Have you thought of checking with Sky to see if it's possible to take your card with you? I don't know if this is possible, just an idea.

As an alternative you could visit some of the bars in Vilamoura which have it. I know of one, which is "Waves" behind the TenisGolfMar apartments, but I expect there are more.

Hope this helps
Fiona.

I think Sky take a dim view of you taking your card abroad. In fact from previous posts I have read they cut you off. Most of the posts I've seen suggest you take your new card and box over their and get someone in UK to activate it. I'm only repeating what I have read, not dont it myself YET!!!

I also understand there are lots of comapnies that will fit a dish for you in the Algarve. Please note if you have an apartment you have to get permission from the condominium, to put a dish up.

DO NOT INFORM SKY YOU ARE TAKING THE CARD ABROAD!!!!!!

They will close the account and have no more to do with you. As soon as they "know" you are viewing it abroad they are breaking broadcasting rights.

Unless it is a freesat card you will not be able to use the card for 1 box in another. They are married to an individual box.

new sky systems on the algarve dont have a card now the box is linked direct. We have a house near Albufeira and had to have a new box fitted even though we had a sky card for the UK , thus it didnt work .Cost us 600 euros to have the full system installed and works perfect. But as Mick says if you are on a condominium make sure u get permission from the complex. Regards Jayjan

I echo what jayjan and Mick have said, there are a few installers who advertise in the Algarve Resident newspapers, so just pick up a copy and call them!

I spend several months each year in the Algarve, Portugal. Here are the proven facts about Sky TV. If you have a digibox in the UK you can bring it and your card to portugal and it will work. You will need a large dish 1.8 metre diameter and a good LNB. Any sky card that works in the UK will work here. I use a Freesat card bought from Sky in UK for £24.99.
Technically it is only supposed to be used in the UK but as I am a UK resident and not Portuguese I can't see the harm. You can bring the box without a card at all and you will get all the BBC channels including radio but not ITV CH4 & 5

hi Frank. We tried our Sky card in someone elses box and it wouldnt work neither would our friends card who lives up the road from our house in Branqueira Albufeira. The new system we had installed does get itv and channel 4 & 5 even though I thought the cost of 600euros for installation was a bit steep. A friend of ours paid 450euros for the dish and digibox only to find out later the digibox was over 2 yrs old. He installed the system himself but he had to pay 50 euros to to have the signal lined up for sky as he hadnt got the appropriate equipment to do this so all in all he paid 500 euros for a system that was part second hand and had to install it himself. Glad yours works anyway and your advice will benefit someone who is thinkin of getting Sky. Regards Jayjan

Purely as a matter of interest, I understand the reason that Sky is "illegal" outside the UK is because they broadcast the BBC, which should only be viewed by the license payers. So if you are here part time, and pay your license fee back in the UK I guess you are not really doing anything wrong. But I would not like to test it out!

Hi Algarveaddick, Just a query why does your website not work it comes up error website not known?. Wondered whether you knew or not. Just inquisitive and nosey lol. Regards Jayjan

I have two digiboxes Pace & Sony and my card works in both boxes. I also lent my card to a friend in portugal to let him see what freesat was like. No problems. (1.8 metre dish)
Check this out.

http://www.portugalvilla.org

Make sure you get the right digibox, some of them have poor tuners and cannot pick up the weaker signals. There is a bulletin board that knows all about these things at http://www.digitalspy.co.uk and click on forum. I think the current best is a pace but i can't remember the model no.

Hi Frank, dont know whether you know but you can advertise your website/property on Private rentals on this site. You need to keep it updated though. Regards Jayjan

For advice, look at http://www.satcure.co.uk

Alan

As Manuel says DO NOT TELL SKY!

I am an expat living in tenerife and work with the technology albeit on the IT side. I posted a comprehensive guide in replky to some people moving out to Malta here....

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=23131

With regard to the BBC preventing sky being picked up abroad. Thats the opersite of the actual reason...

BBC wanted to go completely free to air (no sky or other card required). EU rules state anyone can pick up signals if they are in the public domain (free to recieve). So all the European channels complained and the in responce Sky (who own Astra 2) narrowed a footprint to just cover the Uk and moved the BBC (and other free channels) there. So now we all need a very big dish to get it. BUT we are not breaking any laws in recieving it and we dont have to pay a licence fee as were not governed by the UK.

Sky channels on the otherhand charge a subscription (are not free) and the illegal bit comes in when you buy a 'dodgy card' or lie about your address.

Over 200,000 expats "lie" about their address which nets sky about 5 million pounds a year. Hence they only cut you off if you make it obvious like telling them your moving abroad!

Sky are more interested in closing the 'Dodgy card' (conterfit cards) dealers down as Sky receive nothing from these subscribers.

My husband suffers from sky withdrawal when we visit our apartment in Vilamoura. Can anyone point me in the right direction to obtain sky over there and some idea of cost.

You might want to have a look here http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/ for more info.

I always thought the major problem was the "rights" fees. Sky pay for the rights to show the programs in the UK. Other vendors pay for the foreign rights. If the Sky base was to be enlarged to cover europe the fees would increase dramatically etc etc.

By knowingly allowing anyone abroad to view material which is not covered under the copyright fees or whatever, Sky are actually breaking the law and leaving themselves open to prosecution by the film companies etc and we know that the RIAA and US Studios take this route for major damages whenever they can.

So as soon as SKY get an inkling they have to terminate. (The viewer maybe an RIAA agent)

Yes thats correct. Thats why Sky have the card system to enable you to view. They then know your living in the UK. The sky contract states that you can not take the card outside the UK.

The satellite footprints cover ALL of Europe (even down here in Tenerife) and the BBC wanted to get rid of the need for a card to unscramble their signal. Under EU law it is ok for individuals to receive free signals. The rights issue on BBC signals in Europe now has nothing to do with Sky, as they are not broadcasting using their scrambling system and viewers do not need to have a sky card to pick it up, just a digital reciever and dish.

There is soon (how soon is anyones guess) to be a new EU law allowing Ex patriates to subscribe to their homeland subscription TV services as long as the signal is available to them in their location within the EU. This will indirectly affect changes to "rights" laws within the EU.

The sky contract states that you can not take the card outside the UK.

I don't want to appear pedantic but this is not true. Paragraph 5(d) of BSkyB's terms and conditions states,

'The Viewing Card must not be used outside the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland.'

This indicates that it is not against the terms and conditions to take the card abroad only to use it once you are there.