A few questions for a newbie - please help :)

[dmc314]

Hi all, hope someone can answer this, i'm sure they're not too taxing questions but google searches bring few answers.

I have one of the small sky dishes on my new flat and i'm interested in getting either freeview via an old sky box or free sat via a new box - the cable comes through the wall and is loose with no connector - there appears to be two cables attached to each other - can anyone explain why there are two cables and what they do? I plan on installing a wall plate to tidy things up but i have no idea about the cable yet. Also can i use any freesat hd box to receive hd through the sky minidish?

Thanks for reading
Michael

[SAT-WORLD]

The one cable with two cores is known as shotgun cable,and is used typically with the Sky pvr(personal video recorder),the Sky +.Though it is also perfect for a FTA(Free to air) twin tuner pvr such as the Freesat HDR.
I wouldn't advise installing a wall plate,as you will experience some signal loss.
Why not install a blank plate and drill a hole to feed the existing shotgun cable.
That should ensure that there is no signal loss.
You can use a Freesat HD or HDR with the Sky minidish,as long it hasn't been moved from the Astra 2 satellite position.
You will need these special F-connectors(smaller than the standard F-connectors)

[dmc314]

Thanks very much for the advice, though I'm still a little unclear. I presume I split the wire and add a connector to both of the small wires? Is are both carrying the same signal? I'm guessing if I get a freesat HD box it'll have two inputs?

Sorry for not understanding, just a little confused!

[dmc314]

Quick thought, can I run two freesat boxes off those wires?

[Analoguesat]

With 2 input cables you can run one twin tuner pvr OR 2 single tuner receivers.

However as the lnb on the dish almost certainly has 4 outputs you could just run new cables to two new locations in the house.

[dmc314]

Thanks again, think I'll split the shotgun cable and run two single receivers in that case, never record anything anyway but keen to get this freesat HD box from maplin for 30 quid and if it work I'll run another cable to the bedroom in time for the world cup

[dmc314]

Well i got my hd freesat box (not from maplin, my mate read that wrong!) - it's a bush one from argos - only £60! stuck the wire in and worked straight away

I have one final question if you guys would be so kind:

The box sits in the bedroom which is next door to the living room, the dish itself is attached to the wall by the window where the tv sits so the wire running off it can't be more than 3 meters long. I wish to use the other wire i have (from the shotgun cable) to hook up another box in the living room - i believe i'll need between 17 and 20 meters cable to do this.

i see two choices, cheap option: one box and two hdmi leads, i could swap them out when i'm in the living room/bedroom and just use one box or expensive option: i could get another box and run an extension lead on the spare wire from the dish.

which is my best option? which will likely lose less signal and if i opt for the long extension cable off the dish can i use any cable or does it have to be sky cable? are hdmi cables crap after a few meters?

[Analoguesat]

A 20m run of cable from the dish to a receiver is nothing, so go ahead. Just be careful not to knock the dish, and waterproof the connector with self amalgam tape when you screw the new cable home.

[dmc314]

Great news

the cable itself it already running inside the house, i just need to get an extension on it, got to find the best way to connect the wire to a new wire - think i have an f connector female to female adaptor somewhere...

will any tv cable work or does it need to be special sky cable?

[Rick]

Use a deacent co-ax, wf100 is benchmarked cable. RG-6 is a little cheaper and will work fine on a short run.