All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.susan lee: Try setting your new Hitachi on channel 68 and see if this corrects the problem, if it doesn't then go into the Sky boxes installers menu, this accessed by pressing "services" then 4-0-1-select or on later models "services" then 0-0-1-select in a smooth continuous fashion, best achieved by "not" looking at the screen whilst doing so, then select No4 RF output, entering 68 and saving changes.
If this still doesn't correct the problem then could you please indicate the model of Hitachi TV involved, although rather than entering Ch68 give it an auto-tune whilst its set on analogue, as this should automatically correct the problem.
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lee bowen: You will not require to do anything other than couple the "F" connector plug into your Freesat box, although if you purchase a twin channel Freesat PVR (recorder) then an additional lead would be required to be run from the dish and of course the LNB changed to a dual or quad version, price difference between being minimal with a quad block being obtainable for under the £10.00 mark from numerous e-bay sources.
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Gill: Pleased to learn that at least your son managed to view the programmes he wanted, but as far as the splitter is concerned when its not powered there really isn't anything that can go wrong with it unless by some fluke it has developed an internal bad joint, but I doubt that it has!
However what you have reported does indicate that the signal received from the transmitter is low to the extent that its falling underneath the reception threshold of your TV's and with the non-powered splitter positively contributing to this happening, as the reason your son managed to get reception again was simply because his action of by-passing the splitter lifted the signal back up again just enough to be "above" the reception threshold of the TV, thereby enabling the set to operate correctly.
You see splitters of this type "always" (no exceptions) reduces the signal passing through them and a reason I always favour powered types being used, unless that is a person resides in a very high signal strength area, although sometimes even then I still favour their use if they have three or more outlet points, although with the splitter being used in conjunction with an attenuator in line with its common input socket, as not only are these type of splitters in effect being no-loss devices but they even give a slight boost to the signal, something I suspect your reception could benefit from, albeit admittedly that the transmitter output could possibly still be down slightly, but by it having that effect indicates that your signal isn't really that good at the best of times and is likely to be constantly running at only slightly above the cut off threshold referred to.
Maybe by now the situation will have corrected itself, but if not if your son couples the aerial "in turn" to each of the feeds to the other rooms then that would enable you to re-tune each of them, but only "if" they were retuned when you lost the signal as otherwise they will still be OK.
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David Jackson: The point is that although an official UK CB has only 4 watts FM output, but when CB'ers usually refer to making communications at great distances its not necessarily always by using a standard CB but possibly an SSB transmitter, which because of it being in effect a form of a super pulsed AM transmitter can cause massive interference across a number of frequency bands, even including in some cases (dependant on its power) it interfering with the audio in surround sound systems, this why I enquired if the interference was in bursts, as in an SSB transmitter the very low level RF carrier signal rises to a peak and falls again in sympathy to the audio being fed in from the microphone, and its this fact that makes it so prone to causing interference, this made even worse if the aerial being used is not matched properly to the TX frequency.
Of course as you will no doubt already realise this isn't a legal system, but if its causing interference of any magnitude to yourself it will be to others local as well.
However I fully appreciate that your neighbour might not be using anything of an illegal nature and might only be using a standard CB and is just taking advantage of atmospheric conditions to achieve long distance communications, although if by any chance a booster is being on a standard FM set, then maybe you could advise him / her that the SWR can (and will) be out unless the meter was connected to the boosters output and not the transmitters, the SWR being has also having the potential to cause of interference as well as power losses, neither being desirable!
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jane: With no information being given with regards to where in Cornwall is being referred to then the most likely explanation is that your friend resides in an area where reception of Freeview is from a PSB only (limited to public services) relay station.
If though your friend has previously been able to receive ITV3 then its likely that if she/he has carried out a re-tune recently the TV has picked up a local relay transmitter rather than from the main station, but this cannot be confirmed either way without the post code applicable to the area being known.
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paulwinman: You cannot use any form of splitter on a satellite cable as the box sends polarity switching instructions (2 voltage levels) back to the LNB, you will have to purchase a quad LNB and run another cable from its output.
By the way quad LNB's being obtainable from numerous e-bay sellers for just about under £10.00 for the kit, and all you "carefully" do is pull the old LNB from the end of the arm and push the new LNB complete with bracket onto it.
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paulwinman: Sorry, Mazbar is quite correct, as for some reason or another I mistakenly thought you were just intending to change the single box over to a Sky+ one forgetting that you were retaining it as well.
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paulwinman: Just to add to that already said, this is a link to a company that supplies LNB's of the type mentioned, the one seen on the second bottom of the page of the link possibly being the type you require "if" its a Sky mini dish that you have, albeit I would rate the one second down as technically superior if an adaptor is available to allow it fit onto a mini-dish arm, that is if thats what you use.
Should this type be of interest you could give them a quick phone call and tell them what style of dish you presently have and they would soon advise, as the advert doesnt give the neck sizes and although its likely to be 40mm its best not taken for granted.
http://www.southernsat.co…=126
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Heather: Your problem is inclined to suggest that two faults exist, one of possibly having caused the other, although to clarify the issue I would remove both input feeds from the box then using only the boxes No1 input connect each of the feeds in turn marking the cable of the one that does not give any indication as that's definitely defective, so take it out again straight away as there could be a short circuit on it which could damage the box if left connected. (if not already having done so!)
The second test is simply by trying the feed you know is OK into the boxes No2 input, as if all is OK with the box then the strength bar should indicate about 75% or so, if it doesn't or nothing is seen at all then give the box another "mains lead out" type of reset and see what happens, but do not at any time connect the faulty feed back into the box, because if as aforementioned a short circuit has developed on that line it "may" have already damaged the No2 input and that's the reason why the previously verified as OK feed doesn't work, as there is no other reason for it not doing.
I know this is a tall order, but "if" your household has access to a small voltmeter set it on low voltage DC and connect it across the No2 aerial socket, if it doesn't read anything more than a couple of volts (or nothing at all) then the box has been damaged.
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Sunday 19 February 2012 9:38PM
Farnborough
colin watts: A signal strength prediction check using a test code of GU14 7SQ (Asda Westmead) indicates that on the 22nd of this month you should be able to receive (only) the PSB muxes from Hannington, then on April 4th the three commercial muxes joining in but only with a variable reception status.
This being the case I don't think that its an over amplification problem you are suffering from but more one of residing in a difficult area for reception.
If you provide a post code then a more accurate assessment can be given, although if you are not located that far away from the premises mentioned it doesn't look very promising, as although Crystal Palace does also come into the equation on April 18th its in a similar fashion to Hannington, that of with the commercial muxes being variable.
Although there are obviously small areas where pockets of good reception can be obtained within what's generally considered as a bad area for reception, but indications for your location suggests that Freesat is by far the best bet.