Digibox Dilemma

Gadgie

Hello,

as some of you may have read in my other posts, bad winds (no jokes please..) earlier this week knocked my dish out of alignment.

I went up on the roof to try and fix it but I could only match the same signal level that I had been getting after the dish moved.

Coming back home later the same day I had the message 'No satellite signal is being received', so the next day I went back up and tried again, but I could only get about 30% signal strength, 0% quality and no lock.

Trying again today I got 0% strength, 0% signal, no lock and the two other boxes are showing 0000, no matter where I move the dish.

I was wondering if there has possibly been some sort of software failure, but I cannot force an upgrade as I have no signal.

I am thinking of asking my next door neighbour if I can test my box on her dish feed and see if anything happens, but I am afraid of inadvertently doing something to affect her setup

If it is a digibox failure, will I be covered for this as I am still within my first year of contract, or will they say it is my fault and make me pay through the nose?

Thanks in advance for any replies,

Glenn
slightly miffed :mad:

carrolls

Your goal is to align the dish to get the following on-screen :

Signal Strength Any value except nothing (indicated by bar).
Nothing means the cable from the dish
isn’t connected.

Signal Quality At least 25%, the more the better (indicated
by bar). You will only get a reading here if you have
found the correct spot and locked-on below.

Lock Indicator OK
Will only say “OK” after you have found the correct spot and the box has had time to lock-on.

Network ID 0002 (will say “0000” if not locked).

Transport Stream 07d4 (will say “0000” if not locked).

Sky Digital is at 28.2 degrees East (left) of South

Make sure you can see your screen or are in contact with somebody who can.

Move the dish in very small steps (no more than 0.5 cms) around this area, both horizontically and vertically, until the on-screen Lock Indicator changes to “OK”. You must wait 2-3 seconds after each adjustment to give the digibox enough time to lock on to the signal. This requires time and patience.

Gadgie

Originally posted by carrolls
Your goal is to align the dish to get the following on-screen :

Signal Strength Any value except nothing (indicated by bar).
Nothing means the cable from the dish
isn’t connected.

No, I'm fairly certain the cable is connected properly - I checked it multiple times to make sure ;-)

I did everything you said but I still got no signal no matter where I moved it (I was moving it about .5 cm at a time and waiting about 20-30 seconds between each movement - my ass is still sore fom sitting there Also I made sure I wasn't sitting in front of the dish).

I also checked that the angle of elevation was correct by looking at my neighbours dish (was at 25 (degrees?)).

I am really starting to get a nasty feeling that me fiddling around has short circuited the box somehow...

Glenn

MOD

I have a Pace box and this "No Signal" situation has happened to me twice in the last two months. No matter how I twisted the dish, I could only get the slightest trace of signal on my "Signal Strenght" bar and nothing on the "Quality" bar. Then I turned OFF and then back ON the LNB power(Services>4>0>1>Select>1,which is LNB).This seemed to unlock whatever had locked up and all was normal again.
The second time i didn't go near the dish my LNB ON/OFF trick didn't work but on the same screen "New Installation" (6) did reactivate the box. I don't what caused the lockup or why this cured it, maybe somebody can throw some light on it, but that is what worked for me.

Gadgie

Thanks MOD, I'll try this tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

carrolls

A few important points

1) It will be a lot easier on a bright windless day. (Never do this at night)

2) 0.5 centemeters is a lot smaller than you think.

3) 20 seconds is a lot longer than you think.

4) Use a walkie talkie or mobile with another person watching the screen when gradually testing the angles. This cannot be done without instant screen feedback. (Unless you have a Satellite Finder Signal meter).

5) When you eventually get the right setting, screw into place gently, careful not to let the screw torque maladjust the alignment.

Also( I know I'm going to be bashed about the head for such a silly suggestion:eek: )
But when you are up on the roof-do all the moving from behind the dish as even a hand or arm has the effect of reducing signal/quality down to next to nothing.
Best when whoever is checking the digibox for you see's 20 or 30% of the bars that you go down then and check the box yourself and then also do what Mod has said.
mm

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by carrolls
(Never do this at night)

why not?
i re-alligned mydish at 3am yesterday morning and it is working fine since.
what channels did it fix
Kerrang!
enough said

shinobi

Small Problem.....
Missing a hand full of channels (some of the music channels, Fashion TV, the motor Channel & UTV (when It was available))
All the rest of the channels come in fine. Is there anything simple the i can do to rectify this? All Ideas greatly appreciated.

Gadgie

Originally posted by shinobi
Small Problem.....
Missing a hand full of channels (some of the music channels, Fashion TV, the motor Channel & UTV (when It was available))
All the rest of the channels come in fine. Is there anything simple the i can do to rectify this? All Ideas greatly appreciated.

The dish must be slightly out of alignment with the transponder that these channels are transmitted on; the only thing you can do is try to re-align it by moving it left or right a few *millimetres* at a time, but if you're not sure how to do it I wouldn't bother as you could end up losing all channels - take it from someone who's done it!

BTW, I still can't find a signal - I think it's either the LNB or the box; gonna try testing the box at a neighbour's tomorrow.

Glenn