Two distinct issues after replacing my dish

pooksahib

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Hi. I've just replaced my rusted dish with an aluminium one. After doing a factory reset of my Humax FOXSAT-HDR (Freesat) box, I was soon able to get a signal using compass and satellite meter. Under 'Diagnostics', the Humax tells me that both tuners are 100% for signal strength and quality. However, while the vast majority of channels are fine, there are a couple with zero reception (Sky News is one) and a couple with break-up.

I don't understand this - surely if the dish is picking up most of the channels it should pick them all up. Can anyone suggest where the problem might lie - LNB, azimuth, elevation, something else? I say 'something else' because of my second issue...

...which came to light when I tried to record two programmes on the Humax (which has an empty recording schedule). When setting the second programme, it gave me the 'conflict' message. That suggests I'm only getting one incoming signal but as mentioned above, Diagnostics says both tuners are 100%. Again, can anyone suggest what's happening here?

Many thanks indeed for any help offered.
 

Lazarus

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After you Factory Reset your Humax, I suspect you inadvertently put it into single-cable mode, probably by either glossing over a set-up screen or selecting the wrong option.

I suggest you repeat the exercise ......... With both feeds connected ....... and after double-checking they're properly formed and attached.
 

ozumo

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Don't suppose the LNB is an Inverto Black Ultra? When I used one with a Humax Foxsat HD Freesat box I'd have no signal on higher frequency transponders. Turned out the LNB was over loading the tuner and required an attenuator to reduce the signal strength. Which channels do you have break up on?
 

pooksahib

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Hi, Lazarus. Too nasty a night to be going out but I did a Reset just now and the system definitely recognises 'dual cable'. Sadly, the Reset had no effect as the same handful of channels still aren't getting through. May I ask what you mean by 'properly formed'?

Hi ozumo. That is indeed my LNB. Breakup seen on 162, 207, 215, 516 and zero signal on 144, 145, 147, 202, 203, 208. I didn't go the shopping/religion channels so there may be more. Does that info tell you anything? Where does this attenuator fit into the setup and is it expensive?

Thanks, lads.
 

ozumo

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Attenuators are cheap, they are connected to the cables from the LNB just before they enter the receiver. You use one per cable. Something like
Code:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Variable-Attenuator-5-2400MHz-Satellite-Freeview/dp/B07N6DDGKV/

However those channels you are having trouble with all appear to be on the weaker Europe beam, which indicates the dish isn't perfectly aligned, or the LNB isn't skewed correctly.
 

pooksahib

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OK, thanks. I'll do some dish fiddling tomorrow, weather permitting.
 

Lazarus

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........ May I ask what you mean by 'properly formed'?

I meant check the F connectors are properly and securely fitted to the cable ends, both at the Receiver end and the LNB end, with enough centre core exposed to make proper contact when attached to the respective sockets.
 

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It could be weather related, rain and snow will affect the signals on weak transponders.
 

Channel Hopper

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Knock the dish off kilter by a smidgen to see if it is worth buying something like an attenuator, or add about 10m of cable to the incoming line to the receiver.
 

pooksahib

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Thanks for all the tips. Small changes to the LNB and azimuth have given me most of the lost channels but I see Bloomberg is 'no signal'. Damn. The weather turned nasty on me so I'll have to wait before tinkering with the elevation.
 

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Just throw a wet towel over part of the dish, no need to adjust anything.
 

pooksahib

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Is that a satellite-buff joke, CH? I don't get it...
 

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If you put a wet towel, partly over your dish, it shows the signal fade, similar to heavy rain, allowing you to tune it to its best position.
 

ozumo

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Also if the signal quality doesn't drop, or even improves, it shows that an attenuator or lower output strength LNB is required.

Where you using this LNB with your previous dish?
 

pooksahib

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No, previous dish/LNB was standard Sky issue. I'm still trying to get best alignment. There always seems to be a couple of channels that won't play ball...
 

pooksahib

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... mainly Bloomberg and Sky Arts. I'd imagine these'd be low power channels i.e. the problem with them is NOT that they're too strong? (No 'edit' facility for posts here?)

Thanks for the towel tip.
 

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... mainly Bloomberg and Sky Arts. I'd imagine these'd be low power channels i.e. the problem with them is NOT that they're too strong? (No 'edit' facility for posts here?)

Thanks for the towel tip.

Mod. Note

The Edit facility is actioned by using the Edit button ....... however, you only have a fifteen minute window after Posting.
 

pooksahib

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Ah, noted...

Regarding the towel thing and my potentially overpowered LNB, I tuned in to a breaky-uppy channel and put a wet towel over the top third of the dish. The signal died completely rather than improving. I wasn't surprised by that as in the far North of Scotland we get the weakest signals so it seems to me I'd probably benefit from a strong LNB...

Anyway, I did a lot of dish adjusting and now have all Freesat channels bar 2 (691 Daystar and 208 Bloomberg - no signal at all on either of them). Foxsat diagnostics has both tuners at 100% strength and 70% quality. However, the signal meter on the AutoTune page and on most of the individual channels is 100%/100% so I don't know how reliable those meters are.

It seems really odd to me that I'm picking up all bar two channels and that these two are stone dead, not even blocky. Can anyone explain this or maybe suggest a fix? Many thanks.
 

ozumo

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Did you receive these channels on the Sky dish? The Black Ultra LNBs have a long neck and so can be moved towards & away from the dish face, did you try adjusting the LNB that way?

Just to note Daystar & Bloomberg are on the same transponder.
 

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Ah, noted...

Regarding the towel thing and my potentially overpowered LNB, I tuned in to a breaky-uppy channel and put a wet towel over the top third of the dish. The signal died completely rather than improving. I wasn't surprised by that as in the far North of Scotland we get the weakest signals so it seems to me I'd probably benefit from a strong LNB...

Anyway, I did a lot of dish adjusting and now have all Freesat channels bar 2 (691 Daystar and 208 Bloomberg - no signal at all on either of them). Foxsat diagnostics has both tuners at 100% strength and 70% quality. However, the signal meter on the AutoTune page and on most of the individual channels is 100%/100% so I don't know how reliable those meters are.

It seems really odd to me that I'm picking up all bar two channels and that these two are stone dead, not even blocky. Can anyone explain this or maybe suggest a fix? Many thanks.


Do you have a DECT Phone?
 
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