Sky freesat card and channels 4&5?

[Libby]

Apologies if this has been covered before but I've done a search and cant find the answer. We bought a pace dsn sky box and a freesat card off ebay so when we are over we can watch all the usual UK channels we had the sat dish installed but we cant get channels 4 & 5 the sky lady told us that the reason we couldnt get those channels is because the card probably needed activating in a sky box back home and gave us instructions on how to do it in a relatives box well we followed her instructions e.g. go to new installation etc then follow instructions but it keeps coming up on the screen with "Installation failed" anyone have any ideas what to do next? If i ring sky what do I tell them as I know its illegal to use sky in Spain?

[Beachcomber]

The free to view card is only for Channel 4, Five and Sky 3. Reception of BBC and ITV channels is free to air and does not rely on the card.

If you leave the card in the box for a period of time in may reactivate itself but if you got it from ebay it may be a dud.

You can buy a new one for £20 but you need to do this from the UK and have it delivered to a UK address.

Don't call Sky from Spain. You can withhold a landline number by dialling 067 of a mobile by using #31# before the number or you could use one of the VOIP services which don't generally support CLI but it isn't really worth the risk

[villades]

when we had ours fitted we were advised to ring sky using english mobile, and they activated it. The card is therefore registered at our english address. If its a 2nd hand card that may not work though and you may have to order a new free to air card from them

[kirmas]

If you go into search tips right at the bottom of the first page of this site and put in channel 5 on the google search you will find instructions for a code to get a perfect signal for channel 5! Even if its throwing it down. As for channel 4, We only ever get it in the summer. so if anyone knows the code please let me know!

[Beachcomber]

It's a Free to View card not Free to Air. Free to air channels do not need a card at all. See here for the difference:

http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/freeview.htm

It's not a code but an alternative frequency which, once programmed, you access through 'Other Channels' You still need the card even if you use this alternative Five frequency.

In Estepona if you have at least a 1,2 meter dish, correctly aligned you should be able to get Channel 4 and Five (on its normal EPG frequency) at any time of the year.

[Libby]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have now rang sky and ordered a new freesatfromsky card as i think the ebay one might well be a dud!
Now for my next question's lol as we are in the UK at the mo' (fly over next week)
1. Can we activate the new freesat card in my sister in laws sky box here in the UK
2.do we give sky (when we phone them to activate it ) the serial no. from our sky box (in Spain) or my SIL's serial no. from her box ?

the lady from sky said we will have to phone customer services to activate the card then leave the card in the box for 20 minutes and I've read that you need to give them the serial no. off your box so i don't know which serial no. to give them? If necessary i will be able to phone them using my English mobile phone from Spain but it would be easier and cheaper to do it from here.
PS
When I ordered the new card i gave them my english mobile no. not my landline.

[Beachcomber]

The Sky viewing cards are only linked to one particular box for premium rate channels, ie films and sport so a free to view or multichannels card activated in one box will work in any other box.

The card may even activate by itself. When you get it put it in the box for a couple of hours. If it does not self activate you will need to ring the number given on the card.

Depending on the length of time between taking it out of the digibox in the UK and putting it in your own digibox in Spain it may miss an update signal. If, when you put it in your own box, it shows a message stating that you have to upgrade to receive that channel just leave it for a while and it will reactivate.

[Libby]

So we are ok to give our own serial no. not my SIL serial no.if it doesnt activate by itself ? Sorry for all the questions Im not familar with all of this

[Beachcomber]

I think you will need to give the serial number of the box in which it is to be activated but this will not prevent it from working in your own box provided that the card reader is working properly.

You can check this even with the card that does not work.

With the card in the slot press Service - 4 - 5 and it should show the card number.

[Libby]

Beachcomber thanks for all your advice much appreciated .

[villades]

[quote="Beachcomber"]It's a Free to View card not Free to Air. Free to air channels do not need a card at all. See here for the difference:

A simple mistake. Some people on here are so b***** pedantic

[Paula]

Funny how different people read things differently, I thought he was being helpful rather than pedantic

Anyway, on this subject, can anyone tell me should I get Channel E4 with my freeview card? I don't.

[Beachcomber]

Some people on here are so b***** pedantic

[Beachcomber]

The free to view card is only for Channel 4, Five and Sky 3.

[laclotte]

Funny how different people read things differently, I thought he was being helpful rather than pedantic

Me too! And furthermore - I have not only noted but also printed out the 'codes' to block number recognition.........extremely helpful and many thanks Beach!

[avellana]

Villades
Beachcomber is one of the best posters on this site. He is well informed and doesn't post for the sake of it.
You will learn to appreciate his broad knowledge I'm sure.

[SpanishBlue]

The free to view card is only for Channel 4, Five and Sky 3.

And also for Five Life and Five US.

[villades]

Avellana
I'm well aware of Beachcombers knowledge and the advice he gives, indeed he has helped me in the past. I too was only trying to help the original poster and made a slight error in my wording. No big deal. OK?