I have an old Sky + box (Pace) and I can pick up all channels, have got a long cable run. My Sky HD box (5 years old)now looses Channel 5 and BBC 1 South and I am looking to upgrade, potentially if BBC iplayer is being added (I have a dedicated UK network in the house). Can anyone advise me on which new Sky HD box is the best for weak signals?
The ultimate hands down best box for fringe reception was the old Pace 2600 box (2600C1) which was unbeatable (not to be mixed with the less sensitive DS430N); Of course this doesn't help you very much as you want Sky+HD box.
I'm currently using the second generation PACE SKY+HD box and it's very good in deed. I have always been drawn towards PACE's products from the very early analogue days (started with a separate Videocrypt decoder hooked up to a MSS-1000) as the quality (in my eyes) have been a tad better than Thomson and Amstrad boxes. Of course then came Samsung which are supposed to be among the better ones.
I don't think there is a huge difference these days BUT if you could try with a new bigger dish this could have an impact on your reception quality.
focussed on 28.2 E on Friday together with a 0.1 dB LNB, it gives me plenty of signal, however I think that the preamp on the input of the Thompson box is weak.
If possible I would wait until the new Astra 1F is in place early next year. This will certainly have a weaker signal than the current 1N and may even be weaker than the old 2D. Might have a significant impact on what equipment you will need.
And some of the Thomson receivers also had problems with the power supply resulting in loss of channels... Could be that this has been fixed, but used to be a huge problem
Just make sure the dish is aligned straight at the closest the most due South satellite at your specific position. Most important of all, as always, the pole which the dish is mounted to should be dead level vertically so the inclination is correct as per the bracket holding the LNB's. Nothing more to it than setting up a USALS motor w/ dish I'd say...
Never-the-less I have had many good fun hours playing around with my dishes
PS. Of course if you want 28.2E to be the prime focal sat, ignore the most due South sat
I ended up getting a reconditioned Samsung HD box sent out from the UK. It is sitting in a post box in Germany and I will pick it up next week. Even with the signal attached I cannot pick up Channel 5 and BBC1 South on the old Thompson HD box. Hopefully the new box will be ok and I can get the on demand channels, the old Thompson box isn't upgradable and Sky wanted another GBP 250 for a new box. Picture is of the signal on the Pace Sky + box
The problem with the Thompson Boxes is that they are the only ones which cannot be upgraded for the On Demand Services. Is a kit available? I did an apprenticeship as an Electronic Test Engineer, so changing some resistors is a doddle, at least it would give me a spare box.
Yes changing the resistors is easy. I have a few resistor packs left myself which have instructions. I bought them off eBay quite cheap. That was a long time ago though.
I have my normal Swiss Router and connected to one of the ports is another router which is running a UK VPN (as Firmware) inside this second router.
Using this second router I have a UK Wireless network and LAN available in the house. Works a treat. I did give a bit of explanation BBC Iplayer comes to sky
Hi I got the router from eBay in the Uk, it had already been flashed for an open VPN. The VPN company I use have a script on their website and instructions on how to install it. I had to frig around with the settings a bit, the VPN company offered to check all the router settings for me, but I managed to sort it out myself before I got them involved. From the sky box or Freesat box I just use a wireless dongle which connects to my Uk network. Google DDT router for more info! I may get another router since we have two Internet connections, business and private and see whether I can flash the router myself. The idea came from this forum so please do some searching. I will pm you the VPN company when I am back in Switzerland later today.
Hi, could you please also pm me the name of the vpn company? I know this has been answered extensively, and I have searched, but I'm a bit clueless in these matters. Using this vpn for my computer, I could access itv player etc?