BSB Squariels

[Robert Whiteley]

I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).

Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?

Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?

Thanks in advance.

[Ber]

On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 16:42:08 +0000, Robert Whiteley

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?

I've noticed two houses nearby who also have squariels. I suggest a
coffee table :>

[Ashley Booth]

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

No use I'm afraid! They were circular polarised for use with the Marco
Polo satellites. (2, main and spare!) These when sold off were renamed
Thor and the footprints positioned over Scandinavia.

They could be modified for the other polarisation (L or R, I can't
remember) but that's all.

Ashley

[Ross Lockley]

Post by Ashley Booth

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

No use I'm afraid! They were circular polarised for use with the Marco
Polo satellites. (2, main and spare!) These when sold off were renamed
Thor and the footprints positioned over Scandinavia.
They could be modified for the other polarisation (L or R, I can't
remember) but that's all.
Ashley

There were only ever 2 satellites - 1 in use and 1 spare. Maximum number
of channels available - 10!

They became a Sirius bird, and the other one a Thor.

There are some technical specs for them on my analoguesat web site if
anyone is interested.
--
Ross Lockley
Galashiels

www.analoguesat.co.uk

www.geocities.com/digitalsatuk

"Sender" and "From" addresses are spam trapped.
Please ensure you use my "Reply To" address if you want to contact me.

[Ant]

Post by Ross Lockley
There were only ever 2 satellites - 1 in use and 1 spare. Maximum number
of channels available - 10!

Ah, but if BSB were around today, and if they'd got the permission to
use the 5 frequencies allocated to Ireland, those 10 frequencies could
be bringing us.. what, something like 80 channels now?

(But just as in the analogue days Sky would still have five times as
many channels, of course.)

[Madge]

Post by Ant

Post by Ross Lockley
There were only ever 2 satellites - 1 in use and 1 spare. Maximum number
of channels available - 10!

Ah, but if BSB were around today, and if they'd got the permission to
use the 5 frequencies allocated to Ireland, those 10 frequencies could
be bringing us.. what, something like 80 channels now?
(But just as in the analogue days Sky would still have five times as
many channels, of course.)

And Five times less in quality of programmes.

[Bill]

Take a look at
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/007123046bsb.htm
and
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/042043044045bsbinstallationvideo.htm#image1

Bill
Where there is no television, the people perish.
- adapted from Proverbs xxix. 18.

[Stephen Neal]

Post by Ashley Booth

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm
guessing nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for
BSB, but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?)
years to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

No use I'm afraid! They were circular polarised for use with the Marco
Polo satellites. (2, main and spare!) These when sold off were renamed
Thor and the footprints positioned over Scandinavia.
They could be modified for the other polarisation (L or R, I can't
remember) but that's all.

Yep - though they worked well with the French TDF and German TVSat
satellites as well - which broadcast using D2MAC (and apart from Canal +
were in the clear mainly). I modified a couple of ex-BSB receivers for
D2MAC and used Squarials, as well as the BSB minidishes, to receive the
transmissions from these satellites when at college. Nice to watch the
Albertville Winter Olympics and the Barcelona Summer Olympics in 16:9 in
1992 from the HD-MAC transmissions - though Barcelona was during the summer
vacation!

The squarials and the dish LNBs were both a pain to switch polarisations on
though - as you had to disassemble them to move an element ISTR.

Steve

[News Reader]

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.
--
Robert Whiteley

Have any Wireless ISP's begun service in your area recently?

They might be weatherproof ruggedised 802.11b equipment.
Or possibly even 3.5Ghz kit - I believe the UK licenses for
this frequency have recently been awarded.

News Reader

[Dave Liquorice]

Post by News Reader
Have any Wireless ISP's begun service in your area recently?
They might be weatherproof ruggedised 802.11b equipment.

That was my first thought. A Squarial, IIRC, was orientated diamond
fashion and looked up a bit, ie very similar to a normal sat dish but
flat. Wireless LAN stuff tends to look horizontally and be orientated
as a square (ie sides horizontal/vertical).

I spotted a number of houses around the Hunslett area of Leeds the
other week with strange plate antenna attached, approx A4 sized. The
Wireless ISP up here uses small (5" max) square plates or short/long
yagis (in tubes) depending on how far away the access point is.

[nick]

I doubt it. They must be too lazy/tight to get rid of em.

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.
--
Robert Whiteley

[Mungo]

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?

Flat panel 'dishes' also used to be available for Sky Analogue, I
installed a couple about 10 years ago. There were a bit larger than the
BSB ones, didn't work very well and were damn expensive!
There was a bit of stigma back then with having a dish on your house as
I remember...

[Bill]

Part of the BSB tragedy was that they spent a fortune on squarials. These had
anodised aluminium castings and stainless steel bracketry. They'll stay up til
Doomsday!
Bill
Where there is no television, the people perish.
- adapted from Proverbs xxix. 18.

[charles]

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?

Lazy is quite possible. Near us there is still a Band I aerial!

[Bill]

Post by charles
Lazy is quite possible. Near us there is still a Band I aerial!

Take a look at
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ancient.htm

Bill
Where there is no television, the people perish.
- adapted from Proverbs xxix. 18.

[Paul Evans]

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

The only real use for them now is the reception (and apparently transmission?)
of Amateur TV channels that operate in the 2.4GHz range.

Paul.

[Ashley Booth]

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

The only real use for them now is the reception (and apparently transmission?)
of Amateur TV channels that operate in the 2.4GHz range.
Paul.

Not without a great deal of modding. They are meant to receive the DBS
band, somewhere around 11-12 GHz.

Ashley

[Paul Evans]

Post by Ashley Booth

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

The only real use for them now is the reception (and apparently transmission?)
of Amateur TV channels that operate in the 2.4GHz range.
Paul.

Not without a great deal of modding. They are meant to receive the DBS
band, somewhere around 11-12 GHz.
Ashley

2.4GHz was the first ATV band I could think of. I can't remember for sure, but I
recall hearing there was another ATV band ~10GHz - It could be for the reception
on that frequency.

Paul.

[News Reader]

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

The only real use for them now is the reception (and apparently transmission?)
of Amateur TV channels that operate in the 2.4GHz range.
Paul.

Intriguing idea... Do you have any references for people doing
this kind of stuff at all?

News Reader

[Paul Evans]

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

The only real use for them now is the reception (and apparently

transmission?)

Post by Paul Evans
of Amateur TV channels that operate in the 2.4GHz range.
Paul.

Intriguing idea... Do you have any references for people doing
this kind of stuff at all?
News Reader

I remember seeing pictures of such a setup on an Amateur's website a few months
ago (I'll see if I can find the link), and there was also a local news programme
(I think it was Granada Tonight) that had representatives from a local ATV club,
showing off some of their equipment with some video footage of their broadcasts
and mentioning how they used the old squarials for ATV reception on certain
bands.

Paul.

[Orange]

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Paul Evans

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.

The only real use for them now is the reception (and apparently

transmission?)

Post by Paul Evans
of Amateur TV channels that operate in the 2.4GHz range.
Paul.

Intriguing idea... Do you have any references for people doing
this kind of stuff at all?

Try http://www.batc.org.uk/index.htm

Post by Paul Evans
News Reader

[Colonel Montague Kitchen-Sink (Retired)]

Post by charles
Near us there is still a Band I aerial!

If you visit Ludlow, you'll see a delightful old black & white timbered
building (obviously a listed building) in the town's Bull Ring.
It's got a pair of matched + phased Band III aerials on the roof
still pointing at Lichfield.

Perhaps the aerial got 'listed' too !

[Bill]

Post by Colonel Montague Kitchen-Sink (Retired)
If you visit Ludlow, you'll see a delightful old black & white timbered
building (obviously a listed building) in the town's Bull Ring.
It's got a pair of matched + phased Band III aerials on the roof
still pointing at Lichfield.

I'm drooling! A good clear photo please! See
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ancient.htm

Bill
Where there is no television, the people perish.
- adapted from Proverbs xxix. 18.

[Ian Jelf]

Post by Bill

Post by Colonel Montague Kitchen-Sink (Retired)
If you visit Ludlow, you'll see a delightful old black & white timbered
building (obviously a listed building) in the town's Bull Ring.
It's got a pair of matched + phased Band III aerials on the roof
still pointing at Lichfield.

I'm drooling! A good clear photo please! See
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ancient.htm

I work in Ludlow quite often (although not fir a while as I'm not very
mobile currently). If no-one else drops you a copy, Bill, I'll snap
one next time.

Out of interest, I wonder why a Ludlow householder would have looked to
Lichfield for a signal. Wouldn't Ridge Hill VHF have been better?
(Or did that come on much later than Lichfield)?

[John]

Post by Ian Jelf

Post by Bill

Post by Colonel Montague Kitchen-Sink (Retired)
If you visit Ludlow, you'll see a delightful old black & white timbered
building (obviously a listed building) in the town's Bull Ring.
It's got a pair of matched + phased Band III aerials on the roof
still pointing at Lichfield.

I'm drooling! A good clear photo please! See
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ancient.htm

I work in Ludlow quite often (although not fir a while as I'm not very
mobile currently). If no-one else drops you a copy, Bill, I'll snap
one next time.
Out of interest, I wonder why a Ludlow householder would have looked to
Lichfield for a signal. Wouldn't Ridge Hill VHF have been better?
(Or did that come on much later than Lichfield)?

Ridge Hill came later but Ludlow and nearby towns it's a case of what
gives the best signal. Some places both can be good, even St.Hilary
can provide a decent signal.

[Ian Jelf]

Post by John

Post by Ian Jelf

Post by Bill

Post by Colonel Montague Kitchen-Sink (Retired)
If you visit Ludlow, you'll see a delightful old black & white timbered
building (obviously a listed building) in the town's Bull Ring.
It's got a pair of matched + phased Band III aerials on the roof
still pointing at Lichfield.

I'm drooling! A good clear photo please! See
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ancient.htm

I work in Ludlow quite often (although not fir a while as I'm not very
mobile currently). If no-one else drops you a copy, Bill, I'll snap
one next time.
Out of interest, I wonder why a Ludlow householder would have looked to
Lichfield for a signal. Wouldn't Ridge Hill VHF have been better?
(Or did that come on much later than Lichfield)?

Ridge Hill came later but Ludlow and nearby towns it's a case of what
gives the best signal.

And having posted what I did, that part of Ludlow (in the Bull Ring) is
probably so high that there were all sorts of options.

Post by John
Some places both can be good, even St.Hilary
can provide a decent signal.

Yes, TWW apparently regarded even some parts of Worcestershire as being
"its" area! (I also remember that the Golden Valley in Herefordshire
could at one time only get Saint Hilary pictures. They were without
any UHF signal until well into the 1980s!)

[Bill]

Post by Ian Jelf
If no-one else drops you a copy, Bill, I'll snap

Post by Ian Jelf
one next time.

Yes please.

Bill
Where there is no television, the people perish.
- adapted from Proverbs xxix. 18.

[Jeremy Rogers]

Post by Ian Jelf
Out of interest, I wonder why a Ludlow householder would have looked to
Lichfield for a signal. Wouldn't Ridge Hill VHF have been better?
(Or did that come on much later than Lichfield)?

Lichfield: 17/2/56
Ridge Hill: 30/7/68

Ludlow, Leominster, Ledbury and Gloucester were all just on the edge of
the 'official' fringe area from Lichfield - but only after July 1961
when the 1000ft mast was installed, and power towards the south west
doubled. The ITA tended to increase service by higher masts and
increased power, rather than relays when it could - as well as reusing
what they could. The old Lichfield 450ft tower was dismantled and
re-erected at Fremont Point.

Jez
--

[Mungo]

Post by Bill

Post by Colonel Montague Kitchen-Sink (Retired)
If you visit Ludlow, you'll see a delightful old black & white timbered
building (obviously a listed building) in the town's Bull Ring.
It's got a pair of matched + phased Band III aerials on the roof
still pointing at Lichfield.

I'm drooling! A good clear photo please! See
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ancient.htm
Bill

I have the same, at a house round the corner pointing at Rowridge. Must
buy a digi camera one day!

[Robert Hallam]

Hi,

I recall that around 8/10 years in my area a telecoms firm started rolling
out a wireless linked alternative to BT landline. A fair few houses around
and about ended up with the flat aerials fitted, until the firm went bust -
think they were more 50p shape than square. See the odd house with them
still fitted today.

Rob H

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?
Thanks in advance.
--
Robert Whiteley

[Bill]

Post by Robert Hallam
I recall that around 8/10 years in my area a telecoms firm started rolling
out a wireless linked alternative to BT landline

Ionica

Bill
Where there is no television, the people perish.
- adapted from Proverbs xxix. 18.

[Alan Smithee]

There were a few Fixed Radio Access systems kicking about. Ionica licenced
their technology to ScottishTelecom north of the border (they made as much
of an impact in the residential market as Ionica did in England, even though
they were owned at the time by the local electricity company), while
Atlantic Telecom originally built their residential market on dishes outside
their home cable area in Aberdeen.

Ionica and Atlantic have both gone the way of BSB now (must be the dishes).

Al

[simtan]

Post by Robert Hallam
Hi,
I recall that around 8/10 years in my area a telecoms firm started
rolling out a wireless linked alternative to BT landline. A fair few
houses around and about ended up with the flat aerials fitted, until
the firm went bust - think they were more 50p shape than square. See
the odd house with them still fitted today.
Rob H

Ionica, about 40% of the size of a squarial, and always pointing to the
local horizon (eg my base station was on one the lighting towers for the
local pitch) I paid £20 for it to be removed be a fair few didn't bother.
I've still got a BSB squarial in the shed, which is a bit odd because when I
had BSB I had one of the really cute 45cm dishes :)

Sim

[ArmandAlegge]

Turned our old Squarial to face the old French TDF1 and got some FTA
channels from that for a couple of years with a modified Nokia BSB box but
that European system for BSB, TDF1 and was it Kopernicus(Deutsche telecom)-
(all the original DTH European system )died about 10 years ago.

[Paul Martin]

Post by simtan
Ionica, about 40% of the size of a squarial, and always pointing to the
local horizon (eg my base station was on one the lighting towers for the

I have a photo here, snapped on 16 August when I was visiting
Cambridge:

Loading Image...

They're octagonal.

[tony sayer]

Post by Paul Martin

Post by simtan
Ionica, about 40% of the size of a squarial, and always pointing to the
local horizon (eg my base station was on one the lighting towers for the

I have a photo here, snapped on 16 August when I was visiting
http://www.zetnet.co.uk/~pm/photos/ionica.jpg
They're octagonal.

Yes Ionica!, too late to market and behind the cable co's and couldn't
offer anything more than a couple of POTS lines either. Piss poor
marketing, and the customer base from hell i.e. the ones that BT and the
Cable co's got rid off, and an enormously expensive palace on the
Cambridge science park, and....curtains....

I remember seeing something to the effect that the company formed to
clear up afterwards has just announced a dividend of 8p in the pound...

[R. Mark Clayton]

Post by tony sayer

Post by Paul Martin

Post by simtan
Ionica, about 40% of the size of a squarial, and always pointing to the
local horizon (eg my base station was on one the lighting towers for the

I have a photo here, snapped on 16 August when I was visiting
http://www.zetnet.co.uk/~pm/photos/ionica.jpg
They're octagonal.

Yes Ionica!, too late to market and behind the cable co's and couldn't
offer anything more than a couple of POTS lines either. Piss poor
marketing, and the customer base from hell i.e. the ones that BT and the
Cable co's got rid off, and an enormously expensive palace on the
Cambridge science park, and....curtains....

Over promoted - lots of press, but only ever rolled out [late] round
Cambridge. Sad really, because it was a novell way of undercutting BT's
local loop monopoly.

Post by tony sayer
I remember seeing something to the effect that the company formed to
clear up afterwards has just announced a dividend of 8p in the pound...
--
Tony Sayer

[Mungo]

Post by Paul Martin

Post by simtan
Ionica, about 40% of the size of a squarial, and always pointing to the
local horizon (eg my base station was on one the lighting towers for the

I have a photo here, snapped on 16 August when I was visiting
http://www.zetnet.co.uk/~pm/photos/ionica.jpg
They're octagonal.

Interesting installation! I get the feeling that the installer was
making use of the curved pole supplied with the dish rather than using
something more suitable...

[Mark Carver]

Post by Mungo
Interesting installation! I get the feeling that the installer was
making use of the curved pole supplied with the dish rather than using
something more suitable...

If you look closely, it seems that the excess co-ax has been coiled up
just behind the aerial, rather than making the lead off to the correct length.

Similar bodge to this:-

Loading Image...

[Owain]

"Robert Whiteley" wrote
| I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume
| from BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and
| I'm guessing nobody else used squariels?).
| Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not
| for BSB, but for something else, maybe not even TV related?

There was a scheme in some areas to provide telephone service using some
sort of squariel-like antenna, I don't remember whether using terrestrial or
satellite, as an alternative to the BT local loop.

Owain

[Stephen]

Post by Robert Whiteley
I've spotted 2 houses near me with a Squariel on them (I assume from
BSB, but have not been close enough to read anything, and I'm guessing
nobody else used squariels?).
Does anyone know if they could still be in use? Obviously not for BSB,
but for something else, maybe not even TV related?
Or have the homeowners just been too busy/lazy for the last 12(?) years
to take them down?

There are some flat plate antennas for Sky Digital, which look a lot like
the BSB Squarial, see
http://www.digicams-uk.com/category20_1.htm at the bottom of the page. I
also like the look of the "pipe antenna" - I wonder if people in my block of
flats could get away with using those? (Everyone in my block is prohibited
by law from watching UK Drama, Discovery Science, MTV Hits, CNN and the
majority of television channels available to the British public. There is no
realistic prospect of the resident's association getting SMATV organised or
paying for it, so the reality here is a legally enforced ban on watching TV.
I'm sure this should be in contravention of the European law on human
rights, even if we HAVEN'T tried to get SMATV. In reality only an
INDIVIDUAL'S right to put up HIS OWN DISH WHERE HE LIVES would allow me to
watch TV like most of you can.)