Sky Signal issues and Disastrous customer service

drzhivago

Looking for some help

For over 2 years SKY signal has been deteriorating, didnt notice at first as some of the channels we wouldnt watch were dropping but kids were regularly complaining about theu channels, as TV parents watched and channels we watched were fine we didnt think it a big deal, when we watched their channels it all seemed fine the very odd pixelation but they were complaining about no signal messages, no picture etc

It started to affect other channels so we got private installer to come out and move disch to see if that was issue ( long story we got him to put up a dish after original sky guys who installed berated me in front of wife and kids for paying electrician to wire the house as first sky guys who came said they coudlnt do that to chase cables under boards etc- these guys said they would have but how was I to know that- second set also broke roof tiles and bent arm for LNB which caused problems so refused to get the back again and SKY didnt have another option hence went privately)

Back to story my guy come out up on roof, realligns dish, we check channels and they seem to work

He is hardly gone out the estate and same thing again, I call him back and he comes fair play, back on roof checks again and doesnt see problem

His colleague thought interference, we turn off everything in house to check no electromagnetic interference, no result

They suggest calling sky which I do

Turn on turn off la la la - nothing - they check their end say I have serious signal issues

Send engineer

First guy - wont touch dish, wasnt a sky dish as private guy put up a sturdier one at one point and replaced LNB

HE wont go on roof either says not sky policy?????

Next Sky guy comes starts with same stuff and I say fine I want a new dish installed, looks a bit pissed but gets on roof installs second dish,

Signal fine 20 mins then same again

He comes back next day , changes LNB

Comes back next day changes box and drops cable direct from roof

Still no joy

Get on to SKY again - apologies apologies- turn on turn off another la la phone call - will send senior engineer!!!

Comes puts new dish in back garden (yes 3rd dish) runs cable along garden floor level, up wall, in kitchen window, meaning window to be left open, around kitchen to sitting room

Gues what signal works for a while, but while he is cleaning up signal goes cant explain it but off he goes as well

Back on to sky, 2nd sky guy comes back, on to tech support who decide there is interference at roof level (? from where) he walks around garden and front of house to find 1 spot where he can get signal in front of house

Was working away for 3 months so left wife and kids tvless, am back now and want sports sorted from summer

Any suggestions anyone, have tried everything we think, sky even asked if I could ask one of the neighbours if we could run cables from their dish, after talking to neighbours they are experiencing some of the same problems

Help

Had signal today thought it was a good signal day, which happens, paid for fight now nothing, get sky 1 and some others no Irish channels and no sports no fight channel 739

meercat

is the problem with the tv

try using different scart lead
try skybox in another tv

drzhivago

meercat wrote: »

is the problem with the tv

try using different scart lead
try skybox in another tv

Sorry forgot to say

Multiroom 4 boxes (lots of kids-hate the rows) ALL have the same issue, have changed scarts, switched boxes place to place, brought boxes to other peoples houses and they work fine there

Liameter

Interference at roof level is rare but I've heard of it. It comes from a local microwave link between business premises. Not much you can do unless you can locate it.

The dish obviously needs to be positioned where it can't "see" this rogue signal. That means putting it near ground level (screened by walls, fences, shrubbery etc.) or on a different wall so that the unwanted signal is shielded by the house itself.

See http://sam-radford.me.uk/interfere.htm

Tech_Man

I have come across some mmds wireless broadband systems that will cause these problems with sky tv, broadband like digiweb, irish broadband, or broadband suppliers that mount external receivers.

Liameter

Good point about broadband transmissions. However, the solution is the same. The dish must be located where it can't receive the unwanted signals.

drzhivago

Tech_Man wrote: »

I have come across some mmds wireless broadband systems that will cause these problems with sky tv, broadband like digiweb, irish broadband, or broadband suppliers that mount external receivers.

Thanks for the help

Do have an Irish broadband receiver on roof near aeriel but it has been there 7 years why only cause a problem now

Also when sky came and put the concurrent 3rd dish up in garden on back wall of garden still didnt improve the signal and would have been good 50 feet from the broadband receiver on the roof

What about mobile phone masts, live close to a university which put up a new buildinga round same time as signals became an issue and notice they have a number of aerials on their roof - if it is them would I have any come back and how would I even know

Liameter

Mounting the dish on a garden wall won't help if the dish can still "see" the unwanted signal or reflections of it. I would personally try several sites, as low as I could get it. If you find even one location where the problem goes away, you'll at least know that interference is the cause. Also try shielding the dish with metal, wood or anything that will block/reflect signals (apart from the "tunnel" looking up at the satellite).

drzhivago

Liameter wrote: »

Mounting the dish on a garden wall won't help if the dish can still "see" the unwanted signal or reflections of it. I would personally try several sites, as low as I could get it. If you find even one location where the problem goes away, you'll at least know that interference is the cause. Also try shielding the dish with metal, wood or anything that will block/reflect signals (apart from the "tunnel" looking up at the satellite).

Thanks for suggestion but migt be difficult now

Sky took the 3rd dish away from garden wall, also took down my own dish as they thought it was interfering with the new one they installed on roof so I just have one on chimney now and not able to do that shielding myself

Liameter

Unfortunately, solving problems like this isn't easy. If it WAS then Sky would have fixed it for you. If you want to test my theory, you'll have to buy or borrow a dish and good quality cable. It's essential that the cable has excellent shielding (copper braid on copper foil) and is run along the ground (for testing purposes) otherwise IT could be picking up interference. Unless someone comes up with a better theory, you are stuck with mine.

One suggestion: go to the university and ask if they are transmitting any signals. If they are, ask them to do your investigation and find a solution. The electronics/communications department often has suitable equipment and people who know how to use it.

lmfao4eva

A lot of our channels won't work either sky1 sky 2 3e all the "living" channels and all the channels we dont use and then all our documentaries and when I ring em up its all this turn on turn off shi*

Liameter

lmfao4eva,

I don't think your problem has anything to do with the one being discussed here. I suggest you read all the relevant pages on this site to track down the cause:
http://sam-radford.me.uk

If that doesn't help, start your own separate discussion and be sure to state your location, type/size of dish, cable length, make and model number of Digibox (off the label), history of your problem and a list of tests that you've carried out so far.

(Sky's operators are not engineers. They are trained to read a script that often doesn't apply. Don't expect to get any sense out of them.)