extra satellite dish - needs planning perm?
extra satellite dish - needs planning perm?
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Discussion

phatmanace

Original Poster:

678 posts

231 months

Tuesday 5th January 2010
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Folks,

I have one satellite dish for sky - but would like to dabble with freesat. Can I install a second without needing to apply for planning permission.

I don't live in a listed building, nor do I live in a conservation area.

many thanks in advance, Ace

-Ace

V8LM

5,489 posts

231 months

Tuesday 5th January 2010
quotequote all
You can use the existing Sky dish - just take another feed from the LNB.

phatmanace

Original Poster:

678 posts

231 months

Tuesday 5th January 2010
quotequote all
V8LM said:
You can use the existing Sky dish - just take another feed from the LNB.
interesting - I surmized that it was a different satellite, and hence the freesat one would need to point somewhere else. I guess I was wrong :-)

thanks for the response anyhow!

Fort Jefferson

8,237 posts

244 months

Tuesday 5th January 2010
quotequote all
Use a duel output LNB, or if you buy a Freesat PVR, use a quad output.

Gareth79

8,686 posts

268 months

Wednesday 6th January 2010
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One thing, you might have a single output LNB if you have had it for a while, but you can buy replacements cheaply (search Google Shopping, or eBay). Just make sure the fitting is correct for your dish, although I think most are the one-piece square fitting type.

But otherwise - yes, last time I looked you do need planning permission for a second dish but I wouldn't bother, I had two Sky dishes for a long while (when quad LNBs were expensive), then a Sky dish and a 90cm 2-way satellite internet dish.


Edited by Gareth79 on Wednesday 6th January 00:43

tablechair

12,423 posts

216 months

Friday 8th January 2010
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When we moved into the new house there was an existing but old dish up already. When the 'engineer' came he said 'I cannot fit another dish, the council will to mental' after 10 minutes of us saying 'Do it, the council are not your problem' he finally fitted it.

He was using this as an excuse not to fit another dish.

4 years later - not a peep from the council.

Meeja

8,290 posts

270 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
As has been said - fit a multiple LNB.

Like this.....

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=47174

Probably cheaper elsewhere, but basically this LNB will allow you to connect the one dish to four independant recievers.

If you have Sky Plus though, your Sky Plus receiver will use two of the LNB outputs.

IIRC Freesat and Sky are both broadcast from the same satellite (Astra 2D) - so will be fine in your example.

If you wanted to go to the next stage though..... It is also possible to adapt a single dish to receive transmissions from both Astra and Hotbird at the same time (two satellites that are around 6 degrees *I think* apart), buy installing an offset LNB in addition to your SKY LNB.

Basically, the SKY LNB will be "looking" at the Astra Satellite, and the offset LNB will be "looking" at the Eutelsat (Hotbird) Satellite.

List of channels available on "Hotbird" here.... Mainly foreign language channels, but some English content.

Mind you, you would probably need to replace your SKY minidish with something at least 80cm diameter to be certain of getting good reception.

You'd end up with something like this: (This example receiving signals from four differeny satellites)





And setting it up without decent alignment meters etc would be a right royal pain!