Tim

No, I'm pretty sure it means the exact opposite. It would appear that your LNB is ok. We have now probably narrowed the problem down to either the cable or the dish - my moneys still on the dish. Can you tell me by the way, is BBC1 London on channel 101? If not, which BBC1 is it? Regards - Tim

My apologies - I was distracted while writing my reply, but the question still holds - you say you are getting BBC1 - is it all the regions? Check by going up to channel 971 onwards - to 988 - no gaps. This may help to ascertain if you have an LNB problem - particularly with polarisation as has already been mentioned. If you have unplugged the box, counted to ten, and restarted it - the standard first thing to do with a dodgy Sky box - then the problem is pointing to a dish alignment, LNB or cable issue. Regards - Tim

Well, the nature of digital signals is that they are transmitted in groups - what this means that if you getting BBC2, you should be able to receive all the other channels that are grouped with it. Can you confirm if it is BBC2 England you are getting, or regional Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish? There is a method behind this madness - bear with me. Regards - Tim

As you can see from the other replies, there may be a chance that your phone(s) will work over here. I've got a couple working for friends by just changing the lead. If the phone has a socket on it and a B.T. plug on the other, there's a fair chance that you can change the lead for one with a French plug on it. No need for adapters. I got the leads from a local electrical store and both have worked well. I did check before buying the leads, however, to avoid unnecessary expense as I already had one of this type of lead that ran from the old modem on my computer to the phone socket. Maybe worth a try if you are determined to keep your phones - but no guarantee. Regards - Tim

The latest I've read is that the ITV HD channel is only available on the 'red button' so I'm guessing that there may be not too much HD content from ITV at the moment, but a red button will appear somewhere on the screen when a programme is available on their HD service. I should add that apparentely this works only on freesat boxes and not Sky - some unresolved issues there I think. Where you go to find what programmes may be shown, I'm not really sure (don't watch ITV much) but I guess a look at their teletext or website may give more info. Apart from that, I'm with Martin - I'm sure there will a few more channels appearing - just don't know when. I hope this has been of some help - regards - Tim  

Thanks ErnieY - I made my way to that website late last night and was wading my way through all the posts when I looked at the clock and decided it was time for bed. I will spend some time looking at this further when/if I get the time as it would be useful as a spare, but there is a limit. Thanks for your help - regards - Tim

Thanks ErnieY but I think mine's a different model - it's a DV4212. I will have a look at the links you gave as it may lead me to some info for mine. Thanks again - Tim

ErnieY - a quick question for you, if I may, and this maybe better via pm, but I've just been given a surplus B.T. hub and like you would like to keep it as a back up. It's a Home Hub and locked to the B.T. network - I had already had a quick look a few weeks ago, when I was first given it, for a way to unlock it, but have been too busy recently to sit down and have another play. Is this the sort of thing you have already discovered? If so, can I pick your brains as it could save me a bit of time searching. Regards - Tim

Yes - I'm glad that this strange issue has been resolved for you both. I can say this now, of course, but it was one of things I was going to suggest (honest)  although I must admit I'm not sure I thought it would achieve. As you say Martin, perhaps it's one of things that may sort itself out, given time. Incidentally, picking up on your idea Martin, if there's anybody in Haut Normandie who needs a quick prod with my card, PM me and I'm sure we can come to a suitable financial arrangement[:D]   Regards - Tim   P.S. By the way, it's a bit late now Martin but I've PMd you

As I said before - this is rather tricky. I need to confirm a few things. You say you have something called a 'FTA' card. Well, FTA normally stands for 'Free to Air' and therefore there is no need for a card. Can I confirm that what you actually have is a 'Freesat From Sky card'? It should have what is generally known as an outline of a yellow house on it. If I have this correct, then am I also correct in saying that the box without the card is the one that refuses to show Channel 4 on 104? If your other box does get Channel 4 on 104 then it becomes more obvious to me at least, that this will come down to a difference between the two boxes, and this is what I alluded to in an earlier post. More information is going to be required to find out this difference. The make and model number of the box that is not working would be good for a start. I can't promise to come up with a solution for this issue - Sky boxes have a bit of a reputation for coming up with strange faults - but with some more info we might get somewhere - perhaps. Regards - Tim

Curious - I wouldn't have thought so, unless the box has been left unplugged for quite a while. You could try a reboot - unplug the box from the mains - count to ten and then plug back in. If that doesn't work there is obviously something else going and we may need some more information about your equipment. Tim   Edit - snap Martin.

Glad to help. Tim

A simple quick check maybe to change or swap around the ADSL filter(s) - they do go faulty occasionally. My step son had the same problem with his broadband in England.   Regards - Tim

For those of you with Sky boxes without a 'Freesat from Sky' card and have been going though the pilaver of  going through the 'Other Channels' menu I can announce that Channel 4 is now on the EPG (programme guide) and will appear on channel 104. This was only done today and Channel 4 have been doing a lot of pfaffing about with their satellite frequencies recently, but I hope that it will now be there to stay. Regards - Tim

I agree with Danny - I would add one other thing - if you are totally relying on the voip phone line, you would also loose that in the event of a power cut. Unless, of course, you also install a UPS (back up power supply). I've been with Orange for two years with no problems (perhaps I shouldn't have said that [Www]) and the temptation to do away with the phone line is very strong, but having worked in telecoms in the UK for 25 years before I came to France, I am very aware of the possible complications and rows that occur between companies - so the phone line stays - for the time being at least. Regards - Tim

Before you go that far - although you don't say, it sounds as if you are using a Sky digi box - if so, have you tried switching it off and then back on? When you switch off, I mean at the mains supply - count to ten and plug back in. It may be a quick solution and certainly worth a try before getting a repairman in. Tim

The latest info concerning 5 is that they hope to join 'freesat' later this year - that would mean that the encription would have to be removed. This, currently would be 5 only, not Fiver or 5 US and their +1s. That's all the guys at 5 are saying at the moment. Regards - Tim

Well, my wife has three sons in the UK and for her to be able to natter away to them ad infinitum - and to all her other friends in the UK, for €29 odd euros a year is a good deal for us. We do use Skype to speak to others equipped with a computer and, of course, there is no charge for that. The Skype deal also includes a UK number.This means that any of our friends can make a local call, sometimes free of charge, and it will be routed through Skype to our computer here in France. Regards - Tim

I had been considering this Skype deal since they sent me an e-mail a few months ago, but after reading your messages I 'took the plunge' and signed up for the UK landlines package as well. A bonus is that you get a UK number for people in the UK to call you at local rates. I've just tested this with wife who is in the UK at the moment and it seems to work well. It would appear to be a good deal and the call quality was excellent both ways. Regards - Tim

I was using the in-laws computer yesterday and they're still on dial-up and it was working on Orange just fine. I used to be with Orange as well, for dial-up and just changed over my account to basic ADSL with Orange on line - very simple. I checked first, of course, that I was in an area equipped for broadband.   Tim

Around 15 years ago I worked for a large UK telecoms company - some contracts were given out to install high capacity digital equipment in the rural areas across 'our patch'. We wondered why this was as there was certainly much more capacity being installed than would be required in the foreseeable future. Then it was all put 'on hold'. Why, because the regulater said that it would be unfair to any possible competition. This was at the time that the cable companies were digging up the roads in urban areas. Well, said cable companies never spread out much beyond the built up areas as they couldn't see a profit in it. The equipment I saw installed? Well, I think it was all removed and put elsewhere. It seemed to me at the time that competition slowed down progress rather than moved things along. Regards - Tim

Clair's suggestion is a good one - if you are able to do so. If I was in your position my suspicions would centre around the dish and it's connections. Inspect the 'F' connector - that's the plug that goes into the Sky box from the dish. These are notorious for coming loose. If it looks ok check to see if any trees have grown near the dish and it's path to the satellite. By the way, don't take too much notice of the signal/quality readings on a Skybox - they are reknowned for their inaccuracy. One of my boxes shows no signal at any time and another one I helped a friend with showed a full signal before I had even put up the dish.[8-)] Regards - Tim

What Anton says is correct - but as I said in my previous post, it's sometimes down to what you can get hold of. Certainly, the FTA boxes bought in France don't update with any frequency changes that may take place, but apart from some recent minor fiddling with ITV channels, there have been no serious changes to any of the main channels for some time. I have helped many people over the last three years get this type of box going, and only rarely do any of them call me to ask for assistance in re-tuning. I mentioned a 'freesat' box, or perhaps a second hand Sky box may be a good purchase, but only if the op is going back to England. Woolybanana'sbrother - You're getting mixed up between satellite and terrestrial - TNT is (mainly) a terrestrial digital TV system (akin to Freeview in the UK). As you say, you can get this through your normal TV antenna to a suitably equipped TV set, or set top box, if you are living in an area covered by the TNT equipped transmitters. To get UK TV reliably, you need a satellite set top box and dish. Where you decide to go for one of these is your choice. I've set out some of the options. A lot of people from the UK brought their Sky boxes with them - this is all fine and easy if you just want the free channels - BBC etc. If you want subscription channels, then you will have to find a way to pay Sky your money - they won't be happy dealing with you from France. The new kid on the block is 'freesat' - small 'f' is deliberate - this is a satellite TV system initiated by the BBC and recently joined by ITV and more recently Channel 4. (and probably 5 later this year - unconfirmed) It uses the same satellites and frequencies - indeed the same transmissions as the Sky system. So a dish pointing at 28.2/5 east will work with a Sky box - a freesat box and a Free to Air Brico box. It's like a lot of things - you pays your money and you takes your choice and to confirm 'free to air' means exactly that - you don't pay any subscription. Come back again if I've totally confused you - or anyone else for that matter. Regards - Tim

Just about any digital satellite receiver will get the Free to Air satellite channels (they are all digital now, by the way) - and you can get these from most Brico's. If you are going back to the UK it may be worth getting a freesat box, or perhaps a second hand Sky box. A 60cm dish will do very well in your part of France and will need to be pointed at the bouquet of satellites at 28.2/5 east. Once installed this should get you all the BBC/ITV channels and Channel 4 and it's associated channels, but not (at the moment) 5.  This may change later in the year. All the BBC radio channels and many others will also be available. The problem you have is you say you want things like the 'History Channel'. This is a pay channel and will involve you in paying subscriptions to Sky and buying a Skybox. Sky have recently tightened up on this sort of thing being supplied abroad. They may be still available over here but I think you need to get hold of a copy of French News, or such like, where some of the companies providing the service advertise. Hope this gives you some idea of what's available. Come back and ask more if needed. Regards - Tim

Mine was refused as well, it was a duplicate of the one on my passport. I don't wear glasses. I've had another taken by my local photographic shop and I await the result. Tim