So you've got SKY - and you have heard that SKY+ is superb - you own your SKY box and you don't want the SKY install engineer charging you a fortune for a simple job - let alone the hassle of drilling more holes in your house.

How do you do it and what do you need .?

SKY+ uses 2 feeds from the dish on the side of your house - this enables the added functions like

    * watching one channel and recording another
    * pause live TV
    * rewind live TV

On the front of the dish - at the end of the arm - is the receiver or LNB - this has one output and a cable that runs down to your SKY box - you need to upgrade this and run a second cable to the new SKY+ box.  Most people install a Quad LNB (4 output) as the price difference is negligible to a dual output.

The Quad LNB also allows additional SKY and SKY+ boxes to be installed.  If you have had SKY for more than a year chances are you own the SKY box you are replacing - why not run a 3rd feed down from the Quad LNB and have the free channels in another room .?

The cable from the Quad LNB to the back of the SKY box needs to be of a sufficient quality to handle the frequency ranges being transmitted.  This used to be RG6 cable but in recent years a higher specification is used.  Look for cables of the specification names either CT100 or H109 - others exist like WF100 which has a foam-filled dielectric.

A better solution is to replace the single cable that is already in place with a dual cable - these are of the same high specification as  CT100 or H109 but run 2 thinner diameter cables in one run - the cable specification to look out for here is CT63.  Ensure the cable being supplied is of the high specification required utelising copper braid on copper foil/sheild with a copper core.

The benefits of using CT63 are that it is designed to fit through the existing hole in the wall - without the need to drill another hole for the 2nd feed.

The final part of the installation is to tell SKY you have a SKY+ box - telephone them and they will enable the service.  At the time of writing there is a minimum subscription required from SKY for them to enable SKY+ features - this is a package of not less than £30 pcm.  New pick-and-mix packages are becoming available that allow just a few Sports and Movie channels to be enabled to bring the subscription to the required level.

Other accesories and upgrades.

Why not use the old SKY box in another room

You need to drop a single cable from the Quad LNB and purchase another SKY viewing card - at the time of writing these were available for £10 from SKY.

Caravan, Flat, Renting - Dont want to drill holes in your walls

A flat ribbon cable F Connector is available that allows entry into a building through a window or door without the need for drills.

Watch SKY in another room from the SKY box in your living room

Simply run a cable from the RF2 output on your SKY box to another telly in the house and tune the television into the SKY channel

Change channel from another room in the house

Attach a TVLink or Magic Eye and place the receiver next to the 2nd television.  Point the remote at the receiver and the signal is transmitted back down the TV cable to change channel from another room.  The best TV Link by far is the Global TVLink, available in silver or black.