News feeds on AB1

[FergusonTX]

Please could anyone tell me the minimum dish size that I
need to see news feeds on Atlantic Bird 1. I have a 1M
dish and can see other channels on this satellite using a Skystar 2. I am in Norfolk, near Norwich. Thank you.

[Feeder]

Strengths of feeds are of course variable but as a general rule a 1m dish should to sufficent to catch most of them.

[FergusonTX]

Thanks Feeder for the reply- The strength of the feeds must be way down on the programme channels- I see nothing on searching. I was wondering if a 1.2 /1.3M dish would do the trick- or go for something much bigger.

[Feeder]

With feeds of course timing is everything. Many only stay on for a short time.
AB1 is the main sat for BBC News and local prog feeds. Best time to scan is between 18.15 and 18.30 GMT Mon-Fri.(10960 -11200) I guarantee you will find feed at those times on a 1 mtr dish.I only have an 80cm dish and I can often find quite a few although many will be in 4.2.2. therefore sound only on an ordinary receiver.

[FergusonTX]

Hello Feeder- Very interesting that you can see these feeds
on an 80cm dish, which assuming that you are not based in central europe , is good news to me. Yes, I have always
done a scan during "busy" periods- but never seen any
BBC feeds. I now suspect the Skystar data base has the
wrong information- thus not finding the feeds. I also have a Humax 5400 -perhaps it might have more luck- but
of course in sound only - I will have to give that a try . If anybody else reading this is receiving these feeds on an 80cm or 1m dish I would be interested to hear. Thank you.

[satwyn]

a blind scan receiver is very usefull to pick up these feeds

[FergusonTX]

Hello satwyn, Yes- blind scan that might be a better option- but surely the parameters do not change day by day? Does this mean that any web based data sources are virtually instantly out of date?? As a matter of interest do you have a blind scan RX - if so which make- and what size dish is it used with? Thanks.

[Feeder]

If you go to a well known sat site it it gives accurate frequencies between 11041V and 11108v all those with an SR 4224 FEC 7/8.There are others, but this is a starting point. By the way I am located in the UK Midlands.

[FergusonTX]

Hello Feeder- Yes checked all the frequencies/SR/FEC
information on that well known site. All correct in the
Skystar database, still no joy last night. Used the Humax to search as well from the same 1M dish, no joy. Both find the commercial channels on this satellite. I am at a loss to explain why you in the Midlands can see the feeds but
over here in East Anglia- nothing. Surely the footprint
does not have a big hole in it over my area of the country? Are there any board members over in Norfolk
that can receive these feeds? Thank you.