Skybox being a tinker.

[Benzade]

Hi all,
I recently purchased a second hand Thompson Skybox and Triax 2 dish with a universal single output LNB from eBay with the purpose of viewing FTA channels on Sky and installed this (successfully) onto the gable end of my fathers semi detached house via a pole to avoid interference from the wall etc.
My first attempt at finding Astra 28.2E meant I accidently found Astra 19.2E by mistake my trusty Thompson told me I was locked OK with Network ID 0001, decent signal strength and signal quality.
So I think to myself maybe I can set up another LNB at some point to my dish after finding Astra 28.2E and get extra channels like DSF as a side project in the future.
I have managed to add DSF and a host of other German sounding channels on 22.0 or 27.5 to my Skybox Add Channels menu only to be told by my skybox that "No satellite signal is being received" when I try to view them. I know I have a decent reception from Astra 19.2E worst still if I try to access the "Other channels menu" with my dish locked onto anything other than Astra 28.2E my Skybox either asks me for my viewing card pin number. Or to "Please insert Sky viewing card" before I can proceed any further.
After reading many posts on this subject I've quickly realised that Skyboxes are designed obviously for Sky and the fact that there are thousands of channels out there being broadcast on various satellites means it's fifty extra add channels aren't really sufficent.
What I want to know is why will the box not let me view channels it's told me are there and throw extra security at me when I'm on another satellite yet not when I'm on Skys?
Any help would be appreciated but please aknowledge that I'm a newbie so be gentle as the vicar said to the tart.

 

[UK Sat Online]

sky dont like you using their box's for anything else than their own network their are loads of cheap fta satellite recievers around you really would do a lot better with one of them

 

[PaulR]

It's been some years since I mucked around with a Digibox on another satellite but I seem to recall something about having to change the default frequency. If you do change it don't forget to change it when you go back to Astra 2.

 

[Benzade]

Hi Jon and Paul,
Thanks for the replies I've already tried altering the default frequencies which can be a pain in itself as when you exit that menu it automatically returns to the default settings unless you kill the power to the box whilst still in the Installer Menu.
I've already accepted that should I add a second LNB to my dish to receive Astra 19.2E I will need to aquire a receiver capable of switching for a start (or have a lot of patience unscrewing and rescrewing F connectors).
My question is more one of idle technical curiousity than anything else. I'm just interested in how the box seems to be able to differentiate between signals originating from different satellites and in effect block the ones which aren't Skys making the box useless for anything other than Sky.

 

[Topper]

My question is more one of idle technical curiousity than anything else. I'm just interested in how the box seems to be able to differentiate between signals originating from different satellites and in effect block the ones which aren't Skys making the box useless for anything other than Sky.

It is simply a case of limiting the ability of the stb to use different SR and FEC settings. The sky box is limited to SRs of 22000, 27500 and FECs of 5/6 and 2/3 for SD and they have begun using 29500 3/4 for HD transmissions. Also there is no ability to process Diseqc signals thus no chance of dual satellite input without manual switching

 

[Benzade]

Well this is back to my inital query Topper, lets take the sports channel DSF on Astra 1H the fields for this channel at 19.2E are as follows

12.480
V
27.500
3/4

Now as I've aligned my dish with single LNB so switching is not an issue onto Astra 19.2E taking it away from Astra 28.2E and my box is capable of seeing the above fields and has found DSF along with a bouquet of other channels using the "Add Channels" feature. Why once I have added them do I get "No satellite signal is being received" when I try to view this channel or if I pull my Sky viewing card out to bypass it asking me for my pin number before it will let me into the "Add Channels" menu it won't even allow me access to that menu if I don't insert it into the box and enter my pin number first unless I'm on Astra 28.2.E?

According to my reasoning and understanding if the signal strength and quality is sufficent. The Network Id is correct along with the Stream and the dish is locked OK. The box has found the channels because they are within the fields it is capable of handling such as the ones above. Surely it should let me see the channels and not display "No satellite signal is being received"?

Out of interest if the channel is not broadcasting at the time I'm trying to view it for example it's broadcasting schedule is 6pm to 6am, and I'm trying to view it outside of the schedule allowing for time zone difference would I get the "No satellite signal is being received" and it was normal just bad timing on my part?