I've just bought this box and until $ky turn off my $ky+ box at the end of the month the Humax is only running on 1 feed.

I've used the loopback facility for the second input. Looking in the manual, it says there will be limited recording facilities and says to refer to the Humax site for details. I cannot find any mention on the site.

Currently it appears to be recording on 2 channels and letting me watch a 3rd, which is more than I expected with this setup.

Can someone please explain exactly what the restrictions are for one feed and loopback or if they know the link on the Humax site, let me know.

Thanks
Dave.

One of the major contributors to this forum has produced an excellent guide which allows you to predict what can be recorded with what for a single or dual feed to the Humax
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...&postcount=146
Any problems please post back and someone will be happy to help you.

Hi Dave

Read this thread starting from this post

http://www.avforums.com/forums/frees...l#post10825604

Basically it works like this

Tuner 1 has control of the lnb which it switches into 4 possible combinations using high and low frequency (22Khz tone ) and horizontal or vertical polarisation (12 or 18V DC).

So at any one time a lnb can only receive around 25% of all the available channels from the satellite(s) it's pointing at. In this case Eurobird 1/Astra 2.

Tuner 2 has no control but can get hold of the same block of channels as tuner 1 has selected.

In practice there are very few freesat epg channels in the high frequency band so there is actually closer to 50% of the channels available when the hdr is using either of the low bands.

Channels are digitally multiplexed onto a single frequency carrier known as a transponder, the humax's digital tuners can demux two channels at the same time from the same transponder.

It should now be obvious that 2nd channel recording on a single cable is restricted to those channels sharing a block with the channel currently being used by tuner 1.

What you can watch as a 3rd channel depends on which transponders the two recordings are being made from

If the two recordings are from the same transponder then you can watch (and timeshift - efectively record) any other channel in the block. Note by switching a recording to a different bbc region or using ITV London on 977 you can sometimes engineer this situation

If the two recordings are from different transponders you can 3rd watch any other channel on the same transponder as either recording.

Now you know why it's not in the manual

Can you please tell me how and where I can obtain the cable + connectors for the loopback facility as I only have one cable running from the LNB

You can make your own very simply or pop into B&Q and get the shortest satellite patch cable you can get

Thanks Graham

Please excuse my ignorance here, but is it just simply a case of obtaining a T, Y or V piece to branch off and then use an ordinary piece of aerial cable and connector to the second pick up point?

No, you don't need any branching connectors.

Put your satellite dish cable into LNB1-in, get an ordinary piece of satellite cable with normal F-Connectors at either end, put one end into LNB1-Out and the other end into LNB2-in.

Rgds.

Les.

That's great - thanks very much

There's a picture bottom of page 16 in the user manual

That's brilliant and thank you again. So a "F" connector isn't required, just a short cable with a normal connector at each end

Edit - sorry, having reread savvy's posting, what I would call a normal connector is in fact called an f connector. I understand now!

An F-Connector is the normal termination for a satellite cable, as opposed to the push-fit Belling-Lee connectors.

Edit : Just seen your Edit !! You seem to have got it now

Rgds.

Les.