Parents having problem with their freesat signal - Can anyone help ?

hilda1

My parents live in Kent and are on the Dover tranmitter.

They have a Sky HD box in the main room and a TV in the bedroom.

They were trying to use Freeview in bedroom but due to persistant probs with the Dover transitter, they tried switching over to Freesat a few days ago via a local retailer. The retailer did all of the cabling and provided a Goodsman freesat box. He just connected the box to the existing Sky dish.

Trouble is that the picture and the sound on the TV freezes occassionally. The retailer is telling my parents that the root cause is the TV (NOTE : They have already tried replacing the boox without any luck) and will be testing the scart connections at the back of the TV today.

Could it be the cabling to the Sky box causing the problem ?

For info, the TV is less than 3 years old.

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Avoriaz

The first thing to check is the satellite dish and LNB alignment.

It is possible that the dish or LNB were already slightly misaligned, or that the retailer knocked one or the other out of alignment when fitting the new cable.

The dish and LNB need to be very accurately and firmly aligned. It is also important to have a line of sight to the satellite without buildings or trees etc in the way.

Do you parents also now have problems that didn’t occur before with the Sky reception? That would suggest the retailer knocking the dish out of alignment.

I suggest you get the retailer to check the dish alignment before doing anything else.

If the dish and LNB prove not to be the problem, then you need to check the cabling and the cable connections and work through all the other possible faults.

In my opinion, the TV is the least likely suspect.

S0litaire

I'd put a bet on a problem with the cable or the plugs at either end.
Do they notice a difference in signal between good and bad weather?

My FreeSat (dual tuner) goes on the blink with the second tuner when it rains heavily because of moisture gets into the cable at the dish end (not got around to replacing the cable!)

Toxteth_OGrady

Assuming the Freesat box is [STRIKE]HDMI[/STRIKE] SCART to the TV and if your parents have a DVD or Bluray player with [STRIKE]HDMI[/STRIKE]SCART, disconnect the [STRIKE]HDMI[/STRIKE] SCART cable from the Freesat box, leaving the cable connected at the TV end. Plug the [STRIKE]HDMI[/STRIKE]SCART cable into the player, put on a movie and see if it freezes.

If it doesn't, email or write to the retailer explaining what you have done and that it must be their installation that is the problem and you want it fixed at no cost to your parents.

System

hilda1 wrote: »

The retailer is telling my parents that the root cause is the TV (NOTE : They have already tried replacing the boox without any luck) and will be testing the scart connections at the back of the TV today..

First thing to do is get an engineer who knows what he is talking about. A TV will not cause freezes. It will only display what is sent to it.

In fact they can use the SKY HD box that they have to check the signal. This will indicate whether the aerial is out of alignment. as the signal levels will be low.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you could do a wee check yourself.

On SKY remote:

Services > 4-SystemSetup > 6-Signal Test, and compare Signal Strength/Quality on both boxes.

Wont sort it, but maybe give you an idea where to look.

GlynD

There is help available from http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/ in many cases (depending on age and benefits received) it is free. I've spoken to these people about my parents and they were very helpful.

sebastianj

Is there anything on TV that indicates something is connected to it? ie noise etc.
If not, then the problem could be the selection of the Input channel on TV.
If there is some noise, then it is related to connections.
sebastian

Avoriaz

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,

you could do a wee check yourself.

On SKY remote:

Services > 4-SystemSetup > 6-Signal Test, and compare Signal Strength/Quality on both boxes.

Wont sort it, but maybe give you an idea where to look.

A Sky+ box signal meter isn't very accurate. It gives a rough guide only.

The other box is a Goodman's Freesat receiver. I don't know if that can display signal strength and quality. Even if it can there is no certainty it will be comparable to whatever the Sky box displays.

The OP may need to get the retailer or someone else to check the dish alignment properly. That requires a satellite signal meter, which should be carried by anyone installing satellite dishes. Basic DIY meters cost about £10 on Ebay. A check should also be done on the cable connections at both ends.

It is possible that the retailer doesn't normally deal with installing and aligning satellite dishes.

If the problem is not down to rain fade or trees etc blowing in the wind and intermittently blocking the signal, my money is on the dish alignment being the problem, with the cable connections second option, the cable next and then the Goodmans box.

The TV is the least likely suspect.

In my opinion. I could be totally wrong.

GlynD

Avoriaz wrote: »

A Sky+ box signal meter isn't very accurate. It gives a rough guide only.

The other box is a Goodman's Freesat receiver. I don't know if that can display signal strength and quality. Even if it can there is no certainty it will be comparable to whatever the Sky box displays.

The OP may need to get the retailer or someone else to check the dish alignment properly. That requires a satellite signal meter, which should be carried by anyone installing satellite dishes. Basic DIY meters cost about £10 on Ebay. A check should also be done on the cable connections at both ends.

It is possible that the retailer doesn't normally deal with installing and aligning satellite dishes.

If the problem is not down to rain fade or trees etc blowing in the wind and intermittently blocking the signal, my money is on the dish alignment being the problem, with the cable connections second option, the cable next and then the Goodmans box.

The TV is the least likely suspect.

In my opinion. I could be totally wrong.

If they use the switchover scheme though they might finish up getting it sorted properly and for nothing! Which would you prefer to see happen?

Avoriaz

GlynD wrote: »

If they use the switchover scheme though they might finish up getting it sorted properly and for nothing! Which would you prefer to see happen?

My preference isn't relevant. I'm simply giving my opinion on the OP's parents' problem.

I don't know if they qualify for such schemes.

As they have presumably already spent money with a retail supplier, they should pursue that supplier to resolve any problems. If the supplier has done a bad job they should rectify it for nothing.

PS: A quick look at that scheme suggests it applies to aged 75 and older and some others with disabilities. It also appears to cost £40 unless the applicant is in receipt of certain benefits. However I haven't read all the details. It is up to the OP to decide whether to contact the scheme and see if free help is available.