One dish, two boxes

rlogue

Someone I know has one dish and two $ky boxes. Adding a second LNB is too expensive an option for him at the moment, so he has asked me to ask you if it's technically possible to install a switch between the two boxes, feeding the satellite feed into that and switching as required.

Switching the scarts from the boxes would be easy enough as there are plenty of scart switches out there.

chernobyl

Your friend can not afford a second digital LNb [here] for €45 so a Diseqc switch would workout the same including materials...so your friend is stuck.

rlogue

Well, the cost of the LNB isn't an issue. But the cost of installation is! He's been quoted GB£120 for the LNB and the installation.

Surely a switch would be cheaper!

Tony

Originally posted by rlogue
Well, the cost of the LNB isn't an issue. But the cost of installation is! He's been quoted GB£120 for the LNB and the installation.

Surely a switch would be cheaper!

Why does he not just fit it himself if the installation cost is an issue?

Tony

rlogue

He suffers from vertigo.


And so do I!

Lennoxschips

I personally don't understand why they install those dishes so high up. The satellite is floating in orbit above the equator, do they really think installing the satellite two or three metres higher up is going to improve reception??

I have the dish installed on to the side of the garden shed. It works fine and it can hardly be seen, which means it isn't blemishing the urban landscape either.

I guess in some situations there is a valid reason for sticking those dishes for so high up, but most of the time I don't think there is.

Venom

Well the dish is ment to have non obstructive line of sight to the sat as tree's and buildings will screw up the picture.

A dual LNB is the answer to the problem and they are a doddle to fix if you understand the concepts of how a screwdriver works

sergeant121

Originally posted by rlogue
Someone I know has one dish and two $ky boxes. Adding a second LNB is too expensive an option for him at the moment, so he has asked me to ask you if it's technically possible to install a switch between the two boxes, feeding the satellite feed into that and switching as required.

(S)He needs an SMS1 Smart Priority Switch from Global Communications - less than GB£10 including VAT and postage (order on line).

Tony

Originally posted by Venom
Well the dish is ment to have non obstructive line of sight to the sat as tree's and buildings will screw up the picture.

A dual LNB is the answer to the problem and they are a doddle to fix if you understand the concepts of how a screwdriver works

I think you mean twin lnb, I have not seen one yet for a sky dish hence everyone using quads.

Tony

Lennoxschips

I'd plump for a Triax dish and a dubble lnb. Those minidishes are ugly, if you ask me.

piet

Maybe a stupid question, but do you need a second cable to go in if you fit a tin lnb?

Lennoxschips

you do need a second cable to run two boxes off a twin lnb.

Piet, is that a Dutch name?

piet

Piet, is that a Dutch name? Yes.
I read before on the boards, it is impossible to run 2 boxes of 1 dish/cable. is it possible to run a dish and a ariael on the one cable?

Lennoxschips

I've wondered about that myself. I'm here in Amsterdam (goeiemiddag trouwens), and we get the standard cable TV as well as the dish we have outside. I've often wondered if I could hook up the dish to the cables that go to the different TV outlet points in the house, so I could use satellite tv upstairs without having to run an extra cable. I've never tried it, because a satellite system runs 12 volt electricity through the cable, and that might overload the TV/VCR.

Maybe Tony knows more about this.

Tony

Originally posted by Lennoxschips
I've wondered about that myself. I'm here in Amsterdam (goeiemiddag trouwens), and we get the standard cable TV as well as the dish we have outside. I've often wondered if I could hook up the dish to the cables that go to the different TV outlet points in the house, so I could use satellite tv upstairs without having to run an extra cable. I've never tried it, because a satellite system runs 12 volt electricity through the cable, and that might overload the TV/VCR.

Maybe Tony knows more about this.

I would not recommend it without using a diplexer and changing the outlet plate.

Tony

Icehouse

I presume what Tony means by a diplexer/output plate is a combiner(commutateur in French) and a new wall socket which will join/split respectively the frequencies from the cable and satellite sources - I use a system lie this for my roof (terrestrial) aerial and Sky dish and it works a treat, cost about €30 in all. Bought a 2.4Ghz TV sender this week as well, so now I can watch TV elsewhere in the house without more cabling. Joy!!

Tony

yep thats the one