SKY + / No need for installation?

[jay law]

Hi everyone,

Im new to the forum but thought I would share this with you all and get your input.

I was on the phone to sky yesterday, upgraded to Sky Broadband Max & Sky Talk (I am already an exisiting Sky TV customer, but want to upgrade to Sky +....the chapest possible way).

The guy on the end of the phone was some funny scottish man, and we had a long conversation about pro evo 6...irrelavent but funny.

When i got to the end of the conversation, I asked whether this would affect my upgrade to Sky + if i chose too. The guy on the phone told me...even though he shouldn't....that I dont actually need to buy Sky + through Sky, and that I can get away with buying a new box from ebay etc, connecting it myself...ringing sky, and just getting them to match up my sky viewing card with my new box, and informing them that I am on a sky + box (he also added i dont need to change my subscription as I already have one premium channel, sports, so it wouldnt increase my costs at all).

Having told some guys at work this, they said I also need to get a new quad LNB fitted to my dish.

....Can anyone tell me if any of the above is true? and if yes/no why?

Cheers
Jay

[Godspeed]

Yup that's all true.

You don't even have to subscribe to any sky packages to use the sky+ features although you do need to pay £10pm for the privilege of using the box for free to view channels

[NewsreadeR]

Anyone know how I can get a Sky+ box for £49.00 fitted? I have tried every trick in the book, and the lady in Turnaround laughed her socks off when I asked for the deal last night. She knew exactly what I was going to ask.

[lowmans]

If you subscribe to a premium channel you do nat have to pay the 10£/month Sky+ fee

You will need a quad LNB because the Sky+ box needs 2 inputs from the dish so you can either watch one channel & record another or record two channels at the same time.

The quad LNB gives you up to 4 outputs from the dish. The other two outputs can be used for 2 extra standard boxes or one extra Sky+ box (i.e. multiroom).

And you can buy the Sky+ box from anywhere you like, although I wouldn't recommend buying a second hand one just incase the HDD is dodgy.

[jay law]

So would I be able to buy a box & quad LNB and fit it all myself

....baring in mind my dish is just the other side of the wall to the box, and all i need to fit it is to reach out the window?

[Godspeed]

Unless like my first installation it was for a free box then i would'nt let a glorified window cleaner er sorry sky installer fit anything for me.

All you need to do is put a quad lnb on the end of your dish (have a look to see what size the shaft is so you get the right one)

You will need some twin cable coax which is roughly the same diameter (so should go through the dsame size holes) as standard sat coax to feed both tuners.

Buy a second hand sky+ box from a reputable source - i.e a forum member who has upgraded to skyHD (avforums etc)


As a side reference if you do'nt want just 'movies' or 'sport' as a premium package you can get a mix of the two as a premium package.

It's something like all the odd numbered sport channels and all the even movie channels etc.

Good luck, you should'nt have any trouble

[NewsreadeR]

and watch you don't fall out of the window

[lowmans]

Its not impossible, you would also need a length of coax, and you will need the connectors to terminate the cable and you will also need to drill a hole through the wall beside you existing coax cable. You would need to remove the old LNB and fit the new quad LNB. I wouldn't have thought it would be too easy if you were leaning out of a window! You would need to do it off a ladder.

You could contact a local firm that fits aerials as most of these companies also fit satalite equipment (many are contrtacted to Sky). I'm sure they would do it for you cheaper than Sky.

[jennifer]

You will also need new rubber seals or self-amalgamating tape to make the F connections to the LNB waterproof. AND you will need at least 2 more F connectors, (mentioned above). AND make sure the cables at the LNB have a downward loop to direct raindrops away from the F connectors.

I see Sky+ boxes on eBay and other sources that are more expensive than a Sky install!

Don't forget that the Quad LNB is also heavier than a single and can pull the Dish Arm down a bit causing misalignment. ALSO you will need the correct LNB for your existing dish shape - round or oval.

Jennifer