Water under the Sky Box

linda-ann

We have just discovered water under the sky box which we have decided
has come down the ariel into the box and out the bottom of it.:mad:

I have had the sky in for about 10years and I haven't subscibed for a few years now so no help from sky.

I have a digital tv but I like some of the free sky channels will have to get someone to fit a new ariel lead to the sky dish.

Just wondered if this has ever happened to anyone else

thirascule

Yeah, it happened to my mum, many years ago.

I went up a ladder to the dish with a tube of bathroom sealant and made the top water tight. Took about 5 minutes. It was coming down the hollow spaces between the inner cores and the mesh sheathing. I just unscrewed the cable fitting on the top end, filled it with sealant and screwed it back on. Put a quick smear round the outside and screwed it back on to the LNB.

Her sky box still works fine.

fwor

If you do get someone to replace the lead, make sure they use the proper cable! The original installer shouldn't have used the cheap co-ax with the air spaces along it - the proper stuff should have white foam plastic instead of that, plus a copper foil shielding outside the braiding.

Actually, it's not a hard job to do yourself - the f-connectors typically used at each end just screw on - no special tools required.

Inactive

The " f " connector at the LNB should have had Self Amalgamating Tape wound around it to stop water ingress.;)

Cat695

the posh cable that FWOR is on about is called CT125 which is the new and posh version of the older CT100 cable that was used

you can get it from maplins for about 1.50 a metre
7mm width

far

Also ensure a drip loop is made at the entry hole - i.e. the cable runs under the entry hole before going into it - to ensure any water running down the cable drips off outside rather than going down the cable and inside the house!

Inactive

Good advice far.;)

linda-ann

If the dish had just been on the side wall of the house could have maybe done it but the sky fitter put it on the chimney stack on top of the roof :eek:

Thanks for all the useful advice:T at least I know what has happened now and how it's fixed.

Moneymaker

Cat695 wrote: »

the posh cable that FWOR is on about is called CT125 which is the new and posh version of the older CT100 cable that was used.

This is incorrect. CT100 and CT125 cables have not been manufactured since Raydex went bust in 2005. Any "CT***" cable you find now must be either very old stock or an "equivalent" (which I'd be wary of).

The correct "CT100" replacement is WF100, which has a foam dielectric and is available in six different colours (single) and black or white (twin). Be sure to buy 'F' plugs to suit the specific cable that you buy. Don't believe the "one size fits all" brigade.

The replacement for CT125 is WF125. It's a thicker (8mm diameter) cable with slightly lower losses than the standard (7mm) cable. It's more expensive and not worth paying for unless you need to squeeze every single dB of signal out of it. Again, you MUST buy the correct matching 'F' plugs for it.

Cable must be clipped every 0.5 metres maximum (especially on roof tiles) to avoid it scraping back and forth in wind and tearing a hole in the outer sheath, which will let rainwater in.

See movie on you tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gvZx2C8nnY

Read cable test report:
http://www.glodark.com/cable.htm

Inactive

Good information and advice Moneymaker.;)