Replacing a dish or LNB

[Johndeb]

I have a digital system from the UK that has worked without issue up until now.   I have a 60cm dish but want to replace it, so as I am replacing it I want an 80cm dish.   My questions are: -

Can I buy any dish from Castorama etc and will it be compatible?

Does it come with its own LNB or can I use the old one?

Can I buy these separately if needed?

Anything else I should think about?

Is it possible to buy a digital system from Castorama etc and, utilising the dish, LNB and box with a Sky viewing card, successfully receive signals?

My preference is just to use the current digital receiver box with the new dish/LNB, so the last point is one of curiosity in the main.

Thanks in advance for any information received.

John

 

 

 

 

 

[derf]

Can I buy any dish from Castorama etc and will it be compatible? Does it come with its own LNB or can I use the old one?

You can buy any dish with a universal LNB usually bought together to use with your existing SKY box, the larger the dish normally the better.

Can I buy these separately if needed?

No real point in doing this and it may be difficult to mount the LNB.

Is it possible to buy a digital system from Castorama etc and, utilising the dish, LNB and box with a Sky viewing card, successfully receive signals?

It's not possible to use a SKY viewing card unless it's in a SKY digibox. You would be able to recieve the free to view channels ie BBC and a few others in a non SKY box.

You do have to consider why your existing setup does not work are you sure it's an LNB problem?

[Johndeb]

[quote]Can I buy any dish from Castorama etc and will it be compatible? Does it come with its own LNB or can I use the old one? You can buy any dish with a universal LNB usually bought together to use with...[/quote]

Les

Thanks for coming back to me so quickly on this.   I have kind of assumed it is an LNB or dish problem as I am not able to line it up to get a signal (using the signal strength & quality indicators on the TV - me up a ladder and my wife shouting at me).   I have checked the card in someone else's box and can view all channels that we had previously.

Do you know what else it could be if it is not the LNB?

John

 

 

[derf]

I can't say what is wrong but you should try without using the Sky card which is not required for BBC, Sky news etc so you should tune to one of these channels when doing any checks. It is also important when aligning the dish that if you find the wrong satellite your digi box locks onto that and in system settings it will give you false information.

Your network ID should be 002 and transport stream 07D4

Turn the box off at the main socket for a few minutes and then try turning the dish again but you do have to wait a few seconds every time you move the dish to allow time for the signals to be decoded.

There are lot's of web sites that will help you to align the dish

 

[richard.w]

 "I have checked the card in someone else's box and can view all channels that we had previously"

Hello could I ask how you did that. did you have phone the UK to change the box with them as I thought the card was registered to the box and could not be swopped without sky changing it I only ask because I have another box and would like to swop mine  thanks

[derf]

Hello could I ask how you did that. did you have phone the UK.

The Sky card will work in any Sky box, unless you want to watch any of the premium channels, if so then the card needs to match the box it was registered with.

 

[richard.w]

Thanks for that it will help me out of a sticky corner

[bubble]

Not so much needing to repllace as needing to buy a dish so any advice would be appreciated. At the moment I am using the dish on my motorhome let into the house but getting fed up with going outside to change the program !!! As I already have the box just need the dish. Can I buy dishes only as have only seen with boxes here:and where? Also can anyone expain the difference in the dishes eg. Numerique , annalogue etc

[derf]

I am sure that you would be able to buy a dish and LNB from Mr Bricolage, Castorama and the like but the deals they do complete with decoder are usually hard to beat, just put the decoder box in the cupboard and use the dish, to watch Sky programs you will need a numerique (digital) LNB not analogue they are normally sold in the kit as above as universal LNB's.