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'Splitting' sat cable between two boxes

  • 05-02-2008 3:37pm
    #1
    beer enigma
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,213 ✭✭✭


    This might be totally off the wall, but here's the thinking....

    I currently have multiroom, Sky+ upstairs, HD downstairs.

    She who must be obeyed is a huge fan of 'The Bill' on ITV. Despite this, I still love her & would like to keep her somewhat happy !. I have a UK card on which I get ITV, BBC etc & we usually swap this out with the card on the Sky+ box on a Weds & Thurs night.

    Problem is, I dont think all that swapping is gonna be good for the box.

    SO, I was wondering...I have an old Pace (non sky+ box). If I put the UK card into that, sat it on top of the Sky+ box & found some way to split the Sat cable between them, could I in theory just bring whichever box I wanted to view out of standby ???

    A


Comments

  • #2
    watty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    nope won't work unless you have a physical switch, and even then a problem as the cards update keys using satellite and SW updates too while in "standby".

    You can either fit a quattro LNB and a 16 way multiswitch = 12 new extra outlets
    or get an Octo LNB = 4 extra outlets.

    Really each skybox tuner needs its own LNB cable.

    At a pinch you might get away with a satellite grade manual switch. But left in Pace position the Sky+ or SkyHD recordings may fail and left in Sky+ or SkyHD position the pace FTV card may miss keys and not work on C4 or Five for upto 24hrs.


  • #3
    Tony
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,341 ✭✭✭✭Tony


    Splitting sat cables is rarely a good idea but back in the analogue days smart switches were available with scart control which gave lnb control to the last box switched on.

    Desktop PC Boards discount code on https://www.satellite.ie/ is boards.ie



  • #4
    beer enigma
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,213 ✭✭✭beer enigma


    thanks - somehow I figured it wasn't going to be that straight forward...


  • #5
    Zaphod
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,733 ✭✭✭Zaphod


    Perhaps I'm missing something here, but the OP just wants to view ITV for 'The Bill' - could he not just read the stickies and add ITV manually?

    Out of curiosity, if someone did want to split the cable, say for a second box with a FTV card for C5, what it the standby state for the second tuner on a Sky+ box? Now that Sky have embraced bunny-hugging ecofriendliness, is the tuner 2 powered off completely in standby? Or is it still belching CO2 into the atmosphere along with tuner 1.

    Anyone willing to attach a voltmeter to a Sky+ to check?


  • #6
    beer enigma
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,213 ✭✭✭beer enigma


    Zaphod wrote: »
    Perhaps I'm missing something here, but the OP just wants to view ITV for 'The Bill' - could he not just read the stickies and add ITV manually?

    Other channels seems to lose the settings every once in a while & if I'm away it results in an hour long conversation trying to get it added again - just hoped this would be an easier option.


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  • #7
    Zaphod
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,733 ✭✭✭Zaphod


    OK, well you still don't need the FTV card to view ITV, so card updates are not an issue here. The most straightforward approach is the manual switch described by watty.
    http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=17808&criteria=lnb%20switch&doy=6m2

    A priority switch would be the next step up. Assign the FTA box to the priority connector - this means that the switch automatically flips over to that box when powered on. It also means the FTA box must be plugged out when not in use.
    http://www.globalcom.co.uk/accesories/sps1.html

    There is another possibility, which would also allow for card updates, but until someone checks out the standby status of tuner 2 of a Sky+ box, there no point going through it.


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