Community TV

4th November 2024

Community UK Satellite System

Although this communication is being sent to All Owners, please note that the satellite system in the apartment block is currently operational, although some apartment block owners have reported that channels have started to disappear.

In April this year, the satellite system serving the townhouses, duplexes and bungalows stopped working. Our usual satellite maintenance company visited, and while they were able to confirm that the satellite dish was working, they were unwilling to investigate the cause of the fault, for fear of disrupting our internet cables, which share the same underground pipes and telecommunication cupboards.

Several other satellite maintenance companies were contacted for a second opinion, most weren’t interested, or didn’t turn up for their appointment. It took until July to get a company onsite – they spent a whole day investigating, and two months to prepare a quotation, as many of the defective parts are no longer available, and substitutes had to be identified.

Despite their day onsite, they were unable to check everything, so the quotation consisted of a list of parts, with a cost against each, but no quantities. Even if we needed just one of each part, with the engineer’s labor costs, the final invoice would exceed the balance we have remaining in the community TV pot, which nobody has contributed to for several years.

Having discussed this with the Committee, we have reached the difficult decision that it is not feasible to proceed with the repair, but instead use the remaining funds to remove the satellite dish in the carpark, and the one on the apartment block roof once that system fails.

Although we forewarned owners of the limited lifespan of this system at the AGM in 2021, I appreciate it will be a disappointment to the small number of townhouse, duplex and bungalow owners who still relied on the community satellite for their UK TV. This also serves as a reminder to owners in the apartment block that your UK satellite system will not last forever, and we encourage you to investigate alternatives, such as IPTV.

Please note, this communication relates specifically to the satellite systems that provide UK TV. Spanish terrestrial TV that is supplied to all dwellings by law is not affected.

Gary Hull

Albatros President

 

 

Community TV Currently not working in the townhouses, duplex’s and bungalows (under investigation). The apartment blocks is working well at this time.  BBC Standard Definition (SD) Discontinuation In February 2023, the BBC discontinued its SD services, and is in the process of converting them to High Definition (HD).  Details here – https://www.hdsatelliteupgrade.co.uk/ For some owners, a simple retune of their TV or TV tuner box is all that’s needed to get the HD channels, but for others with older equipment, a replacement HD TV tuner box will be needed. If you’re having problems with your Community UK TV service (no channels, or no BBC channels), please contact albatrospresident@gmail.com and I’ll come and check what’s wrong (free of charge) and let you know what’s needed to fix it.

The aged UK satellite TV equipment is now in a poor state, and tracking faults to corroded connections and cabling  is made more difficult  by getting access to cabinets in the locked stairwells of the duplexes which feed on to other properties. These cabinets house TV, internet and telecom equipment supplied by various suppliers that do not necessarily respect each other’s equipment and in future suppliers access will need to be closely monitored.

Owners were advised some time ago that the lifespan of the satellite system for UK TV in Spain is limited with the emergence of IPTV and difficulty in sourcing spare parts and is why we took the decision not to allow any new subscribers following this announcement. It is impossible to know how much longer the current system will continue to function via the required  satellite signals and the cost implications of maintaining the system. In view of this I think it is probably time for Owners to start to give some thought to alternative  means if they wish to continue  receiving UK television channels .