# Satellite tv in spain



## ambegayo (Jan 7, 2007)

Has anyone recent experience of using a Oyster Vision 11 with sky pace box (automatic system) We are in Vilanova Park nr Barcelona. Every Brit around us is getting all UK channels, but ours will not even lock on to Astra 2. It would appear that most are using old digi boxes that they have been using for years. I thought it was because most have dishes on tripods but a Swift Bolero with dish on his roof has full coverage. He says he is using a digital box bought for 50 quid!! and we have the oyster system at cost!! Oh dear how frustrating.


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## capitanjohn (Nov 16, 2006)

Has your LNB been turned 15 degrees anticlockwise. If so can you manually adjust the dish once you have it near enough to your neighbours.
Regards John.


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## colonel (Oct 11, 2008)

What sized dish do you have. Are they all locked into Astra28E, maybe they're on Astra19... Are they getting BBC1 and the other UK terrestial channels or just the UK channels that transmit on the Astra southern footprint.

Not an expert, just a few questions that others may ask.


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## MyGalSal (Dec 8, 2008)

Not much help to you but we were in Vila last Nov and our Oyster satellite (85cm dish) automatic worked fine. Pace 12v digibox installed by HymerUK last August. So can't solve your dilemma, can only reaffirm that it should work. Experts will be along shortly I am sure to help out.

Sal


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## ambegayo (Jan 7, 2007)

We have a tall pine tree near the back of the van where the dish is, but we have moved forward so that the line of the dish to astra 2 should be clear going by the direction of the others, but would it hinder finding it when it is going round doing the search and the tree is at times in the sight of the dish. Only staying 3 days so not worth moving but may try tomorrow on the way out. We are above the 'Parc' entrance about 6 pitches. Also just enough to get poor wifi so I am walking up and down towards the mast by the parc: sad isn't it....


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

If others around you are getting a signal then you too should also be able to. You are not parked by any trees or overhead obstacles are you? 

Before we upgraded to Sky plus in the motorhome we used to have a 12 Volt Digi Box too and we never had a problem with the dish locking on to Astra 2 in Europe so I am sure there must be another explanation as to why you are not recieving a signal. 

Have you asked any of the other motorhomers around you if they have had to change any settings or alter the LNB etc. It might be worth having a word if you haven't already as it's suprising how simple it often is to correct these things.

We often find if we change the search to another satellite such as Astra 1 or Hotbird etc it finds those easier than Astra 2 and then once locked on to another Satellite we can easily tune into Astra 2 from there. Ours is a totally different system to yours as ours is the Oyster twin LNB model so how ours operates is slightly different. Sadly, I am not able to instruct you how to do the same with yours but try ringing this number for technical help and advice: This is the UK number you ring regarding any technical questions relating to any of the Oyster Vision Satellite Systems. Tel: 01858 575928 

Hope you get things sorted.

Sue


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

PS Sometimes we have found if our dish has been searching for a while its because a connection has come loose at the back of the digi box etc. Or on other occasions we have found if we turn everything off and completely reboot the whole system then hey presto ...... that solves the problem and it often locks on pretty quickly after that! 8O Don't ask me the technical explanation as to why a reboot works cos I just don't know - all I know is that it does work sometimes, especially when there seems to be no other logical explanation as to why we cannot lock on to a satellite!

Weird I know!


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## ambegayo (Jan 7, 2007)

That was what I was wondering, sonesta, if we had to change the frequancy, it is currently at 11.778 - the site www.SateliiteForCaravans.com give alsorts of comminations for freqancies in different places but I though we had boughtan automatic system!!


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## legend654 (Mar 28, 2006)

Can you lock onto any satellite? Try Astra 1 or Hotbird. Once locked then select a UK channel (we use 1022 SKY News). The dish will reposition based on ASTRA 1 to where it thinks 2 is. It should lock on then. Finally check your LNB has been skewed 15 degress from vertical. You should have no probs near Barcelona.

Guy


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

If my memory serves me well I think in Spain you alter the frequency to 12.207.

Sue


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

South beam is 12.129. have you got the elevation right and are you pointing at the satilite , A simple sat meter will get you on target only if you are set up right, the lnb sould ,be about 35-40 clockwise, for southern spain you will need 1.1-1.3 mtr dish , but you could talk or play uno, read or best of all listen to the radio. and stay married?


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

ambegayo said:


> That was what I was wondering, sonesta, if we had to change the frequancy, it is currently at 11.778 - the site www.SateliiteForCaravans.com give alsorts of comminations for freqancies in different places but I though we had boughtan automatic system!!


Hi Ambegayo

Don't worry too much about the problems you are experiencing with finding a signal, it's nothing to do with the Oyster system I am sure and it can be a bit tricky once you are away from the UK. When we have been in Europe we often used to lock onto a signal and have all of the UK channels when those around us were having problems, and many of them had the exact same set up as ours but for some bizarre reason we had lift off and they didn't ......... gawd knows why that was? 8O You will probably find at your next location you lock on to a signal straight away.

To enjoy full UK service in some parts of Europe and Spain being one of them, you do need a really large satellite dish, which is why you see so many massive dishes being used by some motorhomers who are staying away for several months during the winter. We have an 85cm dish on our MH which is just about adequate but once you get further into Spain then service can be rather hit or miss I'm afraid and weather, time of day etc can play a major part in signal strength etc. Ooh it can be frustrating can't it and like silversurfa said in his post sometimes for the sake of your marriage (and your sanity) it is far easier to just read a book, relax and just enjoy your holiday! LOL!  I am not at all technical but I understand it is something to do with how far away you are from the Astra 2 satellite or something. Maybe someone more technical can explain it all to you far better than I can but rest assured, it is not your system playing up.

Personally, I think the Automatic Oyster Vision systems, although not cheap, are the best on the market and generally (unless you are outside of the UK) they lock on to Astra 2 within seconds! No more having to stand outide in the rain, wind or cold fiddling with the dish etc or having to peg the tripod down in case it gets knocked over, and of course you don't need to take up any locker space storing a dish and tripod either. We have owned 2 Oysters over the last 4 years and we are still impressed with everthing about them. We upgraded to the twin LNB model and we now have all the benefits of full Sky Plus in the MH which means we can record 2 programmes at once and live pause etc. Like I say, NOT cheap but once installed they make so much easier.

Anyway, I hope that by now you are all sorted and up and running or if not, then I hope you are just having fun in the sun? However, if you still need to change your frequency settings (like you often need to do when travelling in Europe) and you need help in altering it then this is how you change the frequency setting:

Point your Sky remote control at your TV screen and then select SERVICES on your Sky remote control handset and then an on screen menu will open up.

Using the up and down cursors on the handset you then need to select option 4 from the the menu

Once you have done this, then key in numbers 01 and press the select button on your Sky remote

Then select option 2

From the onscreen menu you can then change the frequency setting which I was informed for Spain was 12.207 for the Oyster Vision Automatic Satellite system. I don't know about any other settings so try both 12.207 and the one silversurfa suggested and see what happens?

After altering the frequency press back up on your sky remote to take you back to the original Sky menu.

Good luck and enjoy your trip (I wish we were there too!)

Sue


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