I have a block of apartments (4 apartments) and wish to install satelite into all of them. The building already has Cable but seems very expensive for the few channels it gives.
The apartments are rented to mainly Swiss-Italians, Italians for Tax reasons and me (English).
I would like to install Satelite to each apartment for Astra (Italian), HotBird for Swiss and Sky.
Can you confirm that the best way to do this is as follows:
1) Two dishes - one dish for Sky and one for HotBird/Astra
2) Sky dish to have quad
3) HotBird/Astra dish to have the block with switch for HotBird/Astra but quad.
4) Then run two coaxial cables to each apartment for each dish.
5) seperate receiver for Sky Dish and HotBird/Astra.
I already have the Sky receivers and remotes as bought Sony ones from Ebay in UK. I also bought the free-view cards from Sky and set them while in the UK. I am not bothered about Sky Plus or HD at moment.
Is this the correct process for ease of installation and future modifications to system.
Can be done with 1 80 cm dish and three lnbs. Already covered in the forum under multisat. I recommend that the dish points at Astra 2 and takes reflections from Astra 1 and hotbird. I have tried it myself, set up can be fiddly without a meter and I used an inline amplifier on hotbird to get all signals.
I also used 1 dish (78) for these 3 satellites, directing main LNB (the one at the centre of the dish) to HOTBIRD. The problem is that for astra 28, it really gets to the edge and results into not-so-good reception of many channels.
It may be worth buying an inline amplifier on low signals. It has worked for me and I have used it to solve such problems with other people.
Satellite amplifier http://www.satshop.ch/product_info.p...89&language=en
they are only 16SFR and you would probably improve the signals. I would look at this first, but Astra 2 is the weakest signal so the dish should be focused on this satellite.
what if you want to increase the signal of the Astra 28 only? Can you use this device between the LNB and the diseqc switch?
Yes insert it between the switch and Astra 2 Lnb.
I need one on hotbird to get all channels, but my dish is focused on Astra 2.
To all - If you are getting low signal strengths - I do recommend trying an amplifier first. For the cost it is a no brainer and easy to install.
Thank you for that information regarding one dish for three satelites.
The roof of the apartment block is a flat roof of 260 metres square so spaces and concealment of dishes is no problem. I am the lnadlord of the apartment block so no issues with regard to permission.
I also live in Ticino (560m above sea level near Mendrisio) so I would gather that the reception of the satelites would not be as good as that of Zurich.
The dishes would be used for four households , so the cost per apartment is insignificant in the overall picture as dishes (Triax 86cm) seem cheap.
I therefore think that it makes sense to go for at least two dishes.
No worries - two dishes are good option if you have the space. A wave frontier dish T90 could also be a one dish option.
http://www.satlex.de/en/satcom_t90-pic_11.html
The dish is big but the results are good, so I hear.