Loosing channels

joeirish · 28-03-2021 3:35pm #1

HI
I'm having some strange issues with Saorview which I receive via a combo box. Basically sometimes the channel breaks up or nothing appears at all, just a black screen. The Info label shows the channel and program being broadcast and the signal bars show L 80 and Q 0 when nothing is showing. I then switch over to one of the satellite channels (More 4 or Channel4 or 4Seven) and then back and lo and behold the channel can now be seen and the Q value is around 80. This happens with TG4, Virgin 1 and 2 (but never with 3), RTE2, RTE News.

Only thing I can spot is that the problem channels are all TP Ch31 554Mhz and that these channels seem to disappear at the same time.

My aerial was installed a few years ago and everything has worked OK up to a while ago when I noticed some channels breaking up sometimes. I thought it was weather/wind related but it has now got to the stage where these channels just disappear and then come back again when I go to a satellite channel.

I posted this on the satellite forum but somebody there suggested I try here.

Thanks

Elvis Hammond · 28-03-2021 3:44pm

How long is 'a while ago'?

Unless you're down in SW Cork, it will be Kilduff you're getting those channels from, & it had a frequency change, but over a year ago now.

joeirish · 28-03-2021 3:47pm

Elvis Hammond wrote: »

How long is 'a while ago'?

Unless you're down in SW Cork, it will be Kilduff you're getting those channels from, & it had a frequency change, but over a year ago now.

Thanks for the reply. I should think some time in the past few months. But I have done a couple of re-scans in the past week to try and sort this out.

I'm in Clare and should be getting my signal from Kilduff according to the Saorview website. But I notice that my aerial is pointing in a different direction altogether (128 E instead of 108 E). Would this be the problem?

joeirish · 28-03-2021 3:48pm

Just to say I think this is the aerial I have https://www.freetv.ie/grey-group-k-uhf-aerial/

Also the box is a SAB Unix triple tuner.

Elvis Hammond · 28-03-2021 3:58pm

Is the aerial mounted 'flat' like in the picture, or turned 'on its side'?

joeirish · 28-03-2021 4:04pm

Elvis Hammond wrote: »

Is the aerial mounted 'flat' like in the picture, or turned 'on its side'?

Flat as in the picture.

Elvis Hammond · 28-03-2021 4:41pm

Definitely must be intended for Kilduff then. (Ballina/Killaloe I'd say is further away & more south than my 1st rough guess anyway.)

Would be odd for an aerial to rotate from its installed position, so must be like that from the start, for whatever reason. Mightn't be as far off as you think, & changing mightn't make any difference, but could be worth a try if you can't find anything else.

Have you checked easy stuff, like say the plug on the aerial lead at the receiver?

joeirish · 28-03-2021 4:44pm

Elvis Hammond wrote: »

Definitely must be intended for Kilduff then. (Ballina/Killaloe I'd say is further away & more south than my 1st rough guess anyway.)

Would be odd for an aerial to rotate from its installed position, so must be like that from the start, for whatever reason. Mightn't be as far off as you think, & changing mightn't make any difference, but could be worth a try if you can't find anything else.

Have you checked easy stuff, like say the plug on the aerial lead at the receiver?

Thanks. I'd say the aerial hasn't moved since it ws installed. I was just curious that it is not pointing at any mast, Kilduff or Killaloe/Ballina. All connectinos seem OK. It is odd that sometimes the channels are fine and then they disappear only to reappear after I've scrolled through the a satellite channel. Not sure why they are dropping like that. I also tried another tuner and it could not find any of those channels that keep dropping out.

Elvis Hammond · 28-03-2021 5:11pm

Yeah, it would just appear poor signal is the problem, rather than any receiver quirks.

Does the aerial have a green plastic bung in the end? This would signify the grouped type for the original Kilduff frequencies, but it wouldn't be great at ch. 31.

joeirish · 28-03-2021 6:55pm

Elvis Hammond wrote: »

Yeah, it would just appear poor signal is the problem, rather than any receiver quirks.

Does the aerial have a green plastic bung in the end? This would signify the grouped type for the original Kilduff frequencies, but it wouldn't be great at ch. 31.

Hi, thanks for the reply. The end looks just grey. Also I was wondering if it neds to point directly at the Kilduff mast or does this not matter?

Ten Pin · 28-03-2021 7:04pm

Is the aerial near the dish or on a separate bracket?

Elvis Hammond · 28-03-2021 10:36pm

joeirish wrote: »

... I was wondering if it neds to point directly at the Kilduff mast or does this not matter?

It should point at the mast, yes. If it's actually off by 20 degrees, it would only have about half the signal gain it should.

joeirish · 29-03-2021 11:40am

Ten Pin wrote: »

Is the aerial near the dish or on a separate bracket?

It's on a separate bracket but there is a dish and internet receiver (Imagine wireless internet) nearby. The small dish above the aerial is disconnected.

Ten Pin · 29-03-2021 2:23pm

It's on a separate bracket but there is a dish and internet receiver (Imagine wireless internet) nearby. The small dish above the aerial is disconnected.

Move aerial above the small dish if you can.

It's current position is possibly too close to the roof and is "behind" the satellite dish relative to transmitter (assuming aerial is pointing at transmitter).

greasepalm · 29-03-2021 2:44pm

Yes agree more like an aerial issue have you got an indoor one to check i would be trying.

same issue here with signal issues.

joeirish · 29-03-2021 2:50pm

Ten Pin wrote: »

Move aerial above the small dish if you can.

It's current position is possibly too close to the roof and is "behind" the satellite dish relative to transmitter (assuming aerial is pointing at transmitter).

Thanks for that. I removed to unused small dish, raised the aerial above the roof which allowed me to change the orientation and point it more towards Kilduff. It seems to have done the trick, certainly stronger signal on those channels that were dropping out and they seem to not be doing this now. So overall a result!

Thanks to all who helped.

Elvis Hammond · 29-03-2021 3:59pm

joeirish wrote: »

It's on a separate bracket but there is a dish and internet receiver (Imagine wireless internet) nearby. The small dish above the aerial is disconnected.

As they say, a picture is worth quite a few words ... Should've just asked for one at the start.

Poor installation, & bolting stuff to the facia isn't a good idea either.

Loosing channels

Comments