Satellite signal distribution

hurdy

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Hi everyone,

Firstly thank you for taking the time to read this post. Please excuse me, I am kind of a newbie when it comes to TV and satellite signals.

I have a question about distributing satellite signals around my house.

Let me exaplain my current setup.
I have a satellite installed by Sky for SkyHD+. I asked them to install 8 outputs on the satellite dish (i think you call it an octo or something similar) where currently 2 of them are being used for the SkyHD+ box. This leaves 6 spare.

My house also has 1 areal, currently used for the Analogue TV signal as we cannot get freeview, where the analogue signals are distributed to each room via several LabGear Distribution Amplifiers (exact model unknown off of the top of my head, I will post back again with this detail).

My question is, can I mix the satellite signals from the output of the Sat Dish into the existing house coax network that accomodates the analogue signals, then have freesat boxes on each wall point to decode the freesat channels?

or do you have to run satellite signals and terrestrial signals down seperate cables?

I also have a second question. With satellite signals, can you take 1 feed from the satellite, then split it, so then I effectively have 2, and then have 2 seperate decoder boxes running from this? or is it strictly one feed from the satellite dish for 1 decoder box, or 2 feeds from the satellite dish for 2 decoders etc etc?

You can take 1 terrestrial feed and split it many times for various terrestrial decoders, so I wonder why not with satellite signals? After all, a satellite signal is still transmitted as an analogue wave, the original digital signal is mixed with a carrier so it can be transmitted wirelessly, then you demodulate it to get the "inside" digital data.

I will leave my questions here as not too have too many questions floating around.

I thank you very much again for your time out to read this and I am really looking forward to your responses.
 

rolfw

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Hi.

You can only use the existing cable if it is satellite quality, double screened.

You can combine the terrestrial and satellite signals using diplexers, but you can't split satellite feeds, as the LNB requires switching to move between bands and polarities for each outlet and two receivers sharing a single outlet will produce conflicts.

Each LNB output has a choice of four states, Horizontal High, Horizontal low, Vertical high and Vertical low and are switched by either voltage or a 22Khz tone.
 

hurdy

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ok greath thank you rolfw.

I've just had a look at this. _http://www.cyberselect.co.uk/pdf/freesat_3.pdf

and

_http://www.cyberselect.co.uk/range/1693

It has given me some good pointers about how it all works.

Thank you again.

[fieldset=Moderation]Please take note of the forum rules regarding url outbound links[/fieldset]
 

rolfw

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Most multiswitches won't work with quad or Octo LNBs (they need quattros), you would need to get one which does. You would also really need a bigger dish as you need to start off with a little more signal to cover the insertion loss of the multiswitch.
 

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In answer to your first question, the satellite signals within the cable from the dish are at frequencies that the Labgear amplifier will not work with, as they are upwards of 900MHz. Terrestrial equipment is limited to about 860MHz.
 

hurdy

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thank you very much for your answers.

I have just read up on what the difference is between a Quad and Quattro.
It's to do with:

Low Band - Horizontal Polarisation
High Band - Horizontal Polarisation
Low Band - Vertical Polarisation
High Band - Vertical Polarisation

It makes perfect sense. Each output from a Quad can switch for each receiever independantly, whilst a quattro is fixed and by using a switch it can flick between the bands as required from the decoder box switching signal.

Again thank you for this advice.

I will have to check my satellite dish to see if it is quattro or not. I don't exoect it is. I was told when he installed it that he would put an octo on for me. If not, then I will need to get a Quattro, then hook that up to a multiswith.

Thank you very much all. This has put me down the right path!

You say I need a bigger satellite, and I understand why you say that.
I do have a space satellite hanging around at home which has a bigger face than the one provided to me from Sky. It used to use it years ago for broadband from BT. It was a satellite broadband service before I could get broadband down the landline. Maybe I will have a go at getting a quattro LNB, fitting to the old BT dish, point to the right place in the sky and see what happens. Hmmm.. plenty of room for thought on this one. Do you think this could work?
I did read somewhere that a satellite dish is just a satellite dish be it from BT or SKY.

Again, thank you all ever so much. Any input is very much welcome.
 

hurdy

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*sorry I mean spare satellite dish. Not space satellite :p.
 

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Unless you are fitting eight satellite receivers, or four dual input receivers (or a combination), there really is no need to add a multiswitch, or change anything on the dish.
 

rolfw

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Channel Hopper said:
Unless you are fitting eight satellite receivers, or four dual input receivers (or a combination), there really is no need to add a multiswitch, or change anything on the dish.

Well only that it's easier and neater if you want to have terrestrial and satellite to every room.:)
 

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rolfw said:
Well only that it's easier and neater if you want to have terrestrial and satellite to every room.:)

Maybe, but if the terrestrial cable is already in each room, enlarging the hole slightly to bring in one, or two more won't make much difference to the looks (unless it's through the window frame).

And it will be somewhat more expensive with the change of LNB, switch gear, wall plates and flyleads/connectors.
 

satelliteman

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If you did go the multiswitch route, in order to save fitting a pattress box and outlet plate, consider the attached for a fairly neat option.
 

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