All posts by Les Nicol
Below are all of Les Nicol's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Jonny5 - As you have a SKY dish as you say for SKY+ then the dish should have an existing quad LNB fitted. If your connecting up a "Freesat" DTR recorder for your lounge than that will leave you two feeds st the LNB to which you can run an additional two feeds to other locations. Should you require more than two feeds then you would have to purchase an octo LONB which has eight outs on it, this may require you also requiring a 40mm collar adapter to suit the current SKY dish. Adapters are inexpensive at under £3.00 and are push fit. Afore mentioned can be had at satcure or CPC. Satcure may be the better of the two as cable can be had in whatever lengths you require.(whom ever you go to make sure the cable is satellite grade) If you have a number of outlets then the neater option but certainly more expensive is in purchasing a multiswitch that's compatible with a quad LNB and utilise your existing one. "What Satellite" recently reviewed as best in category for a domestic installation the Optima MS508 at £80 - Note multi-switches can be located in the loft or a convenient cupboard - if that's the route you take.
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Jonny5 - Yes you can do that which is quite straightforward. I was a bit long winded with my initial response but wanted to give you all the options not knowing the size of your property.
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p.s You will need to acquire if you don't have - screw on connectors for shotgun cable and some self amalgamating tape to seal after you've made good the cable connections to the LNB. You may have the LNB type that has a sliding weather cover in which case push up to expose the connectors being carefull not to stress your dish knocking it off it's current configuration. That's all there is to it.
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Keith - The Green screen is a failure in the HDMI Handshake process between the HDR or other linked HDNI connected device. It can be triggered by changing the V format - so if you use 720p push it until it's 720p again and it will force the receiver to check that your TV complies with the HDMI connection. I experienced something similer when I connected my Hyundi Mini media centre with a "Technisat" receiver and linked to the second HDMI on the TV and booting the Hyundi first. By booting it last this corrected the handshaking process and resolved the Green Screen issue.
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Jonny5 - If you log onto the Satcure online site, if you browse you will see an illustration of how to properly fit these screw on Shotgun cable terminations to the cable for a secure connection. I would have advised a local reputable rigger rather than SKY particularly as you plan on getting a "Freesat" receiver. Good luck with your installation- Pleased to help and hope you manage OK.
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Adrian Guthrie - It seems like your dish isn't quite peaked to provide reception over all the satellites (there is a cluster of several) at 28 degrees South East The BBC and ITV are Beamed from Astra 2D with SKY coming from Astra 2A. Some transmissions also come from Eurobird 1. You can check the signal strength within the SKY menu structure. You can obtain a small basic meter (they are reasonably priced) that may assist in signal peaking from Maplins in Carlisle
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Greg - Yes. You could get a "Freesat" HD or HD DTR recorder Which will allow you to view and or record dependent on the model chosen. "Freesat" is supported by the BBC and ITV. Whilst you wouldn't get all what
you can get on SKY dependent on your subscription package you will receive over 200 channels and several hundred more with a receiver that can switch between the "Freesat" EPG and European standard FTA EPG - free to air. Effectively this gives you the ability to watch alternative channels from that on your existing SKY box You will require feeds from you existing dish which will have two spare connectors on the dish LNB to facilitate this. - Not expensive if you have to have a rigger to do this. Sky themselves would charge you their standard charge about dougble that of a local reputable tradesman.
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Sylvia - I suspect your dish has moved out of alignment and needs to be peaked with a suitable satellite meter. Another possibility might be a failing LNB (low noise block) amplifier fitted to the end of the boom arm on the dish. It really requires a professional meter to test this item. As it's been fitted for ten years it could also be the bracket fixings that have allowed movement of the dish in poor weather conditions. Doesn't take much to knock the signal off. You may be better getting a reputable local rigger to fix this as he will have a pro meter and this should be up and running fairly quickly.
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Insake Allso - You need to have the dish re-aligned as it seems likely it has moved - Even a very slight movement can cause breakup and loss of picture. Best to have a local (reputable) rigger sort this out.
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Tuesday 10 May 2011 8:57AM
Brian - Yet another manufacturer enters the "Freesat" market. Obviously this presumes increasing confidence with Freesat. "Strong" are coming in eith a DTR receiver which will be "Thomson" branded.