Hi, Your comments are always most welcome
Do you loose the signal at all if anyone rocks the boat?
Re satellite set up - I have to write and say thank you very much. I recently asked Sky why I was limited to certain ITV regions and was given the brush off, 'that's the way it is' 'no you can't get other regional tv'. I can now happily report I can watch regional ITV from Lands End to John O' Groats and channel island tv if I so decide on my land lubbers satellite tv system. Recently Central had a series on life on a narrowboat, I could only get Yorkshire and London !. Not so in the future - thanks again Sue 
Derek,
No not at all, in fact NP can move 2 or 3 feet as other boats pass, and it doesn't affect the signal. Once the aerial has locked on to the signal it holds it well.
Trevor,
Thanks, glad it has been of use to you. I think that Central is showing that waterways program at the moment on a Thursday, well that's what I was told a couple of weeks ago by another boater. 
To all, please, if you have any questions use this comment box, and I will answer best I can.
Sue,
Would you believe just as I get Central TV, its the last in the series of Waterworld this Thursday. 
But the good news is that from Sat 16 Apr Discover Home and Leisure is showing the series. As its 0630-0730 I will most likely be recording the programmes
Trevor,
Ha typical!! 
Well thanks for the info, I have already contacted my daughter who has sky plus, so is able to program that to record all the lot for my pleasurable viewing when I spend a relaxing weekend visiting my family sometime this summer 
Hi,not sure if we have met at sometime but we also spend most of our time on our narrowboat and strangely enough also originate from Portsmouth. Found your article most enlightening especially as we are planning to improve our viewing on board. We were thinking of just using a freeview box as we are not really sky tv fans, had it for years in our home and found we were watching the same programe over and over as it was just being moved to different sky channels. Is there any way we can use a sat dish to improve the signal we recieve for our freeview box because as you rightly point out trees buildings etc can and do get in the way of tv signals. You hve obviously had more experience than us and would appreciate your comments. We will keep an eye open for you on the waterways and hopefully bump into one another at some time. (Not literally we hope)
Bob & Ann
Where abouts in Portsmouth? Interesting!
I still think you will be better with a sky dish, with freeview you have to have a darn good signal with a normal tv arial to get it you know. The sky dish is so easy to set up.
I guess you have looked at 'My Sky Satellite Set-up' which is a link on the left hand side of the blog.
Ask others about the freeview box, or go have a look at the canalworld forum, link again on the left of the blog and ask there for more opinions.
Sue
Hi, I have got a sky box and could not get channels 4/5. I bought a sky card from ebay as i thought this would fix it. It is still the same, any ideas how I can get this working?
Thanks
Anon, It might be a duff card from ebay, phone sky and get a proper one from them costing £20 for a once in a life time payment.
Sue
Hi, just read the advice on your website. I have a caravan in West Wales which I and my family visit regularly and we have a spare Sky set up (mini dish etc) which I'm eager to instal there. I was a bit anxious about setting up the dish correctly and effectively but I hadn't thought about using the on screen 'signal test' facility that you describe. Sounds like a simpler way than the one I thought I'd have to employ.
Many thanks for a useful website
Hi, I enjoy reading your blog - as an occasional hirer, perhaps we'll meet on the cut sometime! Re your Sky setup - I have found an excellent website to help with dish pointing. It uses Google Maps to superimpose the path to the satellite - you can identify a particular building (or even a tree!) to aim towards. The green dot also allows you to estimate if a nearby obstacle obscures the satellite. The web address is:
http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk...-calculator-v2/
.
This is also available (with some more adverts!) at www.DishPointer.com.
Have you heard about the new "Freesat" service that BBC and ITV are starting (should be 6th May 200
. This will use the same satellites as Sky, and will have its own Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) - this should allow the regionality for ITV and BBC to be simple. They will also offer high definition services. You'll have to buy a new box, though (from about £50) but no subscriptions. Google "freesat" to find out more. Best wishes!
Mark, That is amazing and I tried it out before we left Wadenhoe knowing we were going to be moored at Aston Lock.
It was smack on with it's line for the satellite, and that is going to be so helpful in future because I can plan about where to moor, go have a look at that site then see if there are any trees in the way!! Thank you so much for that.
I think the new freestat service is a bit OTT myself, after all we do have just the same channels available on sky for free..
I have just finished compiling my "Satellite Sundial" Mk2 which should point accurately to the satellite - whenever the sun is shining of course. You can find it at http://www.keeping-up.co.uk/Sund...ial/
sunhome.htm
Alan,
Many thanks for that.. Can't wait to try that out.. I am still using Mk1 which works fine during the summer.. hopefully MK2 will do a better job in the winter! n
Sue
