Sky+ hd box

bambi1981

I have been having a few problems with my sky+hd off and on for a number of months now. Recordings fail, it comes up with no satellite signal, usually on the channels I watch..not all of them. Usually it sorts itself out once I've switched it off at the wall then back on but has started to take longer. I have checked the input 1 and 2 signal, one is fine but 2 shows no quality or strength or locked. I got told to switch it off and swap the cables round at the back, but when I did this both 1 and 2 inputs showed no quality strength or locked when the box came back on. After swapping them back it went back to input 1 fine but nothing for input 2 again. There is nothing blocking the dish and it's  not when there's bad weather. Does anyone know if this sounds like hd box failing, cabling or dish. I do not have another box to try and don't want to be talked into sky Q if I have to ring them.
Any advice would be appreciated

Neil_Jones

Power off the box.

Hold down the Backup button on the box (not the remote) and power it back up again.  Keep holding it until all four lights come on on the front of the box and the T says "Updating System Software" ( or similar).  Release the button.

Wait for this to complete.  The lights will go out and the box will restart, give it five minutes to do what it wants to do and then power it on normally.

Make a note of the channels that vanish when the issue occurs.  If they're all on the same Polarization (ie horizontal or vertical) then your fault is caused by the LNB on the dish, the little "microphone" thing that looks back at the dish and catches all the reflections.

neilmcl

Make sure when  connecting the cables that the thin copper wire at the end of the cable isn't bent and actually goes into the socket at the back of the box.

bambi1981

Neil_Jones said:

Power off the box.

Hold down the Backup button on the box (not the remote) and power it back up again.  Keep holding it until all four lights come on on the front of the box and the T says "Updating System Software" ( or similar).  Release the button.

Wait for this to complete.  The lights will go out and the box will restart, give it five minutes to do what it wants to do and then power it on normally.

Make a note of the channels that vanish when the issue occurs.  If they're all on the same Polarization (ie horizontal or vertical) then your fault is caused by the LNB on the dish, the little "microphone" thing that looks back at the dish and catches all the reflections.

Neil_Jones said:

Power off the box.

Hold down the Backup button on the box (not the remote) and power it back up again.  Keep holding it until all four lights come on on the front of the box and the T says "Updating System Software" ( or similar).  Release the button.

Wait for this to complete.  The lights will go out and the box will restart, give it five minutes to do what it wants to do and then power it on normally.

Make a note of the channels that vanish when the issue occurs.  If they're all on the same Polarization (ie horizontal or vertical) then your fault is caused by the LNB on the dish, the little "microphone" thing that looks back at the dish and catches all the reflections.

Thank you Neil, I will try that this morning 👌
Regards vicki

Belenus

bambi1981 said:

I have been having a few problems with my sky+hd off and on for a number of months now. Recordings fail, it comes up with no satellite signal, usually on the channels I watch..not all of them. Usually it sorts itself out once I've switched it off at the wall then back on but has started to take longer. I have checked the input 1 and 2 signal, one is fine but 2 shows no quality or strength or locked. I got told to switch it off and swap the cables round at the back, but when I did this both 1 and 2 inputs showed no quality strength or locked when the box came back on. After swapping them back it went back to input 1 fine but nothing for input 2 again. There is nothing blocking the dish and it's  not when there's bad weather. Does anyone know if this sounds like hd box failing, cabling or dish. I do not have another box to try and don't want to be talked into sky Q if I have to ring them.
Any advice would be appreciated

If updating the software doesn't work then I suggest that you buy a second hand Sky+ box on eBay or similar. They sell for around £20 to £30 or perhaps less. Some people give them away for nothing. 

If that works properly then you can swap the disks to retain your existing recordings if required. I can advise you on that process.

If that also shows the same problems then perhaps your satellite has been knocked slightly out of alignment or a spider or insect or bird poo or some debris is affecting the LNB. Can you access it to check and clean it. I had a similar issue to you that was resolved by gently cleaning the LNB with a damp rag on a very long extendable pole.

The other possibility is the cabling or F connectors or LNB have failed due to water penetration or damage.

You may need to get someone in to check the LNB, dish alignment and cabling. Check the price of Sky versus a local installer.

Biggus_Dickus

bambi1981 said:

Neil_Jones said:

Power off the box.

Hold down the Backup button on the box (not the remote) and power it back up again.  Keep holding it until all four lights come on on the front of the box and the T says "Updating System Software" ( or similar).  Release the button.

Wait for this to complete.  The lights will go out and the box will restart, give it five minutes to do what it wants to do and then power it on normally.

Make a note of the channels that vanish when the issue occurs.  If they're all on the same Polarization (ie horizontal or vertical) then your fault is caused by the LNB on the dish, the little "microphone" thing that looks back at the dish and catches all the reflections.

Neil_Jones said:

Power off the box.

Hold down the Backup button on the box (not the remote) and power it back up again.  Keep holding it until all four lights come on on the front of the box and the T says "Updating System Software" ( or similar).  Release the button.

Wait for this to complete.  The lights will go out and the box will restart, give it five minutes to do what it wants to do and then power it on normally.

Make a note of the channels that vanish when the issue occurs.  If they're all on the same Polarization (ie horizontal or vertical) then your fault is caused by the LNB on the dish, the little "microphone" thing that looks back at the dish and catches all the reflections.

Thank you Neil, I will try that this morning 👌
Regards vicki

Excellent advice from @Neil_Jones

On the face of it, classic LNB problems,...but there could be other culprits.

Replacement LNB’s are readily available and are modestly priced. It’s usually?? a relatively easy and quick DiY job to replace  a failed  LNB with a new compatible one;...depends on the Sky dish location and level of competence of course.

You may need to disturb the dish alignment to access the LNB. However, if you can access the LNB without disturbing the dish then all the better;...you simply replace the LNB, reconnect the coax cables and (more often than not!) away you go,...no need for dish re-alignment.

 

 

Le_Kirk

You swapped the cables at the input and and the fault stayed with the cable.  Try swapping the cables at the LNB end and see where the fault goes.  It might be the cable or connection at LNB.

bambi1981

Thank you for all your advice, I tried what Neil advised and the input 2 still has nothing after the update of system software. Unfortunately I can not get anywhere near the dish to try clean the LNB or swap the cables at that end, so looks like the next thing is to get hold of another box and try that. 🤷‍♀️

Neil_Jones

The Sky+HD boxes rarely fail, especially the later Amstrad DRX boxes. Find out what channels are missing/don't work, list a few of them here (or check the online resources for the satellite channel frequency listings) and if they're all the same Polarization type (horizontal or vertical), then that is almost certainly granted to be an LNB issue, as this will happen regular as clockwork.  if you can get both horizontal and vertical polarisation channels at different times, that's most like a cable issue.

knightstyle

It almost certainly is to do with the dish and/orLNB.  Can you get someone, relative/neighbour with a ladder to have a look at the connections there?  Then, if that does not help, while you are watching signal strength slowly move the dish?   It is a simple DIY job.
If all else fails see if Sky will help as you are a Sky customer and can threaten to leave.  By the way if you decide to get another box it does not have to be a Sky box, any satellite box will do to test the signal. 

sweetgirl2015

bambi1981 said:

Thank you for all your advice, I tried what Neil advised and the input 2 still has nothing after the update of system software. Unfortunately I can not get anywhere near the dish to try clean the LNB or swap the cables at that end, so looks like the next thing is to get hold of another box and try that. 🤷‍♀️

You can get them for as little as a tenner at a car boot. Or ebay.