Satellite receivers with built in hard drives such as the Sky HD box or the Humax Foxsat Freesat PVR require 2 cables from the dish in order to be able to record one channel whilst watching another. In some cases one cable may already be available for a standard single input receiver but the installation of a second cable is out of the question. A solution is available with a special device called a Stacker De-Stacker that enables 2 signals from the dish to be combined down the one cable and then split into 2 separate cables inside the house.

The diagram shows two outputs from the LNB are being run into the Stacker unit. If you only have a single output LNB then it must be upgraded to a twin or quad output LNB. Once you have installed the LNB then you can run two small cables to the stacker which should be placed near the dish. Then your existing cable when added to the Stacker will be carrying both signals. Inside where the cable comes in from the dish the De-Stacker is installed and connected with another two short cables to your Sky HD or Freesat receiver.

The standard Stackers are designed for use with cable runs of up to 30 metres, for cable runs of up to 60 metres then the Stacker Plus version will be required.

Using a Stacker if you live in an apartment that uses a shared dish

Many shared flats and apartments use a communal dish that may have been installed before the need of two cables for Sky + was required. It is often the case that a single cable was only ever installed and the cost of adding extra cable and equipment is going to be very costly. A Stacker De-Stacker may still work for you but you would need to check the following:-

• Find your Headend Equipment or Multiswitch that feeds your flat, usually this will be located in a loft space or maybe a cupboard space where the dish cables enter the building, if you cannot find the headend equipment then contact your management company or landlord they should know.
• Identify your existing cable that connects from the Multiswitch to your box. Hopefully the Multiswitch will be labelled with which output goes to what flat.
• Make sure that the existing cable that comes from your dish or Multiswitch to your receiver has no other equipment installed in the line.
• Check for any spare satellite signal outputs from the Dish or Multiswitch. (There is normally some spares available)
• Make Sure the Cable Run from your Headend Multiswitch or Dish is Less Than 60 Metres or 195 Feet in Length.
• Ensure there is a spare output port on the Multiswitch, disconnecting any existing cables may mean you disconnect your neighbours from Sky and make you very unpopular.

If all of the above is OK than you can install the Stacker from the outputs of the Multiswitch instead of the LNB.

If you need one of our installers to help with your installation then please call us on 0800 999 0080 or email us at sales@satshop.co.uk