FTA HD feed, Sky dish

Hi

A query I have a spare digital aerial installed, as I got sky + and they
would not touch my dish as it was deemed unsafe to alter, owing to it
being on a chimney stack on a bungalow (BUT installed by a freelance sat
installer)

I still have the wire as the sky installers cut it at ground level.
The question being could I fit a "High-Definition FTA Satellite Receiver
- Passion" as sold by Maplins .

OR is the aerial only suitable for another Sky box ??

Cheers

Pete

"Peter" wrote in message
...

Hi

A query I have a spare digital aerial installed, as I got sky + and they
would not touch my dish as it was deemed unsafe to alter, owing to it
being on a chimney stack on a bungalow (BUT installed by a freelance sat
installer)

I still have the wire as the sky installers cut it at ground level.
The question being could I fit a "High-Definition FTA Satellite Receiver -
Passion" as sold by Maplins .

OR is the aerial only suitable for another Sky box ??



Yes, assuming that the dish was used for the Sky UK digital services. It is
the LNB rather than the dish that has to be compatible.
Set the LNB settings in your new receiver to the same as used in the old sky
box (if you can display them.)

If necessary extend the cable using F plugs and F barrel wrapped in self
amalgamating tape if outside.
http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page7.htm


Alternatively wait a few months for the BBC Freesat service to get launched
and compatible HD capable PVRs to appear on the market.


--
Michael Chare

A query I have a spare digital aerial installed, as I got sky + and they
would not touch my dish as it was deemed unsafe to alter, owing to it
being on a chimney stack on a bungalow

Yes, that would be right, so called $KY engineers (laugh) deem any
installation as non standard or unsafe if their step ladders won't reach the
dish.

(BUT installed by a freelance sat installer)

Whose quality of installation was probably far better than any $KY
installation.


--
Don't feed the $KY machine.

On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:28:11 +0000, Paul Martin wrote:

In article ,
Peter wrote:

A query I have a spare digital aerial installed, as I got sky + and they
would not touch my dish as it was deemed unsafe to alter, owing to it
being on a chimney stack on a bungalow (BUT installed by a freelance sat
installer)

I still have the wire as the sky installers cut it at ground level.
The question being could I fit a "High-Definition FTA Satellite Receiver
- Passion" as sold by Maplins .

It'll work, but you'll only get the BBC HD channel in HD. The Sky
channels are encrypted.

A pair of F connectors, an F-to-F barrel coupler and some
self-amalgamating tape (you must stretch it whilst wrapping it round
the connectors/cable) will allow you to connect a fresh bit of cable to
it to extend the cable indoors again.

If you don't want to use it immediately, you should seal the end of the
dangling cable now (self-amalgamating tape is best, a big dollop of
vaseline and cling film second best) to prevent water ingress, which
would render it useless for future use.

Vaseline & cling film! That brings back memories :-)

Marky P.

On 17 Nov, 15:43, "RT" wrote:
A query I have a spare digital aerial installed, as I got sky + and they
would not touch my dish as it was deemed unsafe to alter, owing to it
being on a chimney stack on a bungalow

Yes, that would be right, so called $KY engineers (laugh) deem any
installation as non standard or unsafe if their step ladders won't reach the
dish.

(BUT installed by a freelance sat installer)

Whose quality of installation was probably far better than any $KY
installation.

--
Don't feed the $KY machine.



I just wonder why you went to Sky for the install of the Sky Plus?

Any Independent "ASA" (Authorised Sky Agent) can usually offer the
"deals" that Sky do for upgrading to Sky Plus (or HD) and will do the
job properly. They are usually skilled and experienced in what they do
and have a reputation to uphold. They may charge slightly more for a
more difficult installation but you get much more satisfaction for
your money.
It is a joke that they would not access the chimney and do the job
properly.
I bet you also have loose connections at the LNB, untidy cable runs
and a heap of cable behind the tv too.
We spend a great deal of time sorting out the problems caused by Sky's
own installations.

A pair of F connectors, an F-to-F barrel coupler and some
self-amalgamating tape (you must stretch it whilst wrapping it round
the connectors/cable) will allow you to connect a fresh bit of cable to
it to extend the cable indoors again.

If you don't want to use it immediately, you should seal the end of the
dangling cable now (self-amalgamating tape is best, a big dollop of
vaseline and cling film second best) to prevent water ingress, which
would render it useless for future use.

--
Paul Martin

Hello,

Forgive me being a complete novice, but is "self-amalgamating" tape the
plasticky-type stuff freely available (even on market stalls) or is it that
cloth-based stuff of yesteryear, usually black; or is it something else and
where do you get it from?

David

"David H" wrote in message
...


A pair of F connectors, an F-to-F barrel coupler and some
self-amalgamating tape (you must stretch it whilst wrapping it round
the connectors/cable) will allow you to connect a fresh bit of cable
to
it to extend the cable indoors again.

If you don't want to use it immediately, you should seal the end of
the
dangling cable now (self-amalgamating tape is best, a big dollop of
vaseline and cling film second best) to prevent water ingress, which
would render it useless for future use.

--
Paul Martin

Hello,

Forgive me being a complete novice, but is "self-amalgamating" tape
the plasticky-type stuff freely available (even on market stalls) or
is it that cloth-based stuff of yesteryear, usually black; or is it
something else and where do you get it from?

David


No. Self-amalgamating tape is a special product, which is very
different from gaffer or duck tape - or PVC or fabric-based insulating
tape.

It is available from Maplin (£6.99 for 19mm x 10 metres), Screwfix
(£2.99 for 19mm x 10 metres) and other retailers. (See
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?... urce=15&SD=Y
and www.screwfix.com).

As the name suggests, the layers merge together to create the waterproof
seal that is essential for outdoor electrical and satellite connections.

Did the Sky installers ask you before they cut it? Sounds rather off to cut
a perfectly good cable to a perfectly good dish.

But on an amusing note... A few years ago I had some new windows fitted.
Since there was an aerial cable through the frame, I carefully removed the
plug and asked the installers to pull the cable through before they fitted
the new windows. Of course I expected them to pull the cable outwards but
they cut the cable outside and pulled in inwards! It wasn't worth getting
upset about as I wasn't using it but it was another lesson in how precise
and carefully explained instructions need to be ;-).

Paul DS

The message
from Paul Martin contains these words:

In article ,
David H wrote:

Forgive me being a complete novice, but is "self-amalgamating" tape the
plasticky-type stuff freely available (even on market stalls) or is
it that
cloth-based stuff of yesteryear, usually black; or is it something
else and
where do you get it from?

Self-amalgamating tape is a slightly rubbery but not sticky (there's no
adhesive on it) black tape that has the curious property that if you
stretch it and wrap the stretched length about something, it'll cling
very tightly to that thing and over the course of several weeks merge
with itself to form a single waterproof lump.

Correction, the tape self amalgamates almost straight away (as you
would find out after just completing a wrapping or two over a joint and
suddenly realise you need to unwrap it to sort out something vital that
you overlooked :-).

The product has been available for well over twenty years so is not a
"new" product except maybe in the eyes of the general public.

--
Regards, John.

Please remove the "ohggcyht" before replying.
The address has been munged to reject Spam-bots.

In article ,
Johnny B Good wrote:


The product has been available for well over twenty years so is not a
"new" product except maybe in the eyes of the general public.

Over 30 years - I first came across it in 1973.

--
From KT24 - in "Leafy Surrey"

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