All posts by Keith
Below are all of Keith's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.K
Freesat reception - all about dishes | Free satellite - generalFriday 28 January 2011 3:16PM
Burnham-on-crouch
Hello Les, thanks for your comments. I can find the required satellite using a Konig signal strength meter such as you have described. Auto tuning my Humax FOXSAT-HDR fails as I'm repeatedly told that my postcode is invalid. When I try manual tuning, the TV screen shows that I am on the Freesat satellite at 28.2 and by making tiny adjustments to the azimuth I can easily get a signal Strength of 85% and a Quality reading of 70% (one spot gave 100% for both). This suggests that at least I have got the correct elevation but I can only get the 14 (useless)TV channels mentioned in my previous post. Humax have told me that I should use "Astra2D(28.2°E) but for the system to work fully on the Freesat Network it requires a connection to Eurobird1(28.5°E) for ITVHD, EPG, Software Updates etc, this also controls the postcode checking system" and have suggested getting my dish checked for alignment. Does that make sense to you?? I'm a keen DIYer and I'm wondering whether I should invest in a new Zone 2 dish rather than pay an installer to re-align/peak the second-hand Sky dish for me. What do you think please?
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K
Freesat reception - all about dishes | Free satellite - generalFriday 28 January 2011 3:37PM
Burnham-on-crouch
Sorry Les, I should have said that the transponder recommended by Humax and on which I found the 14(useless)TV channels is 11428 H 27500 A. Am I correct in thinking that as the Strength and Quality readings are so high, there should not be any problem with the existing skew on my dish? Keith
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K
Freesat reception - all about dishes | Free satellite - generalSaturday 29 January 2011 1:14PM
Burnham-on-crouch
Thank you very much for all that advice, Les. I have checked all my wiring and connections as well as my elevation and azimuth several times but can do so again ... and the dish seems quite stable. If I go for a new dish, I don't really want to buy a new LNB if I can avoid it. I have a Thomson quad-LNB that is gripped by an angled plastic collar which looks like it is 40cm - it would have been a standard Sky-supplied product. That in turn slots into the dish arm, bayonet-like. Would I be able to fit that LNB easily to a new Triax 54 cm dish? Also,is there any way I can determine whether it is actually a dish or a receiver problem before I (inevitably) spend money on the wrong one? Early in my correspondence with Humax, they raised the question of whether the receiver might be faulty but it is receiving the 14 TV channels mentioned above. Keith.
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K
Freesat reception - all about dishes | Free satellite - generalSaturday 29 January 2011 6:02PM
Burnham-on-crouch
Hi Les, I'm most grateful for your advice. I shall take the receiver round to a friends house as suggested, tomorrow. Yes, both the dish inputs to the receiver are correct; I've avoided the central LNB1 OUT connection. As regards the menu diagnostics, although I have two inputs from the dish, the HUMAX diagnostics page only shows a single set of signal strength and quality readings. I assumed that these readings applied to both channels and I can't see a way of bringing up a second set. If you are familiar with the HUMAX FOXSAT-HDR could you please tell me how I can view the second set. Keith.
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K
Freesat reception - all about dishes | Free satellite - generalSunday 30 January 2011 6:26PM
Burnham-on-crouch
Les's comments yesterday lunchtime got me thinking about the fact that my HUMAX seemed to recognizing only one of two channels. I went through the "manual tune" procedure again and saw a blued-out message reading "Tuner 1 (Fixed)" but there was no sign of the other tuner. I then did a factory reset and was able to tune both channels (the HUMAX screen calls it "two cable") successfully; I then downloaded a software update and was able to get the HUMAX to accept my postcode.
The problem was exactly as jb28 described it. When I first bought the receiver I decided to try to acquire the satellite by using just a single (newly-laid)cable in order not to disrupt the existing cable that was carrying terrestrial TV. I had no idea that the HUMAX would store away this early attempt and fail to recognise that I was now using two cables(no plug-and-play for HUMAX!). I believe that there should be a reference to this pecularity in the HUMAX documentation and/or on their website. The "invalid postcode" message should also be clarified. Although some people may not know their postcode, a more likely cause of the problem is that their dish is not also acquiring Eurobird1(at 28.5°E) which is essential for ITVHD, EPG, Software Updates etc, and also controls the postcode checking system.
I'm now receiving a load of good quality channels and the HUMAX seems a very nice piece of kit, with the major exception of the user instructions. I shall pass on some feedback to them. I would like to thank Les and jb28 for their help and patience. Great site! Best wishes, Keith.
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In January, Les Nichol and jb38 kindly helped me to get my Humax Foxsat-HDR into service. It has worked very well until yesterday. It now shows a green screen on every channel.
When I switch on the Humax, I select the appropriate TV channel and the Boot message appears, as normal, on the Humax display. The Humax screen appears on the TV, as normal, and the last-viewed channel appears on the screen, with sound, for about 8-10 seconds. Then the screen goes bright green and the sound continues (for about 10 seconds). I can change channels with the remote, they appear in the HDR display, I can hear the audio (for 10 seconds) but the screen remains green. If I select menu or guide or media, they appear in the Humax display but the screen remains green. I have re-booted endless times with the same result. The TV (a Sony Bravia) is working perfectly and I can play DVDs with no problem. I have checked and re-checked all the internal connections and they are fine. My satellite dish has not been disturbed in any way and all the external connections are fine. My system shows that I am using Ver. U7.52.
Humax have suggested using the V-Format Button on the remote to switch between the different resolutions on the Humax box or, if this didn't work, fully booting the Humax before switching on the TV. Neither solution has worked.
Can you please offer some advice. Also, do you know what causes the green screen?
Regards, Keith
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Many thanks to Briantist, Les and Jim F for offering, as always, solid expert advice. I checked all the sockets on the TV and Humax (they look fine - no obvious damage or distortion) and tried a different HDMI cable, rebooted the Humax but again got the green screen within 10 seconds. I also again tried the "forcing" suggestion using the Humax V-Format button but could not persuade the Humax and TV to talk to each other. I then tried using a SCART lead as suggested by Jim F and it works! All of which suggests that it is an HDMI problem. Could you guys please explain what, if anything, I am losing by using a SCART connection instead of HDMI and would Briantist kindly explain what he means by a "failure of the copy protection system". Is that now thought likely and, if so, would I have to send the unit back to Humax? Sincere thanks, again. Keith
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Thursday 27 January 2011 5:36PM
Burnham-on-crouch
Hi Brian, I'm having great trouble aligning my ex-Sky dish. It has elevation marks on the back in 10 degree gradations and is fixed to a true vertical surface. From where I live, I need an elevation of 25.6 degrees to see the satellite. Is it as simple as selecting that figure on the elevation scale or do I have to worry about subtracting any built-in off-set angle? If so, do you know what it is for Sky dishes? Secondly, my Humax receiver cannot recognise any postcodes. I have conducted a manual tune selecting the transponder recommended by the manufacturer. This yielded only 14 TV and 3 radio channels. The TV channels are 5001 to 5014, virtually all devoted to freesat (but blank) except 5014 which was showing Men and Movies. Can you tell from this if I am looking at the wrong transponder or satellite? Am I even close? Best wishes.