Dish size for DigitAlb Eutelsat W2 at 16E
Eutelsat 16E is one of the more trickier satellites to pick up, as it is positioned right in between two very strong satellites, namely Hotbird (13E) and Astra (19.2e). In the UK generally a reasonable quality 1m satellite dish installation will perform well. However in Kent a slightly smaller 90cm satellite installation will suffice, an 80cm dish is the bare minimum. Obviously the dish can be motorised or fixed, and the signal quality will not be affected by the dish being motorised.
Dish size is important as to reject signals from adjacent satellites the beamwidth of the dish must be narrow enough. The larger the dish the narrower the beamwidth- simple.
For a satellite dish beamwidth calculator click here :- beamwidth calculator
For a multi feed satellite installation, it is recommended that the LNB for 16E is placed at the focal point of the dish, with LNBs for any other satellites placed in offset positions.
Satellite Installer Kent
Picking up Nilesat 7W Horizontals in Kent.
One of the most sought after satellites to pick up is Nilesat 7W. For a start there are the MBC channels, showing English language programming - so basically FREE satellite TV. Also if you are a football fan and want saturday 3pm kick-offs, then Nilesat 7W is the place to be. The Showtime package on Nilesat is one of just a few that still show 3pm kick-offs
What is the dish size for Nilesat in Kent or London?
To receive from Nilesat in Kent it is possible for a satellite installer to install a motorised or fixed satellite dish to receive from Nilesat. For the vertical transponders on Nilesat, a 1m dish can be used in Kent. With a Triax TD110 coupled with an Inverto Silvertech LNB, it is possible to receive many of the Vertical transponders on Nilesat in fair weather. For Horizontal transponders, at least a 1.5m satellite dish is needed.
For picking up Nilesat 7W, a motorised satellite dish installation is the best setup, as very fine adjustment of the dish is possible, plus the dish can be moved to other satellites to pick up foreign satellite TV.
If you are interested in picking up 7W with the free MBC channels plus FTA channels from other satellites and you are in Kent look for a satellite installer who does motorised satellite installations.
The Satellite Arc- where are the satellites.
People often ask how do we know where to point a satellite dish. The TV satellites are located approx 22,000 miles above the equator spaced out in various orbital positions. A good site to discover what the orbital positions are is Lyngsat . Looking up from the earth however, the satellites appear as an arc in the sky. In the UK the satellites near the apex of the arc are at an elevation of approx 30 degrees, at the ends of the arc (around 70 degrees azimuth either way), the arc falls below the horizon. In North Kent for example Thor is approx 32 degrees elevation.
As a satellite installer based in Kent this is a good starting point to set up a motorised satellite dish.
Understanding the satellite arc is important, especially when thinking of a motorised satellite dish. Still very relevant however for any fixed dish setup.
In most of the UK including Kent, the satellites closest to your due south are the Thor 2 & 3 satellites at 0.8 degrees West, and are near the top of the arc and the highest in the sky. As you move east or west the elevation of the other satellites gradually drop down and approach the horizon as shown in the diagram. In the far west of the UK or Ireland you will find Atlantic Bird 3 at 5W will be nearer your due south.
The diagram below illustrates why the satellites at the extremes of the arc are difficult to get as they are so close to the horizon. In southern England (Kent), 0.8W will be around 32 degrees above the horizon, in Scotland about 25 degrees above, 68.5E for example will be around 5 degrees.
The satelite arc North Kent