Sky+ HD box without viewing card

[uncleringo]

Hi there. Apologies if this question has been answered before, but all the ones I can find are from at least a couple of years ago.

I recently tried to join sky, and after a bunch of hassle I've ended up without an account but with a box and a de-activated viewing card. The only dish I have is a really old one which is not currently aligned properly, but it has a new twin LNB.

Should I be able to receive any channels at all, without a viewing card, if I get the dish aligned correctly? I'm not bothered about most channels, just the basic 4 would be a good start. I've attempted to align the dish myself using various online tools showing exactly which direction to point it in, but it always says it can't find the default transponder. So I was going to just get someone to do it professionally but I want to make sure my box will cooperate and isn't the cause of my problem in the first place.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[wizzard]

You should be able to see the FTA channels.

[IrritableTech]

Yeah FTA channels such as... BBC, ITV, but if memory serves not 4 or 5 as they use the card.

If you can find the signal meter on your sky box, you can probably adjust the dish yourself. I've put up quite a few on that meter alone. I can't remember where it is exactly on the HD box, otherwise I'd tell you.

[plexer]

"Services" on the Skybox handset, then press "4" for "System Setup" and "6" for "Signal Test".

Ben

[plexer]

Can I stop paying Sky and use my satellite receiver to get Freeview ? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice

Ben

[uncleringo]

Thanks for your answers guys. I might have a go at aligning the dish again today if I can get the TV close enough to see the signal meter!

Should it not matter that this box has never actually been used? Ie it's not been set up before?

[garethedmondson]

Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com is the site I used when I take my box away in the caravan. Also get a cheap alignment device from Mapins.Gareth

[nephilim]

I'm with gareth on this one. Definitely worth getting a signal finder

[plexer]

The problem you have if trying to use the meter on the box to do an alignment is the lag time of it updating so you may have allready overshot the satellite.

Ben

[uncleringo]

Good news. I found the signal last night. I just moved the tv right next to the window so I could move the dish and see the signal meter at the same time. I was so happy when I glanced up and saw the meter full for the first time! And the lag between moving the dish and the meter updating isn't bad enough to make it really tricky.

The dishpointer website is awesome. I'd got the horizontal direction right before but it was the vertical alignment that was wrong, and that's not so easy to do with the website information. You just have to move it slowly until you get it right.

And in case anyone's interested, I was able to activate the viewing card I have even though my sky account was cancelled several weeks ago. So I'm not paying for anything and yet I can get all the free to air channels including the HD channels.

Thanks everyone!

[SteveBentley]

Can I stop paying Sky and use my satellite receiver to get Freeview ? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice

Take that site with a pinch of salt - the guy who runs it has a habit of presenting guesswork and conjecture as fact and not dealing well with constructive criticism when people try to correct him. Always cross reference info with another source before you rely on it for anything!