Costa Blanca, 2E/2F, seasonal signal fluctuation.

[joddle]

@BP - forgot to answer last part of your post. BBC1 Lon and BBC 2 a both seem fine but problem may have gone before I could test those - if it happens again I will check BBC2 sd first.

 

[Archive4]

Have to say no-one else seems to be seeing this phenomenon, so if it occurs again, go next door, take the new "all singing, all dancing microwave" out of their kitchen and throw it in their pool!

 

[Lazarus]

Dear Mr. Wizard

Could well be some form of highly localised interference, but I suspect a Microwave Oven would be far less discriminating in it choice of target frequency!

 

[joddle]

No one lives next door - on either side - so the chance of interference from a microwave or any other elctrical kit there is zero. Also we have had no new microwave recently and certainly none were working when the interference started. No new telephone masts either although my kids now use mobile phones a lot - and also we do have two new wi fi repeaters in the same room - but at least 4 metres away from the receiver and incomming cable. When it happens its all over so fast I never have time to properly investigate the other receivers, i.e. the Humax and the Pace although just once I did see the Pace did show the same symptoms but thats well away from the dish and the wi fi.

 

[Archive4]

Move faster " Grasshopper "

 

[joddle]

if only I could!

 

[Archive4]

also we do have two new wi fi repeaters in the same room

Any idea what frequency they work on and if there is any chance of resonance, thus causing an amplification of a side tone which could theoretically cause a problem?

 

[joddle]

not too sure but think 2.4ghz - next time I get a problem I'll try turning them off - also could try dropping one as I don't need 2 running at the moment.

 

[Huevos]

Have to say no-one else seems to be seeing this phenomenon, so if it occurs again, go next door, take the new "all singing, all dancing microwave" out of their kitchen and throw it in their pool!

And if that doesn't work drive their Mercedes into the swimming pool.

 

[joddle]

And if that doesn't work drive their Mercedes into the swimming pool.

I fitted the attenuator as advised and had a week or more of no problems, but yesterday my daughter was watching Tiny Pop and the break up started again - this time I had the remote in my hand and so quickly checked the SQ and SS which were rapidly changing from very high readings to very low ones - all over a few seconds or so - after less then a minute all returned to normal again.

I checked the dish - solid as a rock - dry day and weather clear - no muck or spiders on the lnb - I checked the cables - all fine - receiver seems fine too - I have now tried swapping the lnb connections so each reciver is now using a different output from the LNB so lets see what happens! Also checked for intererence and this time there was nothing running anywhere close to the either the receiver or the dish or anywhere near the cable runs. No kit in the houses either side were on either as the people are all away and the power is off.

I think I am coming to the conclusion that this has to be an equipment issue - either the receiver or the LNB is playing up so I am going to swap the Manhatten for the Humax to see if the problem persisits - if it does then I think a new LNB may be called for - which is not such a bad thing as I wanted to swap it for a quattro anyway so I can use a multiwitch. The LNB is an Invacom C120 quad and was changed quite a few years back by one of our respected contributors after failing one very hot summer - Is this failing a "normal" thing - and if so how long do they normally last?

 

[mickwig]

Hi Joddle, I have a 240 Channel Master also equipped with an Invacom C120 Quattro. About 2 month ago I lost C4 HD at 11123. After a few Hours it was back. I thought it was the fringe, BUT. A few days later it happened again. Only C4 HD. Then a few days later ITV Granada HD dissapeared. I started to investigate, changed connectors, cables etc. When moving the cables attached to the C120 the signal would return as strong as the other frequencies. But only C4 or ITV or both at the same time would be affected.

It seemed to be connected to the low temperatures we are having here in the moment (-5 to -10 during the night). The signal seemed to return during noon and the problems appeared during night time.

As it turned out in the end it was all down to a faulty LNB. Not even 2 years old. Luckily it was still under guarantee. Since I have changed the LNB everything is working fine again.

 

[joddle]

Hi Joddle, I have a 240 Channel Master also equipped with an Invacom C120 Quattro. About 2 month ago I lost C4 HD at 11123. After a few Hours it was back. I thought it was the fringe, BUT. A few days later it happened again. Only C4 HD. Then a few days later ITV Granada HD dissapeared. I started to investigate, changed connectors, cables etc. When moving the cables attached to the C120 the signal would return as strong as the other frequencies. But only C4 or ITV or both at the same time would be affected.

It seemed to be connected to the low temperatures we are having here in the moment (-5 to -10 during the night). The signal seemed to return during noon and the problems appeared during night time.

As it turned out in the end it was all down to a faulty LNB. Not even 2 years old. Luckily it was still under guarantee. Since I have changed the LNB everything is working fine again.

I don't think my problem is weather related - nice warm day yesterday although a little overcast at times - but I am more and more convinced it is equipment related and nothing to do with interference or any other external factors.

 

[Archive4]

I don't think my problem is weather related - nice warm day yesterday although a little overcast at times - but I am more and more convinced it is equipment related and nothing to do with interference or any other external factors.

How old is the cable?

 

[joddle]

The cable is about 8 years old now but appears in good condition - the cable at our villa in the country is almost 20 years old and still functions perfectly and is far more exposed to sun and weather!

 

[Huevos]

I am coming to the conclusion that this has to be an equipment issue

Sun outage. 11:04 am local time. Will last around a week.

 

[Nagusia]

Sun outage? It would actually be quite nice to see the sun after the wettest February since records began 90 years ago.

 

[Huevos]

Sun outage? It would actually be quite nice to see the sun after the wettest February since records began 90 years ago.

You could always move down here. 2014 was the driest year on record. Alicante was the driest city on the planet.

 

[Archive4]

You could always move down here. 2014 was the driest year on record. Alicante was the driest city on the planet.

Nope, Elche beat it by 3mm

 

[joddle]

Sun outage. 11:04 am local time. Will last around a week.

Hm - at 3:30 in the afternoon

 

[Archive4]

Hm - at 3:30 in the afternoon

Could be a problem with the time space continuum, or your cronographic recording device has malfunctioned. Either way, why are you watching Tiny Pop during school hours!