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All posts by jb38

Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.

J
Untitled
Saturday 9 August 2014 11:18AM

Michael: The simple answer is no!, because any changes to the standard of using the last four digits on the card "cannot" be made without first of all logging onto Sky who keeps a record of "all" pin number changes made by their subscribers, viewers such as yourself who are not subscribers, being unable to make changes of any type.

On the subject of what Sky would ask for, if you were a Sky subscriber then you would not be asked for anything except to choose from a range of options, because as soon as you logged onto Sky with your user ID, details of who you are (or should be) including address, phone number of, package being subscribed to, as well as info on the serial number of the box being used would be known by Sky.

Needless to say, that if they suspected that you were not that person, then the viewing card being used in the box would no doubt come to the end of its life, that is as far as accessing facilities reserved for Sky customers is concerned.

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Jon: Thanks for the update on the test, I will say though that Ch58 giving indication of 54% strength on the Humax cannot be classed as a particularly sparkling signal level, suggesting that you might possibly be located in a less than ideal area for reception, as even although Mux Ch33 is radiating at around 28Kw "under" that of Mux Ch58 I would still have expected to see a trace of it being indicated using the test as described. However, taking the above mentioned into account, I have to reiterate on that said with regards to the aerial, insomuch that I very much doubt if changing it to a wideband version will result in a signal level (if any) of a sufficient magnitude to resolve a picture, but of course that is entirely your decision. I would though like if you could carry out one final test, that being to blank out everything stored in the tuner, ensuring all has been deleted by "not" seeing anything in the guide list, once verified go into the tuning menu and select DVB-T2 followed by entering Mux Ch33 and check for any evidence of a signal. My reason for requesting this test is that some devices have a problem picking up DVB-T2 transmissions from two separate Mux transmitter channels, and I just want to verify that yours is not one of them. By the way, should you not have any form of booster on your aerial system? then I am quite sure that your somewhat lack lustre signal level would be significantly improved by the addition of this excellent low cost variable gain SLX brand device sold by Argos, it having proved a boon to many who suffered from low signal level problems. Plug-In 1-Way TV Aerial Signal Booster. | eBay

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J
Full technical details of Freeview
Sunday 10 August 2014 12:10PM

L Whitehouse: As your Freeview reception would appear to be from Brierley Hill located at approximately two miles away, go into your TV's tuning menu / "manual tune" then enter and scan Mux Ch57, this being Brierley's D3&4 ITV1 etc transmitter.

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J
True Entertainment +1
Sunday 10 August 2014 9:09PM

Father Bill: LCN50 Movies4Men+1 is only broadcast by Winter Hill's GIM Mux transmitter covering an area in the North West of England.

4/7HD on LCN111 is transmitted by COM7 / Mux 31 from the Rowridge transmitter, but which is not indicated as being possible to receive in your particular location.

Quest+1 on LCN38 "is" indicated as being possible to receive from the COM5 transmitters of either Hastings on Mux Ch26 or Heathfield's Mux Ch44.

However, as far as Quest+1 being on LCN 57 rather than 38, you should carry out a factory reset on your TV prior to retuning, factory reset also being known as "first time installation" or "default setting".

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denise rodgers : If you have been viewing Sky programme channels via a normal Sky box connected into your own dish? then cancelling Sky "only" results in you being unable to view subscription based programmes and not anything other than those, if though you are unable to view anything then its purely coincidental.

Carry out a signal test on your box by pressing "Services - 4 - 6" (on standard box) and check that both strength and quality are indicated above 50%, if zero levels are seen then there is a problem with the dish.

Further advice dependant on feedback.

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J
Full technical details of Freeview
Monday 11 August 2014 9:12AM

L Whitehouse: Although a rooftop check of the aerials in your area reveals 99% of them to be vertically mounted (elements facing up and down) and pointing towards Brierley Hill, one exception exists by it being horizontally mounted and facing towards The Wrekin transmitter @ 22 miles away.

If by any chance this happens to be yours? then carry out a manual scan on Mux Ch23 which is The Wrekins ITV transmitter.

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Mike : Thanks for the update on the situation with regards to the aerial installers findings, this unfortunately somewhat backing up that indicated on DUK's reception predictor of Ch33 not being receivable at your location.

However, on the subject of one of your aerials being used for the reception from the vertically polarised Poole transmitter, and with the other for Mendip which is horizontally polarised, are both aerials of the same grouping? or is the one facing Mendip wideband? the other point I wondered about being, has the diplexer now been removed from the system?

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J
Full technical details of Freeview
Tuesday 12 August 2014 12:45AM

L Whitehouse: Although a potential 4G problem was going to be the next point I was going to bring up, you having pre-empted me on this subject, but the reason I didnt was because 4G generally has a more severe effect on channels from 60 downwards, which applies in the case of Brierley's channel span (excl L-BRM) is 50 -60, whereas The Wrekin is 23 - 47. Anyway, thats neither here nor there now that you have mentioned the 4G filter, but with regards to your query about a booster, the undermentioned link is to an excellent relatively low cost SLX brand variable gain booster sold by Argos, the gain being adjusted to suite the occasion, the point to remember being to fit the 4G filter prior to the aerial input to the booster, because if you fitted it after same then you would be amplifying the very signal you want to eliminate. Plug-In 1-Way TV Aerial Signal Booster. | eBay

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J
Full technical details of Freeview
Tuesday 12 August 2014 8:05AM

L Whitehouse : In addition to that said, your comment on the possible use of a booster would only be applicable if your Freeview reception was, as you suspect, coming from the Wrekin transmitter and "not" Brierley Hill as the signal from the latter should not require any form of boosting, possibly even attenuating! as an overly powerful signal can cause picture break up in exactly the same way as a weak one.

Have a look at your aerial, if the elements are seen to be vertically mounted then the aerial "has" to be facing towards Brierley Hill.

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J
Upgrading from Sky to Freesat | Freesat
Tuesday 12 August 2014 11:16PM

Eric: If you are referring to two "standard" (not plus) Sky boxes then yes if the dish is fitted with either a twin (or quad) LNB, if though Sky+ types are being referred to then the dish would "have" to be fitted with a quad LNB, the point to remember when dealing with satellite reception being, that you cannot split feeds from a dish as the box communicates with the LNB.

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