Satellite dish connection

[Robotmannick]

Afternoon all,

I've got a bog-standard freeview box connected to the aerial on the roof via coax cable. Works fine, everyone's happy.

I've also got a satellite dish that the house's previous owners installed. This is not attached to anything at the moment other than some cable with an F-connector on the end. Not sure of the make, but it's a non-Sky dish and I seem to remember them saying that the channels they picked up were different to the freeview ones they received.

What do I need to get this dish working again? Is it just a case of getting any digibox with an F-connector on the back? (I assume my old Virgin box from my previous house wouldn't do the trick?). Also, is there any way of checking what channels I might be able to pick up - this would help me decide whether it's worth the bother connecting it (although the previous owners obviously thought it was).

Cheers,

Nick

 

[ChrisFrost]

If this isn't set up to receive from the Sky satellite then it might turn in to a bit of a big job to get this all working....

Worst case it's the wrong dish & LNB. Then there's the alignment; there are dozens of satellites up there and you need to be pointing at the right one to get a receivable signal. Then you need to borrow or buy a Freesat receiver box (or a Sky box with a £25 Freesat from Sky viewing card).

Satellite signals won't go in to anything with a conventional TV aerial socket so your Virgin box is out; and before you ask it's not a question of getting "the right type of adapter". The tuners are different for TV Freeview from Satellite's version (Freesat). The clue to which works with what is in the name: Freesat from a satellite dish.

If you can borrow a Sky box from someone then it's worth a shot connecting it up. There's nothing to say that the previous owners understand what they had set up, so it might just work. But if it doesn't from the word go then it's unlikely to be a free fix. You'll have to spend some money to get things working. Whether it's worth the time and trouble for a second source of pretty much the same as Freeview it a judgement call only you can make.

 

[Robotmannick]

Thanks Chris.

I don't know anyone local with a Sky box and I can't see anyone lending me one unless I can get it back to them within a couple of hours, so unfortunately that option's probably out.

Assuming that the dish hasn't changed position and is therefore still pointing at a satellite which provides a TV signal (which one isn't too important at this stage...), then will any Freesat box be capable of decoding this signal? Knowing the folks that moved out, I can't imagine that they were trying to receive anything other than standard UK TV channels.

Thanks again,

Nick

 

[ChrisFrost]

I can get it back to them within a couple of hours, so unfortunately that option's probably out.

It'll take you less than 30 minutes to hook up and test the connection. In fact, if your satellite cable has an F connector fitted then it'll probably take less than 10 minutes.

Assuming that the dish hasn't changed position and is therefore still pointing at a satellite which provides a TV signal (which one isn't too important at this stage...)

No, you're assuming that satellite works like UK Terrestrial TV. That's not how it works.

First off, all the satellites provide "a TV signal". But it's emphatically not a case that all the satellites provide the same signal, which is kind of what you're implying.

Here's the arc of all the satellites up there that we can theoretically receive from depending on where one lives and the gear one owns... http://www.mbcsatellites.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/satellites.png So as you can see, there's a lot!!

Each satellite carries programming for its target audience. For example, it doesn't take too much to imagine who Turksat and Hellas Sat are aimed at serving. The one we are interested in in the UK for Freesat and Sky is Astra 2 (28.2 degrees). The letters 2A/2D/2E etc refer to the transponders. That corresponds to the channel groups available. There's more info here: http://www.astra2d.com/

If you point your dish at a different satellite then if you do get a signal, your Freesat box might not understand it (= no picture), or it might be encrypted (again, no picture), or there won't be any channels that you want. So I hope you see now... any satellite certainly won't do!!

The other thing is the Freesat EPG (electronic programme guide). You have to be pointing at the right satellite, and receiving off the correct transponder to get the Freesat channel list with the Now, Next and 8 day listing.

Also some good info here and some good links too: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/channels.htm

 

[Robotmannick]

Thanks again Chris,

This is all useful stuff.

It sounds like it's a question of what the previous owners were receiving then. If they were receiving UK Freesat then it should be a fairly simple case of installing a Freesat box. However, if there was anything at all unusual in what they were receiving then it's going to be more work than is worth me doing for the small number of extra channels I'll get (and probably won't watch very often anyway!).

Thanks for your help,

Nick

 

[streetlighter]

What does the actual dish look like ? small oval shape Sky MiniDish or round rusty and the size of a bin lid ? A picture may help to guess what satellite its likely to have been set up on

 

[Gees]

What does the actual dish look like ? small oval shape Sky MiniDish or round rusty and the size of a bin lid ? A picture may help to guess what satellite its likely to have been set up on

Also . if you have a decent compass, check what direction its pointing.
Any satellite other than the UK freesat service will only have a very limited free service ( usually NOT in english ), and a Sky type box would not be any good for these either,