Freesat on Wideband Sat

mp3ireland2

Hi
I was setting up and old freesat box in Dad's as he unsubscribed from sky and returned the q box. I notice the new sky dish didn't work with the box and used an older dish.
I see that I can get a new LNB for about £30 on amazon to use the new dish, but am trying to findout if Freesat has any plans to use wideband sat? So that i could get a new box in a few months time instead, be better way to spend the money.
(ITV1 HD doesn't seem to work with old dishm it's up about 15 years and not in greatest shape!)

_Kaiser_

It's not the dish itself that's the problem (so you can use the newer Sky dish).. the problem is the LNB as you have found.

You can get a hybrid one (which is what I requested when I got Sky Q) that will support both standards. I cancelled Sky Q when the deal ran out, but the dish/LNB happily worked with my Humax Freesat 1100S box and now my LG TV.

There is talk of a new 4K Freesat box, but no timeline as yet as far as I know.

mp3ireland2

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It's not the dish itself that's the problem (so you can use the newer Sky dish).. the problem is the LNB as you have found.

You can get a hybrid one (which is what I requested when I got Sky Q) that will support both standards. I cancelled Sky Q when the deal ran out, but the dish/LNB happily worked with my Humax Freesat 1100S box and now my LG TV.

There is talk of a new 4K Freesat box, but no timeline as yet as far as I know.

Yeah my brother didn't have the foresight to ask for a hybrid one so think I'll get a hybrid one and fit it myself, only £30 so low enough rush if I mess it up! Couldn't find anything about next gen Freesat so probably be waiting too long!

The Cush

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

Couldn't find anything about next gen Freesat so probably be waiting too long!

Most recent info - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=111262957#post111262957

mp3ireland2

The Cush wrote: »

Most recent info - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=111262957#post111262957

Thanks, should have spotted that before starting this thread, apologies! I'll subscribe to that one now. I'll be home next at christmas so see what timeline is then, all dad's currently not getting is itv1 hd so could be worth holding out a few months.

darth_maul

No need to go getting new box, just replace LNB,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visibalewave-Output-LNB-Quad-Switch/dp/B01J81NXGE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=sky+lnb&qid=1569579949&refinements=p_76%3A419158031&rnid=419157031&rps=1&sr=8-3
or
https://www.satworld.ie/lnbs-and-lnb-holders/sky-freesat-lnbs/

mp3ireland2

darth_maul wrote: »

No need to go getting new box, just replace LNB,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visibalewave-Output-LNB-Quad-Switch/dp/B01J81NXGE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=sky+lnb&qid=1569579949&refinements=p_76%3A419158031&rnid=419157031&rps=1&sr=8-3
or
https://www.satworld.ie/lnbs-and-lnb-holders/sky-freesat-lnbs/

Yeah that's what I'd said in original post but if new boxes were going to be released soon I would have held of spending on the LNB and put money towards a superior box instead, but no timeline on the next gen boxes yet so I'll wait another while and see

Johnboy1951

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

Yeah my brother didn't have the foresight to ask for a hybrid one so think I'll get a hybrid one and fit it myself, only £30 so low enough rush if I mess it up! Couldn't find anything about next gen Freesat so probably be waiting too long!

That is your best option ..... will work well with present equipment and also will do "Sky Q LNB" compatible devices should they arrive in future.

khumbu

cost neutral option....
Take lnb off old dish & replace the sly q wideband lnb on new dish.

The Cush

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

so think I'll get a hybrid one and fit it myself, only £30 so low enough rush if I mess it up!

Just to be aware there are 2 types of hybrid LNB available, this smart LNB from Sky - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Way-Hybrid-LNB-HD-BLACK/dp/7555564149 . All output are standard legacy by default but with a SkyQ receiver connected the outputs switchover to wideband.

And this non-smart commercial version from Labgear - https://www.freetv.ie/sky-q-hybrid-lnb/ . Two fixed wideband outputs and four standard legacy outputs

mp3ireland2

khumbu wrote: »

cost neutral option....
Take lnb off old dish & replace the sly q wideband lnb on new dish.

Haha yeah I had thought of that, the new sky dish quite low and I can get with a step ladder... Original dish on chimney and I'm not great with heights :-D

mp3ireland2

Got a hybrid lnb for £18 on amazon...assuming i can use the sky Q cable? no difference between that and the standard cable? I'll obviously connect to the "non wideband" connection on new LNB....

TAFKAlawhec

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

Got a hybrid lnb for £18 on amazon...assuming i can use the sky Q cable? no difference between that and the standard cable? I'll obviously connect to the "non wideband" connection on new LNB....

If the LNB is designed to be used on a Sky "oval" dish, then in theory it shouldn't matter what port of the LNB is connected to as it is self sensing by a Sky Q receiver sending a signal to the LNB to use the "wideband" oscillating frequency - otherwise it should default into "universal" mode.

The coax cable used in the Sky Q set up, as long as it is in decent condition, should be fine for a non-Sky Q satellite receiver.

Just to add, unless I've missed it I'm surprised some manufacturer hasn't developed and sold a "translating" accessory yet that connects between a standard (non-hybrid) Sky Q wideband LNB and the inputs of a normal DVB-S(2) receiver that is designed to "listen" from a Universal LNB, so that the accessory can take the two feeds from the wideband LNB and switch them to at least two outputs of the four different possibilities (voltage polarity switching and 22kHz band switching) that a standard satellite receiver is expecting. Would have thought this would be useful in distribution systems getting upgraded for Sky Q to allow backward compatibility for non-Q subscribers as well as Freesat or even just a standard DVB-S(2) receiver, as well as giving less hassle to other viewers whom cannot easily replace the Sky Q LNB on their dish for certain reasons. Usually Global Invacom or Triax is usually on the ball with such accessories, but I've seen nothing from them.

ethernet

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

Just to add, unless I've missed it I'm surprised some manufacturer hasn't developed and sold a "translating" accessory yet that connects between a standard (non-hybrid) Sky Q wideband LNB and the inputs of a normal DVB-S(2) receiver that is designed to "listen" from a Universal LNB, so that the accessory can take the two feeds from the wideband LNB and switch them to at least two outputs of the four different possibilities (voltage polarity switching and 22kHz band switching) that a standard satellite receiver is expecting. Would have thought this would be useful in distribution systems getting upgraded for Sky Q to allow backward compatibility for non-Q subscribers as well as Freesat or even just a standard DVB-S(2) receiver, as well as giving less hassle to other viewers whom cannot easily replace the Sky Q LNB on their dish for certain reasons. Usually Global Invacom or Triax is usually on the ball with such accessories, but I've seen nothing from them.

It looks like the new generation of Triax SCR multiswitches accept either 2 wideband inputs or the conventional four quattro inputs:

mp3ireland2

ethernet wrote: »

It looks like the new generation of Triax SCR multiswitches accept either 2 wideband inputs or the conventional four quattro inputs:

Out of interest what does those things so? Just give you more outputs per line?

Have ordered the hybrid LNB only £!8 on Amazon so should be fine, it's easy enough to access the dish so should be handy enough to switch.

ethernet

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

Out of interest what does those things so? Just give you more outputs per line?

Have ordered the hybrid LNB only £!8 on Amazon so should be fine, it's easy enough to access the dish so should be handy enough to switch.

They let you distribute satellite (and, optionally, terrestrial) signal around the house. They make sense in larger homes or where you need to supply several set-top boxes. It would probably be overkill otherwise so you're on the right track to just get the right LNB.

The Cush

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

Got a hybrid lnb for £18 on amazon.

Which hybrid LNB did you order, the Sky one or the Labgear one?

mp3ireland2

The Cush wrote: »

Which hybrid LNB did you order, the Sky one or the Labgear one?

The sky one, so i think i've got 2 Sky Q and 4 free to air compatible connections. THere were no instructions with it but googling lead me to the fact that the 2 on their own are for sky Q. I'm not back at Dad's till December to try it out. Living in Scotland to got it delivered here to install when i go back. Normally have a good few bits and bobs with me....hopefully no hard border to on the drive this year!

The Cush

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

The sky one, so i think i've got 2 Sky Q and 4 free to air compatible connections. THere were no instructions with it but googling lead me to the fact that the 2 on their own are for sky Q.

If it's the Sky smart hybrid LNB all 6 outputs are legacy by default and all 6 can be wideband when connected to compatible receivers. The smaller Labgear supplied hybrid has 2 fixed wideband outputs and 4 fixed legacy outputs.