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We bought our house 4.5 yrs ago using mainly CurrencyDirect. Their spot and future rates were good and there were no ½ûÂþÌìÌà bank charges this end. We did use MoneyCorp once and we had to pay ½ûÂþÌìÌà bank charges this end.I can't remember why but we also used our bank once, LLoydsTSB, and they were the most expensive with charges both ends !!

Thanks for that Helen. I think we must have a fault on our side of the ENEL meter as it's the house trip switch that keeps tripping out. Same as you the ENEL trip nevers trips out. It might be that our trip switch is over sensitive or something.It seems fairly easy to change - a couple of wires in and a couple of wires out he says confidently !!CheersMartin 

TerenceNo it wasn't as my Dad just sent it out to me. However we are going back to the UK in a couple of weeks time and will take the card and Sky box with us. Will then get it validated and have to try again when we return.RegardsMartin.

Hi TerenceYes I have the new card from Sky.I think I just need a larger dish and or better LNB and cable.I was able to align the dish quite easily. Luckily the elevation between Hotbird and Astra is only about 1 degree plus having done it once for both satellites I am now able to use 2 poles on a house about 40 metres away as alignment tools !!Thanks for all your help.Regards, Martin

Hi terenceFirst of all my apologies for the delay in acknowledging your post. I lost a couple of days as had no internet connection. Applied a few Microsoft updates and my mobile broadband wouldn't then reconnect !! Several restores later and internet key (dongle) not loading correctly I eventually got connected. Don't you just love Vista.I have had a look at the 2 web sites you mentioned. The storesatellite website suggests a 80 cm to 100 cm should be ok for the Astra Northern and Southern beam in South Puglia. I have an 80 cm dish.I can pick up most of the channels mentioned in the 1.4 metre system for 495 euros eg Romanticas, Thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Movies 4 Men 1&2, True Movies 1&2, SKY News, BBC News etc but not ITV1 or CH4.My digibox is the Grundig GDS2000 so may have the signal gain problem you mentioned.I think I'll get a price for a 1 metre and 1.2 metre dish and ask if there are any significant installation costs / problems for the 1.2 metre dish plus  the Invacom TWH-031 0.3dB Twin LNB. I can hook the 2nd output to the Freesat decoder for ½ûÂþÌìÌà channels on Hotbird assuming to motorise the dish won't cost an arm and leg.However one last request - can you confirm that you receive ITV1, Ch4 and CH5 on the Astra Northern / Southern beams. I appreciate the 495 euro offers says you can but as I mentioned earlier the site no longer lists them on these beams - just the Astra 2D beam.Thanks again for all your help and info.RegardsMartin 

TerenceAs you said I need a bigger dish. However before I buy one could you confirm that you pick up ITV and Channel 4 on the 2B north beam and Channel 5 on the 2A south beam via the transponders you mentioned above -12402 etc etc. It's just that on the  site it only mentions the above channels as being on Astra 2D along with all the other Freesat channels..Thanks for all your help. and infoMartin

Hi TerenceI'm receiving programs (mostly encrypted) from various transponders on the 2A North and south beam plus 2B North and South beam. When I set my Sky box to the South beam it automatically defaults back to the North beam which I have read it will do if it can receive the North beam. My problem is I can't get a signal from the 12402, 12480 and 12422 transponders fot ITV, CH4 and CH5.I did try turning the LNB both ways and it seem to make things worse !!RegardsMartin

Re dish size I think we would need a 3.5 metre plus to pick up Astra 2D and hence the BBC. If we can get ITV, CH4 and CH5 via a 120 cm picking the signal up from Astra 2A then that would be great.We use mobile broadband as ADSL hasn't arrived where we live but apart from that we don't have a landline. We use Skype video calls a lot of the time and Skype to phone UK landlines and mobiles.ThanksMartin

Thanks Terence for your reply.I had already tried to add the channels manually but was not successful due to the weak signal. However you confirmed that ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are on the 2A  and 2B beams.I was hoping that someone who lived in Southern Puglia would be able to tell me if a 1.2 or 1.4 metre dish would be big enough to pick the signal up from 12402, 12480 and 12422 TP's for the above channels.My Sky box is a Grundig and  I'll look into the Invercom LNB's. Thanks againMartin

We have a Honda Civic Type R that we are thinking of putting onto ½ûÂþÌìÌà plates. Do you know if  Direct Line in Italy accept UK No claims discount. From what I understand one of the reasons that ½ûÂþÌìÌà car insurance is so expensive is that there are 14 levels and you start on level 14 and your insurance becomes a little cheaper each year as you go up the levels. We are currently with Saga which as mentioned gives you 365 days of European cover which expires April 2010 as does the MOT. But as we all know you have to apply for residency afer 3 months and once you're a resident there's a time limit as to how long you can keep a non-Itlain plated car.Secondly the car tax is absed on the poer of the engine. The Civic is 200 bhp - anyone have any idea what price band that will fall into. Is there a web site with all this info on simialr to the DVLS one back in the UK.ThanksMartin