Sky box and free channels (1 Viewer)

[John Spain]

Hi everyone,
New to this sky stuff and I'm confused. I do a lot of wild camping in Europe and need a sky box that works on 12v. Many boxes now come with a mains transformer with 12v output so that's not a problem. I'll just cut the transformer off and solder a cigarette lighter adapter on like I do with my icecrypt box which I use for BBC, ITV, etc.

So, back to the sky box. I don't want the premium channels, just the free channels. If the box I buy has an expired card, will I be able to get the free channels or do I need to buy extra gear? If so, what? I want to keep the cost to an absolute minimum. Obviously I don't have broadband, internet access is on my smartphone only.

Thank you all in advance for your advice.

 

[Phill D]

hi and welcome

you can use most sky boxes without a card, but if you want to regionalise it i.e. news / programmes to a specific part of uk you do need a card. however, you should be able to get hold of a none subscription sky card. lasy one i had cost me £20 and was forever.
i dont use a sky box any longer so not upto date on this stuff.

 

[Realist]

The only way your going to run a Sky box on 12v is via an inverter. Plus the further you travel east the weaker the signal gets from 28Deg as the foot print only covers the U.K.

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[Phill D]

you can get UK sat tv on the med but you will need an 85cm dish with a good lnb.

Pace did a 12v sky box i had one but they are now like rocking horse poo!! and well over £100 for a well used one if you can find one.
some sky boxes are fed through a transformer to reduce the voltage and you May be able to cobble something together with that.

 

[John Spain]

No inverter needed. There are still some old skyboxes around which were designed to run from 12v such as the pace 1000 box. Many, such as the Humax pr-hd3000 have a 12v power socket.

 

[John Spain]

I should add, a12v system is not a problem there are loads around! See above.

My issue is this....

I have a 12v power supply and use a lenco 12 v television with inbuilt satellite receiver but it doesn't have a decoder built in. I can receive a lot of scrambled SKY channels. I want to unscramble the free ones. So, if I buy a receiver and stick it's card in, will I get those free channels unscrambled?

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[Phill D]

No inverter needed. There are still some old skyboxes around which were designed to run from 12v such as the pace 1000 box. Many, such as the Humax pr-hd3000 have a 12v power socket.

is the Humax box a freesat box ? which is probably a better option than an actual sky box.

 

[Phill D]

I should add, a12v system is not a problem there are loads around! See above.

My issue is this....

I have a 12v power supply and use a lenco 12 v television with inbuilt satellite receiver but it doesn't have a decoder built in. I can receive a lot of scrambled SKY channels. I want to unscramble the free ones. So, if I buy a receiver and stick it's card in, will I get those free channels unscrambled?

short answer is yes, but i only used a sky box as i had a card. better option is probably to get a freesat box then you can set your preferences without the issues of a sky card.
all the free channels on sky are available on Freesat.

 

[John Spain]

I don't know but I can't get the Freeview channels where I am but can get the scrambled sky channels which is specifically what I want.

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[stevewagner]

I should add, a12v system is not a problem there are loads around! See above.

My issue is this....

I have a 12v power supply and use a lenco 12 v television with inbuilt satellite receiver but it doesn't have a decoder built in. I can receive a lot of scrambled SKY channels. I want to unscramble the free ones. So, if I buy a receiver and stick it's card in, will I get those free channels unscrambled?

The free channels shouldn't be scrambled. You should be able to pick them up through any TV with a built in satellite tuner.

 

[Phill D]

when you say scrambled do you mean they are not being received properly i.e. lots of interference or just they are mixed in with all the other channels and hard to find?

if its the former then are you in a location ( your avatar says Spain ) that you are able to get UK channels on the dish size you have

 

[Manic]

12 v television with inbuilt satellite receiver but it doesn't have a decoder built in.

Inbuilt satellite receiver is the decoder, isn’t it, should get free to air channel.

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[bobandjanie]

All you need is a 12v free-to-air satellite receiver, you will get all your channels if your dish is big enough, if not astray 1 and learn German. Bob

 

[John Spain]

No, the sky channels are encrypted. A TV with satellite receiver doesn't unscramble them. It's not the Freeview channels I want. I can't get them anyway because of the UK spotbeam being aimed at the UK not Europe. It's the free (but encrypted) pan Europe channels that I want to get.

 

[Phill D]

sorry cant help with that!
I did not know that there were any free channels that are encrypted. i was under the impression that all free channels were non encrypted and available Freesat.

i guess you can learn every day...

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[xsparks]

Have a look on line at a Manhattan box. It's Freesat and probably will fit the bill. About £40 and 12v.

 

[The Coops]

Have a look on line at a Manhattan box. It's Freesat and probably will fit the bill. About £40 and 12v.

Thats what we use only down side is we have over 400 channels to go at, seem to get every regional TV broadcast, but great for checking up what is going in the next area or back home, worked well with an 85cm dish down as far as Denia bit patchy in Marbella but Gibraltar TV is like being back in the 60's but for sheer crass, try Swiss TV! Loads of Leather trousers and Drindrills and Alpine horns with a cow bell attachment!

 

[Speve]

We go to Spain every winter with a sky+ box and 85cm Oyster sat dish with Autoskew and can pick up most Sky programmes which are on the sky menu there are some that are unavailable.
There are very few channels available when using the built in sat receiver in the TV.

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[eddie]

There is nothing on the free Sky that you wouldn't be able to get Free To Air (FTA) on your Icecrypt box.

Sky use 2E to show BBC1 for example and their own programs are on Astra2G

Pointing the dish 28.2 degrees East of South will collect all of the satellites there. When you go further South you will move out of the Astra2E footprint for the dish irrespective of whether you are using a FTA reciever such as Humax or Icecrypt or a genuine Sky box

 

[Wagoneer]

No, the sky channels are encrypted. A TV with satellite receiver doesn't unscramble them. It's not the Freeview channels I want. I can't get them anyway because of the UK spotbeam being aimed at the UK not Europe. It's the free (but encrypted) pan Europe channels that I want to get.

The sky encrypted channels are available on the pan European beam if you are a sky subscriber AFAIK. Don't know of any FREE encrypted channels.

 

[Satandpcguy]

I can receive a lot of scrambled SKY channels. I want to unscramble the free ones. So, if I buy a receiver and stick it's card in, will I get those free channels unscrambled?

There are only THREE free scambled channels.
Yesterday+1, 4 Music, Local TV.
which a "freesatfrom sky " / FTV (free to view) card will unlock...

All other free channels are, well, free and "unscrambled"
All other scrambled channels are pay channels and will require a sky card, monthly subscription, and a sky box.

No, the sky channels are encrypted. A TV with satellite receiver doesn't unscramble them. It's not the Freeview channels I want. I can't get them anyway because of the UK spotbeam being aimed at the UK not Europe. It's the free (but encrypted) pan Europe channels that I want to get.

Again, there are only three free encrypted channels on UK satellite TV - Yesterday+1, 4music, and Local TV.
These are called Free To View channels, ie channels that are subscription free but encrypted.
For these channels you need a Sky box and a "freesat from sky" card - dont think Sky offer these any more these days.

All other channels on the European beam are either free (and unencrpryted), or pay (encrypted)

No, the sky channels are encrypted. A TV with satellite receiver doesn't unscramble them. It's not the Freeview channels I want. I can't get them anyway because of the UK spotbeam being aimed at the UK not Europe. It's the free (but encrypted) pan Europe channels that I want to get.

can you give an example of a channel that is free but encrypted that you want, as there are only the three that I have mentioned on the UK TV satellites that I know of. This will help us to help you

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[Satandpcguy]

all the free channels on sky are available on Freesat.

Freesat only has a selection (approx 145 from a scan yesterday) of free channels, not all (over 200)
To get all free channels on a Freesat box, you need to put your Freesat box into "non Freesat mode"

eg C4HD is not on Freesat, but has to be added to your Freesat box in Non Freesat mode

 

[Satandpcguy]

There is nothing on the free Sky that you wouldn't be able to get Free To Air (FTA) on your Icecrypt box.

Sky use 2E to show BBC1 for example and their own programs are on Astra2G

Pointing the dish 28.2 degrees East of South will collect all of the satellites there. When you go further South you will move out of the Astra2E footprint for the dish irrespective of whether you are using a FTA reciever such as Humax or Icecrypt or a genuine Sky box

BBC (and ITV) channels are on 2e and 2G
Sky pay channels are on 2e, 2f and 2g

The only free Sky channels are Sky News, Pick, and Challenge. All three are subscription and encryption free.

 

[PeteH]

Getting ALL sky channels on the "Costa`s" in Spain requires a much larger dish, than current on most `vans. At La-Manga for example. 3 of us clubbed together and had a 60" dish on the back of the site, with a 4port LNB. The ladies wanted the likes of the Glums and Corrie etc;. We just wanted Rugby, Footie and the F1. Not a bad way to "winter" though!. BBQ, Loads of Red Wine, (crap beer!) Sit in the Sun. Or wind surf and Sail, on the Mar Menor.

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[Gellyneck]

Thats what we use only down side is we have over 400 channels to go at, seem to get every regional TV broadcast, but great for checking up what is going in the next area or back home, worked well with an 85cm dish down as far as Denia bit patchy in Marbella but Gibraltar TV is like being back in the 60's but for sheer crass, try Swiss TV! Loads of Leather trousers and Drindrills and Alpine horns with a cow bell attachment!

From memory if you put in a UK postcode it restricts the regional channel selection to that UK region.