With the imminent launch of Freesat this afternoon, the question is whether you will be able to receive the service at your location. Freesat has 98% coverage across the UK and only if you don’t have a clear line of sight to the satellite, will you not be able to get it. So, how do you check the clear line of sight? Just go to DishPointer, enter your address (street address rather than just postcode as the second part of the postcode is omitted) and then select 28.2E Astra from the satellite list. A satellite image map of your house should show up with a marker and a line indicating the direction of the Freesat satellite signal. You need a clear line of sight along this line. The big marker can be moved by clicking and dragging it to the exact location of your dish. The small marker is to calculate the maximum height of any obstacles along the line without interfering with the signal. “d” stands for distance to the obstacle and “h” for the maximum height it can have.
Example
There is a tree right on the line not far from your dish. You’ve dragged the marker and got “d” = 20m and “h” = 10m. Your dish is on the roof at a height of 8m.
This would mean that the tree is 20m away and that the tree must not be higher than 10m from the base of the dish or 18m from ground level. If it’s any higher than you’d have problems with the signal reception because there wouldn’t be a clear line of sight.
There is also a satellite help section on DishPointer.
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May 6th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
[…] « Can you get Freesat? 06 05 2008 […]
May 6th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
We cant get Sky because theres a huge tree in the way - would this mean we cant get the newly launched (non Sky) Freesat either? Are there any other options for us for getting more than the 4 terrestrial channels (we dont have channel 5, and we cant get Freeview either!). Preferably the extra BBC channels and News channels etc. and ideally HD content,
Really appreciate any advice!
May 6th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Paul:
Not looking good for you. If you can’t get Sky, you won’t be able to get Freesat as both are broadcast from the same satellite (well, 28.2E and 28.5E). You need to have the dish somewhere with a clear line of sight: either high enough or away from the tree.
The other option you have is cable (Virgin).
May 6th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Thanks Alan,
Hmm - we dont have Virgin either. Freeview isnt here until 2011 either!
August 18th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Just wondered if I could pick UK FREESAT up in spain. I have a 1.8 dish which should be large enough. Do I need anything else?
August 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Paul,
if your dish is large enough, all you need is an lnb, a satellite receiver and a satellite cable to connect the two. If you’re only interested in viewing Freesat, then get a Freesat receiver, as it has a good EPG. If you also want to watch different channels from different satellites, it all gets a bit more difficult as no single satellite receiver does it all.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Hi Alan and thanks for the reply. Are there certain LNB’s for certain receivers, or is there just one type of LNB?
August 24th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Paul: There are many type of LNB’s but all available ones in Europe will work with the receivers being sold here (In the States there are also circular LNB’s which wouldn’t work with your receiver).
First, you should get a universal LNB (almost all of them are).
Then you need to decide if you want a single, dual, triple or quad LNB (if you’re hooking up one receiver then get a single if you want a receiver in the livingroom and one in the bedroom and watch different channels at the same time then get a multiple lnb).
Then get a good quality one since you’re in a fringe reception area. Invacom are good but the much cheaper Smart Titanium are not bad either.