# Freesat Box Question



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

My new (well it`s old really) house has a satellite dish with a co-axial plug on the end of the lead, having only used analogue aerials up to now I don`t know if this is normal. Can I plug this straight into a Freesat box? BTW recommendations for a good ( & inexpensive) box would be appreciated, I`m not interested in HD as IMO it gives a nasty oversharp image :thumbsdown:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

The plug is usually a screw in F type....

Got a couple of Freesat boxes, some with hard disk and HD but the cheapest is this SD box at Â£29....it does the job:

http://www.freesat.co.uk/products/sd-digital-box-range/bush-freesat-sd-box


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Silver Hawk said:


> The plug is usually a screw in F type....


Strange, would I be able to just change the plug or would I need to replace the whole cable?



> Got a couple of Freesat boxes, some with hard disk and HD but the cheapest is this SD box at Â£29....it does the job:
> 
> http://www.freesat.co.uk/products/sd-digital-box-range/bush-freesat-sd-box


Cheers Paul, I`ll check them out.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Should be an "F" connector Mach as Paul has said, is there an LNB (funnel sort of shaped thingie) in the arm that runs out to the middle of the dish? If so, it should be lined up OK onto Astra/Sky and a plug in onto any sat box should bring in something. Easiest way to find out is ask a neighbour if they've got a signal and what it's like, then try a borrow of a freesat box from anyone - and the old story (but it's true) - I just binned a working freesat box last week - checked in bucket but it's been lifted, Sorry! 

Of course, we're supposedly all Freeview now up here, so actually, you'll get just about as much with a Â£12 cheapo "freeview" box on the standard aerial if there is one on the house lined up onto the right transmitter - again do a visual check with the neighbours. Picked up a Freeview with HDD on the bay about three months ago, cheap and cheerful, Mrs Mel loves it, sets it for the soaps when we're away and the bl))dy thing does it all itself. :yes:

The Sequined Avenger

:tease:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> Strange, would I be able to just change the plug or would I need to replace the whole cable?


Just change the plug; the cable will probably be fine. You can also buy push-in to F type adaptors....


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Is it possible that the previous occupier has just used the dish as a tv aerial, would that work ?????? in which case you can pick up a freeview box for a tenner.


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

Or an old Skybox will do the trick (local bootfair, gumtree or ebay).

In our area there are very few channels avaliable on freeview via an aerial.

I use a Skybox (you don't need to subscribe), and receive far more channels than I could with freeview. The EPG is a lot better as well.

The storm forecast for Sunday night will probably mean that I have to re-set my dish yet again though :wallbash:

Edit........... I've just noticed your new address, you too may need to adjust your dish at regular intervals


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Freeview is not great for us either, freesat is much more reliable.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Maybe some photos might help...

The dish...



















The plug in the lounge...










& the one in what will be Caroline`s bedroom...










Mind you she wants to completely remove this lead as she only uses her TV for watching videos so does not want/need a licence.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Looks to be a 4-output LNB on the dish....with only 2 being used. Both cables would normally have the F type connector (your 2nd photo).


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

The one that will be in Carolines bedroom has an F connector - both leads should have had them.

Your LNB looks like a quad - it will run 4 different Sky boxes, all capable of receiving different channels at the same time.

Assuming the dish is correctly aligned, it should be a simple matter of plugging the box in

This may come in handy http://www.satcure.com/tech/fconn.htm


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

So I could just swap the connector in the lounge for an F type?

It would be good if I could use more then one box as Caroline tends to record loads of programmes off different channels often at the same time. I`m not allowed to do it myself in case I feck things up


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> So I could just swap the connector in the lounge for an F type?
> 
> It would be good if I could use more then one box as Caroline tends to record loads of programmes off different channels often at the same time. I`m not allowed to do it myself in case I feck things up


Yep, they're about a quid each - or just take the one off the lead in Carolines bedroom.

The situation regarding Carolines need for a TV licence is going to get a little complicated - as long as her tv etc is not connected to an aerial or dish then she is fine. But if she is recording tv programmes it could get tricky.

It all depends on the household relationship as to whether your tv licence will cover her or not.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Big Bad Boris said:


> It all depends on the household relationship as to whether your tv licence will cover her or not.


Over to you Mac. :lol:


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Big Bad Boris said:


> mach 0.0013137 said:
> 
> 
> > So I could just swap the connector in the lounge for an F type?
> ...


She doesn`t connect her TV to any external source & only records programmes using the main lounge set up.



Silver Hawk said:


> Big Bad Boris said:
> 
> 
> > It all depends on the household relationship as to whether your tv licence will cover her or not.
> ...


Caroline & I are just good friends & that`s all which suits us both fine :friends:


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

From my dim and distant memory of being a student, I think she'd only need a separate TV licence if her room was 'self contained' (i.e she has a lock on the door and a separate tenancy agreement with 'the landlord').

Unless you're charging her to live there and she has a lock on her door, she should be covered on the house's licence. Plus, the TV licencing people wouldn't know it wasn't, unless they knew that the specific room was sub-let.

My only brush with them was nearly 20 years ago though, so the rules might have changed.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Depends on whether she *NEEDS* a lock on the door I suppose 

It deffo looks like an OK quad LNB, in which case any freesat box or an old Sky jobbie with suitable freebie card should work OK without too much probs. :yes:

FYI guys, the whole of Bonnie Scottieland is supposedly fully DIGI telly now, we currently can get around 70 channels freeview on a 15 element in the loft in Edinburgh, although maybe around 15 of those are "plus" ones, and there's a fair few of the "Buy It Now" channels as well! :lol:

Go for it Mach, BBC Alba will make you feel at home again. Especially the kids Gaelic Karaoke show! msl:

:tease:

The Sequined Avenger

ldman: :weed:


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Mel, Caroline does not *need* a lock on her door









Apart from which she`s a lot stronger then I am (I gather ballroom dancing helps) & having done judo she could quite easily throw me around the room if she felt the need :black eye: :lol:


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

Just a quick one, if Caroline's screen has a tuner whether or not it is connected to the aerial it requires a license, but if she lives in the same house without a seperate agreement (ie like a friend or relative) then the TV would be covered on the main license.

It is very strange that lead in the main room has a co-ax connector, I assume your sure it is a lead that runs to the sat dish and not to an aerial or loft? I do not recall any Sky or BSB (those were the days) tuner having co-ax for the sat cables, only the F connectors. Of course I could be wrong, the 710 usually says I am.......


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## Billtr96sn (Jun 15, 2011)

It is the address that is covered by the TV licence not the person.


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