Sky +HD box problems on site

[Dustydog]

Used a portable dish for two decades, no problem. Our last two weeks away at different sites in Somerset resulted in zero Sky TV.
I use a “Sproket “approved digital Sat Finder meter. It is very similar to Sky’s own and plugs direct into the LNB. So at both sites I lock on to what most know as Astra 2s. Signal strength 92%, signal quality 83%. Azimuth, Skew angle perfect. Tv on Services Signal says no satellite connection. Gave up even after buying a new box!
At home both boxes work perfectly off the house dish. Setting up the portable dish complete with new LNB , nothing. I have tested the earth and live continuity of the cable too. Ok. In fact at the F plugs before entry to the box the signal readings are perfect. Connect to the box nothing.
Spoke to Sky, pretty helpful for once, they are baffled!

All ideas no matter how weird wild etc will be welcome. This has beaten me!

 

[Buckman]

Strange you should mention this issue in Smerset. We were at Brean on site and our Satfi dome would not get Sky despite line of sight. Worked perfectly in Spain. We moved to another pitch and then got more but not all Sky channels.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Specific local conditions can radically affect the reception of high frequency transmissions, which is why sometimes moving an aerial by a few inches can sometimes make the difference between no usable signal and full signal.

I apparently live in a good service area for mobile phones yet at my address inside only one network will work, and that is my only by the widows or front door. Step outside and good signal is available on all networks.

 

[Buckman]

You would be correct if it was analogue signal. However I think Sky use a digital signal and not HF for broadcast. Even 50 years ago I do not know of any broadcaster that used HF signal for TV broadcast? Generally VHF or UHF.

 

[Woodentop]

If you have a good signal and good quality but two Sky boxes both show no signal you must be on the wrong satellite. Either that or you are using the wrong input connector on the Sky box, i.e. you are plugged into input 2 but the box is set to work on one feed only. [In case you don't know how to access the engineering menu.... get the services menu on the screen then enter 000 Select on your remote. This will show you how the engineer has set the boxes to work. Do not be tempted to change anything unless you know what you are doing.]

It is very easy to get yourself on Astra1 (19.2E) which is a stonking signal across most of Europe. Having said that the box will usually show a signal but no quality and most importantly that it is not locked so heaven knows what is wrong if you are on the right signal!

You mention the supply on the coax: it should normally be around 13-15V if you are on one polarity and 16-18V on the other polarity whichever it is depending on the station selected.

 

[Woodentop]

You would be correct if it was analogue signal. However I think Sky use a digital signal and not HF for broadcast. Even 50 years ago I do not know of any broadcaster that used HF signal for TV broadcast? Generally VHF or UHF.

I think the Prof was using high frequency in the generic sense. Early TV transmissions were in the low VHF band (i.e. above 30MHz), later 405 line TV was 49-66MHz and 174-215MHz, then UHF became a unified band from 470-868MHz. Eastern European TV also used 76-83MHz. Satellite downlink is in the 10-12GHz band which is down-converted in the LNB to 950-2000MHz or thereabouts.

 

[ProfJohnL]

You would be correct if it was analogue signal. However I think Sky use a digital signal and not HF for broadcast. Even 50 years ago I do not know of any broadcaster that used HF signal for TV broadcast? Generally VHF or UHF.

Just for accuracy I stated "high frequency " I deliberately did not use the acronym HF, which has a more specific meaning to broadcasters. Neither did I use the Acronyms VHF or UHF which also have specific technical definitions, but they are all "high frequency" transmissions.

Digital terrestrial television is still broadcast in the UHF Mhz bands, but the information is packaged differently. Analog signals can suffer from multipath reflections which can could create ghost images. Digital signals carry data in packets, and the packet can only be displayed when it has all be received and errors checks have been completed, which is why in poor reception area's digital tv will some times just freeze or pixilate until the next complete data package has been received and decoded.

Sky is broadcast in the 9 to 13Ghz range which id definitely a high frequency

The problem is as the transmission frequency increases the wave length reduces, and the shorter the wave length the more easily it is obstructed by objects and atmospheric disturbances like clouds.

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks Chaps,
All good stuff. I am 99.99 certain everything is correct, BUT😥😥
Wooden top, I know the back door entrance used by Sky engineers. In sheer desperation I even reset the box to its original settings losing all our recorded stuff. Nothing nor with the new box . I do need to double check the satellite identity being read by my meter. Visually it is pretty well aligned with the house dish but worth a punt. BTW both my feeds are on. This one is really baffling me🤬🤬🤬

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

Ive had simlilar problems in the past it turned out to be one of the pins on the scart lead plug, i now always carry a spare.

 

[Gagakev]

If it works at home leave it there and take a game of Monopoly/scrabble or a pack of cards

 

[Dustydog]

Ive had simlilar problems in the past it turned out to be one of the pins on the scart lead plug, i now always carry a spare.

Thanks for the input. With Sky +HD there is no scart lead. They are F plugs.

 

[Dustydog]

If it works at home leave it there and take a game of Monopoly/scrabble or a pack of cards

Kev, At our ages surely there is something more enlightening? I have a vivid memory still🤪🤪

 

[Raywood]

If you want a Sky signal it is possibly worth asking the site for a suitable pitch as they tend to know where the signal is best.

 

[Woodentop]

Thanks for the input. With Sky +HD there is no scart lead. They are F plugs.

Er, oops?

The Sky+HD box has 2 x F-type sockets for sat input, one F-type for UHF output, one HDMI, one SCART, one Ethernet, and one USB.

F-types are RF (radio frequency) inputs and outputs, SCART has RGB, CVBS, and audio analogue outputs to feed the TV.

 

[otherclive]

Er, oops?

The Sky+HD box has 2 x F-type sockets for sat input, one F-type for UHF output, one HDMI, one SCART, one Ethernet, and one USB.

F-types are RF (radio frequency) inputs and outputs, SCART has RGB, CVBS, and audio analogue outputs to feed the TV.

What’s CVBS?

 

[Dustydog]

Er, oops?

The Sky+HD box has 2 x F-type sockets for sat input, one F-type for UHF output, one HDMI, one SCART, one Ethernet, and one USB.

F-types are RF (radio frequency) inputs and outputs, SCART has RGB, CVBS, and audio analogue outputs to feed the TV.

I should have said the scart lead is redundant unless I link it to the second tv in the caravan. Otherwise the HDMI does it all. I tested both the old and new LNB s this morning. All good. Currently using the caravan twin co ax lead indoors via the house dish. All ok.
Sadly poor weather stopped play. Tomorrow will do more tests. I am wondering if my meter is faulty but the general visual alignment of the dish looks fine compared to the house one.
Strange I have failed to achieve a result in three different geographic areas, one of which I know without doubt works.
I hate these mysteries. Spoke to Sky help desk yesterday. They too are baffled!

 

[Buckman]

I should have said the scart lead is redundant unless I link it to the second tv in the caravan. Otherwise the HDMI does it all. I tested both the old and new LNB s this morning. All good. Currently using the caravan twin co ax lead indoors via the house dish. All ok.
Sadly poor weather stopped play. Tomorrow will do more tests. I am wondering if my meter is faulty but the general visual alignment of the dish looks fine compared to the house one.
Strange I have failed to achieve a result in three different geographic areas, one of which I know without doubt works.
I hate these mysteries. Spoke to Sky help desk yesterday. They too are baffled!

If you were near Worcester I would pop over and give you a hand as been done that route on a few occasions, but managed to resolve the issue.

 

[Dustydog]

Just to finish this thread off.
Connected the portable cable to the portable dish , having aligned it with my meter. And, all is perfect!! Any logical explanation is way beyond me. A shame because I have meticulously followed a step by step problem analysis of all components . In fact the only thing left was the dish itself! Impossible!
Any way it works until the next post Covid trip👍🤪

 

[Beachball]

That great news Dusty look forward when you are out on your next trip mine will be April unless this Covid still on

 

[Dustydog]

We had planned on North Yorkshire mid November to see son dil, and grand daughters. That’s down the pan now. Not happy 😥

 

[Buckman]

We had planned on North Yorkshire mid November to see son dil, and grand daughters. That’s down the pan now. Not happy 😥

You got the half witted morons to thank for that!

 

[Hutch]

We had planned on North Yorkshire mid November to see son dil, and grand daughters. That’s down the pan now. Not happy 😥

And your Aldi, running out of beer, OMG, what will you do. 😅