Aerial booster - is it broken?

john_s_2

I got a Vision C11568 aerial booster:

http://www.simplyaerials.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/40/products_id/102?osCsid=dc17009871b61c56981074602cd8dacc

My TV signals have all stopped working (there are three tellies off my aerial). This booster used to have a green light but it is not on. I changed and tested the fuse and tried it in a different (working) socket. But to no avail. It feels warm which suggests there is life.

It was fitted about five years ago by an aerial company when I wanted feeds to two bedrooms. I know nothing about how it works or what it does :-) Only that my tellies don't work today :-(

One more thing which is highly relevant! I had my flat roof replaced on Friday, but my daughter reckons her telly was OK on Saturday. But it's a bit of a coincidence that this is now not working.

I suspect it could be this power-supply as the light isn't on. Or is it possible that something else being broken would cause the light to not come on? (eg a lead becoming detached elsewhere.)

I'm not very practical so unless it's something I can swap out at 'living room level' I'm going to have to get the aerial company in again. Obviously I want to avoid this if possible!

I suppose I should contact my roofer first and ask him if there's anything he thinks he can do. But that's kinda awkward cos I can't definitely point the finger at him and even if I could, he's a roofer and not an aerial engineer. [sigh]

Any advice welcome - especially a high level explanation of what this box is actually for!

Hammyman

5 years seems about right for the life expectancy. The roofer can't do anything - he's a roofer, not a TV antenna installer. The box at the antenna end is the actual amplifier.

john_s_2

Cheers for that. What are you suggesting? That the power supply has had it, or the booster?

As I say, the power-supply is warm but the LED isn't on. Does anyone have any idea if this LED is merely a "there is electricity" indicator, or a "everything is working OK" indicator? If it's the former then it's probably just the power-supply that's broken and is easily replaced. If it's the latter then it's a case of getting an Aerial Engineer up on the roof.

Hammyman

Could be either. The only way to test the power supply is to put a multimeter on it and measure the voltage. The problem is it supplies power to the amplifier via the co-ax and 5 years is about the life-expectancy for co-ax. Any external connections tend to start getting water ingress and it is possible this has hapopened.

john_s_2

Aha, that makes sense. Cheers. One phonecall to our local aerial engineers coming up...

Kurtis_Blue

Whoa there, I don't like taking work from other installers but the PSUs are only around £10 just buy one and try, any brand will do if you get one from screwfix you can even take it back if not needed. But it does sound like it has failed.

Some mast heads will only take power from one lead so use the original placement when testing, then try some other leads in case the roofers have indeed damaged that one down lead.

john_s_2

Well the deed is done now, they're coming on Thursday. I'll post back and say what's what.

john_s_2

The cable was burnt through by the roofer. All fixed now!

The PSU was fine - the LED came back on once it was fixed.