RF Modulator suggestions

Forums › Sky, Neon, Lightbox › RF Modulator suggestions

wazzab

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#29016 19-Dec-2008 15:16

Currently have MySky HDi, and was supposedly waiting for the 'free' RF modulator sky were going to provide when they got their shipment. I rang up yesterday to be told it would be $49 and a contractor would have to come out and plug it in, and therefore needed to book a technician visit.

If you were an early adopter of HDi like me, and got 4 month free of multiroom, apparently it was free because the RF Modulators were not available then (I wasn't told this, but was told it was an introductory offer). Now that they are avialable we have to pay for them. One other warning, if you only want the 4 months free of multi room, make sure you ring up and cancel it, as they will not ring you, and the next thing you know, they smack $25 onto your bill. You then have to go thru the process of cancelling it and returning the old box to them

Anyway, any suggestions for an RF Modulator - Sky wouldn't tell me what I would get for my $49. Is a DSE or JayCar model ok?

Thanks

Look

66 posts

Master Geek

#185788 23-Dec-2008 10:30

The modulator for rf output from HDi is free. I got mine the other day installed by Sky, no charge. But I've been nagging Sky about it since August with multiple phone calls and emails. Everytime you talk to someone at sky you get a different story. persistance wins out in the end. In the meantime you could just put a vcr in the system to convert to rf out. good luck.

clevedon

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#185799 23-Dec-2008 12:10

We had ours installed in August, I just kept on to them about the modulator and they came and installed it two weeks ago, didn't pay a dime. Ring them back and just keep going further up the chain till they sort it.

jasonbrice

100 posts

Master Geek
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#188987 12-Jan-2009 14:27

Hi,

I had no confidence that Sky would get back to me regarding the RF modulator (and I was right), so I went out and bought one from Jaycar in August (LM3878). To be honest, paying for the modulator, and the IR repeater was much less hassle than dealing with Sky's call centre.

JB

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Legion

20 posts

Geek

#190374 18-Jan-2009 14:25

There was a big shortage of modulators up until late November/early December in CHCH at least, when Sky finally got their a into g, and got some from their supplier. There was the odd one earlier than that, but not many. Auckland may well have got the first shipment before that though.

Original word from Sky was that for customers who had existing Sky outlets and lost that abiliity when their HDi was installed the modulator would be free. Once the mods actually became available, the revised instruction was that only customers who upgraded from the older MySky to the HDi would get it free. Those with Legacy decoders would be charged $49 (still half the retail of most cheap modulators). Installation of cabling and modulators for new outlets is now $160.

If you had a working outlet before the HDi was installed, whether you had a MySky or legacy decoder, I would suggest you ring them and tell them that you want it free as their HDi decoder removed that ability. Give them the option of refunding the $40 odd that you originally paid for the outlet to be installed if they won't restore it. Might just work :)

The installer should have made a note on the work order when he installed the HDi that you needed a modulator, otherwise Sky may not be aware of it (though if the outlet was connected by Sky in the first place they can track that information down).

deadman

40 posts

Geek

#454214 1-Apr-2011 14:31

HI Guys
I have just upgraded to sky hdi now i have a global technologies remote control sensor in my bedroom attached to the tv but i really could do with a good Rf modulator to run from the hdi box to the other tv but it requires a 9v out which i believe the old mysky box has to be able to run the global technologies tv link remote sensor.

By the way if anyone is having problems with their remote control sensors in other rooms the one i use is from the uk and is made especially for the sky boxes and works a treat and is available online via any uk electrical outlet.

dead man

jasonbrice

100 posts

Master Geek
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#454229 1-Apr-2011 15:00

The RF modulator that I bought from Jaycar (LM3878) I bought when this thread was new (27 months ago) is still going strong. I highly recommend it.

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richms

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#454230 1-Apr-2011 15:02

You only need a good modulator if you want to mix it with RF off air stuff too. If its just the sky box, a really cheap one like the jaycar one will be fine, unless you have a really long cable or start wanting to split it. They claim that one of theirs is stereo but I have not bought that one to test that claim as I only needed it to deliver a signal to a really old TV that wouldn't take a normal UHF modulated source, the jaycar one is on VHF

Richard rich.ms

michaelt

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#454236 1-Apr-2011 15:15

We just use a VCR as a modulator. Not the cleanest solution, but works well enough.

bfginger

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#454365 1-Apr-2011 21:15

RF mono sound is horrible if your TV has stereo speakers. Make sure it does stereo.

deadman

40 posts

Geek

#454393 1-Apr-2011 22:11

Thanks all
Will look into buying it from jaycar

dead man

trig42

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#456766 8-Apr-2011 14:34

Pretty sure the ones Sky supply are Stereo (they take both L&R Audio in), and for $49 they are good buying. THe Jaycar ones AFAIK are Mono and cost about $20 more.

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Speedy885

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#456868 8-Apr-2011 21:29

These are the ones jaycar sell:

Jaycar "LM3873" comes in both mono and stereo $29.90
Jaycar "LM3879" is stereo $79.90
Jaycar "LM3878" is stereo $71.90

The good thing about getting one from a store is you can return it and or swap it out with another one if the one you get is faulty and jaycar usually have some good gear available too.

Also what brand are the sky modulators?

richms

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#456876 8-Apr-2011 21:57

trig42: Pretty sure the ones Sky supply are Stereo (they take both L&R Audio in), and for $49 they are good buying. THe Jaycar ones AFAIK are Mono and cost about $20 more.

No, they are mono ones. And they have leakage between the 2 RCA inputs so splitting something to it and another device makes the stereo separation go to crap on your decent system. Not an issue of cource if your decent system is using the HDMI or digital out, but all the analogs seem to just be ganged together on the sky boxes so it affects them all.

Richard rich.ms