Tinky

Hi

Just back from holiday, and being sensible (??), all electrics were unplugged. However our Sky box is not happy being powered up I think. We can watch all channels as usual, apart from ITV and BBC. Non of the BBC channels works, however we can watch ITV 3/ ITV+1/ ITV HD. Strangely some of the channels previously not working well, works brilliantly.

I have checked all the leads (unable to access the satellite itself, as on the roof), trying a reset by unplugging the Sky box, changed the default transponder frequency setting to 12.129.

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance

licinius

I can't understand why so many people insist on having a Sky box when everybody knows they are nothing but trouble. Invest in a freesat box for about €30 & all your problems will be gone!

The Guy

If you have channels already , then changing the default transponder will not help in anyway. Changing it only helps when booting the box up and the box cannot boot using frequency 11778.

Only one channel "S4C" is on 12129 anyway. No BBC channels are on that frequency.

It would suggets that your dish may have moved, and is not aligned properly. A few mm movement can mean a few 100 kms difference in the sky!

Or perhaps insects inside the LNB.

If you can get ITV3 as you say you can then, you should also be able to get ITV1 (scan frequency 10906 v 22 5/6 - there is itv1 channel islands on that frequency - the same freq as ITV3!

Or scan an add ITV1 using 11973 v 27.5 2/3 or 12402 v 27.5 2/3 *both require a sky card) or now 11053 h 22 5/6, where some iTV1s are in test and are available with on sky card.

And as you say you can get ITV3, then the dish is not that far off alignment.

If the dish has indeed moved, then having a Freesat box will not make any difference. The signals a freesat box used for BBC are the same signals a sky box uses. so if the dish has moved then the same problem will affect both boxes, so that is not really worth trying. This dish cannot be that far out of alignment, especially as the OP says they can get ITV3, which is on similar frequencies and satellite to BBC and other iTV channels.

And in many areas a Sky box is prefered over a freesat box, as it has a few more channels if you use a freesatfromsky box. About 15 last time i counted. And it grants access to ITV1 and Irish C4s that can be access with a sky card, and on smaller dishes, when they are not available on a freesat box. And in many areas a Freesat box's channel five can go off even on a 3m dish, yet with a sky box and freesatfromsky card, you have access to channel five on a stronger frequency...so much that it can be received on an 80cm dish.

However, not that will make much difference from December, as the fives will all be free to air, no longer require a sky card (apart from five HD).

Or perhaps people use a sky box as they are sky subscribers...????

licinius

Freesat boxes are far more powerful than Sky boxes. With freesat boxes you have an uninterupted picture during bad weather (or even just in an evening) while a Sky box breaks up or loses signal totally. Binning the Sky box & replacing it with a freesat box will fix 99% of problems.

The OP has lost BBC which is the strongest transponder but gets ITV3 which suggests that it isn't a dish issue. She also says she "can watch all channels as usual, apart from ITV and BBC". By this do we assume she can still receive C4 & C5? In which case the dish definitely hasn't moved.

Mitzyboy

You're giving advice to the Guy on SKY and freesat

On serious note and your previous comment .... we have a sky box and it is fine. Nothing but trouble couldnt be further from the truth.

Dick Dasterdly

I've had my old panasonic sky box more than ten years and it still consistently outperforms anything I've tested beside it, including the best pace has to offer.

The Guy

Some Freesat boxes are worse than Sky boxes. Bush Freesat boxes for example are horrible and a lot worse than Sky boxes. And I have found that a Humax Freesat HD box's reception of the SD channels is pretty much the same as a PAce 2600 sky box reception of SD BBC channels.

Reception depends on a number of things, from dish alignment, and which BBC and ITV regions you use, as there are different regions using different frequencies, and it depends which you have as to which are the strongest...for example in my area BBC1 Yorks West goes off at 6pm, yet BBC1 Yorks East stays 24/7. Its the same on a Freesat box or a sky box.

Where I am on Freesat channel 5 goes off at 6pm even on a 2.4m dish. Yet on a sky box with a card, you can get it 24/7 on an 80cm dish. Maybe thats why people have a sky box.

If it were a box issue then the OP would get not ITV3 as well as no BBCs, as some of the BBCs are on the same satellite and same frequency grouping" as ITV3...vertical low frequencies.

ITV3 is also on a slightly stronger transponder than some of the SD BBC channels, and so a small dish movement will make all the difference.

It will aso depend which C5 region she is using, the FTA version or the sky car dversion. And the same for C4. If the OP can receive C4 on 104, then they should also be bale otreceive BBC2 England on 102 - again they are on the similar frequiencies.

Tinky

Sorry for a little belated reply, had a bit of a break from trying as hubby wanted to watch both F1 and footie...

I originally wanted a Humax box, however the option of having Sky news or not was the deal breaker..

Anyway, C4 and C5 are clear as clear, no issues there And after following the Guy's instructions, we now have ITV Central! Huge thanks, and it seems to be stronger than Granada!

Now the bad news, BBC is still the same, including the regional channels Any further suggestions would greatly be appreciated. Thank you again

The Guy

Sky news is not available on Freesats channel list - even though it is free to air. YOu have to play around with the freesat boxes menu system and pop the Freesat box into Nonfreesat mode, and you can receive ALL of the free to air channels, including the 100 or so ones not on Freesat. Its a bit faffy, but its the only way to get Sky News on Freesat.

Yes. Granada is a free to air version of ITV1. The other ITVs are on a different satellite and thus have different reception.

See how your Granada is going, and ITV2 and ITV 4. It they too go off then your dish needs realigning.

Tinky

Granada/ ITV 2 and 4, no joy at all, only Central is working. However this is much stronger signal, as we would normally have no ITV at all at this time of the evening.

Still puzzled as to why no BBC at all, as normally this is one of the stronger channels for us. If the dish needed alignment, surely all channels would be affected? Or this is the logic of a female with no techie experience?

The Guy

So it sounds like you are getting NO ITV1 Granada, No ITV2 or 4 and no bbcs. but you used to.

(if you can get ITV3, like you state, then you should also be able to get itv1+1 and ITV1 channel islands - they are on the same frequency).

You need to get your dishes alignment, or lNB checked, as those chanels requrie a dish to be aligned perfectly. Also check the cable for any water ingress, which can reduces siganls along the cables.

other channel, like the ITV 1 centrals, are not as weak at the above channels, as they are on a differnet satellite with a different "reception" characteristics.

thats why you can get some channels and not others.

Tinky

Correct

Yes, earlier today we could get ITV +1 , now no signal. However I guess this is due to the time of the day.


Sounds like I have no other choice, was hoping to avoid it, as it means disturbing our lovely neighbours, and keeping them home for a day I might just dig out the old digibox we had to see if that makes any difference (non Sky). Now where did I put it??

Thanks again for all your help

The Guy

If you were getting iTV1+1, and are now not, and you were getting ITV3 and are onw not, and you were definately not getting BBC or ITV2 or ITV4, but you used to before you went away, then it is very lijkely that the dish has moved or LNB or cabling issue.
The smallest of mevement on the dish means the dish is not aligned for those weakest channels, and so they will "be lost" earler than usual.
It is hightly unlikely another box will sort out the problems

Tinky

The only channels not having worked at all were ITV and all the BBC channels (although BBC HD briefly made an appearance yesterday afternoon..but not watch able), the others have worked during the daytime. Sorry to make it a bit confusing

The Guy

the channels you are missing tend to be weakest at night. so it is not surprising you get some reception during the daytime.