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How to Setup and Install your Sky Digibox
Part One - Choose your Equipment
Satellite Dishes
 There are two main types of dish - offset and prime focus. Offset dishes do not point directly at the satellite (hence the name) and their focus appears to be set at towards the horizon. This is the main type of dish found all over Europe, including the UK. You can usually tell an offset dish by the angle at which they are set. A prime focus dish focuses directly at the satellite and is therefore set at a much greater angle than the offset. These types of dishes are rare and are normally only found on large dish installations.
The size of dish is important because this determines whether or not you receive a sufficient signal. While a 45cm dish is adequate for the UK, it is not going to be sufficient for Southern France or Germany, where a 60cm to 90cm diameter dish is typically needed. We can determine the dish size required for a particular area by a combination of local knowledge, reports on existing installations and extrapolation based on published footprint maps (which by themselves are not particularly accurate).
LNBs
The LNB is the device fixed at the end of the dish arm that collects and procesess the reflected signal from the dish.
There are two main types of LNB that you are likely to encounter. In the UK the most common type is the Sky LNB, which has a push in type fitting and which is designed to fit the standard Sky minidish. In Europe (and on most non-Sky dishes in the UK) the type of LNB most commonly found is the 40mm collar mount. This has a 40mm diameter neck and is mounted onto the dish by attaching it to the 40mm collar at the end of the dish arm. Sky LNBs are not designed to fit non-Sky dishes and vice-versa.
  Sky single output LNB Non-Sky quad (4 output) LNB
with 40mm diameter neck
Receivers
The Sky digibox is essentially a free-to-air satellite receiver with a built-in module that allows it to be
 used with a Sky viewing card to pick up free-to-view and pay channels. In other words, the Sky digibox is a special type of receiver, designed to be used to receive UK digital satellite channels. For all practical purposes, it is the only type of satellite receiver that can accept the Sky viewing card. What this means for viewers is that if you want UK TV channels, do not choose any other type of receiver. Although it is true that any type of free-to-air receiver will pick up BBC and ITV programmes, it will never be able to pick up Channel 4 and Channel Five, which require a 'free-to-view' or 'Freesat' card. In addition, with the Sky digibox you get the Sky EPG (electronic programme guide) which gives you detailed listings of all the free-to-air and encrypted programmes that are due to be shown in the coming week.
The Sky Plus receiver is a Sky digibox with a hard-drive storage disc and two inputs from the satellite dish. The standard hard drive allows around 40 hours of programmes to be stored and watched at a later date. The two separate inputs mean that you can watch one programme while recording another, or record two different programmes that are on at the same time. The big difference between the Sky Plus and the standard Sky digibox is that a Sky Plus digibox cannot be used without a subscription of at least £25.00 a month. The standard Sky digibox can be used with or without a subscription.
The choice of Sky digibox depends mainly upon your location in Europe and your budget. Location is important because as you get further from the epicentre of the satellite footprint, the harder it becomes to pick up an adequate signal, and the bigger the dish needed to collect a sufficient signal. However, given a certain dish size, there are some digiboxes that have a lower 'signal threshold' than others, meaning that some will work where the signal is very weak, while others will just not work at all. The best digibox in this respect is the Pace 2600C1, followed by the Pace DS430N, Panasonic DSB40, DSB30 and Grundig GDS3000. This does not mean that your first choice should be a Pace 2600C1, however. You should consider this digibox if you are right on the fringe of the footprint - Cyprus and the Canary Islands are two of the regions where you definitely should buy a Pace 2600C1 - but for most other areas of Europe another type of digibox would be sufficient. For example, we recommend the Pace DS430N for Spain, Portugal and Italy, while all other digibox types that we sell will work in France, Begium, Ireland or Germany. In the UK, selection of a digibox based on it's signal threshold in irrelevant, and your choice of digibox should be based on age, reliability and your budget. You can read more about recommended digiboxes by following this link.
Cable and Connectors
 Sky approved satellite cable should always be used. This has an airspaced insulation which is screened by both copper tape and copper braid. F-connectors are used to connect the cable to the output from the LNB and the input to the satellite receiver. These are simple to fit and do not require a special tool.Part Two - Installation
Installing your system for the first time may seem like a daunting prospect at first. It should not be - installing a small dish and digibox is extremely straightforward and can usually be done without the need for a professional installer. Of course there are exceptions, but a typical domestic installation in the UK or most other parts of Europe, with a dish under a metre in diameter, should be within the capabilities of most practically minded people.
If you aren't the practical type, don't have the time, or decide that it all sounds like too much trouble, then the easiest option is to get a local installer to do it for you. Do not attempt to carry out the installation unless you have a sufficient knowledge of electrical systems and can safely use an electric drill. Do not attempt to carry out the installation on your own, always have someone to help you. If using a ladder, get someone to hold the ladder for you. Because it will take a while to position the dish, it is recommended that, wherever possible, you locate your dish low enough so that you do not have to use a ladder.
If you are outside the UK, always use a TV with a scart connection, as this will overcome differences between the UK and Continental PAL standards. At the initial stage, you will have only three connections to your digibox: the mains power lead; the scart lead from digibox to TV and the coaxial cable input that links the digibox to the LNB on the dish. If you want to add a VCR, do this after you have got everything working correctly!
Tools & Materials Checklist
Ladder Hammer Compass Spanner or preferably socket wrench Electric drill Extension lead Drill bits – for wall mounting the dish and drilling through the wall Small screwdriver Pliers Wire cutters Stanley knife or sharp penknife 2 x F connectors
Self amalgamating (plumber's) tape
7mm wall clips
Rawl plugs and bolts (if wall mounting the dish)
Satellite finder or meter - useful but not essential
Satellite cable
The Installation Procedure
Determine where to mount your dish
All UK digital TV is broadcast from the Astra satellite group which is located at 28.2° East (that's 28.2° East of Due South) if you are in the UK. This angle will change depending on which country you live in. For example, in Spain the direction will be more or less South-East. There's no need to be too precise. You don't even need a compass, because as long as you know which direction South is, by bringing the dish round slowly from South to East you will eventually hit the right position. At this stage you just need to determine which wall you are going to mount the dish on, and this is probably going to be the South facing wall of the house. Having found the approximate direction that the signals are coming from, you now need to decide where you are going to mount the dish. You must bear in mind that the signal is coming in at approximately 45 degrees to the ground (depending on how far South you are). Obstructions such as trees or nearby buildings that are directly in front of the dish will block the signal. Mounting your dish high up on a wall may be one way to 'see over’ these obstructions. If you've got a fairly unobstructed view between South and East you may consider mounting the dish on the ground outside (attached to a pole, for example), or low down on an outside wall or a (sturdy) fence. This may make it easier to adjust your dish later on when you try and align it with the satellite, but beware of putting it in a place where it might get knocked or dislodged. A dish mounted near the ground does not necessarily look unsightly, and makes a lot of sense if you are aligning the dish yourself. Manual alignment means making a lot of minor adjustments to the dish position - something that can be impractical, tiring and dangerous if you are doing it at the top of a ladder. This dish is low enough to adjust easily, but high enough to prevent it being knocked out of position.
You can get an accurate assesment of whether obstacles are going to be in the way of your dish, as well as a set of figures for the azimuth (the compass direction of the satellite), dish elevation and LNB skew (polarization) setting, by using the Astra installation setup website. However, before you do this, get an accurate latitude and longitude figure for your location. This can be done by using the multimap website, selecting your country and typing in your nearest town or postcode to give you a map of where you live. Scroll down this page and immediately below the map you will see a latitude and longitude figure (use the figure quoted as a decimal fraction). Make a note of these figures and go the the Astra installation setup guide. The rest should be self-explanatory, but remember to select Astra 28.2 as the satellite, not Astra 19.2 or 23.5.
Fix the dish in position
Assemble the dish using the instructions that are supplied with it. Bolt the dish to the wall, ensuring that it can be rotated either side of the compass bearing of the satellite. For example, in the UK or Northern France you need to ensure that the dish can be turned from South East to South. In Spain or Portugal, you would want to be able to rotate the dish approximately 30° either side of South East.
Use your TV and Digibox to locate the correct satelllite
A satellite finder will help you to align the dish accurately with a satellite signal. However, it will not tell you that you have located the correct satellite, making it easy to lock onto the wrong one. However, the digibox recognises when the dish is aligned with the Astra 2 satellite, and displays a certain code on the ‘signal test’ menu screen. You therefore need your TV and digibox to be close to your dish - essential if you are doing the job yourself - or else have someone else to watch the TV screen and let you know when the dish has locked on.
The easiest way to do this is to locate your TV and digibox in a position where, as you adjust the dish, you can clearly see the screen. Run an extension lead to a TV set outside, or put the TV and digibox close to a window, so that the TV can be seen while the dish is adjusted. If you have a small portable set (with a scart connection) then it would be a good idea using it for the dish setup.
For the purpose of getting the dish aligned, you can make up a couple of short leads to connect the digibox (the 'dish input' connection) to the output of the satellite finder and the input of the satellite finder to the LNB.
Fitting the F connectorsThe connectors are easily fitted and require no special tools. Prepare the ends of the cable by removing about an inch of the outer sheath. Tear off the copper screen, twist the braid together and pull it back so it is pointing away from the prepared end of the cable. Remove all but about an eighth of an inch of the inner insulation. Screw the knurled end of the connector over the outer sheath of the cable and over the braid wire. Keep screwing the connector until the inner insulation is located as far as it will go against the inside of the connector. Make absolutely sure that the inner solid copper conductor is not in contact with the braid screen or with any part of the connector. Cut the inner copper wire so that only an eighth of an inch protrudes beyond the end of the connector.      Connect the dish to the digibox
You should now have the dish mounted on a wall, and a cable connecting the LNB to the satellite finder. Another cable should connect the satellite finder to the digibox. (If you are not using a satellite finder then you will have a straight connection from the digibox to the LNB). Now connect the digibox to the TV with a scart lead. Connect mains power to the digibox, ensuring that you do not plug a 'live' mains lead into the back of the digibox. Power up the TV and digibox.
Get the Test Signal' page up on the TV screen
Using your Sky remote control, press the ‘TV guide' button until the red light on the box changes to green. Select the AV channel on your TV. Press 'Services' on the remote control. Select menu option 4 (system setup) and then menu option 6 (signal test).
You will see the screen below:
 Set the dish elevation.
To get your dish locked on to the satellite, you not only need the compass bearing of the satellite (azimuth), but also the elevation above the horizon (in other words, the 'up-down’ position of the dish needs to be set correctly). Most dishes will have an elevation indicator behind the dish and this will help to provide you with a starting point. However, be prepared to try several elevation settings. You should have found your dish elevation setting on the Astra installation setup website. If not, bear in mind that your dish elevation setting will change depending on how far south in Europe you live – between approximately 23 degrees for Southern England & Northern France to 30 degrees for central France and 36 degrees for Southern Spain.
 Note that with most satellite dishes, the dish itself will not appear to 'point' at the angle you have set. For example, most minidishes in the UK appear to be looking just above the horizon, when the angle itself is set at around 23°. The photo on the right shows a Zone 2 Sky dish set at 25° elevation. Sky dishes normally have a graduated scale on the bracket behind the dish, which gives a good starting point. Notice how the plane of the dish appears to be just off the vertical. LNB Skew Adjustment (polarization)
If you are using a Sky Zone 1 or Zone 2 Sky dish, the instructions provided with these show the polarization (skew) settings for the UK and Ireland, and by extending these Southwards it can be seen that you should use setting number 2 for the West of France and setting number 3 for the Eastern half of France. The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and the extreme East of France will require setting number 4. This is a lot easier than trying to guess the angle - something that you have to do on all non-Sky (ie 40mm collar mounted and C120 LNBs).
At the initial stage of dish alignment, you should worry too much about the skew. Adjust it to a position that you think is correct and then proceed with the dish alignment. Unless the skew is way out, it should not stop you from getting the initial alignment.
Move the dish from East to South
Do not be concerned with getting a good percentage on the signal strength and quality bars. Anything over 30% to 50% will be sufficient. The ‘Network ID’ will also change from 0000 to 0002 and the transport stream will read 07d4. You may get a different network ID to 0002 – this indicates that you have locked onto the wrong satellite!
In practice it is not going to be as easy as this, and you will have to adjust both the elevation of the dish and its bearing many times before you hit the right point. However, the satellite finder will simplify this process by giving an indication of when you are near to a satellite. Having got the highest reading you can with the satellite finder, you can then check the Network ID and Transport Stream to make sure that it is the right satellite.
Search for listings
Once you are satisfied that the test screen is as it should be, exit from this screen by pressing ‘backup’ three times and then pressing the ‘TV guide’ button on the remote control. A message will appear on the screen - ‘searching for listings’. After a minute or two, the listings will eventually appear. You can then select a programme to watch.
Install the cable
Once you are satisfied that everything is working as it should be, you can disconnect the temporary lead between the digibox, satellite finder and dish (power off first). Repostion the digibox and TV in their proper places and run the satellite cable from the dish to the digibox, via an outside wall. Drill through the outside wall to make the connection directly to the digibox – do not use a wall plate as the break in the cable will weaken the signal. Try to minimise the length of cable that you use, but you can use up to 40 metres without the need to use amplifiers.
 Wrap a strip of self-amalgamating tape around the F connector on the LNB to prevent water from entering at this point. This is very important because if you do not make a water-tight seal, water will work its way down the cable and will eventually reach the digibox, damaging it beyond repair. The tape has a backing to it which needs to be removed and it should be stretched as you wrap it around the cable and F-connector. Do not be tempted to use PVC tape - this will not keep the water out.Test
Reconnect the TV to the digibox with a scart lead, connect the satellite cable to the dish input connection on the digibox and plug in the mains lead. Switch on the mains power at the wall switch. Wait for a minute before pressing ‘TV guide’ on the remote. The red stand-by light will change to green and the listings should reappear on the screen. Part Three - Problem Solving
We have sold a good many self-installation kits and have spoken to countless others who have bought their own dish and aligned it themselves, and there really are only a few problems encountered by a small minority, and these are always rectified over the phone.
The most common problem is the failure to set the LNB skew correctly. This fault is characterised by the failure to receive certain channels - usually BBC and ITV - even though the data on the signal test page is correct. Experimentation with the skew angle is enough to correct this fault. A more precise method involves bringing up the signal test page for the channel you are not receiving, and adjusting the LNB skew until you get a good signal quality. (Note - it is 'quality' that is the important variable, not signal strength).
The default signal test page only relates to one particular channel setting. To bring up a test page for the channel that you are not receiving - let us assume it is BBC1 London - you need to know the data for that particular channel. You can get this data from a variety of sources, but I have listed the main ones below:
Using BBC 1 London as our example, you would enter the data as follows:
Press 'Services' followed by 4 then 0 then 1 then 'select' - this will give you access to the 'secret' installers menu. Now select manual tuning and, for BBC1 London, enter 10773 as the frequency, H as the polarization, 22000 as the symbol rate and 5/6 as the FEC. Select 'find channels' and a signal test page will appear. This is the signal for BBC1 London and if the skew is wrong it should show up as a poor reading on the signal quality bar. Simply adjust the skew until the quality improves and then press 'backup' to exit.
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The LNB skew angle, or LNB polarization, refers to the rotational position of the LNB and is usually adjustable on most Sky LNBs by moving a small pointer at the bottom of the LNB itself (see photo). 40mm collar fitting LNBs can simply be rotated off the vertical by a few degrees clockwise (if you are standing in front of the dish looking at the LNB with the dish behind it) by slackening the clamp and turning the whole LNB. The LNB skew angle needs to be set correctly for the LNB to differentiate between horizontally and vertically polarized signals - you should have obtained an accurate figure for your location from the 
Set the dish elevation in a starting position and tighten up the nuts so this will not change while you move the dish from South East to South. In small discrete stages of just a degree or two at a time, jog the dish around towards the south. While you are doing this you should be able to see both the test signal page on your TV and the needle on the satellite finder . Do not move the dish around continuously, but in discrete stages, and wait for a few seconds before moving the dish to its next position. When you hit the right spot, not only will the satellite finder give a high reading, but on the TV screen your lock indicator will change to ‘OK’ and you will get a screen similar to the one on the right.