Adding freesat to Sky system

darich

Apologies if this has been asked before - I had a search but nothing showed up.

I have Sky tv and have done for around 3-4 years so I'm comfortably beyond any contract period.

I know that if I replace the sky box in the rear bedroom (multiroom additional box) with a freesat box I'll receive all the channels on freesat, including the HD ones.
However, I'm not getting rid of Sky and wondered if I could add the freesat box rather than replace the sky one.

Would it be possible to simply buy a co-axial splitter, then connect both boxes?
Would I then be able to switch between boxes to watch whatever box I wished?

I appreciate that many channels will be duplicated but I don't have sky hd so freesat box would give me many hd channels without paying Sky's monthly charge.

Is the above possible or feasible??

Thanks in advance!

Colin_London

You can't just split the co-ax cable as the Sky box needs to send voltages to the LNB on the dish to control its polarisation. Connecting a second receiver to the same output on the LNB would stop this working, let alone severely degrade the signal to the receivers.

You need to connect the second receiver directly to a Twin (or more) output LNB on the dish itself. You may already have spare outputs (although if you have Sky + the second output may already be used), or else have to have the LNB changed out for one with more outputs.

darich

Thanks Colin

I have Sky+ in the living room so the LNB has 3 cables from it just. Two go to the Sky+ box and one to the additional box.

Is changing the LNB easy?

Presumably if I bought a new LNB with additional sockets I would simply run a new cable from it to the Freesat box and that's it?

thanks again

Colin_London

Sounds like you have a quad LNB so might just be able to connect the additional freesat box to the single remaining spare output on the LNB using a new (fourth) cable.

Never changed an LNB myself but I'm sure you can find info on the web.

vale46_2

as colin says it sounds like you got a Quad so will have a spare outlet to connect another box

i put a quad lnb on my sky dish a 5min job if access to your dish is easy
i used a small screw driver and oil

i just put some oil on the sky dish arm end where the quad fits
ran the screw driver round the outside
slid the old single lnb out
pushed the quad lnb into the arm
job done

just dont move the dish

i got this about 2yrs ago works great
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003MQG2HE/ref=wms_ohs_product

if you need a octo lnb search for one

almillar

You can just stick a Freesat box in the bedroom, with that 1 feed into it. You can't split satellite feeds. Like Sky+, if you want a Freesat+ box, it'll do far more with 2 feeds rather than one.

darich

Many thanks for the advice guys.

Most helpful!!

I knew I could rely on MSE!!