All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
a heron: Although you may well be working on a building site in Aberdeen, info is required as to the location of said site, i.e: an approximate post code, as although the Durris transmitter covers most of the Aberdeen area, many black spots for reception exist to the NorthWest of the city, this area being covered by the Balgownie Freeview light transmitter.
However, that said, indoor aerials are never entirely satisfactory for Freeview reception as they are vulnerable to movement with the room, but as far as recommendations are concerned, any indoor aerial with a built in amplifier is your best bet.
If though the scaffolding referred to will be in place until the end of the project , then a small log periodic aerial mounted on the scaffolding could prove to be more satisfactory, the undermentioned being a link for the item referred to.
Labgear LPCT Compact Log Periodic Aerial - 4G: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
Labgear LPCT Compact Log Periodic Aerial - 4G: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
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MikeB: I very much doubt that there will be, as members of my family have informed me that the mornings on Notts TV comprises of a permanent (zero audio) live feed of Peregrine Falcons sitting in their nest, the info caption stating that viewers can observe their progress over the entire period , a statement which to me anyway, is strongly related to the old saying of "watching paint dry".
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Sharon collins: You should try carrying out a "manufacturers reset" on the TV, as what you have reported could possibly be due to a glitch having occurred in the TV's processing circuitry.
By the way, "manufacturers reset" is also known as "default setting" / "first time installation" etc.
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Kath: Although an indication of inputs 1 & 2 not being locked can be caused by a fault having developed in the box, but though, it can also be symptomatic of the box not receiving a signal due to the dish having been knocked out of alignment, or alternatively something having happened to the coax cables from said dish.
As far as a fault in the box is concerned, about the only fault Sky boxes of the older variety suffer from is power unit failure caused by defective (dried out) electrolytic capacitors, a simple way to test being to disconnect the box from the mains for about 25 minutes or so to cool down before reconnecting again, if the box bursts back into to life then the power unit is defective, likewise likely to fail again after an hour or so.
When you mention "going back to normal TV viewing", if your TV is capable of freeview reception and your aerial is still OK?, then there is no reason for not being able to return to normal viewing, just make sure that the aerial is connected into the TV and that the TV's remote control "input select" button is set to either TV/D/or DVB, you should also remove the scart cable connecting the Sky box into the TV.
By the way, is the colour of your SKY+ box white?
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a heron: Although the Durris transmitter is indicated as being able to provide excellent reception in Fraser Street and surrounding areas, this may not necessarily apply in your particular situation, that is, of being screened from the signal due to residing in the ground floor of a three story building, and which would appear to be surrounded by other buildings of a similar structure
Taking this into account, I very much doubt if you will be to achieve satisfactory reception unless you manage to mount the aerial as high as you can on the scaffolding, dropping a length of coax from same down to your ground floor location, the aerial mentioned in the link on my previous reply being ideal for the job.
By the way, the Durris transmitter is located at 15 miles away on a bearing of 224 degrees, if though you are unsure of the angle you are facing, use the direction the communal aerials are facing that's installed on the gable ends of the surrounding buildings.
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Gilli Pettinger: This type of problem can be caused by a number of reasons, such as the signal being wiped out by severe localised interference emanating from equipment being used by a neighbour, although this is not so likely to apply if your place of residence is separated from your neighbours, i.e: not through a wall.
Apart from that, if the aerial input socket on your TV is fed via the PVR's in / out sockets, the next time the signal goes off try connecting the aerial directly into the TV.
Another thing to try, is selecting say ITV1 on your TV and also the PVR, switching between the two receiving sources when the signal vanishes using the "input select" (or source) button on the TV's remote control.
This test is only to verify that the signal has actually vanished, and that the problem is not being caused by the actual TV or PVR.
Maybe you could also clarify regarding the following. Is your roof aerial exclusively for your own use? and if it is, is any form of powered distribution amplifier being used?
Further advice dependant on feedback.
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David Potter: Its better to refer to the inputs as being either LNB1 (dish input 1) & LNB2 (dish input 2) rather than RHS & LHS, which is dependant on where you are viewing them from (top or rear).
However, if you are receiving a signal on dish input 1 but not on input 2 (or vice-versa) and swapping the two inputs over does not make any difference to the situation, then this indicates that the boxes number 2 input has failed.
Should by any chance you happen to have access to a simple voltmeter capable of measuring 0 - 20 volts DC, try connecting it (in turn) across the centre pin and screwed thread on each of the two inputs which should give an indication of around 13+volts, if one of them doesn't, then the power supply to same is defective, something which no amount of rebooting / resetting is liable to make any difference to, as LNB power off / on (in the settings menu) affects both tuners at the same time.
That said is based on you "not" having set the box to single input mode.
You should also check the LNB settings using the undermentioned procedure
LNB checking - reset on a Sky HD box.
1:- Press services on your Sky remote control and you will see the main menu with "Options" highlighted.
2:- Highlight the "Settings" menu using the right arrow button and press select.
3:- Press "0 - 1 - Select" to access the Installer setup menu (this menu is not listed on the Settings menu options).
4:- Press Select to see the Setup menu displayed with Hi and Lo band frequencies indicated.
The correct LNB values should read:
LNB Type: Standard
1:- Low Band LO Frequency: 9.75
2:- High Band LO Frequency:10.60
3:- LNB Power Supply: ON
4:- 22 KHz Command: ON
5:- Single feed mode normally off.
Press the red button to reset them to default values even although they may
already be indicating them.
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j waters: Its not really possible for anyone to offer advice with such scant information, insomuch that any query involving a "freeview" (not satellite) reception problem "has" to be accompanied by a location, this preferably being in the form of a post code or one from nearby, i,e: a shop / post office, this info being essential to enable access to details on the transmitting station that covers the area you happen to reside in.
It would also be of assistance if the brand / model of the TV being referred to was known.
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Bea: If you are referring to a genuine Freeview box and not a Freesat box?, then the former has to be connected into a normal roof or loft mounted aerial system and "not" coax cables previously used by a Sky satellite box, these only being suitable for use with Freesat devices.
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Saturday 23 May 2015 7:42PM
Brett dingwall: Intermittent reception of a Sky satellite signal is in almost 100% of occasions caused by a problem with the installation rather than anything connected with Sky.
You should go into the signal test screen and check that the strength and quality are indicating at least 50% or so, with the quality preferably indicating higher than the strength, if its lower, then this is an indication that the dish is slightly out of alignment.
Whist on the signal test screen, try wiggling the "F" connector(s) on the rear of the box watching for any variation in the levels, which of course there should "not" be unless something is slack.
If you experience a problem accessing the test screen, assistance can be given if the model number of the box in question is known.
Intermittent reception can also be as the result of water having crept into the "F" connector on the dishes LNB, unscrewing same and drying out nearly always rectifying the problem.
Another reason (albeit less common) is by the dish being partially obstructed by vegetation, such as a branch of a tree being blown by the wind.