A Brace Of Squariels

[Alvin]

The sport of Squariel spotting gets the occasional mention here so here's a double treat of two on the same chimney stack to feast your eyes on - they are about half a mile from me in Eve Road E15.

Alvin

[Nickthedentist]

Fantastic! They've lasted rather well, haven't they?

N.

[matthewhouse]

Very smart, they look almost like new!

[michamoo]

Look rather fresh still considering they must have been there a good 25 years!

[ianj]

There's one on the wall above a hobby shop in Cheltenham, I'm presuming it must have been a Granada or a Rumbelows or something. There's one on a house in Falling Lane, West Drayton Middlesex as well

[marconi_pete]

They look to be in quite good condition given how long they've been up there. I had a go as an experiment a few years back to run a modern sky digibox off one on 28.2E. Even though they only pick up one polarity, i found by moving it 45 degrees clockwise and adjusting the LNB oscillator frequency, it did actually work quite well.

[Andrew2]

They're quite useful. When BSB went off, I modified mine for the 10 GHz amateur band and it was quite effective.

[Alvin]

Here's another local one on Barking Road, Canning Town

Alvin

[Nickthedentist]

They were certainly a very good advert, making it immediately obvious to any passer-by when someone had taken-out a BSB subscription.

[marconi_pete]

There's a few more in that area, I used to live round that way growing up. I remember there being a couple not far from there. Oone was on a low block of flats opposite Bull Rroad E15 (was still there when Ii passed by a few months ago), another I remember being not far from you Alvin, on the junction of Uupperi Rroad E13 and Hhermit Road E16. Tthere's a yellow painted house with a brown porch, just above that to the left sits a squariel. If Ii'm ever passing that way again i'll make sure to take some pictures.

Thanks,
Peter

[mark pirate]

I have not seen one of those for years, there are certainly none in my area.
I remember buying some brand new Philips receivers complete with 'squariels'
when BSB was taken over by sky, for £20 each!
I set up a few for friends who got a years use from them before they were switched off and the satellite was re-located.

I remember that they were easy to set up, and produced a cracking picture.
Before it was finally switched off, I fitted an amstrad SRX200 complete with solid white dish!

Mark

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by marconi_pete

Tthere's a yellow painted house with a brown porch, just above that to the left sits a squariel. If Ii'm ever passing that way again i'll make sure to take some pictures

Here it is

[Andy Green]

Originally Posted by mark pirate

I remember that they were easy to set up, and produced a cracking picture.

Yes they used DMAC where the luminance and chrominance were sent sequentially and audio was digital

[marconi_pete]

Originally Posted by Alvin

Here it is

Thats the one. Opposite the park. Good to know it's still there. Thanks Alvin

[SteveCG]

Am I correct in remembering a debate at the time about the chroma noise merits of D-MAC (or was it D2-MAC ?) compared to the FM modulation of PAL signals? I think there was an IBA technical booklet extolling the virtues of D-MAC. Didn't Murdoch argue (successfully as it turned out) at the time that 'content' trumps 'technical performance?

Certainly the squariel looks a nice compact job! Thanks for the photos triggering a journey down memory lane.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by marconi_pete

Oone was on a low block of flats opposite Bull Rroad E15 (was still there when Ii passed by a few months ago)

I strolled up that way today but couldn't spot it just this nearby square dish on the corner of Maud Road.

[marconi_pete]

I recognise that building it's opposite the ford dealership. I don't think that was the building. I had a quick look on google earth but couldn't see it, but building was directly opposite Morley road and was called Maud gardens.

[KeithsTV]

Originally Posted by SteveCG

I think there was an IBA technical booklet extolling the virtues of D-MAC.

There was an IBA technical review on DMAC the last one number 24. All these excellent reviews are available here.

http://www.ntlpa.org.uk/memorabilia.

There's one reason why these squarials are in such good condition - They've hardly been used

Keith

[alynG1TBL]

I had one back when BSB went bump, fitted a blown eprom and reversed the active antenna inside the squariel, and used to receive the TF1 d-mac txs on 19* west.( memory low emision now) Alyn

[Alvin]

I've just realised the correct spelling is Squarial