Wiring from sky dish to wall outlets.

[FiF]

Some time ago we moved the sky dish and sorted out the wall outlet.

So in one corner of the room in question we have 3 sky outlet box plus a phone socket for the phone connection.

At the time we asked the bod for a quote to put a second identical outlet box in another corner of the room, thinking it would be simple to extend the cables a few feet down the outside of the building and connect up the phone wire that's already there.

The additional quote was a fortune, ok a few hundred quid extra, as he insisted that jointing cables wasn't a good idea and would have to run three extra cables all the way from the sky dish on the diametrically opposite corner of the house.

Was that right or was he trying to lift my leg for extra work? He was already running 3 cables up from the dish through the loft and then down the outside. Seemed excessive at the time so didn't go ahead with the second point and he just did the one.

Now we want to have a second point and wondered if his advice about avoiding junction boxes was right or not. What are the implications on signal quality?

[MKnight702]

I think joining cables is tended to be frowned upon as a join is a point of weakness and can degrade the signal.

Personally, I have installed all the Sky cables myself, it really isn't hard. You can buy the fittings and cable online then run them wherever suits you best. One thing to be sure of though, is how many outlets you have on the LNB (receiver on the dish) as you may need a new one, again easily sourced.

[megaphone]

Each SkyHD+ box requires two individual cables from the dish LNB. You cannot run multiple receivers off the same cable. Well you can but then you get into multi-switches etc, far easier/cheaper to run in cables.

Or you can run your SkyHD boxes in single LNB mode, which uses one drop cable, however you lose the dual recording facility etc.

[SS2.]

For Sky Multiroom (or whatever it's called these days), I've just extended an existing shotgun cable into a newly refurbed room at ours - the cable length from the dish to the new room is about 35m.

The run goes LNB >> 10m of cable >> joint comprising F type plugs coupled with barrel connectors >> 25m of cable >> F type plugs to back of Euro module wallplate >> F type sockets on Euro faceplate >> F type plug to 1m of shotgun cable into back of Sky box.

Sky is being shown on an 8000 series Samsung LED TV and, despite all of the cable joins with screw in F types, the picture remains top quality.

The faceplates we've used really do look the part - very pleased with those, and much neater than having a Sky cable simply poked through the wall.

[FiF]

Thanks for comments. Just to clarify, we don't intend to run more than one thing off one cable, it's just to move the existing setup from one corner of the room to another.

If we have to run three complete new cables then have to get an Octo LNB which is not massively expensive. Think we have a 6 way with one spare slot now. Even if I buy 100m of cable it's peanuts, relative to the quote.

Problem to doing it myself is mainly access equipment, long story, not going to bore you with that. Just wanted information on possibilities and whether jointing was acceptable.

[megaphone]

So to simplify. You want to re-locate your Sky box then? Just extend the existing cables as described above using F cons and barrels.

Also why three cables? I suspect you have two Sky cables and one aerial? LNBs are 2/4/8 way, most common these days are 4 way (quad).

Edited by megaphone on Wednesday 14th October 16:58

[SS2.]

FiF said:

Thanks for comments. Just to clarify, we don't intend to run more than one thing off one cable, it's just to move the existing setup from one corner of the room to another.

Agree with megaphone, enough shotgun cable as is needed to go from one corner to the other, 4 x F type screw in connectors (eBay - £1.99 for 10, delivered) and a couple of barrel connectors to join new cable to existing.

Job's a good 'un..

[FiF]

3 cables, two go into the Sky+HD box, 3rd goes into the Freesat on the TV, in the rare event that recording two things simultaneously and somebody wants to watch something else. It happens with our lot unfortunately plus we have a set with free sat tuner. Free view is not that good where we are, only 19 channels, unless erect a massive mast to pick up on a different mast.

Thanks folks, just going to extend the existing setup.