All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Wendy: What model of Humax do you have? and are you sure that this message is not originating from your TV and not your box? as although Humax boxes have an automatic "software" updating facility this doesn't extend to it updating channels by retuning itself is concerned.
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Dave Shillam: Handy as the camera test might be for detecting an IR emission, the only loophole about that type of test being that it only proves that the remote controls IR sender is working but not that the signal contains any data.
Its extremely difficult to suss out the reason for the problem you are experiencing except by substitution of the control, because as you will no doubt appreciate changing light conditions (brighter) in the area the device is being used in can cause this type of problem including (in some instances) any nearby fluorescent lighting.
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Eileen: Whilst on the HD signal signal check screen have a look at the mux channel number being indicated associated with the strength / quality, as if its from Pontop Pike it should be Ch49 whereas if Ch23 its from Bilsdale, Ch25 being from your very local Morpeth relay albeit that the DUK predictor does not indicate that you should be able to receive it.
A contradiction is seen though, as on this site Morpeth is indicated as providing the strongest signal which is at odds with DUK's indications.
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Mike: No, you have to completely remove the main aerials coax connector from the splitter and do likewise with one of the splitters output feeds to a room and connect them together, don't rely on any indicator lights seen on the splitter as all that does is let you know that the mains is switched on and not that its internal power supply is still OK which could have failed.
This splitter has to be eliminated as a possible reason for your problem before looking elsewhere, and "if" you are referring to the type with a black top and gold print these are very old units.
By the way you will require a coupler (female both ends) to try the direct linking of the two coax plugs.
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Mike: I can only assume that there is possibly a physical problem with the gaining of access to the loft? but when reception has failed on all of your TV's located in various positions then you have to start with the common factor that links them all, namely the powered splitter, because even although it could be a faulty connection on your aerial (which you say is indoors) and that could well be responsible, but the powered splitter is the prime suspect as its not by any means that unusual for the internal power supply to fail on these devices as they generally run on the warm side.
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John: You are indicated as being able to receive signals from Dover as well as Heathfield and also Bluebell Hill (even possibly Crystal Palace albeit poor) but Dover is indicated as having the edge over the others.
Because the spacing of the channels used by the receivable stations isn't that great the aerial in / out trick during auto tuning would in my opinion not be that successful, and so the best policy is to manually tune in each of the muxes required, that is should your TV allow it? as some don't.
On the assumption that it does, carry out an auto tune whilst the aerial connection is removed as that will blank out the memory (or give TV factory reset) then once complete select the tuning menu "manual tune" and start by entering Dover's muxes one at a time, scanning then storing the results of each individual scan.
Dover: Ch50 (BBC) - 51 (ITV1) - 53 (HD) - Ch55 (ITV3) - Ch59 (ArqA) - Ch48 (ArqB)
By the way Dover is located at 18 miles on a bearing of 84 degrees.
(Ch48 Ar)
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matt hope: If the picture on the Grundig looks perfectly OK apart from the fact that it's in black and white, then that suggests equipment failure rather than anything you have done, and with the problem being either with the Sky boxes modulator or alternatively (and more likely) with the colour decoding circuitry in the analogue side of the Grundig, this fault nearly always caused by crystal failure.
The only thing I can suggest is to try and borrow a small colour TV that is capable of analogue reception and then couple that into the link from the Sky boxes output, giving the borrowed TV an analogue scan to pick up the RF output channel from the Sky box for the purpose of checking the image obtained, black and white or colour, because if its colour then obviously the fault is with the Grundig.
By the way temporarily change the output on the Sky box from RF2 over to RF1 so as "not" to feed voltage into the borrowed TV's aerial socket.
Should you not be able to borrow a TV then if you have an old VHS tape machine around you could couple its RF output into the Grundig and retune same (TV) to pick up the VHS machines analogue signal, no tapes or aerial required as its only the modulator output you are interested in and with regards to whether anything seen is black and white or not.
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Mark Withington: When you say "split between 6 TV feeds" are you meaning that the device being used has six outputs?
Secondly, when the main TV is OK then what method are you using to feed the signal into the main TV and also up to the roof space?
As far as the booster is concerned yes! it is quite possible for it to be defective more so than it being unsuitable for purpose, and it would be of assistance to know what is printed on the device.
Further info as dependant on answers to questions.
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e. roberts: Well the advice that was given to you by the changeover helpline regarding an attenuator would under normal circumstances be correct, as at your distance from the transmitter your TV or boxes tuner could be completely swamped by the signal thereby seriously affecting reception, or indeed even blocking it altogether.
But though being located too close to a high mast can put you in am umbrella type situation whereby you are in effect being shielded from the signal, and by you being located in a dip makes matters worse.
You say that your TV has its own dedicated aerial but where is it located? and have you tried some tests using a simple (emphasise on simple!) set top aerial and moved it around at various angles whilst observing the signal quality as shown on the signal strength / quality test screen? even try a short piece of wire (about 3 feet or so max) connected into the aerial socket and see what results you get using that.
Maybe you could give an update on these points.
The point being that the RF you are receiving will be reflected from all sorts of objects and so pointing the aerial in the direction of the mast might not give the best results.
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Monday 1 October 2012 11:33PM
CONRAD: Well these indications are certainly OK, but though that is inclined to point to the box as the problem insomuch that its tuner is possibly behaving in an erratic fashion, and with this type of fault usually always a symptom of a power supply problem to the tuner (being low) because when you carry out a signal test on "any" Sky box you are only getting the indications obtained from one single frequency, namely the default transponder, and its not necessarily the case that the readings you obtained would be the same if tested on some of the other transponder frequencies, but though its not possible to do this on a Sky box.
However, as you have noted the level of the readings obtained on your own dish it would be of interest to know what they would be if that "same box" was tried out on your parents dish, and indeed if the box performed any differently, but I can assure you that as far as both your parents and you experiencing similar problems is concerned it "has" to be coincidental, as nothing can stop Sky (or Freesat) reception provided that the dish has an unobstructed view of a S/SE skyline (28.2 degrees from South)
By the way power supply problems on Sky boxes are quite common, and is caused by the electrolytic capacitors drying out though heat which results in a slightly reduced output voltage being supplied to the tuner.