Freeview sound problem - maybe aerial cable?

[Penners]

As well as our Humax Freesat setup in the sitting room, we also have two upstairs TV's on Freeview boxes that are supplied from a single good quality digital aerial. The coax cable from the aerial comes down into a splitter, and the feeds to the two Freeview boxes come out of this splitter.

One of the Freeview boxes gives no trouble at all. The other suffers from regular dropouts of sound - sometimes for 10 - 20 seconds, sometimes permanent (until I switch to the Programme Guide, at which point the sound returns). This unreliable box also seems to go into update mode much more frequently than the other one, each update taking 5 - 10 minutes. This happens every two or three days.

I have tried replacing the unreliable Freeview box with a spare one that I have, and the problems then continue to occur on the spare box. This suggests to me that the fault lies somewhere in the signal feed, rather than the box itself.

The aerial and coax feeds were set up by a professional installer, who said there was quite enough signal strength to supply two TV sets.

Do you have any suggestions as to what the cause of these problems might be, please?

 

[PaulR]

You say that you've tried replacing with another spare box that you have but try swapping the good and faulty units around. It's just possible that your spare is also faulty - this test should eliminate (or prove!) that possibility.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Try different flyleads as well, losses down to Wickes/B+Q ready made pieces of rubbish are more common than you would believe.

 

[Penners]

OK - thanks for both those ideas, which I will try. I'll report back.

 

[ekon]

pity this thread has gone quiet..staying with wife's ma at the moment who gets occasional sound dropouts intermittently (occasional sound out and needs flick to next channel & back..also some lip-synch delay probs but that doesn't seem so bad as last year..no rhyme nor reason to it..tried switching microwave and other domestic kit on/off but seems worse in the evening and on say CH4 and ITV3 but also on BBC1 &2 (transmitter is Rowridge IOW though we are on the Hants mainland with not alot except water in between). Have tried another box (Hitachi for Wharfedale)..no difference..I realise neither are top-end boxes). Rarely get picture probs and we get all channels. Good quality loft mounted aerial in bungalow..but think it predates Freeview (analogue aerial?). Looked at Rowridge tech stuff mentioned log periodic aerial..worth a try? Ta for reading.