How to check a satellite dish works

[max 13]

Following on from my thread about poor Freeview reception I'm now considering getting a Freesat box. I have a satellite dish which the previous owners left but how do I go about finding out if it will work with a Freesat box other than buying one?

[melthebell 862]

freesat.co.uk says "If you have a Sky dish, you can use it for freesat."

 

seems to be some discussion on the subject here

[max 13]

freesat.co.uk says "If you have a Sky dish, you can use it for freesat."

 

How do I check that it's still usable, for all I know mice have eaten away at the innards?

[melthebell 862]

How do I check that it's still usable, for all I know mice have eaten away at the innards?

errrrrrm

borrow somebodys box?

[dj rick 10]

Following on from my thread about poor Freeview reception I'm now considering getting a Freesat box. I have a satellite dish which the previous owners left but how do I go about finding out if it will work with a Freesat box other than buying one?

 

you can buy a sat finder from maplins for about £10 and connect it to the cable from the dish and check signal strength or advertise job on jobs section for someone to install free sat and explain you have a dish installed but are not sure it works and get them to come out and do it. a friend only paid £50 inc dish from someone on here who works for sky and i was impressed with the installation it was very professional

[max 13]

Thanks for that, I'll try the first option, it's cheaper.

[AlexAtkin 10]

Bear in mind that a sat finder will say "yes, I can see a satellite" but it doesn't mean its aligned/working properly.

 

A misaligned dish or faulty LNB will only really show up by being unable to receive certain channels or picture breakup.

 

When I put up my own dish I got a better signal from trial and error than using a cheap signal detector. The detectors fitters use are (supposedly) expensive more high tech devices, so getting a proper engineer out is best.

 

That said, I would think you could find a cheap original Sky box for less than the maplin tester now so many people have Sky+ or SkyHD.

Edited March 27, 2011 by AlexAtkin

[max 13]

Bear in mind that a sat finder will say "yes, I can see a satellite" but it doesn't mean its aligned/working properly.

 

A misaligned dish or faulty LNB will only really show up by being unable to receive certain channels or picture breakup.

 

When I put up my own dish I got a better signal from trial and error than using a cheap signal detector. The detectors fitters use are (supposedly) expensive more high tech devices, so getting a proper engineer out is best.

 

That said, I would think you could find a cheap original Sky box for less than the maplin tester now so many people have Sky+ or SkyHD.

 

Thanks. It's recording programs wherein the trouble lies. I've got back to the installers who fitted my aerial in an attempt to see if they can sort it out. If not, they can check the satellite dish.

[walkertelecoms 16]

you can buy a sat finder from maplins for about £10 and connect it to the cable from the dish and check signal strength or advertise job on jobs section for someone to install free sat and explain you have a dish installed but are not sure it works and get them to come out and do it. a friend only paid £50 inc dish from someone on here who works for sky and i was impressed with the installation it was very professional

 

Might have been me...though I wouldn't personally work for sky, too much emphasis on number of customers and not enough on quality and service