Saorview picture (RTE channels) freezes/no signal after 30 mins

caoty

The box is AlBA B660. Any help appreciated.

The Cush

caoty wrote: »

Saorview picture (RTE channels) freezes/no signal after 30 mins
The box is AlBA B660.

Has this been happening since you installed the box?

What type of aerial are you using, indoor or outdoor?

caoty

Yes, since the Saorview box was installed last year I think. Not long ago. We have an outdoor antenna on the roof. It was ok at the beginning but started giving trouble a few months ago. Basically, you have picture frozen or no signal after a while. I wonder if it is the box or the device on the roof.

The Cush wrote: »

Has this been happening since you installed the box?

What type of aerial are you using, indoor or outdoor?

The Cush

caoty wrote: »

I wonder if it is the box or the device on the roof.

It could be the aerial or cabling or connections etc. Is there any amplifier in the aerial setup?

How old is the aerial and cabling? Before you got Saorview I assume it was used to receive the Irish channels in analogue, if so did it receive all 4 channels RTÉ1/2, TV3 and TG4?

Would you know which transmitter it's pointing at? Not all transmitters used in the old analogue days transmit Saorview so some aerials had to be either replaced and/or realigned to a new transmitter.

Saorview coverage checker here - http://www.saorview.ie/what-is-saorview/make-the-switch/coverage-map/

It could also be the box, any way of checking it on another aerial, neighbour/family/friend etc.

caoty

We used an amplifier before, but not using it anymore after the digital switch. The aerial was used for the analogue transmission before. We got a handyman to install the box, so not sure what exactly happened on the roof.

As the box was working for a while, it cannot be the positioning of the aerial I guess. We had four Irish channels before but the reception was not always good. Do we have to climb up the roof to check the transmitter positioning?

The Cush wrote: »

It could be the aerial or cabling or connections etc. Is there any amplifier in the aerial setup?

How old is the aerial and cabling? Before you got Saorview I assume it was used to receive the Irish channels in analogue, if so did it receive all 4 channels RTÉ1/2, TV3 and TG4?

Would you know which transmitter it's pointing at? Not all transmitters used in the old analogue days transmit Saorview so some aerials had to be either replaced and/or realigned to a new transmitter.

Saorview coverage checker here - http://www.saorview.ie/what-is-saorview/make-the-switch/coverage-map/

It could also be the box, any way of checking it on another aerial, neighbour/family/friend etc.

The Cush

caoty wrote: »

We used an amplifier before, but not using it anymore after the digital switch. The aerial was used for the analogue transmission before. We got a handyman to install the box, so not sure what exactly happened on the roof.

As the box was working for a while, it cannot be the positioning of the aerial I guess. We had four Irish channels before but the reception was not always good. Do we have to climb up the roof to check the transmitter positioning?

Was the amplifier removed from the system at that time as there would be signal loss now as it passes through the unit?

What transmitter does the Saorview coverage checker recommend for your location? Is the aerial pointing in that general direction?

Can you post a pic of the aerial on the mast?

Did the handyman who installed the box use any sort of meter to check the signal at the TV point, the signal could've been close to the "digital cliff" edge at that time and would take very little for the picture to go from good to broken such as corroded connections on the aerial, faulty cable etc.

caoty

The amplifier was removed. Will reconnecting the amplifier help?

I will check the direction of the aerial. The man did check the metre when installing the box.

The Cush wrote: »

Was the amplifier removed from the system at that time as there would be signal loss now as it passes through the unit?

What transmitter does the Saorview coverage checker recommend for your location? Is the aerial pointing in that general direction?

Can you post a pic of the aerial on the mast?

Did the handyman who installed the box use any sort of meter to check the signal at the TV point, the signal could've been close to the "digital cliff" edge at that time and would take very little for the picture to go from good to broken such as corroded connections on the aerial, faulty cable etc.

ISAA

I would suggest getting a professional Installer and not a handyman.
could cost you more in the long run.

www.isaa.tv

The Cush

caoty wrote: »

The amplifier was removed. Will reconnecting the amplifier help?

That depends. If your aerial setup is performing at its best i.e. correct aerial aligned to your local transmitter without any faults in cable or connections then an amplifier located as close as possible to the aerial could improve the signal received at your Saorview box.

If you're using a standard UHF contract aerial maybe replacing it with a hi-gain aerial could pull in enough signal so that an amplifier is not required.

Is that aerial feeding that Saorview box only or is there other TVs or boxes connected to it?

As ISAA says above a professional hands on installer would be able to diagnose the problem quickly, at a cost of course.

caoty

I will put the amplifier back to see if it improves tomorrow, but I have no idea about what type of aerial on the roof. The aerial is only feeding the Saroview box.

The Cush

caoty wrote: »

I will put the amplifier back to see if it improves tomorrow, but I have no idea about what type of aerial on the roof. The aerial is only feeding the Saroview box.

If you can post a picture of the aerial on the mast it would help identify it.

Does it look like any of these aerials - http://www.tvtrade.ie/tv-and-radio-aerials/uhf-aerials.html

What transmitter does the Saorview coverage checker recommend for your location?

Mousey1951

I am new to Boards.ie but I am interested in the discussion regarding RTE signal problems in Greystones. I seem to have a new problem with mine - poor reception in one room and none in the other. I think the cable is damaged. Any one know a local TV person who cold replace my cables and not charge the earth?

caoty

It looks like one of those aerials. I don't have a camera at the moment.

BTW, I suddenly remember that the box occasionally loses its channel settings(I had to reset/reinstall all the channels), also, sometimes, the the box could not be turned off either by the remote control or the button on the box(had to plug off). does that mean the fault is on the box?

The Cush wrote: »

If you can post a picture of the aerial on the mast it would help identify it.

Does it look like any of these aerials - http://www.tvtrade.ie/tv-and-radio-aerials/uhf-aerials.html

What transmitter does the Saorview coverage checker recommend for your location?

The Cush

caoty wrote: »

BTW, I suddenly remember that the box occasionally loses its channel settings(I had to reset/reinstall all the channels), also, sometimes, the the box could not be turned off either by the remote control or the button on the box(had to plug off). does that mean the fault is on the box?

Yes it's possible, as I posted above can you check the box on another aerial, neighbour/family/friend etc.

Peter Rhea

caoty wrote: »

I will put the amplifier back to see if it improves tomorrow

It's possible this 'amplifier' is a power supply unit for the actual amplifier, which could be installed on the aerial mast or in the attic. The Saorview box most likely will be capable of outputting a 5 VDC supply which is sufficient for some of these 'masthead' amplifiers, but not all. So it's possible the amplifier is still there but, with the Saorview box providing power.

In that case, reinstating the original power supply could solve the problem. However, if it is just a 'setback' amplifier, located close to the tv, it's unlikely to make any difference.

As mentioned already, pics of any equipment involved can be helpful.

fryup

my saorview freezes for a second or two every so often...and its getting annoying

i'm getting my signal from woodcock hill limerick > signal strength 70% quality 100%

The Cush

fryup wrote: »

my saorview freezes for a second or two every so often...and its getting annoying

i'm getting my signal from woodcock hill limerick > signal strength 70% quality 100%

Is this only happening recently?

I read on Aertel p169 yesterday that Woodcock Hill will be on reduced power tomorrow for maintenance, a related problem maybe?

Antenna

caoty wrote: »

The box is AlBA B660. Any help appreciated.

what do you mean by 30 minutes?

approx 30 minutes after box is powered up?? Every time???

Sounds maybe like a fault that occurs when the components in the box heat up?
Try putting a small fan blowing on the box and see if that makes any difference?