Satellite signal disappears when Sat Finder meter removed!

[cdn-home]

I have recently tried to install a selfsat H21D antenna with a selfsat 2400 receiver. Once i'd lined eveything up on antenna, I attached an SLX Satellite finder meter between antenna and receiver and quickly achieved a high reading. I then went to receiver and tuned in channels from ASTRA2.

Feeling nice and smug, I removed the SLX Meter. All the signal disappeared. I've checked connections which seem OK. If I put meter back I can get a signal again. I've tried inserting meter both next to antenna and next to receiver.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of happening and perhaps have a trick to impart please? Thanks

 

[rolfw]

Sounds like your connector is not fitted properly, perhaps not enough of the core showing and failing to make a connection on the LNB.

 

[cdn-home]

Thanks for response Rofw. Sorry just got back to trying your suggestion. I have fitted new connector to Sat Antenna. Still zero or low signal depending on Astra2 frequency settings. BUT as soon as I plug the Sat finder meter in I get 96% signal strength. I have inserted sat-finder next to receiver this time on very short flylead.

Any other ideas why this should happen please? It's almost as though the sat-finder is acting as a signal amplifier. Thanks

 

[PaulR]

I know it's a stupid question but when you say the signal disappears are you only talking about the signal strength bar?

What I'm asking is, do the channels disappear as well so that you can't watch anything?

 

[soOpersOniC]

Does your sat finder have a gain control ? with those you are supposed to get the signal peeked up with the gain turned down as low as possible.

Otherwise youll be thinking that you've got a booming signal when it's just you pumping up the gain.

 

[cdn-home]

Thanks for all the suggestions. It seems to have been dodgy cable. So Rolfw was right - connection problem. I put a new cable in from antenna to receiver and things came back to life.

 

[rolfw]

Well done, glad you got it sorted.

 

[cdn-home]

This is just a follow up on my original query, in case anyone else gets one of these SELFSAT 2400 receivers which are fairly cheap on eBay at the moment. One of my occuring problems was putting Receiver on standby, then switching it on again only to find no signal registering. It appears to be because if goes to the first transponder frequency range in it's transponder list which doesn't have any signal where I am.

If you use receiver menu option and find the signal strength option, you need to down arrow on remote until you hit a fequency which shows both high strength and at least a half decent quality rating. Hitting the OK button, then exiting from the menu should leave you with your chosen channel displaying OK. Very bizare.

By the way don't do what I did and decided to delete transponder frequencies until I got to the one which worked, because that looses half the tv stations.

I know, I know - don't buy cheap receivers! My only reason for doing this, is because there is new technology coming for Sat Receivers which allows you to watch stream video and run BBC iPlayer. So I just wanted to get up and running and wait for a receiver PVR which did all the things I wanted.