Sky + on a communal dish

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

Hi Guys,

This is the first time i have posted and i'm not technical at all, so please go easy....

I have just had sky + installed in my flat and like many others i have a problem that i have a communal dish and only one feed coming into my flat, so i can't use all the functions properly. I have spoken to sky and they have booked another installer to come out and make amends to the communal dish to rectify the problem- however i think that the installer won't be able to / wont want to do this.

I've phoned a satellite company to pick their brains and a guy told me about a new product on the market that enables you to easily get two feeds from one by just attaching it to the end of the existing cable / lead and then pluging the other end into a plug socket.....This seems too good to be true! He asked me to call him a few days as he said it was so new he couldn't remember the name of it and was going to get more details.

Has anyone heard of this product? or does anyone know how i can get my sky + working without lots of hassle or further installation cost.

Thanks in advance

E

**Analoguesat** · 29-09-2009

It is too good to be true.

What you actually need is another feed running from the communal system multiswitch.

This could be as simple as running another wire but could easily involve quite a major job if new switches are required!

**satelliteman** · 29-09-2009

Originally Posted by Noidea80

I've phoned a satellite company to pick their brains and a guy told me about a new product on the market that enables you to easily get two feeds from one by just attaching it to the end of the existing cable / lead and then pluging the other end into a plug socket.....This seems too good to be true! He asked me to call him a few days as he said it was so new he couldn't remember the name of it and was going to get more details.

Has anyone heard of this product? or does anyone know how i can get my sky + working without lots of hassle or further installation cost.

Thanks in advance

E

Could be referring to a stacker/De-stacker and in any case an available port would be required on the switch. As said if possible it's best to run another feed from the headend.

The SCR adaptor system is also another option, no extra ports needed.

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

Yeah, i thought it would be the case of running another cable. I have been told that there are available ports on the switch, however i am just concerned that it might be a major job to run another cable into my flat......I was just hoping there would be an easier (possibly cheaper) way?

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

Oh, what's a SCR Adaptor system? Will this do the job?

**satelliteman** · 29-09-2009

_http://www.globalinvacom.com/products/pdfs/SCR%20iss4.pdf

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

Originally Posted by satelliteman

_http://www.globalinvacom.com/products/pdfs/SCR%20iss4.pdf

Great thank you - i don't think sky installers will fit this, but i'm sure i can get another satellite installer to do the job.

Thanks again.

**Analoguesat** · 29-09-2009

The stacker-destacker is a possibility, however if the cable isnt in A1 condition they often cause more problems than they solve.

I did see a trick mentioned a while back on how to get something to record on a 1 port Sky+ box.

1) set up an unwanted recording (for something like a radio channel) or similar starting well before the desired recording time.

This will grab the none functioning port 2 and will obviously fail.

2) Set up the desired programme as normal - this will grab port 1 (the functioning one)

Wont let you record something whilst you are watching something but might be useful if you are out for the evening or similar.

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

It seems to work ok when i set it to record when i go out. The problem is having to watch the same channel when i'm home.

I only had it installed a few days ago and i told Sky (before installation) that i have a communal dish with only one feed and they told me the engineer would sort it when he got here...which he didn't! it's a little annoying!

**Analoguesat** · 29-09-2009

Im not surprised he didnt do anything - simply because theres nothing to fix until you get that second connection wired up one way or another.

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

Sky (or the phone operator) told me that the installer would install another connection - however i was wrongly informed as the installer said company policy is that they do not touch communal dishes, even though i had written consent from my management company.

**Analoguesat** · 29-09-2009

I think its not Sky's responsibility - its the management companies responsibility to get it sorted, so a normal installer wont touch it.

If my Mdlands chum Nanochikin sees this thread he might be able to clarify things - he works on communal installations every day.

Noidea80 · 29-09-2009

Yeah i think your right. But typically the management company have said i would have to pay for the upgrade. I just wish sky would have explained all this to me before i ordered sky +, i don't think i would have bothered!

**satelliteman** · 29-09-2009

Sky won't touch a communal system and their installers are not responsible for upgrading it. It'll be the management companies responsibility to contract an installation company for the upgrade.

**Analoguesat** · 29-09-2009

Ah excellent - another one of our communal installers found the thread. Cheers sm.

**nanochickin** · 29-09-2009

The amount of times i've heard this

Your average Sky engineer wouldn't know his arse from his elbow if you put him infront of an IRS system

I've lost count of the amount of times i've had to put Sky's handy work right . The favorite is when the tennant hasn't had a socket installed in their flat.

The so called engineer comes along and then just connects their box straight to the cable that usually coiled up outside the flat, not realising the cable also carries UHF, DAB & FM signals.

It works but when that tenant moves out the next person in the property then kicks up a stink because the don't have a TV point

Can i ask if the cables are internal or external on your property. If they are external it may be cheaper than you think to get a second cable installed

You may find it would be cheaper to have a new cable run rather than buying a stacker system anyway

I normally charge about £50 for a cable run from the headend to the tenants property as long as its not taking the proverbial in distance or height

This usually includes a new 2 output socket thrown in for good measure

Nano

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