LNB required for Explora

[aktor]

Well that's fine but, if you read the rest of my post/s you should be able to deduce that a SatCR is an unnecessary expense unless you don't have any ceiling space to put the Xplora multiswitch in.

I know - should've mentioned that I don't have a ceiling (bottom floor of a 2-story apartment block) The cost of the extra cabling offsets the costs of the SatCR - either way it's R200 extra (R400 + R200 if going for TwinLNB + cabling) or R600 (for SatCR using the existing cable).

 

[Quantum Theory]

Twins are relatively cheap and quads are still relatively expensive.

Then you are being ripped off. To the trade, there is a R10 difference in price... We hardly sell twins anymore.

 

[Quantum Theory]

Quick question - SatCR will work as well and will also be futureproof, right? Unicable going into the Explora input.

Yes. Comes at a cost, but if it works better for you, go for it...

 

[ijacobs3]

Here's my feeling on future proofing with a quad: a lot can happen in two years. Twins are relatively cheap and quads are still relatively expensive. LNBs have a pretty good lifespan but if you buy one now you can write off two years of actual use. Factor in rolling blackouts for the foreseeable future and your chances of replacing something expensive you don't have a need for are that much better/worse.

I'd get the twin now and wait till the quad is a necessity. They will almost certainly be a lot cheaper by then.

i bought a quad at spacetv some time ago, was under R300

 

[ijacobs3]

Actually, if you really want to future-proof you'd want to get a Smart LNB. It uses a single unicable. Have a look here:

http://www.spacetv.co.za/pages/our-products/dstvlnb-4776.php

This is a better option than quad since you only have one cable and can plug it directly into the Explora instead of going through a switch first. Similar to a SATCR LNB.

i got one of these, they really good

 

[Nick333]

Then you are being ripped off. To the trade, there is a R10 difference in price... We hardly sell twins anymore.

Hmm, made a few quick calls and this is indeed the case.

 

[StefanVD]

Advice please! Im moving house end of May and my current address has a single lnb (quite old!). My decoder just caved in.

I sit with a dilemma. I want to get the explora for my new house, but I dont want to fork out a fortune for an installation for just half a month!

Will the explora show absolutely NO picture with just 1 lnb? Even if I can get just a few channels it would suffice for time being.

Id really appreciate your help here!

 

[aktor]

Advice please! Im moving house end of May and my current address has a single lnb (quite old!). My decoder just caved in.

I sit with a dilemma. I want to get the explora for my new house, but I dont want to fork out a fortune for an installation for just half a month!

Will the explora show absolutely NO picture with just 1 lnb? Even if I can get just a few channels it would suffice for time being.

Id really appreciate your help here!

I'm not sure what it would do with a single LNB, but what I did in the end was to get the new DStv SmartLNB - costs about R450 iirc. From there it's just one cabling running into the unicable input on the Explora (thus no extra cabling required for the immediate future). Then you can take the dish + the SmartLNB to your new house and just continue.
There you can run extra cables if you need xtraview etc. Or still just the one if you only need the 1 Explora connected (the Explora uses only 1 unicable for all 3 its tuners, provided you have a SmartLNB or SatCR LNB)

 

[LoneWolf]

I'm not sure what it would do with a single LNB, but what I did in the end was to get the new DStv SmartLNB - costs about R450 iirc. From there it's just one cabling running into the unicable input on the Explora (thus no extra cabling required for the immediate future). Then you can take the dish + the SmartLNB to your new house and just continue.
There you can run extra cables if you need xtraview etc. Or still just the one if you only need the 1 Explora connected (the Explora uses only 1 unicable for all 3 its tuners, provided you have a SmartLNB or SatCR LNB)

This is indeed the case. Bought explora today, had pvr with dual lnb cables. Just replaced current dual lnb on dish with smart lnb. Tuned it in myself and jobs a goodin'... I run a single lnb cable from dish to explora. No probs

 

[Cassie8]

Replaced twin LNB with Smart LNB, but no luck

This is indeed the case. Bought explora today, had pvr with dual lnb cables. Just replaced current dual lnb on dish with smart lnb. Tuned it in myself and jobs a goodin'... I run a single lnb cable from dish to explora. No probs

I tried to do the same what you did (removed the twin LNB and replace it with the smart LNB - and using only one of the 2 existing cables from the dish to the explora), but I'm getting "... your parameters are wrong... ,correct and try again"
What is wrong? Whave I done wrong?

Any help please !!!

 

[Rickster]

I tried to do the same what you did (removed the twin LNB and replace it with the smart LNB - and using only one of the 2 existing cables from the dish to the explora), but I'm getting "... your parameters are wrong... ,correct and try again"
What is wrong? Whave I done wrong?

Any help please !!!

Are you sure the skew angle is correct?

 

[StrontiumDog]

Regarding single vs Smart LNBs, I'm going to get an Elsat dish (81cm x 75cm) installation done using the Ellies voucher at my house I am renting out. There is existing cabling from a previous tenant's DSTV installation. The cabling running from the ceiling into the lounge is 4 cables, then there are 2 cables from the ceiling in the master bedroom and then a single cable coming from ceiling into a second bedroom. I think the previous tenant might have had a dual LNB and multi switch setup.

I bought a Smart LNB from Makro for R449 and I suppose it would make sense to have the installer replace the Ellies provided single LNB with the Smart LNB to future proof the setup? My new tenant will initially only have a standard definition decoder. Later on he will want to plug in his Explora. If I go the Smart LNB route now, will he be able to just unplug the single view decoder and then plug in the Explora?

Using a Smart LNB on the dish, will only a single cable be running from the ceiling into the respective decoders in whatever room they are in? Therefore the extra 2 cables in lounge and 1 extra cable in master bedroom will be redundant?

 

[123Eish]

A smart lnb has 4 unicable out puts. Unicable means only a single cable is required between the dish and decoder. So essentially you could connect 4 exploras to a smart lnb each one using a single cable. The smart lnb also has two legacy outputs, ie normal lnb outputs used for older decoders such as the SD Pvr, Old Dual view decoders, single view decoders. These are used for decoders that do not support unicable feeds.

So to answer your question, if he has one of the new single view HD decoders it will work with a unicable output of the smart lnb. So you would just swop the single view in place of the explora.As for older model single view decoders I'm not sure if they work on unicable outputs. If it does not then the installer would connect it to one of the legacy outputs. Then when you get an explora it's just a matter of swopping the outputs on the lnb from legacy to unicable.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Thanks Tremayne. The installers wanted to keep things simple (in terms of the voucher installation) and said it would be better to call them back when we want to hook the Explora up in the lounge and extra PVR or decoder in bedroom.

I suppose it makes sense as extra cabling will now be required with the Smart LNB, or at least joins between the old cabling and the new cabling now that a multiswitch (used in old setup) will be out of the picture.

How hardy are these Smart LNBs, in terms of being exposed to the elements up on the roof?

I have an extra single LNB now that they didn't need but came with the voucher installation. Is it worth selling for a few bucks?

 

[123Eish]

I'm not too sure how much you would sell the single lnb for, but hey something is better than nothing, rather get 50 bucks for it then have it collect dust in the garage.

As for durability it's the same quality as a normal lnb, however what I noticed is that my old dual lnb didn't have a casing to cover the part where the cable screws onto the LNB, the smart lnb has a slide cover thingy that covers the part of the LNB that the cables screw onto. Overall it was a simple install. It's worth it as it gives you many different installation options.

Personally I think the installer advised you to rather call them back so that they could make a little extra cash of another installation. Smart lnb is easy to diy, plenty guides online.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Okay, so in the complex where I live on our floor we have a DSTV dish, with an LNB with 8 outputs, there are 6 units on our floor, leaving 2 outputs spare. If I connect, a Explora, to 2 of those outputs, I should be fine for now. Or is my assumption flawed?

 

[123Eish]

Okay, so in the complex where I live on our floor we have a DSTV dish, with an LNB with 8 outputs, there are 6 units on our floor, leaving 2 outputs spare. If I connect, a Explora, to 2 of those outputs, I should be fine for now. Or is my assumption flawed?

If it's a normal lnb, then if you connect two outputs into a Dstv switch then to an explora it would work. Otherwise you would most likely need a Dstv smart lnb along with a new dish. An explora has. One satcr input.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

If it's a normal lnb, then if you connect two outputs into a Dstv switch then to an explora it would work. Otherwise you would most likely need a Dstv smart lnb along with a new dish. An explora has. One satcr input.

Thanks, so, this is doable, till the Body Corprate get around to upgrading the antenna dishes/LNB's for Explora comparability

 

[123Eish]

No problem also not that Yes but you cannot purchase a DStv switch anymore, the only sell smart lnbs. Initially when the explora launched it shipped with a Dstv switch. The switch however is no longer shipped with the current exploras being sold.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

No problem also not that Yes but you cannot purchase a DStv switch anymore, the only sell smart lnbs. Initially when the explora launched it shipped with a Dstv switch. The switch however is no longer shipped with the current exploras being sold.

Hopefully the local Multi-Choice franchise can supply one - thanks