose a Freesat Channel, but it would have been more useful had they chosen one on the Wide Beam such as Sky News.
As an example, EasyFind would not have found Astra2 when we were down at Frejus last July using a 1m Dish, although I was able to locate the Satellite, but for the most part only got Sky News and a few other TV and Radio that were none Freesat as such.
However without any adjustment to the Dish or LNB, there was the odd day or so were we were getting all the Freesat channels, the weather was perfect all the time, so I can only put down that Freesat came and went, due to the subtle movements of the satellite, which would have no effect for those within footprint, but can mean loss of some channels for those on the edge of footprint using an undersized dish.
And this were my little SatLink 6906 comes in real handy, it's 3" TV screen is enough to tell me that I have found Astra2 even if I am not getting all the Freesat channels.
Of course another issue is how good are the EasyFind LNB's in a weak signal location, it is well known that Invacom and Inverto LNB's perform better than most in low signal locations.
Don't get me wrong, I think EasyFind is a great system, but you need as many aces as you can get, when looking for Astra2 out of footprint.
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Topic: Satellite System again
