Dreaded "no satellite signal is being received" mssg!

[Hoopster]

About 8 months ago I moved into a house which had a sky minidish installed,so I decided to buy a Sky box with Freesat viewing card (the Sky version not the BBC HD version) from someone on E-B*y.For the first few months everything was great but then I'd get the dreaded "no satellite signal is being received" mssg on the screen.My g/f managed to get it working again once by unplugging the box and then powering it up again.Most channels were ok with some pixelating and freezing during ads.But this only lasted 48hrs before,once again the error mssg popped up,and its been like that ever since.My signal strength and quality is very erratic going from 0 to 75% (and getting worse with each day,just checked it now and they're both 0!!),also it goes from 'locked' to 'unlocked' (currently 'unlocked' ),is this an LNB or digibox failure? Its been raining non stop here for weeks so I thought it might be water getting inside the LNB,but it seems quite watertight.Any thoughts?

[nodrog]

when i had a mini dish i got the same message during very heavy rain
now got large dish when o upgraded to sky+ now anyamounts of rain doesn't interfeer with signal

[Hoopster]

This is permanent though.Been a month since it last worked.I'd rather try and fix it myself before calling some one out.
As a matter of interest,if I subscribed to Sky 'proper' would I receive a 'fresh' instalation so to speak i.e new dish,box etc? Might be cheaper in the long run?

[nodrog]

if you've never been with sky or have been away for at least 1 year then yes sky will give you a new dish free box and installation for a £30 connection fee
i believe that there are special offers for sky+

try connecting your box to a friend's dish (if possible) to test the box if it works then the lnb on your dish may be the problem. or if during recent storms the dish may have been moved

[dms05]

Try checking the 'F' connectors. They are the little silver things on the end of the cable. The one that attaches to the Sky box can easily be removed - it actually screws onto the cable so just turn anticlockwise and remove to have a look at the cable. The cable should have the central wire not touching any of the outside wire and when screwed back on the outside wire should make good connection with the siver 'F' connector. When reattaching the 'F' connector make sure you don't unscrew the coax but screw the connector onto the box.

[Sam Radford]

Remove the guesswork! No satellite signal is being received

[BWB]

Remove the guesswork! No satellite signal is being received

Many thanks to you.
My Sky+Box Is ok. So I think It must be the rain stopping the signal.
I am an aging Technophobe,and know very little about these things.
In fact It took me hours to Log on to this site. Still not sure If Im doing It right