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B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
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Old 30-08-2009, 23:10   #1
gobadine
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B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

This is just a warning to anyone who buys a B&Q Satellite system.

The paperwork states that you need to find the Astra 2D satallite channel to access the BBC/ITV Freeview channels. Astra 2D gives you hundreds of European channels but not the UK freeview channels.

These channels can however be acessed using the Astra E channel.
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Old 31-08-2009, 00:05   #2
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

I'm not sure what you think you've tuned in to, but the BBC themselves claim to be on Astra 2D. http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/info/...quencies.shtml

However, if you have bought your system at B&Q it is unlikely to be one carrying the Freesat logo:


... and so won't give you the official Freesat EPG. Or the BBC iPlayer (once it launches).

Shoud've gone to Radio Rentals! (well, maybe not, but just about anywhere other than B&Q to be honest...)
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Old 31-08-2009, 10:36   #3
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Astra 2D and a few others share virtually the same spot in the sky so pointing towards one will get the others... You should have got about 1000 channels with less than a tenth of then being freesat and half of the 1000 probably encrypted sky and other euro channels.

BUT...if you're after just freesat then follow Chris's advice and get an official freesat logo'd system that'll give you just the freesat channels and full epg..

Just one final thought... did you put it up yourself? if so are you sure you've pointed it towards astra 2D and not Eurobird, Astra 1E/2E, Hotbird... which are all within 15 degrees of each other and ever so easy to accidently point the dish at
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Old 02-09-2009, 09:49   #4
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

The satellite box is a cheap one from china. I get hundreds of channels, and all the one's I'm after (freeview) however the software on the box says i'm picking up the signal and quality from Astra 1, and Astra E not 2D. Yes I put it up myself using a satellite finder. Just wanted peeps to know that if you buy the B&Q one, the paperwork says find Eurobird 2 or Astra 2D. But if your in the south west of england, Try aiming the box at Astra 1 or Astra E, it will find all the channels you need.


on a side note, I can pick up lots of german or french channels but they say TP locked, what does that mean and how can I unlock them?
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Old 02-09-2009, 10:51   #5
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Ignore what the box says.. It doesn't get that information from the satellites instead it's in the firmware as to "what should be at that sky position" (on my sat when I use an old firmware it says the same as yours, when I use a brand new firmware it includes the later sats and also references freeview"

Sounds like the firmware is a few years old but it will still scan for ALL of the channels in that position as it will query the sat for a list of all transponders..

Before you ask I don't have a clue if you can update your firmware.. My sat is one of the linux based firmware boxes with serial and 10/100 network so I can reflash by a number of means..

As far as the TP locked channels (usually PPV) I'm afraid we don't allow then sort of conversations on here
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Old 02-09-2009, 11:00   #6
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Can I ask what your model number of your box is, and the firmware version and does it carry the *Get Set for digital tick* and the brandname Freesat (R)

thanks
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Old 02-09-2009, 13:44   #7
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Amanhalai, we have already established that the box does not carry the Freesat brand. Not least because B&Q don't stock Freesat boxes, and we also know that Freesat haven't licenced any cheap Chinese imports.

I don't think it's too much of a leap to assume it probably doesn't carry the digital tick either!
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Old 03-09-2009, 00:23   #8
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

cheers for the pointers folks,

just for info i'm not after anything dodgy, its just I was able to view the channels that now say TP locked, when I was pointed (i think) at a different satellite. Now I'm at the freeview UK signal those channels are now TP.

anyhoo the warning is anyone else who buys the cheap B&Q dish set, should be aware that the signal they tell you to point at is actually called something else on the firmware.

hopefully will save others the hours I took getting it to work.
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Old 09-09-2009, 22:06   #9
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Hi Guys, i havent never had SKY or any other cable telly etc. I just have had freeview for a few years now.

I saw this in B&Q and was tempted to buy it for £40 only (sounded too good). having read the above comments, im abit confused whether this is a good kit or not. Should i be returning it for a full refund and maybe spend about £20 extra for a better system?

All input will be appreciated.

Cheers
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Old 09-09-2009, 22:58   #10
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

It does exactly what it says on the box and that is it recieves FTA channels for whichever satellite you point it at.

The problem though is that people confuse FTA (free to air) with Freesat.

For £40 for a FTA it's not too bad, it'll still pick up the freesat channels, just probably won't work to well with the EPG and you'll get a lot of encrypted (sky/others) channels in-between if you point it at 28.2E

What in the end though did you expect? A proper freesat system? If so then you're never gonna get one including a dish for anywhere near that price
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Old 09-09-2009, 23:07   #11
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Smile Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Hello Kymmy;

thanks for that quick response - much appreciated.

as a newbie to all this, i take it as freesat and fta recieve different number/types of channels.

whats the benefits of each of them (if known by you, kymmy or anyone else)?

any suggestions?

btw - i also bought a satellite finder from ebay - any help on that will be appreciated as the manual is 5-7 sentences on that! lol

cheers
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Old 09-09-2009, 23:25   #12
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Freesat is a group of channels on a few satellites at 28.2E (same groups of satellites as Sky), when you buy a freesat system it only shows you the freesat channels (again like Sky) even though there is a lot more foriegn and other channels using the same group.

If you take into account all of the TV/Radio stations on that group of satellites it tends to be mixed into encrypted (most of the sky channels though not all) and unencrypted, it's the unencrypted channels that are called by the generic name of FTA as you don't need a subscription to view them.

So if you point a FREESAT system at 28.2E you'll get just over 100 channels (I think) where as if you point a FTA system at the same group it'll find nearly a thousand channels but most unwatchable due to the need of a subscription. A lot of the channels may be foriegn but you should find amongst them all of the channels availble on freesat

---------- Post added at 22:20 ---------- Previous post was at 22:18 ----------

Freesat channels/info can be found HERE

where as a complete list of channels available on the group at 28.2E can be found HERE

---------- Post added at 22:25 ---------- Previous post was at 22:20 ----------

Another thing to add on at the end is that more and more HD channels are now coming available so SD systems (like the original freesat or FTA) will start being cheaper and cheaper.. Once though you have the dish up you can upgrade to a HD box later and use the same dish/LNB.

Also most freesat systems now have built in PVR's and require a multi output LNB, but it does mean you can record programs whilst watching another but this system is available (as well as HD) on newer FTA systems
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Old 06-10-2009, 20:53   #13
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

I have bought one of these B&Q Ross satellite systems and am having some difficulty aligning the dish to the Astra 2 group.The receiver manual doesn't explain which menu option to use to do this.
Do I select the satellite name under TP scan and then watch the signal quality bar? Do I need to select "Add TP"?
The signal strength is around 67% no matter where the dish is pointed.
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Old 06-10-2009, 23:34   #14
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Only decent way of aligning a dish is with an external meter.. that way you can see instantly a measured change in signal strength (with some meters you can also hear the change)

Just remember that as you scan from left to right you also need to lower/raise the dish as though it's a polar mount.. best to find your best left/right signal, then do small up/down changes to see if it improves or not. Also remember that not all the channels are the same power and also out of the group of sats not all of them might be perfectly inline.. Look at the channel to sat list and select a channel off all the sats and tune for good strength on all of them (good strength might not be full meter strength)
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Old 12-10-2009, 00:47   #15
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Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish

Hello there

Anyone know if it is possible to take the B&Q Ross satelite dish and put a Quad LNB on it. Will it still work as normal. Rather than change the dish i was just anticpating buying a quad LNB but was worried that it might not work.
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