Old Sky HD+ box for freesat?

[airuk]

Hi,

Looking for some advice please.

I've just moved into a house that has a dish. I picked up an old Sky HD+ box hoping that I might be able to just hook it up and get Freesat.

However, after connecting the box up it says "Initialising" or "...Your satellite box isn't getting a signal". I'm just wondering if this just isn't possible anymore or if I need change some settings or the dish might be wrong?

Thanks

 

[logiciel]

It might be the LNB that’s wrong - for Sky Q?

 

[airuk]

Not 100% what that means - is it the box on the dish? I know that the previous owners definitely had sky but I don't know if it was sky service they had, I guess it could have been sky Q. What that mean I cannot use an old HD+ box with it to get freesat? Is there a way to identify what sort of dish I have?

 

[Rodders53]

Look at the LNB on the end of the dish... Or take a decent quality picture to show us.

How many 'ports' for connecting cables are there?

Two? likely to be a $ky Q wideband LNB and incompatible with older kit. New LNB required or a freesat 4k box that will work with that wideband lnb.

Search the forum it's all been covered numerous times.

PS IMHO the $ky box is probably the worst, most power hungry, way to watch free satellite. Some TVs now include a satellite tuner.

 

[airuk]

Thanks, yes 2 cables.

 

[logiciel]

Nice pic.
The LNB is the device on the end of the arm.
It looks like it is for Sky Q.
You can exchange it cheaply enough.
An old Sky HD machine is not the best way to get free satellite - not Freesat.
As Rodders says this has been discussed numerous times.

 

[airuk]

Thanks for the replies.

So leaving it as it is, setup for Sky Q, is best for getting a freesat TV or box?

Thanks

 

[winston2010]

Thanks for the replies.

So leaving it as it is, setup for Sky Q, is best for getting a freesat TV or box?

Thanks

No you need to change (or get it changed) the LNB for a standard one.

Note you don't get Freesat with a sky box, you ger free to air satellite channels.

 

[logiciel]

So leaving it as it is, setup for Sky Q, is best for getting a freesat TV or box?

No, quite the reverse - “You can exchange it cheaply enough.”

As Winston says - free satellite - not Freesat.

 

[Rodders53]

If you want to buy a freesat 4k box How to Get Freesat | Freesat then you can keep the Q LNB on the dish.

Any other satellite receiver - built in to TVs or older Humax/Panasonic/Manhattan freesat boxes or older $ky boxes require an LNB change to a 'universal' sky dish type.

NB few TVs actually support freesat (the 7 day epg and auto channel tuning updates) but are simple free to air satellite receivers; less user friendly.

 

[airuk]

Thanks.

So this should work https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7647019?clickSR=slp:term:freesat box:1:15:1 without needing to change the LNB?

 

[logiciel]

“You can exchange it cheaply enough.”

 

[Fred Smith]

See next post

 

[Fred Smith]

Thanks.

So this should work https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7647019?clickSR=slp:term:freesat box:1:15:1 without needing to change the LNB?

No. See post #10.

This one should:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/2075679?clickPR=plp:10:15

but an LNB is only around £20 so if easily accessible a better option?

 

[logiciel]

Get the “box” from Freesat?!
But the LNB would cost a lot less.