Paying for Sky Mexico in SF Bay Area

[pro96]

Yea but I have checked SKY receivers model PACE/ZENITH/RCA and the difference in Calidad compared to the FTA's in very minimal when I checked.

Kinda strange that your OEM SKY receiver has that little signal compared to the Skyview. You don't think that you have a bad receiver?

 

[markofca]

Yeah. I thought the same thing, so I've tried 3 different receivers (2 different models), and they all do the same thing. I think it just calculates Q incorrectly on the Sky.

What kind of Q are you getting down there in SoCal?

 

[pro96]

Yeah. I thought the same thing, so I've tried 3 different receivers (2 different models), and they all do the same thing. I think it just calculates Q incorrectly on the Sky.

What kind of Q are you getting down there in SoCal?

average 75-85% on a clear day using a 2.5ft dish (76cm fortec)

 

[markofca]

Is that on the Sky receiver or on an FTA receiver? Which model receiver?

 

[pro96]

Is that on the Sky receiver or on an FTA receiver? Which model receiver?

SKY receiver model Zenith, on FTA its about 80-90%, slightly higher

 

[markofca]

I've tried two of the Sky+ and Thomson shown here:
Equipos y Conexiones

I was thinking the same thing a while back...that the receivers are crap. I had two of the Sky+ ones, so I called a friend in Mexico and swapped one of mine for his for a test. His is the Thomson shown, but all of them (mine and his) are made in South Africa, which makes me think they're basically the same box. They all show less than half the Q of the FTA's.

The one that I saw in Mexico City that was working was also showing 40% Q and it was the same model. If you can't beat 40% Q from Mexico City, something's gotta be wrong.

Maybe the electronics in them are lousy. Do you know where I can buy one of the Zenith's to try? Sky Mexico has not been helpful when we tried to swap receivers.

 

[pro96]

Do you know where I can buy one of the Zenith's to try? Sky Mexico has not been helpful when we tried to swap receivers.

You are right, when it comes to swapping or adding they are very difficult.
Zenith does show good PQ above 40% that I remember.

I might have someone in the family whom recently upgraded their receiver and I do believe they had the Zenith model. I will see how much they want to let it go for. Cant say yes for sure, but I will ask them today. I don't think they have the access card for it since it was an upgrade and they pretty much used the same card towards the new replacement. Then again I am not 100% sure but just in case if you end up buying it, might not have the access card.

I will let ya know today hopefully if I find them home ..

 

[markofca]

Thanks for checking. If they are willing to sell it, would you be willing to pop it in next to your FTA and make sure the Q is close to the Q on your FTA?

That's the key thing. If they are pretty much the same, then I can be pretty sure it would work here I think. If they aren't, then it'll probably have the same problem.

Thanks again.

 

[pro96]

Thanks for checking. If they are willing to sell it, would you be willing to pop it in next to your FTA and make sure the Q is close to the Q on your FTA?

That's the key thing. If they are pretty much the same, then I can be pretty sure it would work here I think. If they aren't, then it'll probably have the same problem.

Thanks again.

Well just got off the phone with them and they do have the Zenith off service.
I asked to borrow it to test the signal, I didn't ask to see if they want to sell it.

So I will pickup today later on after work on my way home. As soon as I have it at home, I will test for ya and snap some pictures and post them here showing the signal quality.

 

[pro96]

OK here is the deal.. the Zenith is DOA when I went to pick it up. Keep on rebooting over and over and makes sense why they did replaced it. I cant even get the menu to check the CALIDAD.

Now, one of my cousins room mate used to have a SKY PREPAGO active for a while, but now he doesn't and since its pre-paid monthly, its not in service now. Its made by Phillips and looks almost new. The remote is actually 1000's better then the Zenith one.

Here is the captures from the Phillips Sky receiver with its signal quality.

Picture one is set as PAS-9 13K
Picture two is set as PAS-9 24K
Picture 3 is the status of SKY PREPAGO

As you can see there is plenty of CALIDAD and looks almost identical with 13k and 24k.

So I do say your receiver is bad only showing 40% max

 

[markofca]

Thanks for going to all that trouble. I really appreciate it! I actually had to fly down to LA and back today for a meeting...long day. Just got back. Should have brought my receiver with me and plugged it in next to this one you tried.

It does seem like it's the receiver then. I probably can't get as good a signal up here as you're getting down there, but at least your receivers are showing the same Q. Your BER is way better than what mine is showing, but the Q you're getting is just a little better than what I'm getting on the FTAs.

Do you know where they got this one? Do you know anyplace you can buy the Sky receivers in LA. I know a guy in LA who could go and pick it up for me.

Thanks again.

 

[pro96]

Most guys who sell in L.A only sell as complete set and new sub. Why dont you pm your email and I can ask the owner of the Phillips receiver where/how he got his

 

[mr.crane]

Question for ya, what skew do you have the LNB at?

Pro think you are right about receivers. I have a friend in Modesto that has the old Pace receiver, has had it for yrs. Like your new
avatar

 

[pro96]

Pro think you are right about receivers. I have a friend in Modesto that has the old Pace receiver, has had it for yrs. Like your new
avatar

My parents also had the Pace model when SKY started the service back in the 90's.
Infact they were setup 2 months after they launched and purchased their system in Tijuana cash and carry including the DISH and LNB.

All they did was give a PO BOX from TJ and they were good to go. In those early days you were able to buy the system from Comercial Mexicana "cash and carry" Nice huh? LOL
They had been subbed ever since.

Now they want the upcoming SKY+HD hehe

 

[mr.crane]

My parents also had the Pace model when SKY started the service back in the 90's.
Infact they were setup 2 months after they launched and purchased their system in Tijuana cash and carry including the DISH and LNB.

All they did was give a PO BOX from TJ and they were good to go. In those early days you were able to buy the system from Comercial Mexicana "cash and carry" Nice huh? LOL
They had been subbed ever since.

Now they want the upcoming SKY+HD hehe

Is Sky Ventas a legitmite company in LA?

 

[mexkhmer]

markofca, can you provide pictures of your set up because i am really interested in installing and becoming a subscriber to Sky mexico here in denver

 

[markofca]

Finally...got it working.

Well, it finally works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who pass this way with the same problem, here's what it took:

Call these guys: Sky Milenio La Tele de México

They sell Sky equipment legitimately in the US. The guys there are great and now the technology incredibly well. Very helpful.

They set me up with two new receivers both of which show Q around 40. They explained to me two things that were the likely cause of my trouble:

#1) The Sky+ receivers are crap (which I'd kind of concluded on my own). Apparently Sky is actually suing the manufacture and has discontinued them.

#2) Sky Mexico has taken some very strong precautions to prevent people from 'splitting up' their receivers (giving one to the neighbor and paying less on one account). If the initial install is with two receivers, then you have to have both receivers connected to a switch that they provide which allows the two receivers to also communicate with each other. I never saw such a switch when we brought the receivers up to the US (it may have been installed but we didn't take it with us).

When the first Sky receiver came from Sky Milenio, we plugged it in and it worked instantly. Nothing else needed to be changed. We then bought a second one and they activated. Immediately after they activated it, the first receiver started glitching every 7 seconds (apparently trying to find the other receiver).

Once we received and plugged in the second receiver through the provided switch, both worked perfectly.

While I'm not sure we needed the 6' Fortec Dish and high end Invacom LNB, both definitely have helped and we're going to stick with them. After 8 months fighting with this, I'm going to leave it exactly the way it is.

Thanks for everyone's help!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pro96]

married receivers, that's all it is by the looks. Glad it worked for ya

 

[pro96]

Call these guys: Sky Milenio La Tele de México

They sell Sky equipment legitimately in the US. The guys there are great and now the technology incredibly well. Very helpful.

!

They don't have the SKY+HD yet? Some local authorized sellers in L.A already have them, but too pricey for my taste for just a hand full of HD channels.. not really worth it for now.

Probably when they have all the HD channels they want to add, the hardware pricing will be much less and prob even a 2nd/3rd generation HD DVR.

 

[mr.crane]

Well, it finally works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who pass this way with the same problem, here's what it took:

Call these guys: Sky Milenio La Tele de México

They sell Sky equipment legitimately in the US. The guys there are great and now the technology incredibly well. Very helpful.

They set me up with two new receivers both of which show Q around 40. They explained to me two things that were the likely cause of my trouble:

#1) The Sky+ receivers are crap (which I'd kind of concluded on my own). Apparently Sky is actually suing the manufacture and has discontinued them.

#2) Sky Mexico has taken some very strong precautions to prevent people from 'splitting up' their receivers (giving one to the neighbor and paying less on one account). If the initial install is with two receivers, then you have to have both receivers connected to a switch that they provide which allows the two receivers to also communicate with each other. I never saw such a switch when we brought the receivers up to the US (it may have been installed but we didn't take it with us).

When the first Sky receiver came from Sky Milenio, we plugged it in and it worked instantly. Nothing else needed to be changed. We then bought a second one and they activated. Immediately after they activated it, the first receiver started glitching every 7 seconds (apparently trying to find the other receiver).

Once we received and plugged in the second receiver through the provided switch, both worked perfectly.

While I'm not sure we needed the 6' Fortec Dish and high end Invacom LNB, both definitely have helped and we're going to stick with them. After 8 months fighting with this, I'm going to leave it exactly the way it is.

Thanks for everyone's help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad to see you finally got it going. So which receivers they send you, how much per receiver, and what is monthly charge. thinking about getting sky for my wife.