FreeSat?

RichyRich

Hello

I am looking for a little guidance if anyone has the experience and inclination to help :-)

My fiance and I have recently moved into a new flat, which has a common Satellite dish. We have what looks suspiciously like a Sky connection point in our living room.

My fiance's parents very kindly gave us their old Sky DigiBox and Viewing Card, which they no longer use having converted to FreeView. Our aerial signal is not strong enough for FreeView.

Today, I have purchased an 'F' to 'F' Coaxial aerial cable from Maplin and plugged in my fiance's parents' old DigiBox to our TV (in the hope of receiving "FreeSat" or the free-to-air Sky channels). However, the message on the TV Reads: "FOR YOUR INFORMATION: No satellite signal is being received".

My suspicion is that this means that the Sky point in our wall isn't connected to the communal box, but I was hoping that there would be a simpler and less expensive method to get more than BBC1 to Channel 5.

Could it be that we just need a new viewing card, or do I really need to call the local installer that the landlord insists we use?

Cheers
Rich

juliescot

If you have got no signal a card will make no difference.

It may be that the connector is not actually wired up but the wires are "hiding" behind it.

It may be that it is connected at that point but not nearer the dish - do all the tenants pay for the feed do you know?

RichyRich

As far as I am aware the developer put the dish in and wired up all the flats when they built the block.

Tenants wishing access to Sky need to call the landlord's approved Satellite contractor, who I believe takes responsibility for the maintenance of the system. Whether that is covered in ground rent or not, I don't know, sorry.

If it helps, and it probably doesn't, the Sky wall socket is in the same wall socket as the roof aerial (i.e. both points in one unit) and the aerial works fine (apart from shoddy reception!)

juliescot

Of course in this instance you don't want to access Sky merely have access to the feed from the dish. I would be tempted to take the plate off the wall and have a look behind it to see if it is connected

RichyRich

Thanks Julie. I'll give that a shot now.

In the meantime, I have managed to glean the following info from the Tenants' Handbook:

COMMUNAL SATELLITE TELEVISION SYSTEM

The [development] is equipped with a communal satellite system which can
supply a range of terrestrial and non-terrestrial (satellite) channels. If your
apartment is not equipped with such a service, and where new residents wish to
receive satellite transmissions, you should contact the company that maintains
and installs the equipment, [Company Name]. Their telephone number is [Telephone Number]. They have packages available for those residents wanting only terrestrial
channels and those wanting both terrestrial and satellite channels. Prices include
connection, installation and tuning and the supply of set top boxes. For further

information please contact [Person's Name] at [Company Name].



What I want to avoid is set-up costs, if poss :-)

RichyRich

Right

I have been down and had the thing off the wall. What it looks like is that there is just one feed going to both sockets.

When I pulled out the lead orginally thought to be "aerial" it too had an 'F' type lead on it. My suspicions therefore are that someone has just put the wrong type of plate onto the socket that leads to the aerial.

I switched the two leads round and still no signal. So it looks like if I want to get access to the dish I'll have to get a technician round

Never mind
and thanks for your help!

Pokerlad

I suspect there is nothing wrong with your wiring in the flat but it is not connected at the distribution point. Only the management company will have access to this and will no doubt charge a fee to connect and a monthly rental for the feed. That is the usual deal.

juliescot

Pokerlad wrote: »

I suspect there is nothing wrong with your wiring in the flat but it is not connected at the distribution point. Only the management company will have access to this and will no doubt charge a fee to connect and a monthly rental for the feed. That is the usual deal.

Have to say that sounds about right.

Oh for the old days of analogue tv.

RichyRich

Thanks all, you have been most helpful.

Moneymaker

Or maybe you could mount a dish at a south-facing window.