Sky - H-Pol test?

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allstarnz

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Topic # 12986 17-Apr-2007 11:28

I notice now on Channel 888 (accessible also via the blank button on right of remote) there is something called H-Pol test.

This is just a test pattern at the moment. Anyone know what this is for?

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Reply # 67330 17-Apr-2007 11:38

I would guess, going by the name, that it is a channel they are using to test moving services from vertical polarity to horizontal polarity.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 67331 17-Apr-2007 11:40

Due to the muck up with the V and H polarity of the NZ spotbeams on the D1 satellite Sky have are now running tests using Horizontal polarity spot beams rather than the Vertical they are presently using. If you don't understant satellite terminology then don't worry it doesn't mean much to the end user! Your Sky TV will still continue to work!

Fossie

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Reply # 67401 17-Apr-2007 18:51

I find that channel 888 has the best content on sky :)

cyril7

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Reply # 67406 17-Apr-2007 19:05

But Fossie, your lonely. :)

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allstarnz

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Reply # 67883 20-Apr-2007 15:40

sbiddle:
Due to the muck up with the V and H polarity of the NZ spotbeams on the D1 satellite Sky have are now running tests using Horizontal polarity spot beams rather than the Vertical they are presently using. If you don't understant satellite terminology then don't worry it doesn't mean much to the end user! Your Sky TV will still continue to work!

Thanks makes sense.

I do understand about horizontal and vertical polarity (not much, but a little at least). Do they want to move everything over?

richms

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Reply # 67958 21-Apr-2007 02:34

And if your in a block of flats, everyone elses sky will drop out while your on ch 888 or 999 if its working for you and its a shared dish.. Gotta wonder how they will handle people plugging a freeview box into a shared install like that...

Richard rich.ms

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Reply # 67962 21-Apr-2007 06:58

richms: And if your in a block of flats, everyone elses sky will drop out while your on ch 888 or 999 if its working for you and its a shared dish.. Gotta wonder how they will handle people plugging a freeview box into a shared install like that...

That is the reason Sky need to move to the same polarity as Freeview.. They were supposed to be the same until D1 was launched with the rather small problem.

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Reply # 67968 21-Apr-2007 09:14

Will Sky move to Horizontal before Freeview introduction on the 2nd of May?

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alloyplatypus

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Reply # 67987 21-Apr-2007 11:49

richms: And if your in a block of flats, everyone elses sky will drop out while your on ch 888 or 999 if its working for you and its a shared dish.. Gotta wonder how they will handle people plugging a freeview box into a shared install like that...

I never thought of it in those terms. I sell Freeview receivers, and i know of quite a few people that live in units that i have sold them to. Is anybody able to explain why Horizontal polarity overrules Vertical polarity?

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Reply # 67991 21-Apr-2007 12:54

alloyplatypus:
richms: And if your in a block of flats, everyone elses sky will drop out while your on ch 888 or 999 if its working for you and its a shared dish.. Gotta wonder how they will handle people plugging a freeview box into a shared install like that...

I never thought of it in those terms. I sell Freeview receivers, and i know of quite a few people that live in units that i have sold them to. Is anybody able to explain why Horizontal polarity overrules Vertical polarity?

Because the LNB's on a Sky dish can only do either V or H - they can't pick up both at the same time. The setting is controlled by the STB so if you Sky box sets the LNB to H then current Sky transmissions on V polarity can't be picked up.

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Reply # 67992 21-Apr-2007 13:22

Does anyone know if you can use a Dual LNB to receive both V and H polarity (preferably over the same Coax cable?) I’m just wondering if it’s worth waiting until all Sky Channels are on V then using some sort of splitter to a DVB-C card for Freeview, or install a new dish just for V/Freeview transmission?

alloyplatypus

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Reply # 67994 21-Apr-2007 13:32

sbiddle:
alloyplatypus:
richms: And if your in a block of flats, everyone elses sky will drop out while your on ch 888 or 999 if its working for you and its a shared dish.. Gotta wonder how they will handle people plugging a freeview box into a shared install like that...

I never thought of it in those terms. I sell Freeview receivers, and i know of quite a few people that live in units that i have sold them to. Is anybody able to explain why Horizontal polarity overrules Vertical polarity?

Because the LNB's on a Sky dish can only do either V or H - they can't pick up both at the same time. The setting is controlled by the STB so if you Sky box sets the LNB to H then current Sky transmissions on V polarity can't be picked up.

Thanks for your answer. I do understand that part of it though.

My current set up is a sky dish on the roof to an APP 2 way splitter. One cable goes back up to the Sky upstairs, and one goes to my FTA downstairs. They both work fine when i watch Vertical TV1, 2 or Maori downstairs, but as soon as i change over to any of the Horizontal polarity channels downstairs, it cuts the Sky off, on most channels (some like J2 will continue working). My question was Why does Horizontal rule over Vertical and not vice versa? if anyone knows

Cheers
Jamie

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Reply # 67995 21-Apr-2007 13:36

I saw a system on a UK site once that would take 2 LNB feeds and upconvert one of them to the 2ghz band to run down one cable, and then downconvert at the other end again.

Over there they use tone switching for a second band as well, which isn't used in NZ yet so we still have the possibility of using a multiswitch and a dual output LNB is we want more then one box, over there they need to use a quad output and a _really_ expensive switcher.

Edit: stupid typos

Richard rich.ms

richms

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Reply # 67996 21-Apr-2007 13:38

Horizontal overrides vertical because H is 18 volts, V is 13, the splitters have diodes in them so the highest voltage wins. Tone injection from one box is not always successful when there is a splitter involved because it will often be too weak after the splitter. Luckily tone is only used to switch sky's monster lnb over to the other feed from the other satellite

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Reply # 67997 21-Apr-2007 13:38

From memory it is something to do with a voltage signal from the STB. If a high voltage is sent the LNB does H POL, if a low voltage is sent to the LNB V PL results which means if you have two boxes on the one LNB the STB using H POL will always win.... Don't quote me though.

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