Complete loss of sky function

[Scanlon]

Hi all

I have had my sky package since christmas 2006 it was installed by a sky installer and situated on the back of my house about 9 feet from the ground. There is a tree about 60 feet away but the installer said that will be fine. All was good for a year or so and then channels started dropping out, I called sky they sent their chap over and he told me it was the tree interfering with the signal.

I accepted that but over next couple of years more channels dropped out until last year I was left with about 10 channels. I then found out that a friend had the same problem and they replaced the box as the PCU was faulty. I again phoned sky, they sent someone out he did a 5 second check of the signal at the box end and discovered the box as faulty. I got all my channels back left it 6 weeks and then tore them off a strip but thats another story...

My box was replaced in August last year, trees could not have any more leaves, and up until about three weeks ago has worked fine. now the slightest breeze or finest rain stops my viewing completely. I try the switch off routine and it usually works but this evening i have turned it off ten times so far and get nothing, blue screen with searching for listing message.

Is it the trees? The dish is on the side of the house closest to the tree, does that matter? would raising the dish help? Im really desperate any advice would be most appreciated.

Please, please help if I can't get it to work Ill have to go over to..........V****n, sorry for the language!!

Thanks
Paul

[Isitme]

now the slightest breeze or finest rain stops my viewing completely.

That suggests the dish or the LNB may be loose. Check out if they are firm, if you can reach it. If it is the tree, raising the dish may help, at least if that were done it would be re-secured.

[Scanlon]

Hi isitme,

Thanks for the quick reply, I have no idea what the LNB you talk of is. Just checked the dish and is very secure.

It stopped raining about an hour ago and still nothing.

[Kenedin]

....... The dish is on the side of the house closest to the tree, does that matter? would raising the dish help?......

Yes, and yes.

Don't discount water in the cable, or a failing LNB ( the pointy thing in the middle of the dish that collects the signal from satellite ).

Have you checked the entire cable run from end to end for chafing/fraying? Especially if run over-the-roof? Is the cable secure along the whole run? Are the F-connectors at the dish LNB secure? Is there any sign of corrosion or water ingress in the LNB near the F-connectors

The position of the dish is not the best, but equipment failure may also be to blame. This includes the box.

[Scanlon]

Cable is secure, runs down the wall and in.

Can I disconnect the LNB and check it for water? I did check the connections to the LNB and one was a little loose, tightened it but still no difference. Can't see any corrosion.

Can I move the dish myself? The only problem I can see is extending the cables and lining it up with the statalites.

Thanks

[Scubbie]

If you have access to a ladder, can get someone to help and are happy with moving the dish, then it should be relatively easy.

You do need to ensure that you keep it level though. Pointing it a few degrees up or down is as good as pointing it too much left or right.

As for the cable, don't put an extension in, replace the whole length with one piece. The joint from the extension could cause problems at a later date.

Having said all this, you may wish to look at getting someone local in to help.

The alternative is to get someone to trim the tree. If it is on your land, then you are responsible for it and can legally trim it anyway. If it is a friendly neighbours, then a polite request may be sufficient to get it done.

[Scanlon]

Just spoke to Sky. was told that because the dish has got wet, yes wet!!! it may take between 10-24 hours for me to receive a signal. How ridonkulas!!!! There was no storm just a period of a couple of hours when it rained, not heavily wasn't until we lost sky did we notice the rain!!!

What if it rains in the meantime? should they provide a little sky dish umbrella? Does this mean I can only watch sky when there has been no rain for 24 hours? can you only watch sky in the summer? How can a multi billion pound company not design a better system? I could understand if rain was unusual but we live in Britain! It rains a fair bit!!

Rant over, carry on

[Scubbie]

Call again.

If someone say the same thing to you, either ask to speak with a manager of hang up & call again until you get someone who isn't selling you BS.

If the dish gets wet, then it's likely that it is Wimbledon week or a British summer.

[Scanlon]

I'll call them tomorrow, chap I spoke to was from india and was more than helpful but I want to debate with someone who'll understand the finer points of my argument.

If I take the dish off the wall am i right in saying it'll stay in position, not flap about wildly? All I have to worry about is fixing back to the wall level? will I have to move the LNB arm along the horizontal plain? Im moving it about 5 meters back and about 2 meters up.

I'm a kitchen fitter by trade so fairly handy I've just about mastered getting the cabinets level so should be all right with the dish

Also Looked on ebay and found this for £20 quid, is it what I need?

30 Metres of CT-63 Shotgun Twin Cable + QUAD LNB

Thanks loads
Paul

[Scubbie]

I'll call them tomorrow, chap I spoke to was from india and was more than helpful but I want to debate with someone who'll understand the finer points of my argument.

Hmm... Hopefully when you call tomorrow he'll have left notes on the screen so that the fool can be identified.

The connections for the dish will need to be protected from the weather. If the weather has damaged them then this is something which will need repairing.

If I take the dish off the wall am i right in saying it'll stay in position, not flap about wildly? All I have to worry about is fixing back to the wall level? will I have to move the LNB arm along the horizontal plain? Im moving it about 5 meters back and about 2 meters up.

I'm a kitchen fitter by trade so fairly handy I've just about mastered getting the cabinets level so should be all right with the dish

In theory yes.

Don't forget that who ever fitted the dish may not have fitted the bracket 100% level, so any 'errors' will have to be copied.

If you have a two-way radio and someone watching the Sky STB displaying the signal strengths, then you can fine tune it.

Also Looked on ebay and found this for £20 quid, is it what I need?

30 Metres of CT-63 Shotgun Twin Cable + QUAD LNB

A twin-core coax lead is what you would need. I can't confirm the length, but I trust that you can measure things safely.

With your trade, I would expect you to have the means to widen the hole through the wall if necessary. Sky tends to use very thin twin coax.

Twin Satellite Coax Cable : TV, Satellite Coax Cable : Maplin

Also you will need 4 F-Plug connectors:

TwistOn F Plugs : Aerial Connectors : Maplin

As for the LNB it self, only if this is faulty.

If this link is what you had spotted on eBay, then it looks as though it should be fine:

30m Twin Cable Kit and QUAD LNB for Sky+/Sky HD/Freesat | eBay UK