old sky box! No signal!

JR23 · 26-09-2013 07:36AM #1

Hi guys, looking for advice, i got an old sky box from friend and the plan was to put it in the kitchen as a free to air box. (sky is already in the kitchen, cables and all) So when i hooked up the box i received the message that there was no satellite signal. I was told to take my sky card and put it in this box, plug out the power, remove the card and the box will work. My worry is that ill mess up my sky card and it'll cost me a fortune to sort it all out. Any advice would be appreciated.

swoofer · 26-09-2013 10:37AM

say the make and model of sky box, look at underneath, is it sky+ box ie 2 sat feeds, is it an SKY HD box?

Why put your card in the box? Was it working while with friend? Are you sure sat cable is connected to dish?

JR23 · 26-09-2013 11:55AM

GBCULLEN wrote: »

say the make and model of sky box, look at underneath, is it sky+ box ie 2 sat feeds, is it an SKY HD box?

Why put your card in the box? Was it working while with friend? Are you sure sat cable is connected to dish?

thanks for the reply< its just normal sky box, (amstrad dx550?), someone told you have to re boot the box to get it to work as a free to air box and by inserting the card etc that would work. yeah the sat cable is connected to the dish because there is already a tv connected to it.

swoofer · 26-09-2013 12:21PM

OK you have me stumped, when you say there is a TV connected to the dish?? does the tv have a sat tuner? and are you trying to split cable?

To get box to work I need to be sure it is connected correctly to the dish, it its own cable. did you make up the lead that goes into the lnb slot on back of amstrad box?

When box is switched on and you press services do you get a menu and then you can look at signal level.

Unless its connected properly you will get nowhere.

And do you know how to do a software update?

Peter Rhea · 26-09-2013 12:55PM

JR23 wrote: »

. . . yeah the sat cable is connected to the dish because there is already a tv connected to it.

Just a tv? Is this cable actually coming from another Sky box RF output?

What input did you connect it to on the 'new' box?

JR23 · 26-09-2013 01:38PM

GBCULLEN wrote: »

OK you have me stumped, when you say there is a TV connected to the dish?? does the tv have a sat tuner? and are you trying to split cable?

To get box to work I need to be sure it is connected correctly to the dish, it its own cable. did you make up the lead that goes into the lnb slot on back of amstrad box?

When box is switched on and you press services do you get a menu and then you can look at signal level.

Unless its connected properly you will get nowhere.

And do you know how to do a software update?

Ok, sorry for the confusion. I have two tvs in the house(kitchen and sitting room), one sat tuner. Both tvs show the same programme. Everything installed by sky. So to hook up the second hand box i got, i connected the scart to the tv and the sky cable from the wall into the dish connection at the the back of the sky box. A message appears on the screen saying that there is no satelite connection, disconnect power and try again in five minutes.

JR23 · 26-09-2013 01:41PM

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Just a tv? Is this cable actually coming from another Sky box RF output?

What input did you connect it to on the 'new' box?

Yeah the cable comes from the attic and was connected into the tv (to be precise it went through the eye gadget first then into the tv)< not 100% sure but i think it was called a lnb dish connection?

jgbyr · 26-09-2013 02:07PM

JR23 wrote: »

Ok, sorry for the confusion. I have two tvs in the house(kitchen and sitting room), one sat tuner. Both tvs show the same programme. Everything installed by sky. So to hook up the second hand box i got, i connected the scart to the tv and the sky cable from the wall into the dish connection at the the back of the sky box. A message appears on the screen saying that there is no satelite connection, disconnect power and try again in five minutes.

Sounds like the cable is just a feed from the rf2 output of the original sky box. If you look at the dish, how many cables are connected. If it just two then they are running to the existing box. If there's an third one then you need to connect that to the new box you got or else add a new cable .

Peter Rhea · 26-09-2013 04:15PM

JR23 wrote: »

I have two tvs in the house(kitchen and sitting room), one sat tuner. Both tvs show the same programme.

JR23 wrote: »

Yeah the cable comes from the attic and was connected into the tv (to be precise it went through the eye gadget first then into the tv)< not 100% sure but i think it was called a lnb dish connection?

It's not an lnb connection, it's from RF2 on your sitting room Sky box. It allows other tvs to tune into the currently selected Sky channel via their analogue tuners & the 'eye gadget' allows remote control of the Sky box.

You won't get a satellite signal from it: this requires a feed from the lnb.

JR23 · 26-09-2013 06:29PM

Peter Rhea wrote: »

It's not an lnb connection, it's from RF2 on your sitting room Sky box. It allows other tvs to tune into the currently selected Sky channel via their analogue tuners & the 'eye gadget' allows remote control of the Sky box.

You won't get a satellite signal from it: this requires a feed from the lnb.

So I have to run a new cable (lnb cable)from Satellite dish to the tv?

readytosnap · 26-09-2013 06:35PM

JR23 wrote: »

So I have to run a new cable (lnb cable)from Satellite dish to the tv?

you have to run a new cable from the lnb on the satellite dish to the sky box you got from your friend. each sky box needs its own sat feed from the dish.

nudger · 27-09-2013 03:24PM

I just ran a cable from the dish to an old Grundig sky digibox, all is fine except it want's me to insert my card, which I don't have, so no channels.

An installer guy told me it should work without a card.

swoofer · 27-09-2013 04:23PM

nudger, do a software update, switch box with remote, unplug from wall, wait 5 mins, now this is the tricky bit, hold down power button and backup button on the box, keep holding these down, now plug box back in at wall, and wait and wait, until eventually it will say software update, takes 10 mins and after that you should have uk epg. when its finished updating box will switch off, give it a few mins before yous witch on with remote, might need a few tries, then it will open on demo channel, press guide and voila bbc1 etc.

gbc

nudger · 27-09-2013 04:32PM

Thanks gbc will give that a go shortly, by the way I found some channels but they are scattered al over the place, i'll do what you said hopefull that will sort it out.

readytosnap · 27-09-2013 04:39PM

you could also add the scattered channels to the favourites list, that would make finding them a bit easier.

nudger · 27-09-2013 06:36PM

GBCULLEN wrote: »

nudger, do a software update, switch box with remote, unplug from wall, wait 5 mins, now this is the tricky bit, hold down power button and backup button on the box, keep holding these down, now plug box back in at wall, and wait and wait, until eventually it will say software update, takes 10 mins and after that you should have uk epg. when its finished updating box will switch off, give it a few mins before yous witch on with remote, might need a few tries, then it will open on demo channel, press guide and voila bbc1 etc.

gbc

Fallen at the first fence, not sure what you mean, switch box to what?

Thanks.

swoofer · 27-09-2013 06:46PM

oops it should say " switch OFF box etc"

swoofer · 27-09-2013 06:48PM

nb you must keep those 2 buttons pressed while you plug box into wall socket and keep holding until message appears

nudger · 27-09-2013 06:59PM

GBCULLEN wrote: »

nb you must keep those 2 buttons pressed while you plug box into wall socket and keep holding until message appears

I held the buttons in for about 5 mins, i've got cramp in them,

i'll do it again with the power off.

swoofer · 27-09-2013 07:08PM

nb its hard to explain but by pressing the 2 buttons together, you have to use the other hand to plug in the power. and you have to have them pressed before you plug in power cord, make sure plug at wall if it has a switch is powered on.

so press the 2 buttons first, plug in box while at same time holding the backup and power buttons until onscreen message appears.

nudger · 27-09-2013 07:42PM

So sky box is in off position, red light on, I unpluged it and waited 5 mins.

holding the 2 buttons in I then plugged it in, about 5 seconds later i got no signal bla bla, then gone, then back again 5 seconds later, then nothing.

Should the box be unplugged from the tv (scart wise) and the sky cable removed so all by it's self so to speak?

Had mine connected to both.

swoofer · 27-09-2013 09:01PM

no, it downloads the new software from the satellite so it has to be connected to LNB and it has to be connected to the tv via scart so you can see the message " UPDATING SOFTWARE etc.

try again

nudger · 27-09-2013 09:36PM

Keep getting the weak or no signal thing and nothing else.

I tried it with the upc line in and out, same thing.

Watched a few youtube bits and it looks so simple but no go on my box.:(

Ronnie Raygun · 27-09-2013 09:55PM

You shouldn't need a software update. Is there another box connected to this dish? Does it work alright?

The Cush · 27-09-2013 10:01PM

Can you test that old Sky box with one of the feeds to the existing box in the sitting room?

Make sure when connecting and disconnecting the LNB cable that the 2 boxes are completely powered down to prevent a short and possible damage to box/LNB.

nudger · 27-09-2013 11:33PM

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

You shouldn't need a software update. Is there another box connected to this dish? Does it work alright?

Yes there is a sky+ with the 2 cables connected to the dish.

Does it matter which of the other 2 connections you connect to off the dish.

The Cush · 27-09-2013 11:35PM

nudger wrote: »

Does it matter which of the other 2 connections you connect to off the dish.

No.

nudger · 27-09-2013 11:40PM

The Cush wrote: »

Can you test that old Sky box with one of the feeds to the existing box in the sitting room?

Make sure when connecting and disconnecting the LNB cable that the 2 boxes are completely powered down to prevent a short and possible damage to box/LNB.

Kinda want to steer away from that, just if it was easy I'd give it a go.

I can put them on favourites but thought the UK spec would be easier.

Peter Rhea · 28-09-2013 10:45AM

nudger wrote: »

Keep getting the weak or no signal thing and nothing else.

I tried it with the upc line in and out, same thing.

Don't attempt software updates unless you have a good signal. Certainly don't try it from a UPC connection. (Though I assume you had UPC connected to 'RF-in'?)

Also, you should only have to hold in the 'backup' button on the Sky box when you switch the power on.

nudger · 28-09-2013 05:08PM

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Don't attempt software updates unless you have a good signal. Certainly don't try it from a UPC connection. (Though I assume you had UPC connected to 'RF-in'?)

Also, you should only have to hold in the 'backup' button on the Sky box when you switch the power on.

I have upc in the house but also have sky.

Connected the cable to the sky dish into old sky box, picture is perfect, just that the channels are all over the place, I know I can put them in favorites but would like them on normal menu if possible.

I tried the single button (backup) and all the led's on the box lit up and stayed that way for a few minutes but the channels stayed the way they were.:(

jgbyr · 28-09-2013 05:13PM

nudger wrote: »

I have upc in the house but also have sky.

Connected the cable to the sky dish into old sky box, picture is perfect, just that the channels are all over the place, I know I can put them in favorites but would like them on normal menu if possible.

I tried the single button (backup) and all the led's on the box lit up and stayed that way for a few minutes but the channels stayed the way they were.:(

You can't group channels together on sky box when you use it for fta channels. The best thing to do is put them in favourites

old sky box! No signal!

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