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Setting up a Sky+ box and magic eyes for the first time

  • 08-05-2009 11:44am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭


    I've ordered Sky and I am going to get it installed with the next 2 weeks or so. We have only moved into our house so every room is not done (we currently only have the kitchen/dining/living area, utility room, bathroom and bedroom done).

    Ok, I know that i need 2 wires coming to the TV for Sky+ as well as an aerial for terrestial channels. I have 4 wires coming to the TV in the living room (which is one of the rooms we dont use at the minute). Would it be possible to set the Sky+ up in the living room on an old portable tv and use a magic eye or something to transmit the image to the kitchen? How do these magic eyes work? Would i be better get a TV installer to fit the magic eye or would I be better to do it myself?

    Would this do the job? http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5347799/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+entertainment+and+sat+nav%7C12160455/c_2/2%7Ccat_12160455%7CElectrical+accessories%7C12160456/c_3/3%7Ccat_12160456%7CTV+and+video+senders%7C12160480.htm
    Does the magic eye cable run from the back of the sky box to a distributor and then to the tvs??

    I know your probably gonna say why not put the sky+ box in the kitchen, but that TV only has one wire coming to it and the socket is black pewter colour and very expensive and it would be costly to change it for a 4 way face. PLus we have the TV on the wall with a bracket and we dont have anywhere to put the Sky box unless we hang a shelf under it or something. I've never seen it done and wouldnt imagine that it would look great.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,171 ✭✭✭syboit


    Magic eye's work by taking a connection off the RF out port on the back of the sky/sky+ and running that cable into the RF in on your other tv.

    That kit on argos will work for you, that one will distrubite the siginal upto 4 times, you can also just get single connection sets where there is no amp.

    Sounds like you've the house wired up from a central location ? If thats the case then your sky+ will connect to 2 wires going to your living room. You can then plug the RF out of the sky box into one the the remaining wires and then from there connect to whichever room you want. Its something you can do yourself.
    I cant remember but you might need to enable the RFout on the sky box aswell, google should help ya out there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Thanks but I'm still no wiser!

    I find this really confusing.

    So in the living room 2 wires will connect into the sky+ box. That i get.
    So the RF Output - i connect one of the remaining wires into this and the end of the wire in the attic to that amp and then another wire from the amp to the room where i want my magic eye and the magic eye connects onto that and i assume into the tv??
    If a cable is connected into the tv where does the terrestial aerial connect?
    Are the wires for the magic eye as big as the digital co-ax??
    Would i have to change the faces of all the sockets for ones with twin holes??

    edit: Or.... (after coming to me)
    Would i be able to put the sky+ box in the attic and then connect the RF to the magic eye amp and then take the magic eyes to the rooms?? ah please say that'd work!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,171 ✭✭✭syboit


    dlambirl wrote: »
    So in the living room 2 wires will connect into the sky+ box. That i get.
    So the RF Output - i connect one of the remaining wires into this and the end of the wire in the attic to that amp and then another wire from the amp to the room where i want my magic eye and the magic eye connects onto that and i assume into the tv??

    Yup thats right
    If a cable is connected into the tv where does the terrestial aerial connect?

    I'm afraid this I'm not sure about
    Are the wires for the magic eye as big as the digital co-ax??

    should be the same size. these are the types of connectors that would be on the end of the rf connection, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-x-RF-CONNECTOR-five-RF-connectors_W0QQitemZ110170967790QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL?hash=item110170967790&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50#ebayphotohosting
    Would i have to change the faces of all the sockets for ones with twin holes??
    edit: Or.... (after coming to me)
    Would i be able to put the sky+ box in the attic and then connect the RF to the magic eye amp and then take the magic eyes to the rooms?? ah please say that'd work!!

    Yes that would work, but I've seen this in a friends house, the picture quality you get this way is never as good as the sky+ box plugged directly into the main tv.


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


    dlambirl wrote: »
    If a cable is connected into the tv where does the terrestial aerial connect?

    Connect the aerial to RF in on the sky box. Putting the box in the attic will seriously shorten its life and you will lose picture and sound quality on your main tv.

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    I understand now that i need to connect the sky+ box to the main tv and return the signal to the amp which will then transmit the sky to the different rooms.

    Tony - Connect the terrestial aerial coming from the attic into the sky+ box in the living room??
    What will this do??
    Will I still have to run a terrestial aerial and magic eye cable to each tv??

    I'm sorry to be annoying everyone by asking these silly questions - its just that i'm not very technically minded (as i'm sure you have picked up on by now) and I would like the sky signal in more than one room


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


    It will allow your system to work correctly as the rf out from the sky box will contain both the terrestrial and sky signal in RF form.

    dlambirl wrote: »

    Tony - Connect the terrestial aerial coming from the attic into the sky+ box in the living room??
    What will this do??
    Will I still have to run a terrestial aerial and magic eye cable to each tv??

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    So i'd have terrestial channels in the other rooms too??

    Ah i'm very confused with the whole set up. I dont think I'll be able to do it myself. It'll cost a fortune to get a professional out wont it??


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


    dlambirl wrote: »
    So i'd have terrestial channels in the other rooms too??

    Is there some reason why you should'nt?
    dlambirl wrote: »

    Ah i'm very confused with the whole set up. I dont think I'll be able to do it myself. It'll cost a fortune to get a professional out wont it??

    Why would you assume it would cost a fortune?

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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Tony wrote: »
    Is there some reason why you should'nt?

    Well I only have one cable going to the tvs in the other rooms - if i need one for terrestial and another cable from the sky amp i could only pick one of other or run another wire and change the face on the box.
    Tony wrote: »
    Why would you assume it would cost a fortune?

    Because most professionals do!!
    I could buy and aerial and install it myself for my new build but i havent a clue what i'm doing so i got a professional in and it cost €300.

    Well has anyone got any idea how much it would cost for a professional to come out and fit the magic eyes to a couple of rooms??
    Would it be a better idea for the professionals to supply the equipment or to buy it myself?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭slegs


    Sky+ Box

    In

    2 Cables from Sky dish to Sky + box (LNB 1 + 2 ports)
    1 Terrestrial Aerial Cable to Sky + box (RF In Port)

    Out

    Scart to TV
    1 Cable to TV (RF 1 Out Port)
    1 Cable to Attic and Amplifier (RF 2 Out Port)

    Amplifier

    In

    1 Cable from Sky+ Box RF2

    Out

    4 Cables to Rooms


    TVs in Other Rooms

    In

    1 Cable from Amplifier into Magic Eye
    Magic Eye into TV


    This setup will give you Sky+ and your terrestrial aerial channels in all TVs

    Remember to have RGB on Sky+ box for best picture on main TV
    Also, remember to turn on power on RF2 on Sky+ Box through Services 4,0,1 select hidden menu.

    Hope this helps/


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    slegs wrote: »
    Sky+ Box

    In

    2 Cables from Sky dish to Sky + box (LNB 1 + 2 ports)
    1 Terrestrial Aerial Cable to Sky + box (RF In Port)

    Out

    Scart to TV
    1 Cable to TV (RF 1 Out Port)
    1 Cable to Attic and Amplifier (RF 2 Out Port)

    Amplifier

    In

    1 Cable from Sky+ Box RF2

    Out

    4 Cables to Rooms


    TVs in Other Rooms

    In

    1 Cable from Amplifier into Magic Eye
    Magic Eye into TV


    This setup will give you Sky+ and your terrestrial aerial channels in all TVs

    Remember to have RGB on Sky+ box for best picture on main TV
    Also, remember to turn on power on RF2 on Sky+ Box through Services 4,0,1 select hidden menu.

    Hope this helps/

    Thanks a million slegs. Thats a great help.

    Just one more question (your gonna kill me!!)

    The terrestial channels will be independant wont they?? Unlike the sky channels??


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭slegs


    dlambirl wrote: »
    Thanks a million slegs. Thats a great help.

    Just one more question (your gonna kill me!!)

    The terrestial channels will be independant wont they?? Unlike the sky channels??


    Yes, your Sky will be on one UHF channel and your terrestrial channels will each be on their own channel. Normally people set it up like below on the other TVs but its up to yourself! You can then buy a Sky+ remote for each room and set it up to work with each telly (volume and TV channel changing along with Sky channel control etc) so you only need one remote per TV.

    1 RTE 1
    2 RTE 2
    3 TV3
    4 TG4
    5 Sky+

    or

    0 Sky+
    1 RTE 1
    2 RTE 2
    3 TV3
    4 TG4


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


    dlambirl wrote: »


    Because most professionals do!!

    Bit of a sweeping generalistaion there

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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    Tony wrote: »
    Putting the box in the attic will seriously shorten its life.....

    Why? :confused:


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


    Temperature variations, dust etc and why would you want to lose sound and picture quality anyway?

    recycler1 wrote: »
    Why? :confused:

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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    Tony wrote: »
    Temperature variations, dust etc
    I would have thought that the average temperature in most attics would be lower than in the remainder of the house - meaning that reliability would be improved.

    Tony wrote: »
    why would you want to lose sound and picture quality anyway?

    Entirely different issue.
    Quality is only reduced where the Sky Box would otherwise be connected to the TV via a SCART, rather than coax, lead.

    In any case...
    In many situations the box is put in the attic as the TV feed can then be sent to multiple rooms in the house using existing cabling that was installed for terrestrial TV. (With magic eyes being used to control the box.) The advantages of this can outweigh the small loss in quality.


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


    recycler1 wrote: »
    I would have thought that the average temperature in most attics would be lower than in the remainder of the house - meaning that reliability would be improved.

    Not true, I'm speaking from a lot of experience here replacing boxes after a relatively short time in the attic.

    recycler1 wrote: »

    Entirely different issue.
    Quality is only reduced where the Sky Box would otherwise be connected to the TV via a SCART, rather than coax, lead.

    Sky boxes should be connected via scart, its not a different issue its a another good reason not to put a box in the attic
    recycler1 wrote: »
    In any case...
    In many situations the box is put in the attic as the TV feed can then be sent to multiple rooms in the house using existing cabling that was installed for terrestrial TV. (With magic eyes being used to control the box.) The advantages of this can outweigh the small loss in quality.

    There is no reason why the sky box cannot reside next to the main tv and still feed the existing cable, anyone who says otherwise is short changing the customer and not providing all the available quality benefits of digital tv, its more than a small loss in quality. Its best practice and frankly I do not understand why you are trying to argue otherwise.

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭slegs


    Tony is 100% correct. RGB scart to the main TV should be number 1 priority for picture and sound quality. After that it is just one extra cable run to put the RF2 out back up to the attic for distribution. I think people make this seem more complicated than it is. Once you have the opportunity to do the cabling correctly it only takes a little forethought to get it right.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17 ASTRALSAT


    slegs wrote: »
    Tony is 100% correct. RGB scart to the main TV should be number 1 priority for picture and sound quality. After that it is just one extra cable run to put the RF2 out back up to the attic for distribution. I think people make this seem more complicated than it is. Once you have the opportunity to do the cabling correctly it only takes a little forethought to get it right.

    this is best practice ,I too have replaced many a sky box destroyed by attic dust and variation in temperature especially sky+ boxes.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Thanks a million slegs for clearing that up for me! I can understand now what has to be done. When the tv installer installed the aerials he put in a box which he said will be able to distribute the sky signal so we'll just have to see how that works!!

    At the minute the terrestial aerial is coming from the aerial and into the box (which has loadsa blue flashing lights btw!!) and then distributes to the tvs around the house. So will i have to connect the terrestial aerial into the sky box at all?? it doesnt matter if i have or not - just wondering cos a terrestial aerial is already connected to the distributor/amp


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


    dlambirl wrote: »
    So will i have to connect the terrestial aerial into the sky box at all?? it doesnt matter if i have or not - just wondering cos a terrestial aerial is already connected to the distributor/amp

    Perhaps not as RTE will appear on Sky on your main tv

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Tony wrote: »
    Perhaps not as RTE will appear on Sky on your main tv

    No i want my terrestial channels independant on all the tvs just wondering if i'd have to take it from the amp, to the living room, into the sky box then back up to the amp when the aerial is already connected to the amp??


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


    In your case I would connect a cable from the amp to your manin tv without running it through the sky box but still run a cable from the RF2 of the sky box to the amp, you may have to combine it with the RTE aerial feed as I'd imagine the amp only has one UHF input. Probably best to seek advice from the guy who installed the aerial and amp.

    dlambirl wrote: »
    No i want my terrestial channels independant on all the tvs just wondering if i'd have to take it from the amp, to the living room, into the sky box then back up to the amp when the aerial is already connected to the amp??

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    The amp has 2 inputs


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


    Are they both marked UHF though?
    dlambirl wrote: »
    The amp has 2 inputs

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    i'll check now in a while and get back to you on that.

    I asked yer man would it do for sky and he said it would :rolleyes:

    So if it is going to work it should say UHF and ???


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


    He was correct it will work but if it only has one uhf input (which is the norm) and you want all tv's to have independent RTE then you will need to combine the RTE and SKy UHF signals. I'm repeating myself but a call to the installer would surely clarify all this for you.

    dlambirl wrote: »
    i'll check now in a while and get back to you on that.

    I asked yer man would it do for sky and he said it would :rolleyes:

    So if it is going to work it should say UHF and ???

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



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    Tony wrote: »
    Not true, I'm speaking from a lot of experience here replacing boxes after a relatively short time in the attic.
    I know two boxes, one of them mine, which have been in different attics for over six years, with no problem.
    Tony wrote: »
    Sky boxes should be connected via scart, its not a different issue its a another good reason not to put a box in the attic
    Ideally yes, unless it's a HD box, when HDMI should be used. However, multiroom setups, using a single Sky box, always involve some compromise. At the very least, one TV will be connected via the RF outlet. Many people are very happy with the quality over COAX. (Let's remember its as good, if not better, than terrestrial "over the air" set-ups.)
    Tony wrote: »
    There is no reason why the sky box cannot reside next to the main tv and still feed the existing cable, anyone who says otherwise is short changing the customer
    Not true! In some houses its very challenging to get two satellite feeds to a Sky+/Freesat Box. Many installers get around this by running satellite feeds down external walls and then drilling through the outside wall. I've even seen this done twice, for separate rooms, in the same house! Personally, I would not allow my house be hacked in such a manner. The alternative of placing the satellite receiver in the attic can offer a perfectly acceptable compromise.
    (The situation with Freesat/Freesat from SKY is even worse. Most likely the existing internal COAX is required for the terrestrial (Irish) Channels.)
    Tony wrote: »
    .... its more than a small loss in quality. Its best practice and frankly I do not understand why you are trying to argue otherwise.
    I totally agree that using HDMI, or, failing that SCART, gives better quality. Whether its "best practice" is questionable.
    (Indeed, I have gone to a great deal of trouble to bring four feeds into my sitting room so that I can connect Sky and Freesat via HDMI.)

    I simply do not agree that "Putting the box in the attic will seriously shorten its life". There is no reason why a satellite receiver cannot have an long life in the attic. In some cases it is an entirely sensible option and is in no way short changing the customer.


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


    recycler1 wrote: »

    I simply do not agree that "Putting the box in the attic will seriously shorten its life". There is no reason why a satellite receiver cannot have an long life in the attic. In some cases it is an entirely sensible option and is in no way short changing the customer.

    Nonsense, several installers have already posted above to disagree with your view and between us we have many,many years of experience doing this. Putting a box in the attic is not best practice and never will be, it is never a sensible option and anyone who says so is either misinformed, does not care about the quality of the installation or is trolling.

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Tony wrote: »
    He was correct it will work but if it only has one uhf input (which is the norm) and you want all tv's to have independent RTE then you will need to combine the RTE and SKy UHF signals. I'm repeating myself but a call to the installer would surely clarify all this for you.

    i'm after checking and it only has one uhf Input. Great. There is a white box beside it with a black cable running into it and a white cable coming from it and into the amp. So. . . I was thinking (run for the hills) if i was to join the black cable that goes into the white box with the cable that goes to the living room and get combine it with the sky box and bring it back to the amp and use the uhf input. Will that work?


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


    If I understand you correctly then yes but why not double check this by calling the installer?

    EDit: Just re read this, sounds like there may be a power supply to the aerial so you definitely need to talk to the installer to clarify which cable should be sent to the living room.

    dlambirl wrote: »
    i'm after checking and it only has one uhf Input. Great. There is a white box beside it with a black cable running into it and a white cable coming from it and into the amp. So. . . I was thinking (run for the hills) if i was to join the black cable that goes into the white box with the cable that goes to the living room and get combine it with the sky box and bring it back to the amp and use the uhf input. Will that work?

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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    Tony wrote: »
    Nonsense, several installers have already posted above to disagree with your view and between us we have many,many years of experience doing this. Putting a box in the attic is not best practice and never will be, it is never a sensible option and anyone who says so is either misinformed, does not care about the quality of the installation or is trolling.

    I'm dissappointed that you would resort to a charge of trolling to back up your position. I also understood that this was against the rules of Boards.ie

    Anyway ....

    I can't compete against your experience in a domestic setting. However, the issue in dispute need not be a matter for conjecture.
    I will put a data logger beside my downstairs Sky box for a few weeks and a second in my attic beside one of the boxes there. The readings are timestamped and will allow direct temperature and humidity comparisons between attic and sitting room. I expect this to show that daily cyclic temperature variations are greater in the house downstairs.
    (If not, I'll readily concede that the environment in the attic is the more hostile. :))


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


    Your kidding right?

    recycler1 wrote: »
    I will put a data logger beside my downstairs Sky box for a few weeks and a second in my attic beside one of the boxes there. The readings are timestamped and will allow direct temperature and humidity comparisons between attic and sitting room. I expect this to show that daily cyclic temperature variations are greater in the house downstairs.
    (If not, I'll readily concede that the environment in the attic is the more hostile. :))

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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    No, not at all. Modern loggers are smaller than a packet of cigarettes, and are not obtrusive.
    (When I first used these they were like a big multimeter and had a paper readout. You then had to go thru reams of paper to try and spot trends.)

    By the way, I do accept that dust can be an issue with forced air (i.e.fan) cooled equipment, or equipment with harddisks. I wouldn't put a Sky+ or Freesat+ box in a dusty attic. However, not all attics are that dusty. I have a Freesat+ box in my attic since January - I use an RF Remote Control and it feeds all the rooms in the house. The idea was that the OH could watch Corrie wherever/whenever she wanted to. (Hasn't really been a success as it freezes about once a week, then its up to the attic for a reset!)
    Tony wrote: »
    Your kidding right?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,171 ✭✭✭syboit


    recycler1 wrote: »
    No, not at all. Modern loggers are smaller than a packet of cigarettes, and are not obtrusive.
    (When I first used these they were like a big multimeter and had a paper readout. You then had to go thru reams of paper to try and spot trends.)

    By the way, I do accept that dust can be an issue with forced air (i.e.fan) cooled equipment, or equipment with harddisks. I wouldn't put a Sky+ or Freesat+ box in a dusty attic. However, not all attics are that dusty. I have a Freesat+ box in my attic since January - I use an RF Remote Control and it feeds all the rooms in the house. The idea was that the OH could watch Corrie wherever/whenever she wanted to. (Hasn't really been a success as it freezes about once a week, then its up to the attic for a reset!)

    getting way off-topic, but in fairness this is truely taking things too far to prove a point. Speaking from personal experiece (and not a professional installer) attic's in the summer get fairly warm (especially for bungalow's or dormer's), doesnt heat rise!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Righto - sounds like my set-up is complicated - great :rolleyes:
    looks like i'm gonna have to get the installer back.

    Like everyone at the minute money is tight and i was trying to resist getting him back. Does anyone know how much it'd cost for an installer to come out and size up the situation??
    How much would it roughly be to install the magic eyes for 2 tvs and amp?


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


    As i've suggested already why not just call him first, phone calls are cheaper than call outs.

    dlambirl wrote: »
    Righto - sounds like my set-up is complicated - great :rolleyes:
    looks like i'm gonna have to get the installer back.

    Like everyone at the minute money is tight and i was trying to resist getting him back. Does anyone know how much it'd cost for an installer to come out and size up the situation??
    How much would it roughly be to install the magic eyes for 2 tvs and amp?

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 313 ✭✭auditek923


    dlambirl wrote: »
    Righto - sounds like my set-up is complicated - great :rolleyes:
    looks like i'm gonna have to get the installer back.

    Like everyone at the minute money is tight and i was trying to resist getting him back. Does anyone know how much it'd cost for an installer to come out and size up the situation??
    How much would it roughly be to install the magic eyes for 2 tvs and amp?
    i was quoted about 60 euro, but it depends on whats needed to fit the job etc.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    syboit wrote: »
    getting way off-topic, but in fairness this is truely taking things too far to prove a point. Speaking from personal experiece (and not a professional installer) attic's in the summer get fairly warm (especially for bungalow's or dormer's), doesnt heat rise!

    Yeah, yeah, a bit over the top all right. :)
    (I was really annoyed, at Tony's reply.)

    I don't intend to get into further debate on this. The point is that there are far, far, more hostile environments for electrical equipment than attics. (On this I speak from extensive, professional, experience.)

    I accept that putting a standard satellite box in an attic is not optimum. I agree that putting Sky+/Freesat+ boxes there could be problematic as these require more cooling and dust could be a problem.

    Lets leave it at that!


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


    recycler1 wrote: »
    The point is that there are far, far, more hostile environments for electrical equipment than attics.

    Of course there are but that was not how you originally expressed your view. I was really annoyed at your posts too especially after other installers weighed in with their opinions and experience which you gave no credence to whatsoever even going so far as to question what is best practice.

    If you have professional experience in satellite installation or a closely related field then fair enough but your only evidence put forward was that yours and somebody elses box works ok in an attic. There are I'm sure many dishes which have not been installed to the best standard that still work, that does not make it right.

    Our priority as installers is to give customers the very best quality of sound and picture available and putting a box in an attic will never achieve that unless you want to go down the road of HDMI routers, re wiring the building , providing a dust free area which is well insulated.

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



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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 113 ✭✭recycler1


    Tony wrote: »
    Of course there are but that was not how you originally expressed your view. I was really annoyed at your posts too especially after other installers weighed in with their opinions and experience which you gave no credence to whatsoever even going so far as to question what is best practice.

    If you have professional experience in satellite installation or a closely related field then fair enough but your only evidence put forward was that yours and somebody elses box works ok in an attic. There are I'm sure many dishes which have not been installed to the best standard that still work, that does not make it right.

    Our priority as installers is to give customers the very best quality of sound and picture available and putting a box in an attic will never achieve that unless you want to go down the road of HDMI routers, re wiring the building , providing a dust free area which is well insulated.

    OK. War over.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    auditek923 wrote: »
    i was quoted about 60 euro, but it depends on whats needed to fit the job etc.

    Was that to install a sky amp and magic eyes? If so, how many?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    i got freesat installed for free yesterday (windfarm is disturbing our signal) and the installer used a sky box (not sky+). He placed the box in the eaves, the central location where all our tvs are wired to. (Eaves - the slopey part in a dormer house).

    He then put it to the kitchen tv, controllable with a magic eye. Doesnt the sky box need to have a scart lead connectin it to a tv? The sound and picture quality are perfect.

    In relation to the thread - would it not be easier to put an old tv in the eave with the sky+ box hence not having to run wires everywhere?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,182 ✭✭✭Sparko


    Sorry to hijack this thread, but came across something strange earlier when my dad set up a magic eye to his standard sky box. It's a one for all tvlink. Fairly standard setup I assume, coaxial cable going from the box downstairs to a tv upstairs, through a small tvlink box which has the magic eye connected.

    The first time he set it up, seemed to be working fine, but we seemed to be picking up the UK Sky EPG and channels?? As in BBC1 etc in place of RTE1 etc. Totally stumped me when I seen it. We just turned everything off and hard reset the sky box and after that we were picking up the Irish channels again. So as it is it's working as we want it to with no problems, but just wondering if anyone knows why/how it was picking up the UK signal the first time?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 363 ✭✭samdeluxjones


    doing a favour for a friend who has just got in sky and 2 boxes, one for sky+ and the other for free to air. he has 2 flatscreens, wall mounted and wants sky independant on both with no wires or boxes visible..(head scratcher)

    i suggested putting the 2 boxes in the attic and using 2 magic eyes as the 2 tv's have coax feeds from the attic, but after reading those posts i'm having second thoughts of putting the sky+ in the attic because of hardrives and dust/heat, etc..

    what ather alternatives does he have?
    will 2 magic eyes interfere with each other?

    cheers.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    I have my sky box in the attic/ eaves or a dormer house upstairs (cupboard type) and it is well insulated and ventilated and there is no problem with the box or running the tvs off it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 474 ✭✭Sam Radford


    syboit wrote: »
    attics in the summer get fairly warm

    My loft floor is insulated to keep the house warm in winter. The roof is not insulated and there are air vents to allow air flow to prevent condensation. I assume my loft is fairly typical.

    In summer the air temperature sometimes exceeds 40'C. In winter it can be below freezing (that's why the water tank is lagged). In contrast, my living room varies from about 12 degrees (winter, early hours of the morning) and 28 degrees (summer, midday).

    Be sure to leave your temperature loggers in place for July/August and Jan/February.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭fat-tony


    dlambirl wrote: »
    I have my sky box in the attic/ eaves or a dormer house upstairs (cupboard type) and it is well insulated and ventilated and there is no problem with the box or running the tvs off it.
    I think I had a comment about this as being a bad idea in your other thread about "magic eye" problems.

    From what you said in that thread I understood that what you have is not a conventional attic - it is a living space.;) Your SKY box is in a cupboard in that living space.

    A "normal" attic in a 3 bed semi or whatever is usually insulated between the floor joists, has uninsulated roof timbers, has huge temperature variations between summer and winter and is usually dusty.

    You should not really describe your setup as an attic - it misleads people and starts rows about whether it's a good or bad location - in your case it's ok:)

    Did you finally sort out your distribution amplifier problem:confused:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭dlambirl


    Sorry, I suppose its not the same as the attic in a 3 bedroom semi... but i would still use the rest of the eaves as storage space but i have the place where the sky box is studded off so its like a cupboard.

    No i never got it fixed. I meant to check the connection going into the distributor box but never got the time to.


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