signal problem

ptogher14

Hi all. Just installed sky in a house and having some problems. Installed and aligned the dish myself. I've no experience in this. I'm a sparks by trade and got a lend of a meter to do this. I have dual outlets in all the rooms wired back to a central point and a number pulled from the dish to this point. I wanted two sky+ plus boxes so installed a dish with a 4 way lnb. I joined these at the central point with standard co ax adaptors and couplers. Had some problems with these so got rid of them and used connectors for the time being. I will join these with f plugs and couplers. Or is there anything better to join them?
Anyway tv number one is working fine. Signal strength and quality both about 75%
I have problems with tv number two. Signal strength very low. Signal quality about 50%.
I pick up some of the channels fine. Some of the channels such as E4, more4, comedy central etc are pixelated or the picture frozen. Every so often the signal on one of the inputs drops out completely. I took the outlet off to have a look and noticed I was getting a bit of a tingle off it.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance

The Cush

ptogher14 wrote: »

I joined these at the central point with standard co ax adaptors and couplers. Had some problems with these so got rid of them and used connectors for the time being. I will join these with f plugs and couplers. Or is there anything better to join them?

F connectors andd joiners will do the job just fine - http://www.tvtrade.ie/tv-connectors/f-connectors.html

ptogher14 wrote: »

I have problems with tv number two. Signal strength very low. Signal quality about 50%.
I pick up some of the channels fine. Some of the channels such as E4, more4, comedy central etc are pixelated or the picture frozen. Every so often the signal on one of the inputs drops out completely. I took the outlet off to have a look and noticed I was getting a bit of a tingle off it.
Any ideas?

I start with ensuring the correct connectors and joiners are used and properly made at all end of the cables incl wallplates e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PXsWHywV_c

Next I'd recheck the dish alignment and LNB skew. What meter were you using? This site might be of assistance - https://sites.google.com/site/freetoairinfo/home/how-to-align-a-satellite

ptogher14

Cheers cush.
I'll re-terminate all the connections and use f plugs.
It seemed to be a half decent meter. It had settings for a few satellites, vertical plane, horizontal plane etc. Although it looked like it had been round the block and I don't know when it was last calibrated.
If the dish was out of alignment would it be possible only have a problem with one tv?

The Cush

ptogher14 wrote: »

If the dish was out of alignment would it be possible only have a problem with one tv?

Possibily not, that's why I suggested rechecking the cable connections. It could also be a cable problem to that TV point. Is it possible to see the signal strength/quality of the 2 feeds separately to that Sky receiver via the box's own meter?

I suggested rechecking the dish alignment and LNB skew because the signal strength/quality reading on TV 1 could be higher, closer to 100%. This should also feed a better quality signal to the second TV.

It can take time to align it spot on, a little bit this way or that, a little bit up or down.

ptogher14

Yea it seems to be very precise. Really a job for somebody in the know.

Could I be getting a weakened signal over the cable run? It's a long run to the second tv

The Cush

ptogher14 wrote: »

Could I be getting a weakened signal over the cable run? It's a long run to the second tv

Yes.

I use a cheapish meter to align any dish I install - http://www.emitor.se/products_costeffective.htm, takes time and patience.

ptogher14

The Cush wrote: »

Yes.

What sort of distance are you talking before you see a problem?
If that is the problem is it possible to get an amp?

The Cush

ptogher14 wrote: »

What sort of distance are you talking before you see a problem?

Couldn't say I'm afraid.

But the signal strength and quality on TV 1 are a little low in my opinion and as the cable run is longer to TV 2 that could explaing the lower signal at TV2.

Unless you're living in masion a standard dish and LNB properly aligned will have no problem feed a very good quality signal to your Sky receivers. No need for an amplifier, I've never had to consider using one.

What size dish are you using? Where are you located?

Peter Rhea

ptogher14 wrote: »

Could I be getting a weakened signal over the cable run? It's a long run to the second tv

What kind of cable are you using? Is there any branding or numbering on it? Did you get any advice on what to use?

ptogher14

The Cush wrote: »

Couldn't say I'm afraid.

But the signal strength and quality on TV 1 are a little low in my opinion and as the cable run is longer to TV 2 that could explaing the lower signal at TV2.

Unless you're living in masion a standard dish and LNB properly aligned will have no problem feed a very good quality signal to your Sky receivers. No need for an amplifier, I've never had to consider using one.

What size dish are you using? Where are you located?

I reckon it's a 60 meter run to tv two. I'm using a 70cm dish.

I'm in the dunshaughlin area of Meath.

I'm just after looking at the signal strength on tv one and it's actually lower than I originally said. Down round 20%. I think it's time I get somebody who knows what they're doing. It'd a family members house so just said I'd try do it myself

ptogher14

Peter Rhea wrote: »

What kind of cable are you using? Is there any branding or numbering on it? Did you get any advice on what to use?

Peter I would of asked for satellite cable in the wholesalers. It's RG6 75 ohm

Peter Rhea

ptogher14 wrote: »

I reckon it's a 60 meter run to tv two.

That's very long. Is it possible to resite the dish or reroute the cable?

ptogher14

Peter Rhea wrote: »

That's very long. Is it possible to resite the dish or reroute the cable?

Not really. You think the cable run is an issue?

The Cush

ptogher14 wrote: »

You think the cable run is an issue?

How long is the cable run to TV1, the one with the signal dropping to around 20%?

ptogher14

The Cush wrote: »

How long is the cable run to TV1, the one with the signal dropping to around 20%?

The run to tv one is ten to 15 meters shorter. It has weak signal but I'm not getting any problems

The Cush

Looking around the net 100-150ft (30-45m) of good quality RG6 appears to be the limit before you start having problems with signal. If this is the case a satellite line amp might be a solution. A larger dish is another option.

http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnbamps.htm

Note that an amplifier can only amplify what's there. It's always better to use a larger dish instead.

I would also advise rechecking the dish alignment just to rule out a problem there.

Peter Rhea

ptogher14 wrote: »

You think the cable run is an issue?

The 1st thing to do is sort out the connections at the 'central point'.

It's possible you will then have stable reception at each tv but the 1st bit of dirty weather will knock it out, as there will be no margin for 'rain fade'.

I would think this kind of problem is usually encountered in multi-dwelling units or, where a dish has had to be sited a long way from a house to get out from behind an obstacle. Or some people like it put on a garage or outbuilding for aesthetic reasons.

ptogher14

Thanks lads for all the info. It's given me a bit of insight. I'm gonna leave it to someone who knows what they're at.

On a separate topic I've a house to wire for a friend of mine. Would you recommend getting rid of this central point and wire everything direct to the dish?

Also if he wants to have his sky box DVD player etc stored remotely from his tv what's the best way to do this?
Are hdmi extenders an option?

The Cush

ptogher14 wrote: »

On a separate topic I've a house to wire for a friend of mine. Would you recommend getting rid of this central point and wire everything direct to the dish?

Any dish I've installed for family/friends had its cables run to a central point and joined to the various room feeds with F connectors/joiners and never had a problem.

Peter Rhea

ptogher14 wrote: »

. . . I've a house to wire for a friend of mine. Would you recommend getting rid of this central point and wire everything direct to the dish?

You should judge this on a case-by-case basis. Probably no need or benefit to bring all the dish cables to a single location unless you're feeding a lot of tv points from a multiswitch (4 lnb feeds in, practically as many receiver feeds as you could ever want out.)

Otherwise, & particularly in a large, spread-out building (like you seem to have here), & depending where the dish is located WRT this central point, you would probably just end up needlessly increasing cable lengths.

kooga

rather than a new post what is the difference between signal quality and signal intensity?

On a sky dish with astra 28.2 what should be the norm?

on a triax 80cm dish with adtra 19 and hotbird what should be the norm?

Based in Cork
Thanks