Advice Needed Newbie requires help in Greece

[bombidil]

I have sky setup in southern Greece but my existing standard non-hd sky box (old Pace "flow" type) has failed.

It has been suggested that I think about replacing it with a Amiko Alien 8900 box.

Does anybody know if this will accept my existing sky card and give me the channels I currently receive, ie. most sky channels but no BBC and ITV1.

The main reasons for this choice, rather than ebay a replacement is: availability and the fact that the Amiko Alien 8900 is acknowledged has having a very sensitive receiver - this is essential here as we are on the very edge of the reception field.

 

[Analoguesat]

As far as I understand the newest Sky HD boxes have pretty sensitive tuners in them.

 

[PaulR]

Welcome back bombidil. Apologies for your post being overlooked but, as you may have realised, there is much changeover in the Astra 28 position.

Whether an Amiko will do the job I have no idea as I haven't had any experience with them. Hopefully someone else may know. But even if it will work now there's no guarantee it will in future as it known that Sky are very keen to tighten up on cards and boxes.

You may find that some of the Sky channels are, or very soon will be, a stronger signal for you. The changeover of satellites will make the BBC, ITV and C4 even harder to get in the fringes but the channels on the European beam may be easier to get. These channels are mostly the encrypted Sky channels.

 

[bombidil]

Thanks for info - Sky HD not an option, the card then is locked to the box. Not interested in BBC or ITV1, they can be obtained by other means. If, as you suggest, some of the other channel strengths may be improved, this will help enormously.

 

[PaulR]

Cards can be re-paired with another box. It's obviously easier to do in the UK but can still be done from overseas providing when you phone up you can disguise where you are.

If your Pace has really stopped working completely then, as I understand it, you may have a problem keeping the card alive if it works in the Amiko as some of the non-Sky boxes don't pass the "stay alive" signals through to the card. The card can then be revived by putting it into a Sky box for a short while. So you may need a Sky box regardless to keep the card alive.

 

[bombidil]

Thanks for the information - Very useful indeed.

Going back to the comments about satellite changes, has this been going on over the past few days has it? The signals have been all over the shop and quite a few people lost them altogether. They appear to have returned and stronger in some cases.

 

[Lazarus]

The changes are not yet complete: For starters, the remaining Channels from 1N Spot are due to migrate to 2E Spot on Tuesday night.

Also, the new 2E Satellite is not quite co-located with 1N and 2F, so if it moves closer in due course, there might be further changes in reception.

 

[Analoguesat]

Cards can be re-paired with another box. It's obviously easier to do in the UK but can still be done from overseas providing when you phone up you can disguise where you are.

If your Pace has really stopped working completely then, as I understand it, you may have a problem keeping the card alive if it works in the Amiko as some of the non-Sky boxes don't pass the "stay alive" signals through to the card. The card can then be revived by putting it into a Sky box for a short while. So you may need a Sky box regardless to keep the card alive.

You dont even need to phone. I paired our card to the new box via the "live chat" function on the website this week. There is an option to pair it via http://activatemychannels.sky.com/ but that failed for me with the message "please contact us" So I just clicked on the chat link

15 minutes & all set up by a polite operator, and no hard sell to upgrade.

 

[bombidil]

Sorry to be so thick but exactly which satellite am I picking up my signal from?

 

[Lazarus]

There are several!

Astra 1N (Due to depart in a day or two), Astra 2E, Astra 2F, Eutelsat 28A (Due to depart in a week or three) and Astra 2A.

In a few months Astra 2G joins the party too.

From what you say about what you don't get, the Channels you do get are variously from all those bar the UK Spot Beams of 2E and 2F.

 

[SZGY]

Regarding the Alien, please note there are at least two versions of it. I know of two different tuners. The old box had a full-width door on its front panel, while the new one comes with one covering the card reader only. The button arrangement is different too. The new one also comes with a soldered in tuner. Unfortunately I cannot comment on sensitivity.

As for smart card reading, if you're running the stock Spark software, you might be able to get away with mcas (not sure if Sky cards are supported). If you intend to run E2 on it however, all I can say is: Good Luck

As it's already been mentioned in this thread, Sky will eventually marry all of their cards, so I wouldn't expect this Amiko setup to last long.