[Tara Rabumptier]

Hello. It’s a bit of a “how long is a piece of string?” question I'm afraid, but how long do you think it'll be before I can receive the BBC's regional news channels (TV, not radio) down my phone line as they are aired? I'm not interested in downloading clips, Sky Movies or pay-per-view events.

I need these regional news channels for my job, but unfortunately I can't receive Sky at the property I've just moved into. Unfortunately I have no line of sight here. There was already a dish on the chimney stack before I moved in, so I assumed there wouldn’t be a problem.

The Sky engineer said he could only get the low bands, because of trees on the cliff at the rear of the property. These trees aren’t on my land and they have preservation orders on them. His suggestion of raising the dish on a very large pole attached to the chimney stack might work, but it would never get planning permission. I live in a conservation area and the Planning Officer has told me that if I proceed I'll be prosecuted.

An independent installer did manage to get a signal - but only from someone else’s land a hundred yards down the road! Even if I was given permission from all the neighbours involved, the installer is concerned that the signal loss would be too great over such a distance. I've never met the owners of these properties, which I suspect are unoccupied for six months of the year and I imagine the chances of being given permission to install, run cable etc are nil.

I'm hoping that before long I’ll be able to receive the channels I need through my broadband line. Should I feel optimistic about Sky’s purchase of Easynet? I don’t think Easynet has any presence in Cornwall.

I'm prepared to throw a fair bit of money at the problem if it will mean I won’t have to move house. And before anyone suggests it, the Planning Officer is unbribable. Maybe one of you will suggest something that hasn't occurred to me. I hope so.

Yours, depressed in Cornwall.

[The Wardster II]

Is it a case you need to be able to choose the different regions that you can select and add into extra channels on Sky?

Has the Sky or Independant installer mentioned about a larger dish perhaps, but mounted in the garden?

If you are having problems recieving the satellite signals due to signal strength drop because of the trees, then a larger dish and a more sensitive LNB may help.

Can you give a bit more information about if you have a garden that you could have a sat dish mounted in?

Any info will help!

Wardster

[soulboy77]

A preservation order means that you can't chop the trees down but doesn't mean you can't trim them. Do they belong to someone else or are they on public property? If it is the latter then you could be doing a public service by removing dangerous overhanging branches. This was my neighbours excuse for fore-shortening an offending tree opposite his sky dish last year.

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by The Wardster II

Is it a case you need to be able to choose the different regions that you can select and add into extra channels on Sky?

Has the Sky or Independant installer mentioned about a larger dish perhaps, but mounted in the garden?

If you are having problems recieving the satellite signals due to signal strength drop because of the trees, then a larger dish and a more sensitive LNB may help.

Can you give a bit more information about if you have a garden that you could have a sat dish mounted in?

Any info will help!

Wardster

Hello. I'm not sure I understand your question about adding extra channels, so apologies if my reply is irrelevant. I need to be able to watch the various BBC regions so I can subtitle their local news programmes. Some days I might be asked to subtitle Points West (Bristol) on channel 956 and on other days it could be Look East (Norwich) on channel 951. Basically I need channels 941 to 962.

The independent installer tried a larger dish mounted on the rear wall of my garden, but from that position he was even closer to the offending trees and could get no signal whatsoever. I don't know if a more sensitive LNB was tried, but he is as frustrated as I am that I can't receive Sky, so I'm sure he would have looked into this.

I hope that answers your questions. Thanks for your reply.

Regards, TR.

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by soulboy77

A preservation order means that you can't chop the trees down but doesn't mean you can't trim them. Do they belong to someone else or are they on public property? If it is the latter then you could be doing a public service by removing dangerous overhanging branches. This was my neighbours excuse for fore-shortening an offending tree opposite his sky dish last year.

The trees are on someone else's property, some distance away, so I can't use the dangerous overhanging branch excuse, much as I'd love to. I'm sure I can't use the "dead, dying or diseased" reason to complain either. They're the healthiest-looking sycamore trees around!

[Lakeuk]

putting the line of site issue to one side for the moment, when you get satellite all you will need is a satellite tv card to go in the PC and some free software that will take the subtitle stream and save to disk

[Strathclyde]

The trees are on someone else's property, some distance away, so I can't use the dangerous overhanging branch excuse, much as I'd love to. I'm sure I can't use the "dead, dying or diseased" reason to complain either. They're the healthiest-looking sycamore trees around!

Trees benefit from occasional pruning ("pollarding" is the term for heavy cutting back, which leaves them looking bare in the short term, but allows the shape to be improved). Growth this season has been immense, and many trees have probably put on too much growth for their own good.

You miight be able to rustle a few neighbours together and approach the owner with the suggestion that you will collectively contribute to having his trees pollarded, on an "everybody wins" basis? It'd cost a few hundred pounds to get a tree surgeon to come and do the work (and get rid of the debris).

[paulmellers]

Originally Posted by Lakeuk

putting the line of site issue to one side for the moment, when you get satellite all you will need is a satellite tv card to go in the PC and some free software that will take the subtitle stream and save to disk

I think (guess) that she's the girl that writes the subtitles.

[Analoguesat]

The Sky engineer said he could only get the low bands

so wheres the problem, all the BBC channels transmit on low band.

Before you give up though find your lat and longitude, and go to this site.

http://www.globaltt.com/index-en.html?http://www.globaltt.com/(j4k2yf45x0nt2w550bprfpbh)/Tools/ToolsSolarOutage.aspx

calculate the time the sun passes the arc, then have a wander outside on a sunny day at the calculated time. If you can see the sun from your property you can see the satellites. (It will be a little out as the peak times were last week, but should be near enough for your purposes.

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by Analoguesat

so wheres the problem, all the BBC channels transmit on low band.

Before you give up though find your lat and longitude, and go to this site.

http://www.globaltt.com/index-en.html?http://www.globaltt.com/(j4k2yf45x0nt2w550bprfpbh)/Tools/ToolsSolarOutage.aspx

calculate the time the sun passes the arc, then have a wander outside on a sunny day at the calculated time. If you can see the sun from your property you can see the satellites. (It will be a little out as the peak times were last week, but should be near enough for your purposes.

After four hours of trying, the Sky installer told the Sky call centre he was unable to install because of "no line of sight". Earlier, he told me he was only getting the low bands, which means nothing to me. However, I could see from the TV that no matter what he tried, the "No satellite signal is being received" message remained on screen.

I'm interested in trying your suggestion. I entered the latitude and longitude into the globaltt.com website, but it says "input string was not in correct format." What is the correct format? I was using XX:XX:XXN and X:XX:XXW. And what do I enter for the satellite?

This is a steep learning curve for me, so be patient.

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by Lakeuk

putting the line of site issue to one side for the moment, when you get satellite all you will need is a satellite tv card to go in the PC and some free software that will take the subtitle stream and save to disk

Thanks, but I don't think I'll ever need to save the subtitle stream to disk.

[paulmellers]

Astra 2D located at 28.2 degrees East

[chazco]

Do you know anybody who lives nearby that can get a signal. If you do, try one of those American video senders (the ones that work over long distances). Set up a Sky box at the other location, then beam the programming to your house. Infrared senders are often built-in, so you can change channel as well.

[paulmellers]

Originally Posted by chazco

Do you know anybody who lives nearby that can get a signal. If you do, try one of those American video senders (the ones that work over long distances). Set up a Sky box at the other location, then beam the programming to your house. Infrared senders are often built-in, so you can change channel as well.

Now there's an idea, see someone nearby who has got sky, Offer to go halves with them on multiroom + normal Sub e.g. Sky= £40 pm + £10 multiroom + £25.

He's happy, he gets £15 off his sub, you get Sky and £15 off your sub. then, just carry out chazco's idea.

Bobs your uncle, every ones a winner!

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by chazco

Do you know anybody who lives nearby that can get a signal. If you do, try one of those American video senders (the ones that work over long distances). Set up a Sky box at the other location, then beam the programming to your house. Infrared senders are often built-in, so you can change channel as well.

10/10 for innovation. It's something to consider. There is a house with a dish much further down the road. How far can these American long-distance video senders transmit, and are they legal over here?

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by paulmellers

Now there's an idea, see someone nearby who has got sky, Offer to go halves with them on multiroom + normal Sub e.g. Sky= £40 pm + £10 multiroom + £25.

He's happy, he gets £15 off his sub, you get Sky and £15 off your sub. then, just carry out chazco's idea.

Bobs your uncle, every ones a winner!

If the other party agrees to this fairly unusual proposal, brilliant! I'll have to pluck up the courage to ask them. The installer is coming back tomorrow to install an FM aerial (I really am in a bit of a signal blackspot here) so I'll tell him what's been suggested and see what he says. Thanks.

[chazco]

They can transmit over several miles - BUT - i dont know how far you are allowed to here, but if its only down the road, i doubt its even a mile you need. We had a similar set-up a while ago, worked okay.

[chazco]

This one is 300ft, maybe far enough if just down the road:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...02394&v=glance

Not sure how far this one goes, but it gives the basic idea (infrared for remote, wireless over 2.4ghz...)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PHILIPS-Video-...QQcmdZViewItem

Or maybe:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Audio-Video-Tr...QQcmdZViewItem

Just shop around, look for:
= good range
= infrared eye
= ideally low power consumption

Good luck...

[chazco]

Any news yet?

[jmellis]

well do a google on this for more info - BT are releasing a broadband tv system in the next year. Basically you get freeview and V.O.D services for an extra cost... I belive...

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/ar...844255,00.html

so maybe you DONT need sky...

oh - from the freeview forum:
http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/...0e-18b793bdcb2a

http://www.microsoft.com/tv/default.mspx

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by jmellis

well do a google on this for more info - BT are releasing a broadband tv system in the next year. Basically you get freeview and V.O.D services for an extra cost... I belive...

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/ar...844255,00.html

so maybe you DONT need sky...

oh - from the freeview forum:
http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/...0e-18b793bdcb2a

http://www.microsoft.com/tv/default.mspx

Hi. Thanks for posting the links. I read some of the reviews about video senders and they mentioned picture break-up, loss of sound and so on. Whatever system I use will have to be stable. I will mention these senders to the aerial engineer when he comes round.

The articles about BT are interesting, but I will need to be able to receive the BBC regional news channels as well and I don't think this will be possible, at least initially. Thanks for your help.

[maccy]

Are you working for a contractor or the BBC directly? If your employers *need* you to view the regional services from satellite then I would have thought they'd come up with a necessary solution for you (and pay for it, get someone to set it all up etc.). Just thinking out aloud from what I have read so far.....what would you have done before BBC broadcast via satellite I wonder?

[chazco]

The regional services (as in all of them at once) can only be obtained via satalite at the moment i think. Video senders only tend to break up if they are cheap ones. If the weather is bad enough to block a video sender then the Sky signal would be gone as well (much more fragile). The only thing that might interfere with video-senders could be traffic, but if you are transmitting lengthways you should be okay.

[colly_tyg]

Originally Posted by chazco

The only thing that might interfere with video-senders could be traffic.

And microwave ovens!

[Tara Rabumptier]

Originally Posted by maccy

Are you working for a contractor or the BBC directly? If your employers *need* you to view the regional services from satellite then I would have thought they'd come up with a necessary solution for you (and pay for it, get someone to set it all up etc.). Just thinking out aloud from what I have read so far.....what would you have done before BBC broadcast via satellite I wonder?

I hear you but it's best that I don't comment further.