How does this work? I'd at first guess a multiswitch but while sky say bonding is required they don't seem to say anything about power supply.

Do they have a special multiswitch that can run off the sky boxes or something?

I think what Plugwash is gettin gat is where Sky say they will install a shared dish for a block of flats for example - where does the power for the multiswitch come from.

In my experience with multiswitches, I have never seen one that does not require a supply.  Stacked multiswitches can recieve their feed from the main multiswitch, via the terrestrial coax linking them.

Perhaps sky do have one that takes it power from an input.  I wonder though, because the voltage changes (could be overcome with a little circuitry I guess), there may be not enough current to power a multiswitch, if only one feed was used to power the multiswitch and that person moved out, unplugged their box, or didn't have sky, the system would drop.

Perhaps they only offer this service to buildings with upto 4 flats, using an OCTO LNB?

Lectrician wrote on Apr 25^th, 2010, 8:57am:


I don't think Sky themselves install multiswitches I think you have to go to a specialist installer. I think Sky only do very basic two house shared dish systems using a quad LNB.

Most flats will have some kind of communal power paid for via the maintenance charge  (eg for hallway lighting). You also need power for regular TV aerial distribution.

I've never got involved with aerials generally, with exception to some extensions and minor cable alterations. However I often work on large buildings and blocks of flats, and it's surprising how many systems get installed without proper supplementary bonding provision - and these are often systems put in by large "professional" companies.