Connecting second digibox? Help please

[kash79]

Hi,
I have recently moved to new flat. My flatmate has one amstrad digibox in his room with freeview. I want the same channels in my room. Since i am new to this stuff i need help as to which equipment should i buy to be able to do that. Will i require a digibox with freeview or a simple box without one? Whats the best method to connect and how can different channels be watched simultaneously in each room?
thanks

 

[rolfw]

Does he have his own dish, or is this on a communal system?

You will certainly need your own digibox and freesat card and will also need a separate feed for your receiver, so if your friend has his own dish, you need to swap the LNB for a quad and take another feed from it.

 

[kash79]

yes! he hashis own dish and has subscription to only one channel apart from freeview. Can i connect my digibox with his box and receive the transmission with my own control over channels?
thanx

 

[wod]

no you need to change the lnb to a quad one and run a cable from it to your room

 

[kash79]

thanx wod! thats what my mate told me. But i am a new bie so could you tell me how do i change the lnb to quad and do i have to connect to the dish or to his digibox.
I would appriciate your help

 

[spiney]

It's impossible for 2 or more sat receivers to "share" a single lnb (for why, see my multiswitch guide, in faqs below).

So the answer is to replace the existing one with a 4 output type, which will run up to 4 sat receivers. Effectively, it's like having 4 sat dishes, so note that you need a separate cable for each receiver, so to add a 2nd receiver you'll have to run a 2nd cable. You must use "satellite grade" cable, normal tv antenna cable won't work! You'll also need 2 f connectors (plug either end of cable).

It's a simple matter of buying a quad switched lnb with 4 outputs (don't buy a "quattro", that's different!), then putting it in pace of the existing single output one. Fairly easy, but go gently, try to be careful not to knock or move the dish, or you might lose the signal, and then repositioning is a bit fiddly.

Very important! Note that most minidishes are "Sky" branded, and the lnb has a lug which is held in place on dish by a metal push-pin. Check you've got that type, then buy a "Sky" type quad lnb.

(the other type has a circular fixing clamp, but nearly all SKy installations don't use that, you almost certainly have a lug one! Both types are electrically identical, but this fixing difference means they're not interchangable!).

For a picture, go http://www.jwhardy.co.uk/shop/pages/pl_ant_sat_lnb.html, scroll down to "Sky".

(you can probably buy one cheaper than that, look around!).