Sky Digibox Help Urgently Needed !!!

[Eugenius]

You need a second cable feed, so either a quad or twin is required.

Does the switching from Sky digital to Sky+ imply a change of contract with Sky, or is it just a matter of changing the box? When I or my contact in the UK calls them for the activation of the current card in a Sky+ box, will they require that I change my contract or pay more?

 

[rolfw]

It is a change of contract, the Sky+ is I believe a 12 month contract. If you have more than two premium channels, it requires no additional payment though.

 

[gameboy]

Thanks! How about the "quad" LNBs, should I get them or not? Eugen

If you only have one Sky+ box then you need a twin LNB which has two outputs and requires two cables. This allows you to record one channel while watch another or record both.

A Quad LNB will operate four receivers or two Sky+ boxes it has four outputs and requires four cables.

If you have only one Sky+ receiver the twin will be cheaper.

 

[Eugenius]

Guys,

I have just ordered the Sky+ after I talked to a Sky guy on their line and told him I already had the + box ordered. He said I simply have to put the card in the new box and call them for the pairing. Keep your fingers crossed for me until I overcome the two main obstcles: the customs here, although this country is an EU member now, and then, the pairing. Any ideas, suggestions or comments would be especially welcome! Thanks a lot for your great help!

 

[Eugenius]

Gameboy, a special thanks to you, you really seem to know your stuff! Regards!

 

[Zorba]

Guys,

I have just ordered the Sky+ after I talked to a Sky guy on their line and told him I already had the + box ordered. He said I simply have to put the card in the new box and call them for the pairing. Keep your fingers crossed for me until I overcome the two main obstcles: the customs here, although this country is an EU member now, and then, the pairing. Any ideas, suggestions or comments would be especially welcome! Thanks a lot for your great help!

The pairing is straightforward.Have the card in the sky+ box when you call sky.after confirming your name and address they will ask for your new box details,which you will find in system details from the menu.If they ask that you are connected to the phone line tell them something like that the box is in a room with no phone connection or something,although if you have been with sky for more than 12 months you can disconnect from the phone line anyway.good luck.

 

[Eugenius]

The pairing is straightforward.Have the card in the sky+ box when you call sky.after confirming your name and address they will ask for your new box details,which you will find in system details from the menu.If they ask that you are connected to the phone line tell them something like that the box is in a room with no phone connection or something,although if you have been with sky for more than 12 months you can disconnect from the phone line anyway.good luck.

Thanks, Zorba!
I am still waiting for the box. How difficult is to install the twin LNB on the dish? Does it need a second cable?

 

[gameboy]

Thanks, Zorba!
I am still waiting for the box. How difficult is to install the twin LNB on the dish? Does it need a second cable?

If you have a dish and lnb already then it's just a case of removing the present one and replacing with the new.

Make sure you don't move the dish!

You will need a second run of cable, you can use the existing cable to pull the new one through difficult runs. Attach the new cable to the old at the difficult part and pull through until it arrives then pull the old cable back.

Make sure you don't pull the old cable right through!

 

[Eugenius]

If you have a dish and lnb already then it's just a case of removing the present one and replacing with the new.

Make sure you don't move the dish!

You will need a second run of cable, you can use the existing cable to pull the new one through difficult runs. Attach the new cable to the old at the difficult part and pull through until it arrives then pull the old cable back.

Make sure you don't pull the old cable right through!

Thanks, Gameboy! This is like driving an elastic string through an old pair of briefs

 

[Eugenius]

Oh, guys, I was about to forget: BIIIG question, mainly for Gameboy and Zorba!
I used to have BBC channels (1,3, 4 news etc) on Sky digital until I think last year, or 2002, then all of a sudden, it disappeared. I thought that Sky had simply dropped it.
Then, when my box broke a couple of weeks ago, I went to a local cowboy company ehere in Prague, which provides Sky boxes and cards for astronomic prices (box and card, 1,000 USD). They could not repair the box, but they tried my card in one of their boxes, the premium channels of course would not work, but BBC WAS THERE, alive and well!
I told them that I had lost BBC for about two years, and they said it was because BBC had moved to another satellite and I would need a larger diameter dish to be able to tune in to the ol' beeb.
Now, could you tell me if this is true? Should I go for a larger dish, too, when I change the LNBs?

 

[gameboy]

Now, could you tell me if this is true? Should I go for a larger dish, too, when I change the LNBs?

Unfortunatly it's true - the BBC moved to Astra 2D (28.2E) when they left the Sky EPG and went free-to-air.

This allowed them to focus the beam over the UK as you now receive the service without any card. Beam map here...

h**p://www.ses-astra.com/satellites/footprints.php?sat=15

Ask the dealers what size dish they are using - bet it's massive and expensive!

 

[Zorba]

Its true,last march 2003 bbc went free to air and moved to astra 2D which has a smaller footprint.Here in Limassol,Cyprus we could get bbc on a 1.5m dish,now we need a 3m dish.

 

[Eugenius]

Its true,last march 2003 bbc went free to air and moved to astra 2D which has a smaller footprint.Here in Limassol,Cyprus we could get bbc on a 1.5m dish,now we need a 3m dish.

But could the larger dish also be used for the Sky package?

 

[Eugenius]

But could the larger dish also be used for the Sky package?

Alright, just talked to a technician here, he said I would need a dish of at least 170 cm in diameter to get BBC. But he says that such a dish (which costs about 300 dollars) could not be used with the twin LNB needed for Sky+. Is that true?

 

[gameboy]

Alright, just talked to a technician here, he said I would need a dish of at least 170 cm in diameter to get BBC. But he says that such a dish (which costs about 300 dollars) could not be used with the twin LNB needed for Sky+. Is that true?

Don't see why not - unless it's a prime focus not an offset but then I'm sure someone here will know for sure.

Yes, the same dish will work for all satellites.

 

[Eugenius]

Don't see why not - unless it's a prime focus not an offset but then I'm sure someone here will know for sure.

Yes, the same dish will work for all satellites.

I don't have the slightest idea whether it's a prime focus or offset, and I'm trying to avoid being screwed by some cowboy company who'd ask an arm and a leg for the whole thing to work. So I rely upon your expert help, guys. Thanks in advance!

 

[BGonaSTICK]

Is the LNB smack in the centre of the dish, mounted on at least three arms spaced equally around the periphery of the dish, or is it below center, mounted on one or two arms?

 

[Zorba]

I don't have the slightest idea whether it's a prime focus or offset, and I'm trying to avoid being screwed by some cowboy company who'd ask an arm and a leg for the whole thing to work. So I rely upon your expert help, guys. Thanks in advance!

Find another technician !
It doesn't matter if it is prime focus or offset,you can get twin or even quad lnb's for either.a prime focus dish is perfectly round in shape and an offset dish is oval.

 

[Eugenius]

Find another technician !
It doesn't matter if it is prime focus or offset,you can get twin or even quad lnb's for either.a prime focus dish is perfectly round in shape and an offset dish is oval.

OK, I'll go for a second opinion here, but these guys in Prague are either idiots or cowboys. Haven't got the Sky+ box yet. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Eugenius]

OK, I'll go for a second opinion here, but these guys in Prague are either idiots or cowboys. Haven't got the Sky+ box yet. I'll keep you posted.

Total victory!
I got the Sky+ box in the post from Britain on Friday, called another technician, not the initial one, he came and installed it in 30 minutes. Then I called Sky and activated the card in my new Sky+ digibox. They did not make any fuss about the need to have it hooked to a phone landline. It was immediately activated and it works like a breeze.
Next move: Get a larger dish to get BBC, too.

A BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, GUYS!