Sky TV communal installation.
Sky TV communal installation.
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Morningside

Original Poster:

24,144 posts

251 months

Thursday 4th August 2011
quotequote all
A friend of mine is on the board of a block of flats (no its NOT council!) and they already have an 8 way LNB with larger dish to compensate.

But now people all want Sky plus and this has caused some head scratching. They cannot have more dishes due to the agreements on purchase.


Any ideas? I did think of a LMB splitter (ie two on a bracket) but what is it called or will the signal be too weak?

JulianHJ

8,858 posts

284 months

Thursday 4th August 2011
quotequote all
The properties on our estate (flats and houses, 20 in total) have a large communal dish and distribution boxes in each property, fitted by a local installer when the development was built a few years ago.

FlossyThePig

4,138 posts

265 months

Thursday 4th August 2011
quotequote all
Have a look at this page on the Satcure site. Loads of technical stuff on the site if you want to learn the basics of digital TV.

cjs

11,443 posts

273 months

Thursday 4th August 2011
quotequote all
How many flats in the block? If 8 then they may each have a single feed coming down from the dish, if there are more flats then they probably have a 'switch' up in the loft.

Either way they will need a second cable feed down to each flat or some equipment that can send the Sky+ requirements down one cable.


VEX

5,259 posts

268 months

Thursday 4th August 2011
quotequote all
Several ways to do this and I have installed a few in both apartment blocks and large houses.

Basically, single dish with a 4 output LNB on it. This feeds a IRS Switch which can then split and switch the four different signals to as many outputs as you could ever shake a stick at. You can even do it over Fibre now for greater distance or points.

Depending on where this is I would be happy to look at it for you/him or pass you on to a friend who does this nationally.

V.

Morningside

Original Poster:

24,144 posts

251 months

Friday 5th August 2011
quotequote all
Thanks all. I have been looking at this 4 way LNB and splitter thingy and I am sure I have one in the shed!(bit late to look).
It was an odd purchase from a car boot sale.
Its a long time since I messed about with cabling for myself. Last time it was to change our LNB to a 4 way one.

Also thanks for the offer of forwarding his details smile But I think he is going to hang fire on that due to upgrade costs, mainly due to it will be a lot of money for one rather than all the flats getting involved.

Actually I am not sure how many flats in total we are talking about, I will ask him.

VEX

5,259 posts

268 months

Friday 5th August 2011
quotequote all
Check which type of 4 way it is.

There are two types, one that allows 4 receivers (or 2 Sky+ boxes)

The other is designed to give fixed outputs for the four different channel groups available from the Satellite receiver. It is then the splitter box that does the group solution rather then the LNB on the dish.

V.

Morningside

Original Poster:

24,144 posts

251 months

Thursday 11th August 2011
quotequote all
Slight delay. Anyhow, here is the box in question:


So how does it work? It has 4 inputs LNC - I suppose these are the same as LNBs? and then it has 16 outputs.
Does that mean I can have 16 sat receivers? or 8 SKY+ boxes?

I cannot see how as they would all clash on channels. Also what about the H and V?
From what I remember from my hazy days of analogue, the switching is done via ...is it voltage or frequency I can never remember.

LNCA marked 13v/0khz
LNCB marked 17v/0khz
LNCC marked 13v/22khz
LNCD marked 17v/22khz

so is this giving me 2 vertical and 2 horizontal polarisation?

The site itself does not help as most of it is in non-English and the one for this box only tells you how to bolt it to the wall.

Bushi

459 posts

215 months

Thursday 11th August 2011
quotequote all
You require a QUATTRO LNB (NOT QUAD) this splits the signal to vertical/horizontal and high/low "simply" feed the matching connections to the multiswitch, provide an aerial feed (+ FM & DAB?) balance levels, earth each input output and cable two feeds to each apartment, provide triplexed facia http://www.sparksdirect.co.uk/euro-module-quad-coa...

Cant comment on the random piece of kit you have purchased except to say BIN IT and buy new, if it goes wrong it may well send each flat a nice live current.

Morningside

Original Poster:

24,144 posts

251 months

Thursday 11th August 2011
quotequote all
Thanks that clears that up. I was going to let him have it, but now you have explained I think I will keep it and just use it for terrestrial TV instead.
smile

VEX

5,259 posts

268 months

Friday 12th August 2011
quotequote all
A brand new tv only one would only cost you about £30-£50 as well.

They need power as well so you will still be in the same problem with it, goes faulty, tv gets a jolt.

V.