Sky TV in the Van

[John_374463555]

Hi,

Brand new caravanner here. Just wondering if it is possible to get Sky TV when out and about. I have a full subsciption at home (movies & Sports) and would like to know if I can use this in the caravan.

Cheers

John

 

[DianneT]

John, Sure you can take your Sky Box with you we do to Europe too we take our Sky Plus Box. We have a large dish (as it is needed in Europe) which stands on a Tripod so it can be positioned to avoid Trees and Buildings which can stop reception getting through. You will also need a Sat finder.

A very good and interesting site on the web is Satelite for Caravans by a Caravanner it tells you all you need to know.

Hope this helps.

 

[Len_Cuff]

I have SKY in our van but use a card that has been 'unsubscribed'. I get all the FTA/FTV channels fine. I suppose that if you take your own SKY box complete with card then it would work fine. I use a rotary clothes line upside down to mount the dish. Works fine.

 

[Olly]

I have SKY in our van but use a card that has been 'unsubscribed'. I get all the FTA/FTV channels fine. I suppose that if you take your own SKY box complete with card then it would work fine. I use a rotary clothes line upside down to mount the dish. Works fine.

Whatever tripod you use, make sure that the legs are well pegged down as the dish could otherwise be blown over by quite a light wind,

Olly.

 

[John_374463555]

John, Sure you can take your Sky Box with you we do to Europe too we take our Sky Plus Box. We have a large dish (as it is needed in Europe) which stands on a Tripod so it can be positioned to avoid Trees and Buildings which can stop reception getting through. You will also need a Sat finder.

A very good and interesting site on the web is Satelite for Caravans by a Caravanner it tells you all you need to know.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info , will give it a go

 

[Steve L]

Hi John.

You certainly can use your sky card and system while in the caravan.

I have adapted my Lidle mobile sky kit to accept my sky plus LNB reciever and it works brilliantly even with the tiny plastic dish that came with the briefcase sized kit. We ahve no trouble setting up. We use the compass on the back of the dish to point it roughly at Astra 28 east. Then we use the system set up facility on the sky plus box to finalise the signal strength. It is a little fidly getting two good signals. Sky will work on a single good signal but you won't have the sky plus record and watch facility then.

As we are currently using our tourer as our home, I have got the system set to full efficiency, so that her majesty can watch and record.

One tip I can recomend is to use an inverter to power your sky plus box from the caravan 12V supply. We have done this as our mower girl seems to pick the day we go out to unplug the electric to do the grass cutting, which used to delete the recording menu for the day. with the inverter, we have solved that issue. The inverter cost us

 

[Dustydog]

Steve

I have just rewired the caravan with the twin cable for Sky plus but can't try it out until sunday.

The LNB is marked P1, P2 .P3 & P4. I'm using 1&2. Does it matter which of these gets connected to Dish input one or two on the box?

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[charlie_374349329]

Just one other thing.....you can ONLY receive the SKY Premier channels (i.e. Sky sports and Sky movies)with you Sky card if you take your sky box from your house. If you buy a second box from e-Bay or where ever you will receive all packages but NOT the two premier channels.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Dustydog I have just fitted a Quad LNB to my Semitronic and now have the facility to watch different programmes at front and rear of the van via 2 Sky+ boxes if need be but to answer your question it doesn't matter which terminals you use on the Sky LNB

 

[Oldsalt49]

If you take your sky box complete with subscription card, there is something to consider. I disconnected the sky box in my daughters bedroom while I did a bit of decorating. It was probably diconnected for 2 weeks (similar to the length of a holiday away in the van ;-)). I received a letter from sky informing me I was in breach of my agreement,as the phone line to the box was not connected. This only applies in the 12 months initial period after you set up the agreement. Take care folks, the penalty is quite high, something like

 

[Trooper1]

If you take your sky box complete with subscription card, there is something to consider. I disconnected the sky box in my daughters bedroom while I did a bit of decorating. It was probably diconnected for 2 weeks (similar to the length of a holiday away in the van ;-)). I received a letter from sky informing me I was in breach of my agreement,as the phone line to the box was not connected. This only applies in the 12 months initial period after you set up the agreement. Take care folks, the penalty is quite high, something like

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks John

I've been careful with all the connections so fingers crossed it should work on sunday when we have our first stop near Penrith.

I admit we have two tvs in the van liek you but two sat boxes.

You greedy boy! LOL

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Dustydog]

John

I forgot to say I'll remember you to North Ledaig on monday. Hope to meet up with Trucker next week too, near Bunree, maybe the Four Seasons.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Did you see the pic of N Ledaig in PC mag this month??

 

[Steve L]

Hi Dusty.

You can use any of the four ports to connect on the LNB and if you feel adventurous you could hook up two sky plus boxes to the same dish. Must admit I've not got square eyes and only realy use tv for news and weather, but being able to record does make our leisure time more flexable.

One other tip. Because the dish is much more directionally sesative on a multi signal set up, you would be best advised to use a dish that can be rigidly clamped to the jockey wheel post. My Lidle kit has G clamp fitting which works very well. I have also put a wind breaker round the front of the van to shelter the dish from wind and villan.

Quite funny too, as a lot of folks ask me, how on earth I get such a good picture on the telly as the can only see the omnidish on the van roof. Then I point them to my secret weapon on the jockey wheel.

Hope your system works for you.

Steve L.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi Dusty.

You can use any of the four ports to connect on the LNB and if you feel adventurous you could hook up two sky plus boxes to the same dish. Must admit I've not got square eyes and only realy use tv for news and weather, but being able to record does make our leisure time more flexable.

One other tip. Because the dish is much more directionally sesative on a multi signal set up, you would be best advised to use a dish that can be rigidly clamped to the jockey wheel post. My Lidle kit has G clamp fitting which works very well. I have also put a wind breaker round the front of the van to shelter the dish from wind and villan.

Quite funny too, as a lot of folks ask me, how on earth I get such a good picture on the telly as the can only see the omnidish on the van roof. Then I point them to my secret weapon on the jockey wheel.

Hope your system works for you.

Steve L.

See my earlier posting --have just done this !!!

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Anthony

You explain the Sky multi room conditions well but many people do still take one box in the van even to France(so I am told!!)

If Sky did complain etc then the multi room contract could be ended by the subscriber thus depriving Sky of the income

I would do that if it happened to me but so far no problem even with 5 weeks away at a time

We have multi room and links to other rooms so we could get round it for less money but with some inconvenience

 

[Barkas]

Hi john. instead of taking your skybox with you, go to maplins and buy the Comag or similar freesat box for

 

[Steve L]

Hi Dusty.

You can use any of the four ports to connect on the LNB and if you feel adventurous you could hook up two sky plus boxes to the same dish. Must admit I've not got square eyes and only realy use tv for news and weather, but being able to record does make our leisure time more flexable.

One other tip. Because the dish is much more directionally sesative on a multi signal set up, you would be best advised to use a dish that can be rigidly clamped to the jockey wheel post. My Lidle kit has G clamp fitting which works very well. I have also put a wind breaker round the front of the van to shelter the dish from wind and villan.

Quite funny too, as a lot of folks ask me, how on earth I get such a good picture on the telly as the can only see the omnidish on the van roof. Then I point them to my secret weapon on the jockey wheel.

Hope your system works for you.

Steve L.

Bully for you John.

I was only passing on to dusty and the others the knowledge I have of sky systems. I've no doubt many folks know what they are doing. But often it's the little difference's that end up making the difference.

Like knowing that sky plus can run several set ups.

Sky plus boxes have their own built in signal set up metering.

Using a G clamp dish mount on the jockey wheel is much more stable than any tripod and more discreet.

Finally, I prefer to save the weight of extra tv's and un-necessary sky digi boxes for the extra beer and a bottle of wine for her ladyship, just to balance the cocktail cabinet.

Cheers. Steve L.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

You can't watch Sky Sports without a subscription so we have to take the Sky box with its card as HRH a non drinker and myself a seldom drinker like to watch football and cycling repectively

Sky digi boxes can be picked up for

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I have SKY in our van but use a card that has been 'unsubscribed'. I get all the FTA/FTV channels fine. I suppose that if you take your own SKY box complete with card then it would work fine. I use a rotary clothes line upside down to mount the dish. Works fine.

Screw in dog tethers with a bungy strap make excellent anchors for tripods

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi John.

You certainly can use your sky card and system while in the caravan.

I have adapted my Lidle mobile sky kit to accept my sky plus LNB reciever and it works brilliantly even with the tiny plastic dish that came with the briefcase sized kit. We ahve no trouble setting up. We use the compass on the back of the dish to point it roughly at Astra 28 east. Then we use the system set up facility on the sky plus box to finalise the signal strength. It is a little fidly getting two good signals. Sky will work on a single good signal but you won't have the sky plus record and watch facility then.

As we are currently using our tourer as our home, I have got the system set to full efficiency, so that her majesty can watch and record.

One tip I can recomend is to use an inverter to power your sky plus box from the caravan 12V supply. We have done this as our mower girl seems to pick the day we go out to unplug the electric to do the grass cutting, which used to delete the recording menu for the day. with the inverter, we have solved that issue. The inverter cost us

 

[Surfer]

You can use your card in another Sky box and still get all the premium channels. We do this when going away for a week or longer. All we do is phone Sky, give them the serial number of the box in the caravan and bingo no problems. When we get home, we phone again and get it transfer back to the box in the house. Not worth the hassle for a weekend or 3 or 4 days.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

You can use your card in another Sky box and still get all the premium channels. We do this when going away for a week or longer. All we do is phone Sky, give them the serial number of the box in the caravan and bingo no problems. When we get home, we phone again and get it transfer back to the box in the house. Not worth the hassle for a weekend or 3 or 4 days.

They might get fed up with us every 2 weeks

 

[Woody3]

You no longer need a card to view 4 and 5 on a Sky box - they went FTA earlier this year.

That also means you don't need a Sky box - any sat receiver will do the job, some even have the EPG as well.