Stacker / De-Stacker

excollier

I recently fitted a quad lnb to a zone 2 dish for a relative who has moved up from standard Sky to Sky+HD.
Sky refused(as usual) to go into the attic to bring the cable through. Thats why I supplied and fitted it an fitted the cable, I got the spare quad back from the relative.
However I could not get the cable from the attic to the longe via the existing route, as the spark had routed the cables in a very convoluted route (ie not vertical).There is on existing RG6 down to that room and a good quality signal to that point
I had to connect to one of the existing old brown co-ax cables (typical electricians spec) to bring in this second feed, needless to say the signal is crap and the box refuses to record.
To my main question: could I (successfully) use a stacker/de-stacker to use the existing single RG6 downlead from the attic to get a viable twin feed to the Sky+hd box, i.e. are they any good? And where do I fit it (the stacker)? Near the dish, or at the top of the downlead to the lounge?

Apogee

The output from a stacker operates at much higer frequencies than an LNBF. Therefore, you need good quality cable for a stacker/destacker to work properly e.g. PH100 or equivalent. RG6 is not suitable.

excollier

Apogee wrote: »

The output from a stacker operates at much higer frequencies than an LNBF. Therefore, you need good quality cable for a stacker/destacker to work properly e.g. PH100 or equivalent. RG6 is not suitable.

Bang goes that plan then.
Never mind, thanks.

Apogee

There is one possible solution, though it's dependent on the type of Sky+ HD box you have. It requires you to bring 4 cables into the attic, and then fit a special type of multiswitch which is able to modify the output for Single Cable Routing, allowing you to run multiple receivers from one cable. The advantage of SCR over a stacker/destacker is that SCR operates over the same frequencies as an LNBF, so it has a much better chance of success over RG6 than using a stacker.

More info here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055672723

Alt. if you can get a seller to loan you a stacker/destacker to test it, it might be worth a try. But you'd need to test it first before purchasing it.

excollier

Apogee wrote: »

There is one possible solution, though it's dependent on the type of Sky+ HD box you have. It requires you to bring 4 cables into the attic, and then fit a special type of multiswitch which is able to modify the output for Single Cable Routing, allowing you to run multiple receivers from one cable. The advantage of SCR over a stacker/destacker is that SCR operates over the same frequencies as an LNBF, so it has a much better chance of success over RG6 than using a stacker.

More info here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055672723

Alt. if you can get a seller to loan you a stacker/destacker to test it, it might be worth a try. But you'd need to test it first before purchasing it.

I use Vanjak, but I think I won't bother with the stacker.
They definitely wont go for the SCR, much too pricey!
I have posted around the fora and am getting the same type of replies so it must be a known problem on suspect cabling.
Thanks anyway

watty

Stacker/destacker needs either very short cable or very high quality. Needs about 3 GHz!


An SCR convertor is only economical with receivers that have that kind of tuner. (there are SCR LNBFs too) The SCR method supports usually up to 12 tuners max, so hasn't caught on as a Multi-switch usually does up to 16 easily in one box and can easily be expanded up to 2000. An existing SCR LNB or Converter can't be expanded. The theortical limit for SCR limit is about 20 tuners / transponders as the channels have to be fixed slightly wider spacing than biggest width transponder and you have 950 .. 2100MHz = 1150MHz. Satellite can carry about 3.5GHz of bandwidth and Multiswitch can have up to 4 satellites. Or even on some designs 16 satellites by simulation of USALS/GotoX

Also unless the receiver works with SCR it's not obvious how you add an adaptor to make it work.
If we are talking about Unicable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_cable_distribution Then ONLY a compatible receiver works.

I really can't see Unicable succeeding.

Apogee

watty wrote: »

Also unless the receiver works with SCR it's not obvious how you add an adaptor to make it work.
If we are talking about Unicable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_cable_distribution Then ONLY a compatible receiver works.

I really can't see Unicable succeeding.

If you'd read the linked info, you'd have seen that newer models of Sky boxes support SCR.

MacGyver

could a stacker be used over about 3 meters of high quality RG59 cable? i need a second feed for a sky+ box, have 4 feeds from a quad LNB into a garage but only three of them come into the house underground and no way to route the 4th through the same way. would a stacker in the garage and destacker in attic work if the cable length was that small?

watty

Apogee wrote: »

If you'd read the linked info, you'd have seen that newer models of Sky boxes support SCR.

Interesting info which you could give without singling out me to quote. It affects nothing I have said and I know that Sky was one of the first to offer support to the spec. That doesn't alter the fact that in reality it's a limited technology with poor flexibility. All that I said is still true.

I'd never recommend a feed system that locked people into a proprietary pay TV provider like Sky.

How many Freesat HD models support it?

Apogee

watty wrote: »

Interesting info which you could give without singling out me to quote. It affects nothing I have said and I know that Sky was one of the first to offer support to the spec. That doesn't alter the fact that in reality it's a limited technology with poor flexibility. All that I said is still true.

And entirely irrelevant to question asked by the OP. He had a specific problem which could be solved by an SCR approach and you go posting generalities. The fact that you consider it a "limited technology" belies the fact that link also has specific reports where the SCR approach worked successfully for other owners in a similar situation to the OP.

watty wrote: »

I
I'd never recommend a feed system that locked people into a proprietary pay TV provider like Sky.

Except that the OP has a Sky+ box.

watty wrote: »

How many Freesat HD models support it?

Did the OP mention Freesat?

Apogee

MacGyver wrote: »

could a stacker be used over about 3 meters of high quality RG59 cable? i need a second feed for a sky+ box, have 4 feeds from a quad LNB into a garage but only three of them come into the house underground and no way to route the 4th through the same way. would a stacker in the garage and destacker in attic work if the cable length was that small?

RG59 is worse in terms of signal loss at higher frequencies than RG6 so it will not work with a stacker.

Booms

Could you lay a completely separate cable run, not necessarily following the original route?