Satellite Dish Elevation angle

The one thing missed so far is a free Android app called Satellite Director. Set it going, select Astra2, and it will give you a bearing. Then hold it vertical and the screen (the camera will already be on) will show crossed hairs whence you move your phone until a small circle sits on the crossing - that is where the satellite cluster is in the sky so you can see if any trees are in the way. Remember the further south you go - in the UK let alone France - the higher the satellite will be in the sky. 

Once the app has shown you where the satellite is just point the dish slightly east of the position and swing the dish slightly to the south. If you don't find a signal, tilt the dish up a tiny bit and swing it back. Keep doing this until you find a signal. Note, don't try to do this using a Sky+HD box (can't speak for Sky Q) as they are notoriously deaf. You are much better to use a meter of some sort - even a £5 in line from Aldi or Lidl will do. If you find a sat with a strong signal but no programme you have found Astra19 (a.k.a. Astra1) which is nearer south than Astra28 (a.k.a. Astra2): you will need to go left (dish viewed from behind) and tip down a bit.

If any reader wants to see the footprint of Astra 2F (or is it 2G yet?) go to www.lyngsat.com and find the maps which show the footprint. The 'tongue' shape shows that you can get a signal well down into eastern France - Beaune/Macon area, and it extends into southern Germany, Belgium, and part of the Netherlands, but go down the west side and the Vendee is about your limit and the south coast and Spain are no-go areas! (There are a few places in Spain that - due to an anomaly - with a 1m dish the sat can be received quite well.)

As for kit, you are better off with Freesat-from-Sky than with Freesat.  Sky show channels that are not available on Freesat such as Ch4HD and Euronews.