where to get sky mini dish

maxfresh

hello i am wondering is it possible to get a sky mini dish on its own because i have a sky + box and another thing is with sky do you get many freeview channels with a sky box without paying for a sky subscription ,thanks

watty

A Sky box out of subscription will receive all the FTA UK satellite channels, which includes Freesat. Freeview is the UK Terrestrial service (via an Aerial, not a dish).

The Sky dish is terrible junk. Built down to a price and absolute minimum size for Ireland (Zone 2 60cm x 65cm approx). Buy a Solid dish. Triax are good. There are smaller Sky Dishes only suitable for southern half of England (Zone 1).

For good margin of reception in heavy rain
East Coast & South East 60cm
Midlands 60cm to 70cm
Midwest to West 70cm to 80cm
Far North West and Far South West 78cm to 95cm

In clear sky to light drizzle a 60cm will be fine everywhere though in very far South West /North West a few channels may pixelate even with drizzle using 60cm.

The Sky+ box will not record or replay without a subscription.

You need a Quad LNB on the dish. Sky dish uses a different model to all other dishes.

NIMAN

Minimum requirement for LNB is a dual one, rather than a Quad, but they are cheap enough anyway. Quad handy in case you want to add another couple of receivers in different parts of the house.

Liameter

NIMAN wrote: »

Minimum requirement for LNB is a dual one, rather than a Quad

No, you are confused. Minimum is a "twin output" LNB (but these are not available for actual Sky dishes so you'd have to use a 40mm LNB clamp type dish).

A "dual LNB" is actually two LNBs in one casing, used for receiving from two completely different satellite positions, such as "Astra-1" and "Hot Bird".
See definitions: http://www.satcure.com/tech/lnb.htm#twin

Cantona's Collars

Nobody answered the op's question-Powercity have them complete with quad lnb if he lives in Dublin area,otherwise any local installer will have them as well (perhaps a deal can be done to have it professionally installed)

Liameter

maxfresh wrote: »

with sky do you get many freeview channels with a sky box without paying for a sky subscription

You don't get any Freeview programmes at all because Freeview is the UK terrestrial TV consortium, the reception of whose programmes requires an aerial (not a dish).

What you should get is some channels that don't require a card.

Dishes and LNBs are available from numerous on-line suppliers. The type and size is dependent on your location.

John mac

You wont get them with a sky box either! :rolleyes:

one of these would be a start

I think we all asume he wants the free channels via Satellite as the op was asking about a sat dish,

Liameter

John mac wrote: »

I think we all asume he wants the free channels via Satellite

The incorrect use of common terminology is to be deprecated because it causes confusion. I will always clarify it - not to be clever but to prevent misunderstandings.

Tony

Liameter wrote: »

The incorrect use of common terminology is to be deprecated because it causes confusion. I will always clarify it - not to be clever but to prevent misunderstandings.

Thats a fair point

watty

Liameter wrote: »

No, you are confused. Minimum is a "twin output" LNB (but these are not available for actual Sky dishes so you'd have to use a 40mm LNB clamp type dish).

A "dual LNB" is actually two LNBs in one casing, used for receiving from two completely different satellite positions, such as "Astra-1" and "Hot Bird".
See definitions: http://www.satcure.com/tech/lnb.htm#twin

No... not quite right seeing as as you like to be pedantic.

Single (dual, Quad) outlets with Dual feed horns aka Monobloc is for two satellites. Strictly called a Duo LNB, it can have 1 to 4 outlets. Do not use as the Diseqc is built in and horn spacing is fixed. Ireland requires different spacing for same satellites to Germany.

read carefully what Martin Pickering of Satcure says later...

"Dual-output" LNB
[Obsolete for Ku-Band]
Was available in Standard and Enhanced form, the dual output LNB provided two outputs to feed two separate receivers. Each output had a fixed polarisation; one horizontal and one vertical. This type of LNB was used with switching boxes such as the "Mini Magic" which could feed four separate receivers.

via http://www.satcure.com/tech/lnb2.htm

Since C-band doesn't have high & Low bands, A C-Band Dual can still be used on C-Band for Distribution systems like a Quattro on Ku-Band.

A Twin is usually a two output version of a Quad.

Twin, Quad and Octo are all typically Universal Ku LNBFs (both polarities and bands on all outputs).

excollier

watty wrote: »

A Sky box out of subscription will receive all the FTA UK satellite channels, which includes Freesat. Freeview is the UK Terrestrial service (via an Aerial, not a dish).

The Sky dish is terrible junk. Built down to a price and absolute minimum size for Ireland (Zone 2 60cm x 65cm approx). Buy a Solid dish. Triax are good. There are smaller Sky Dishes only suitable for southern half of England (Zone 1).

For good margin of reception in heavy rain
East Coast & South East 60cm
Midlands 60cm to 70cm
Midwest to West 70cm to 80cm
Far North West and Far South West 78cm to 95cm

In clear sky to light drizzle a 60cm will be fine everywhere though in very far South West /North West a few channels may pixelate even with drizzle using 60cm.

The Sky+ box will not record or replay without a subscription.

You need a Quad LNB on the dish. Sky dish uses a different model to all other dishes.

I am using a Televes 60 cm dish in Donegal with no problems except for when snow settles on it. Even then during the last heavy snow the lnb was covered in snow including the face of the feedhorn and still the signal only dipped to around 60% pq.
But I agree to err on the larger size dish, arounnd 75cm up here gives good rain fade protection.

Storm 10

Hi Guys

I have the usual grey sky dish with holes in it and just reading the posts I checked the signal strength on the sky guide, its just over half way and goes up and down from there, should the signal reading go all the way to the end ??

Zardoz

I switched my old Sky minidish for this Smart 60cm dish a few months back
http://www.tvtrade.ie/smart-60cm-satellite-dish.html
Far superior dish ,wont rust and matches the colour of the house.

watty

excollier wrote: »

I am using a Televes 60 cm dish in Donegal with no problems except for when snow settles on it. Even then during the last heavy snow the lnb was covered in snow including the face of the feedhorn and still the signal only dipped to around 60% pq.
But I agree to err on the larger size dish, arounnd 75cm up here gives good rain fade protection.

It's possible you mainly watch Astra2D? 50cm might work for 2D
Also all the 2A, 2B and 28.5 Eurobird transponders are not same FEC or power. That makes a difference. My sizes are based on rain and worst channels.

As long as you don't use bright shiny paint or weird radar Stealth paint, you can paint a dish any colour. Even paint fake ivy...

AstralTV

been using a Triax TD 54 with Inverto quad in Midlands for over a year, no probs even in snow and no rust, also have a Smart 110 cm motorised, excellent dish ,

excollier

watty wrote: »

It's possible you mainly watch Astra2D? 50cm might work for 2D
Also all the 2A, 2B and 28.5 Eurobird transponders are not same FEC or power. That makes a difference. My sizes are based on rain and worst channels.

As long as you don't use bright shiny paint or weird radar Stealth paint, you can paint a dish any colour. Even paint fake ivy...

Yes, I do watch mainly Astra 2D as I have only Freesat.
But I seem to recall that the Freesat epg is on Eurobird 1, which would be marginally weaker, I suppose, and it never fails.
I have installed loads of these dishes with no complaints yet about reception. I have used them to replace knackered Sky zone 2 dishes too,for Sky subbers, with no problems for Sky reception at all, and they use Eurobird & Astra 2A/B.
I can only go by personal experience, I am not questioning your assertion about larger dishes, it makes perfect sense.
I have also seen lots of Triax TD54 dishes up here. Now that may just be pushing it a bit on a rainy day, and we get plenty of those.

maxfresh

Thanks everybody whats the little gadget for finding the satelite signal ? ,and would i wire from the quad lnb to the box in ct 100 cable ?