Looking for a replacement LNB

PhotoMan

Hi

Probably about twenty five years ago or more we had a satellite fitted by Sky who also provided a Sky box. Some years ago we cancelled Sky and bought a Freesat box which I attached to the existing cables and we have been able to whatch and record Freesat channels with no problems, as recently as Christmas. However, a few days ago we turned the TV and Freesat box on but when truning to live TV there was a message saying that the satellite cabling had been changed and there was no signal.

Fortunately we live in a bungalow and I was able to look at the dish and LNB - I found that the plastic cover over the front of the LNB had cracked and broken and the LNB was full of water. I removed the LNB and poured the water out and had it hanging upside down next to a dehumidifier for two days. The contacts in the LNB and the satellite cable all look clean and pristine.

I broke off the rest of the plastic cover and reinstalled the LNB and cables, planning to cover it with cling film if it worked but alas I still got the same error message.

I'm guessing the LNB didn't like being filled with water and is fubarred.

My next plan is to buy a replacement LNB to fit myself and if this doesn't work then call an engineer. I have done some googling but am not sure exactly which LNB to buy - several brands are available on Google with resonable ratings but some of the one star reviews talk about them failing after a short period.

I woonder if any knowledgeable person could post a link where I could order a replacement for the UK, that would fit into the existing arm on my satellite dish.

The broken one says Zinwell on it and Sky J4S and has a bar code SKY4SA0910D00056343. I did find a Zinwell one on Amazon but it was "unavailable" and I can't find the link any more.

I have a photo of the back of the LNB which I will add to this post if the forum will allow.

Thank you for reading this far and for any comments/help offered.

oldernonethewiser

This sort of one might well do. Pretty cheap too.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/visiblewave-4-output-universal-quad-lnb/734gv

Peter999_2

Hi,

That LNB is quite old and is compatible with mark 4 Sky dishes (MK4).

There are a few on ebay available which will be compatible. They come with new holders which just clip onto the dish (it is simple).

However, depending on where you live in the UK you might have to change it slightly. If you look at your existing one you will see it's not quite central, it will be slightly to the left or right. Usually on the sticks they have markers - look at what the marker is for your existing LNB and replicate that on the new LNB.

BRAND NEW MK4 UNIVERSAL MULTI ROOM QUAD LNB LMB FOR SKY + HD / FREESAT / HOTBIRD | eBay UK

This one should work.

Did you definitely have a normal Sky box and not Sky Q? If it is a normal Sky box than they LNB should be fine. Sky Q used a different type of LNB.

PhotoMan

"Did you definitely have a normal Sky box and not Sky Q? If it is a normal Sky box than they LNB should be fine. Sky Q used a different type of LNB."

I'm not sure - how would I know?

Peter999_2

This is the Sky Q box. I'm pretty sure you didn't have one.

Sky-Q-Box-wide-1024x243.jpg (1024×243)

PhotoMan

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882324#Comment_81882324

Ah - thank you. Ours didn't look anything like that.

Peter999_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882505#Comment_81882505

Great. You should be fine with either of the LNBs recommended on this post. Don't forget to adjust it slightly when it comes - when I first installed a dish myself it was a lot of trial and error before I got it working - I never realised the LNBs are slightly skewed. It really has to be pretty exact as I guess the satellites are some 22,000 miles away.

PhotoMan

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882145#Comment_81882145

Just reporting back. I bought this one from Screwfix. The bracket (plastic) was exactly the same shape and size as the metal arm on the satellite dish so it wouldn't slide into place over the dish arm. I opened up the hoop (it consists of two semi circular pieces of plastic, hinged) that attaches the old broken LNB to the removable arm that was used to mount the original LNB and placed the new LNB in it (having removed the new LNB from the supplied bracket). The girth of the new LNB seemed a little large but I thought I might just need to close the hoop more tightly before screwing it shut - however when I did this the plastic hoop broke - the decades of weather had made it brittle.

Fortunately it was only about 45 degrees worth of hoop that broke off so I was able to secure the LNB in place with elastic hair bands, seating it firmly in place in the base of the old plastic hoop. Having attached the cables I was surprised and delighted to find that I now have a working satellite signal, for under £15 - for how long I don't know.

Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Peter999_2

Great, well done, should last a long time now.

QrizB

Well done!

Be aware that elastic hair bands might not last very long outside, so be prepared to replace them if they fail.

oldernonethewiser

Shame it wasn't an exact fit but well done for making it work. Hope it lasts long enough to be worth the small financial outlay and bit of DIY.