Sky Q
I would appreciate guidance from anyone using a Sky Q box in the caravan or Motorhome.
After a very protracted set of discussions with the Sky team, it now appears that for my long service as a customer I am entitled to a free upgrade to Sky Q. Strange nobody actually told me until I refused to pay an extra £24 for a gadget that it seems I did not need, or alternatively, I could have an upgrade to Sky Q worth £12 per month.
My concern is that I may not be able to use Sky Q in the van as I presently do with the HD box. The advise given is that I could purchase through E-Bay an LNB suitable for Sky Q and it should work. However nobody seems to know anyone that can confirm this.
I feel sure one of our intrepid members will already have proved this one way or another, which would enable me to either reject the Sky Q or rejig my set up to accommodate the Sky Q.
Very grateful for any proven advice.
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With Sky moving toward being dish free Sky Q this is their attempt at breaking into broadband TV. Of course, you will need a top flight broadband connection on board to make use of this service.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38756577
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Good Morning, I can confirm you can do it. I am currently away in my caravan and have sky q. you can't have the services requiring internet but I have full use with simultaneous recording and viewing, just as if you are at home. I have used this set up for over 12 months now when Im away with no issues.
I purchased a Sky Hybrid LNB (circa £30). The reason for this is there are not many signal finders for the retail market equipped to find the say q signal so with a Hybrid you just connect to the 'HD' side and aim the dish (there are 6 connectors, 2 for Sky Q and 4 standard HD). You will need a self powered signal finder again these are relatively inexpensive.
Hope this helps
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Thanks Paul
Brilliant response. All the info needed.
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Paul
I have read on another forum overnight that you need to us the HD box to set up the signal first and then swap boxes to the Q box and the LNB if not using the Hybrid version.
Do I understand from your response that with this Hybrid LNB, that it is set up using the Q box and HD fittings on the LNB then just move the connectors to the appropriate connections on the Hybrid LNB once a signal has been found.
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The easiest way to have trouble free installation is to purchase the standalone meter. (The cheap meters use the 12v power from your sky box to power the meter.)
The one I have shown actually looks for the Astra Satellite signal and discriminates other satellites close by so. You connect this meter to the HD side.
Once the satellite signal is found simply remove the meter ( you can connect the the sky q satellite cables before or after as they connect to the two Wideband connectors)
I also purchased F-plug push on converters to make it easier to disconnect and reconnect the Q box.
On average it takes me 5 mins to set up the dish when I arrive including pegging it out etc.. Really easy
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on the other forum my assumption is they are using the old hd box to power up a cheap meter as described above. That appears like a bit of a faff to me. Doing it that way will work and save you buying a meter but its a lot of cable swapping
I forgot to mention you will need to connect both sky q sat cables (I know you could get away with just one on the HD box)
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A picture paints a thousand words but a video is even better.
.. Hope this makes it clearer.. Have a look at the video link below Ive recorded for you. Please hit like if its useful 0 -
Many thanks.
Perfectly clear now. I tried to hit like, but do not have a google account, so was not permitted.
Will be placing the orders over the weekend.
Just in case anyone is interested, 15 years of being a Sky customer gives you the VIP access which gives Sky Q at no extra cost to your multi room contract.
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True, but only if you pay for the multi-room contract which I don’t.
Sky Q has better functionality and the big advantage of a lifetime warranty. The box is owned by Sky so if you cancel your subscription they will take the box back.
I don’t have a TV in the van but I wonder what the warranty situation is with regard to theft or damage if you take it away with you?
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I don’t have a full understanding of the ins and outs of your SkyQ mobile requirements, but...
When we adopted Sky Q at home, for its enhanced (fibre landline based) internet speed, we were told that the LNB needed to be changed to a different model (free of charge) Our Indoor Sky TV control box was also changed for a version with different menus, and an easier to use handset was supplied. I get the impression that if you are using any other Sky box in your van, it may not have all of the Sky Q features. As an aside, our modem/ router also needed replacing with one which was very problematic, as can be verified by numerous similar complaints on the web. Sky’s Support engineers tried hard to bluf their way past this fundamental problem. When we got fed up with their messing around, we bought and configured a Netgear router, which instantly worked with exemplary consistency.
However, as stated earlier, we don’t use satellite in our van. Instead, for what little TV we watch, we stream from our iPads. If you can get a data signal, best of all a 4G one, then there’s nothing lost beyond screen size, and even that can be resolved. We connect via a Mac laptop when size matters. Our Avtex TV despite its excellence hasn’t been used for about three years now. Since your Sky account services are accessible to you on the internet, maybe it’s time to rethink how you connect while in your van.
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We dont have Sky at home or in the mh, what we have though is a roof mounted dish 85cm and an icecrypt box. This gives us Uk tv over most of Europe including Spain and Portugal.
We used to use Filmon to stream tv but its not always possible so £50 ish will get an incryption box and tune to Intel 907
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Jenny, I'm not sure that Sky Go (or it's more modern Q equvalent) will work outside the uk....?
certainly, most internet based TV 'systems' like iplayer are restricted via IP address, and, as TG says, good old Filmon has now become subscription based...
ICecrypt looks good, but (I've read) needs 'special' (regularly changed) codes to continue working and is a bit 'hookey street' as it accesses the BBC's 'Disaster Recovery' streams....should Astra 28 go down for any reason....
however, for £50+, for anyone with a decent sized dish this is certainly a solution....at the moment...
for those migrating to Sky Q, why not just move the 'old' Sky+ box into the van 'permanently'....leave Q at home, no need to change anything....
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BB
What card would be used in the HD+ box used in the van in your suggestion., presumably the present card would be replaced by a Sky Q compatible for the Sky Q at home and the existing HD+ card would be terminated.
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BB, codes have not changed in 2 years so not that often. They are even using it in Lanzarote
as was the villa we rented in Spain last November. I'm pretty sure that at some point it will go but until then I'm happy to use it.Not sure if the Q card can be used in the + box, never got a definite answer when we looked at doing that. Would be interest to know from someone who has done that.
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ah, TG, that's good news, it was just something I picked up on an Internet search....
BM, as I don't have Q I'm not 100 sure about the card....however, it's likely that Sky might just upgrade your current card to reflect your new package...
although just picked this up from DigitalSpy.....knowledgable folk on there generally....
"Can I remove the viewing card from my Sky Q box and take it to my holiday home abroad and insert it in, and pair it to my Sky plus HD box and I will receive all the channels that I subscribe to ( movies, sport etc ) in UK ?.
I assume that i would only be able to watch one channel and record one channel at a time but that would be ok."Yes. You can do it via MySky, or if your Sky+HD box is connected it will pair automatically when you select a pay channel and follow the prompts.
Just been away for a month using my Sky Q card in a Sky+HD box. Automatically paired back to Sky Q on return."
so, it looks like it can be done, don't change the LNB on the van dish, keep the Sky+ box and move the card and pair it...either way, if it's a new card or an updated one for SkyQ, as long as the slot is the same it should be ok....after all, not all customers will go for Sky Q AND more new Q compatible boxes around the house....and still plenty of customers want to retain their other + boxes as they own them...
the tricky stuff happens if you want to take skyQ with you and you need to change other kit to support it.....
for the most part, a twin feed Sky+ serves most purposes...
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The Sky engineer called eventually today to repair the HD+ with a new box. He took away the old box for repair to be used as a future replacement.
When asked about the use of Sky Q in the van, he had no hesitation in saying it was possible, he did say that it was likely that a message would be continually flashed across the screen warning of no broadband.
Anyone with experience of this warning message.
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BM, is there a particular reason for wanting to get SkyQ in the van?
I used to move my home box from the house to the van and back again, but when I got a new box they also gave me a second box (both sky+HD, I also have a third sky+ which is now unused) so,I thought I would just keep one in the van permanently and swap the card...
could you not do this with your HD box....no messing with LNB etc...?
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Considering having Sky Q at home but do not want to lose the option to use Sky in the van as we do today.
The comment you made earlier regarding having Sky Q at home and using the HD+ box in the van left me asking what card would be suitable in the box in the van. Would a Sky Q compatible card also be suited to the HD box.
At present we just pull out the wires on the second multi-room box and plug straight into the van connections already plumbed in. Using a freestanding dish.
Swapping cards from one box to another requires pairing.
Put simply, I would like to take the Q box into the van as we do presently without Issues which seems is straightforward enough with the Hybrid LND but not sure I want warning banners spoiling the viewing, which prompted my earlier question for advise on whether there is in fact a warning banner for lack of broadband.
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I can only go by what was posted in DS, in that a guy was putting his SkyQ card in his Sky+HD box elsewhere.....and paired it...
our van lives on the drive, the Sky+HD box inside has wifi connection..
i just put up my auto dish, pop in the card and select Sky One....it asks if I want to pair the card....say yes. job done...
when we come home, card goes in home box...same procedure...
now, if you're not set up the same, you can pair the card at home, before putting the box into the van...using the same process....then no need for the MySky app, however this is very easy to use should it be required....
perhaps there will be other folk on CT who have done this, but your engineer said its OK and there is the posting from DS.....a little faith perhaps?
at the end of the day, only you know how much you want SkyQ in the van and are prepared to alter the LNB....I'm not that interested TBH, but I would rather have Sky+ in the van....I think you can have both but you need to pair the card....doing it at home over wifi before you go seems the easiest way by far.....just one press of the select button....
of you don't have a fast wifi service in the van, what can SkyQ give you over Sky+? no streaming, no sharing across devices etc.....can't see the point.....yes at home, it becomes an intelligent hub interconnecting with multiple devices but in the van.....?
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Good Morning, I can confirm that with a Wideband LNB (I use the hybrid one for ease of set up as previously described) there are no warning captions permenently displayed regarding no internet connection. You just a get a warning if you try to download content that is not available. Interestingly Sky must still use the satellite connection to download some of the on demand content as when we are away we will often switch the tv on to find new films etc have appeared. You will also have full access to all your recorded content.
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you're right, DW, when browsing On Demand you'll see a small proportion of items with a different 'play' logo, these are already on your box in the non-user area and can be played straight away.
often, but not always, the Movie Premiers are loaded this way, so instantly accessible...
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Thanks Deganwyman I was hoping that was the case. The engineer gave the impression that it was a fairly constant happening. I can live with that.
BB. I am not bothered about Sky Q in the van just the ability to continue to get Sky when required whilst away. The point of the question was purely can I continue to set up Sky in the van without much difficulty if I changed home system to Sky Q. Deganwyman has kindly and patiently explained how that can be achieved and the changes needed to accomplish this.
I am also not overly bothered about changing the home system, but as Sky have told me I can have it without additional cost due to 15yrs a customer. I thought it would be worth considering. The only benefit I can see to our home use would be the ability to record and watch more at the same time than at present.
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Thanks Paul
Meter arrived today, so tried it out ready for next trip. All seemed to work as you demonstrated.
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Glad my advice helped. Enjoy your next trip. Lake District for us next week.
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Moving along a little - I have a roof mounted,auto seeking, satellite dish but according to the Sky Engineer I merely need to tell my box that I have only one LNB in order to receive the TV signal. Does anyone have experience of this? By the way my box is an old one NOT a 'Q' box.
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Hi, I would really appreciate your help.
I purchased the exact same set up you have shown but can' get the meter to work?
Basically if I connect it to the hd side and aim the dish east I get a signal strength of about 90% but zero quality?
Tried lots of things but wondered if you could show some screen shots of the settings you have on the meter when looking for the sky / Astra satellite?
I am charging the meter battery now as I'm wondering if that was affecting things?
Thanks
Dave
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Hello Dave
the meter should be setup to look at the Astra Satellite as shown in my pic below. The signal strength is basically showing you that there is a good connection between the LNB and the meter. The quality is what is being received from the satellite. The most obvious answer is the dish isn’t pointing quite in the correct direction, or the meter is looking for the wrong satellite. To aim the dish requires slight movement of the dish and includes vertical position, horizontal and skew which is how far the lnb is turned in relation to the dish. Be patient you are trying to pick up a very small signal and you will develop your own process that works for you.
Firstly the elevation as a rule of thumb the dish should almost look like it’s facing horizontal. Not pointing towards the sky (common mistake).
the skew tends not to need too much adjustment across the U.K. and should appear to be slightly twisted off centre.
the horizontal alignment is approximately at 145 degrees so I would sweep the dish slowly across this heading and watching and listen for the quality to increase. I regularly achieve a quality reading of 98% plus.
If you suspect the meter is faulty or not set up correctly connect it to a known HD Sat dish at home (or a friends) to test and prove it.
good luck
Paul
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Deganwyman.
Thanks for your advice. The set up worked in six locations in France as far down as La Rochelle.
I came across a web page that gives all the settings for europe. called aiming a dish at Astra 2 that was very helpful.
I did encounter of area where I had a very strong signal on the meter, however the sky box had no signal. it took the settings from the above website to get me on signal which was about 5 degrees out.This also gave a strong signal on the meter.
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Hi there,
Stumbled across this post from 2018 :-)
Our setup currently see's me having a SKY HD+ subscription for use at home with a HD multi room box installed in the motorhome. So that when we are away in the van, the home box continues to record our series linked items and the multi room subscription allows us to get our standard channels whilst on the move.
So now I want Sky Q at home and have been reluctant to ditch HD+ due to 'risking' losing use of Sky when motorhoming for 9 months now until reading this old post.
If I'm reading the earlier posts right, you can upgrade to Sky Q and use this at home. When you want to go away in the motorhome you take out the Sky Q card and pair it with the Sky HD box and you still get your Sky channels as if at home. Is that correct?
If that is the case then it will save me upgrading my satellite dome for a Sky Q compatible Maxview Target system (£2k).
PS - I do not want Sky Q functionality whilst touring, I just want to have the ability when on hook-up that we can receive the Sky channels and BT Sport (Moto GP races & football in particular)My other query would be, if the Sky Q card is removed from the Q home box and paired to the HD box in the motorhome, does the series linked channels still record on the Sky Q box at home?
BTW - I too can upgrade to Q for free AND they give one Q multiroom device FoC at present so I'll have 2 rooms with TV's in the house with the WiFi. (I know this extra box will not be used away from the home WiFi)
Hopefully someone can confirm my questions, thanks
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