500s How to connect?

[chris01639]

I have just got a dreambox 500s that's already flashed. I have a basic subscription to sky with a sky+ box & a viewing card.

I've correctly inserted the card into the Dreambox.

There are 2 LNB RF cables that go into Input 1 & 2 on the back of the Sky+ box, how do these connect to the 500S? I've tried connecting them to the LNB in & out ports, but whenever I try to scan on the single satellite Astra transponder I get a Fatal Error, Networks failed to load.

Is there something wrong with the Dreambox or am I connecting it up wrong?

Any help will be much appreciated. I'm new to all this so please tell me how or what I need to do in Idiot proof language.

Thanks again.

 

[Devilfish]

Your coax should screw into the LNB-IN connection.

 

[chris01639]

There are 2 coax leads that screw into the back of the Sky+ box. Do I need a spliter to make these 2 cables into 1?

They go into Input 1 & Input 2 on the back of the Sky+ box and connect to the LNB on the Sky dish.

Thanks for your help.

 

[rizla3066]

well the DB500 is nothing like your sky+ box, you cannot record/watch 2 channels a time like you can with the sky+ box. DB500 has 1 tuner so you can only watch 1 channel.

it is a bit pointless using the DB500 unless you have a motorized dish. by the sounds of what you want the sky+ box is better because you can watch 1 channel and record another.

 

[chris01639]

I realise this, but don't require this because I now have a cable box with these features. The dish is for the concervitory and for the kids to watch disney etc. I was told that the D500 would do the job.

 

[Devilfish]

If you have sky+ then you probably have a twin or quad lnb (2 or 4 coax cables coming from your dish).

Two will go into your sky+ box because it needs to two feeds to watch one channel and record another.

I think you will need to get another coax to come from the lnb to go to your 500s.

 

[chris01639]

Would it be possible to connect the existing 2 coax cables to make 1 so should I require to use the Sky+ in the future?

Thanks

 

[Devilfish]

There's no benefit at all in making 2 feeds into 1. Just don't plug one in.

I may be wrong but for what you want I think you need 3 feeds.

 

[rizla3066]

yep it will do the job providing you subcribe for the channels you want to watch.

so taking in mind that the DB500 has only 1 tuner you will need only 1 lnb cable going into the back of the box. not like the sky+ box that has 2 tuners so needs 2 lnb cables.

also you will need software running on the box to decode the card.

 

[witchy]

...all you need to do is grab a splitter and connect 1 of your Sky+ feeds into this, then run a coax from the splitter into your Sky+ box and the other into your Dreambox (best thing since sliced bread if you ask me )

The easiest way to get Sky running on a Dreambox is CCamd as it requires no setup.

 

[chris01639]

Do I just flash Ccmad using dreamup? And can I download it here?

I tried using just 1 of the LNB cables but it gave the same fault Failed to load network.

 

[rizla3066]

...all you need to do is grab a splitter and connect 1 of your Sky+ feeds into this, then run a coax from the splitter into your Sky+ box and the other into your Dreambox (best thing since sliced bread if you ask me )

The easiest way to get Sky running on a Dreambox is CCamd as it requires no setup.

that would not work, it would only work if both boxes are on the same polarity so that means you can only watch programs that are in the same transponder group and polarity.

each tuner realy needs its own cable and lnb

 

[witchy]

Now them, I think I'm just about to be taught something about SKY+....

I see what you mean now, the LNB can only stream the chosen frequency and polarization as dictated by the Sky box (or the Dreambox), if each box is requesting a different frequency/polarization then it would not work, although 1 box would recieve it's requested channel, but the other box would display a blank screen.

 

[rizla3066]

nope each transponder is polarized differntly.

so if you are watching bbc1 you can only watch another program on another box that is the in the same transponder group


EDIT- yep your post above is correct

 

[witchy]

Isn't that what I just said?

 

[chris01639]

So, what do you think my best option is?
Flash the box with Ccmad and then try just the one LNB connection and leave the other disconnected?

 

[chris01639]

Anyone?

Where can I get Ccmad image and can I flash it with dreamup and a null modem cable?

Also, anymore recomendations on how I should connect the 500-s using the Sky plus LNB cableS.

 

[Last]

In your opening post you mention 2 RF LNB cables. This is not the case. The LNB cables are IF. You may be connecting the wrong cable to your dreambox.
As one of the previous post says disconnect ONE of the F type screw in connectors marked "Dish input 1" or "Dish input 2" from the Sky+ box and connect it to the "In" connector on the Dreambox.
The Dreambox 500 CANNOT handle 2 feeds as it only has 1 tuner.
The reason Sky+ has 2 feeds is that a tuner can only handle one polarity at a time and if you want to watch 1 program and record another (or record 2) that are on different polarity then it uses the second tuner. The Sky+ box will continue to work with one cable but if you try to record 2 programs (or watch 1 and record the other) that are on different polarities one will fail. Of course if the card is in the dreambox you wont be able to use any of the Sky+ features at all.

I was using Gemini 3.60 image with cam newcamd betad 6.10 to view the sky card. I cannot say how good it is as I really only set it up to see that it worked. I never really viewed it for any length of time. If I remember correctly I did use dreamup to load the image but then I used DCC Dreambox control centre to FTP the newcamd_6.10b_060512.tar.bz2 to the tmp directory and installed it from there.

I would not worry about loading the cam until you have connected the LNB cable correctly and have scanned Astra28.2/Eurobird1 and can receive the FTA channels.