All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Morris Gyles: Sorry for the slight delay in replying, however on checking the signal level expected at your Mums location I cant say that anything appears to be abnormal with her reception possibilities from Sutton Coldfield, as good is indicated across the board.
What you could do though is ask her if there are any channels in particular she is watching when this occurs, the other thing it would be interesting to know is the aerial set up being used, that is where its located.
The next time you visit her you could maybe carry out a signal strength check on BBC1 / ITV1 / ITV3, this usually done via the TV's tuning menu, although every manufacturer has their own idea on how to access signal checking facilities.
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stan anderson: Anywhere between 40 - 50 or over 60 should be OK for anyone in the Crystal Palace coverage area.
I wouldn't worry too much about cable losses at higher frequencies, that is when dealing anyway with a Sky boxes RF output, as you have to balance that against the output level from the modulators which in many Sky boxes is found to be better at the higher frequency end of the scale.
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John: Are you in effect meaning that you have three Sky boxes sitting possibly close to each other in the same room all tuned to different programme channels and you want to combine their three outputs and feed this to other rooms using "one" cable, but you also want the viewer in that room to be able to change their programme without affecting the other two boxes? should this be what you are meaning then it cannot work, as its not the actual RF channel used as such that carries the channel change code but the cable itself.
The only way you will achieve what you want is to run a feed from one of the boxes to one room and fit a magic eye controller onto the TV in the room so that the person viewing can change the channels on the remotely positioned box, this procedure would have to be done x 3.
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ross walker: Thanks for that update as it helps clarify the situation insomuch by knowing that you can actually receive Freeview on your main TV, but which unfortunately raises another question, being, when you say that the No2 TV can also pick up Freeview from the aerial socket in the wall is that on a "second" socket located where the No2 set is located? or are you meaning if you take the TV through to where the No1 set is and try it out on its socket?
No matter what though, it narrows a few things down that I wasn't sure about concerning your set up, as I very much doubt if you have actually damaged anything, (not impossible though!) but I do have doubts about the extension cable you are using as its the common factor to not being able to receive anything from either the Sky box or a Freeview signal, especially as you have mentioned that there is a joint on it, which I take it was made using a co-ax coupler between two co-ax plugs, or alternatively if none was at hand very carefully joined and bound with tape.
Is it not possible for you to borrow a portable TV from somewhere? this so that you can sit it next to the Sky box for purposes of testing its RF output (done on RF1 unless you switch the power off on 2) using a co-ax jumper between both, as this would give instant feedback as to whether or not the Sky boxes modulator was working OK as I am beginning to have my doubts about it.
You could though use the main TV to do the same test, as you could connect a co-ax jumper between the Sky boxes RF2 (RF2 power selected to off) and the main TV's aerial socket, then after selecting "analogue" let it carry out a scan to pick up the Sky box, this said taking it that your Hi-tech main TV still has an analogue reception capability.
On that subject though, I take it the Sky box isn't an Amstrad DRX595? as these latest issue boxes do not have RF modulators fitted in them.
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ross walker: All I mean is a co-ax cable jumper lead. The reason I mentioned your extension lead joint is because in your original posting (under the other heading) you said you had a 15m cable with one split, then in brackets mentioned "needed 20", which to me suggest a cable joint.
Anyway try giving the portable TV an analogue scan (if Freeview & analogue capable) when coupled into the Sky boxes RF output as this is by far the best test of all, as you are then by-passing everything that can cause a problem.
If you find that you can receive the Sky box OK, then whilst you are at it carry out a Freeview test on the portable, that is "if" its capable of Freeview as well as analogue reception, if it is, leave the connections as they are and connect "another" jumper lead from the wall socket (used for main TV Freeview) into the Sky boxes aerial input, then after changing the portable over to DVB (Freeview) have a check to see if you can get Freeview on it, which of course you should do if its capable of receiving it and was previously was used for that purpose. (i.e: tuned to Craigkelly)
If though the portable isn't capable of Freeview reception, then take the jumper lead connection on the portables aerial socket out and connect into the main TV's aerial socket, as the Freeview signal from the wall socket will be passing through the Sky box and back into the main TV, so just select Freeview channels on the main TV as though it was connected directly into the wall socket, if it doesn't work at all (any channels) then its the Sky box at fault.
Remember, use RF1 for these tests or switch off the power on RF2, as if you don't the Sky boxes eye power is liable to be running into a short circuit.
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ross walker: Well, that most certainly could be classed as good news! anyway now you have narrowed it down to the cabling and before you go out and purchase some more I would like you to carry out a signal level check on your main TV whilst its on Freeview with its aerial plugged into the normal wall plate, do it on BBC1 noting the signal level shown, then do the same on ITV1 and finally ITV3, giving an update on the results.
The reason for me requesting this is, that "if" your Freeview signal isn't that powerful in the first place then the extension cable could be pulling the signal down to just under the TV's reception threshold, hence even although the signal might still there its not at a high enough level to resolve a picture.
By the way with digital reception you cannot always tell a weak signal by looking at the picture, especially if its weak but stable, as its only on analogue TV that a weak signal will always show up as a speckly picture.
If though a weak signal does apply, then the two way powered splitter I originally mentioned would cure that, one output to the TV and the other to the Sky boxes aerial input.
The main thing now is to carry out the signal check, as the results obtained will determine the best policy to take.
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Duncan: Well you cant go wrong with a Humax PVR, although what model are you thinking about? and maybe you could also mention the model of TV you are intending using the PVR with, this so that I can "check the spec" if necessary.
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Steph: If the FreeSat recorder has an HDMI connector the you can just connect it to the TV if it has likewise, and if your TV is Freeview (only) then you require a normal aerial for it to operate, as the TV will not find anything during a scan without it.
You could of course not bother with the Freeview side of it and view TV purely via the Freesat receiver, as your TV would in effect be acting like a monitor.
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Tuesday 10 January 2012 9:48PM
Steve P: No there isn't any! I was really correcting the part of the statement referring to an LNB splitter, which doesn't actually exist as such albeit there is a device called a stacker around £80.00 or so than can feed two "satellite" signals down one cable, and a device that's critical in use to the extent that it really requires CT100 cable to be used for satisfactory operation.
As regards to latter comment, yes Sky+ boxes as well as Freesat recorders use twin inputs from either a dual or a quad block, but no matter what the type each of its oututs are totally independent of each other as though they were separate units bunched together.
i.e: There isn't any splitting involved.