Satellite install help needed!

[lynpy]

Hi there

After 18months here we've at last got round to installing our uk satellite dish & sky box (grundig)!

The dish is up, the box plugged in but we have no signal at all. The signal test shows that it's not locked and the Network ID & Transport stream doesnt even budge when we move the dish. I did read that unless the dish is spot on the Grundig system wont show anything but how reliable that information is I have no idea. Anyhow I went and bought a signal meter yesterday which is supposed to 'blip'. However I just get a long tone and then a higher pitched long tone. So we decided to go with the higher pitched tone, but still no luck. I have turned the box on and off etc and now I am begining to loose patience!

I'd be grateful if anyone knows what the problem could be. Perhaps we need a new dish or a new LNB?

We are situated 40mins north of La Rochelle  in 85 so from the info I've read I believe that the size of dish isn't a problem.

One other thing, we have French tv with a dish and I tried the signal meter on that to see what the tone would be. Again it's just a long tone - so either that's what I'm looking for or the signal meter isnt working.

Many Thanks & Happy New Year!

Lynpy

 

 

[Bugsy]

One thing to bear in mind is that the basic signal meters do not identify the correct satellite, only a satellite and some of them are really close together.

Digital signals also have a ten second delay as apposed to analogue which was virtually instant.

I don't, of course, know your particular setup, but I set ours up by rigging up a small portable tv in a position where I could see it, whilst moving the dish. That does make it a very simple option, if you are able to do it.

Good Luck

[Benjamin]

Or find your local TV shop/satelite installer and they'll come round with their professional sat finder and do it for you. It will only take a couple of minutes.

I know we all like to save a few bob but sometimes it's just not worth it.

I don't know exactly where you are but we used Menanteau in Avrillé.

[Pierre ZFP]

It's really not difficult but does take a bit of care.  If you are .5 degree off then you miss the satellite by 400 miles! Even tightening the clamps on the dish can move it by a critical amount.  I presume you want Astra 2D wich is situated 28.2 degrees East of South. It's not the length of tone but the intensity you're after. If you're getting any tone at all then the dish/LNB/receiver are fine.  Seach the forums here as this has been answered many times.

Incidently, if you are happy with the Free To Air stuff broadcast (all BBC, most ITV and lots of others) don't even bother with a Sky receiver, any old digital one from the local Brico (around 40 euros - no monthly fees) will do

[lynpy]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have done a fair amount of research already to try and get the correct direction and tilt and I'm quite sure we're pretty close.

We'll have another go at the weekend as we ended up working in the dark last night - my OH outside and of course me inside with a child in between shouting instructions!

Pierre, thanks for confirming that it's the intensity of the tone, and yes, we only want the free stuff - so only using the sky receiver as we already had it. It just bothered me that it wasn't picking up any signals at all.

Regards

Lynpy

 

[Pierre ZFP]

I assume you're connecting the sat finder to the LNB at the dish end?  Then OH can do it all by himself while you sit in the warm and dry [;-)]

[Anyone for Cricket?]

I agree with the previous poster, we spent a while getting irrate with the darn thing then called on the local TV ariel company, he was up the ladder and finished in minutes, it was well worth it!  We have been able to set our second one up ourselves but that was luck, if it doesn't happen soon go find a man that can!!

[Dave&Olive]

hi

     OK hope this helps , when i set mine up be-it without a meter, i set it up on a work mate on the ground ,set the angles, direction ,lnb settings as per the book , and it worked perfect........ bolted it to the wall and nowt !!!!! after 4 hours up the ladder ,sat down with the old glass of vino and it hit me in the face ...the walls tapper in at the top ,IE thick walls at the bottom thin at the top straight on the inside but lean in on the outside ,the setting was 2 settings out for the vertical ,, just a thought.

                       dave

[lynpy]

 

Well we had another go tonight as OH home before dark.

Still no luck, yet the signal meter seemed to hit on something and still we have no signal on the sky box - no movement whatsover.  It's completely blank so think I'm going to have to call in the experts.

I've avoided it so far as on paper it didn't seem too difficult to do!

Thanks again

Lynpy

[cooperlola]

When you say there is no signal on the sky box, is this on the TV screen or the box itself?  Have you got the telly set up correctly? Again, just a thought.

[Chardie]

Hi Lynpy

I bet you already know of these sites but here goes anyway.

I found  two sites that give very good information www.SatelliteForCaravans.co.uk this tells you in a simple to understand manner how to set up and what to look for useing the setup menu on screen via  the digibox. It certainly helped me.

The other site you may also get some answeres from is Satcure (just google it and you should find it ) The set up is simple in theory even without a sat beeper but in reality it is important that you move the dish in VERY SMALL increments and let the digibox "rest" between movements.  Good Luck

Chardie

[lynpy]

Thanks, I've actually been using the set up guide off the caravan site! It's been the best guide I've come across.

When I say there is no signal - I'm looking at the signal test screen on the tv via the sky receiver.  The Network ID and Transport stream are supposed to change top 0002 and 07d4 and there should be some signal strength.  I've got 0000 & 0000 and no signal at all. The Lock Indicator is Not Locked and that should change to OK at some point.

I keep turning the receiver on and off as suggested via the caravan site but nothing happens. I think if I had some sign of a signal even if it was the wrong one I'd be happy to carry on trying.  

I've now decided to try a few glasses of wine - you never know!

Lynpy

[ChezShells]

I start by pointing the dish South and go east with the dish slightly leaning back or at roughly 11 am in the morning point the dish where the sun is, starting south going east you will first come to a satellite with a strong signal thinking you have it, no numbers will show, keep going east and you will get it.

 

Lee

[ChezShells]

Make sure the cable is cut right, wiith the outer wire wrapped around the outside and not touching the middle bit!

[cooperlola]

I got my box installed for me but this really does sound like a connection problem if you don't ever get even a glimmer of a signal.  Yes, check all the cable connections again - you haven't had the mice in have you?[:)]

[Pierre ZFP]

Good point.  The cable draws water in like a wick so you need completly weatherproof connections on the exterior fittings.  Although it pains me to say it, Duck tape just won't do.   You need the proper rubber boots to cover the screw connectors, especially if you have had the rain like we had over New Year

[Ergotherpeut1]

Just before Christmas we had a problem with our signal, I played around with it trying to grt a lock but ...... Mrs Ergo and the children were starting to get really worried.  I called Stuart from Aulnay Electronique, 0546 240591, got to give it to him, he was here promptly, got the signal back stronger than it had ever been and changed the way our setup was in relation to the video, DVD player. etc. so now everything works so much better.  To boot he was incredibly reasonble in terms of pricing (35e).  I think he has a listing in the Artisans Anglais section.  I would recommend him.

[Martin963]

It is notoriously difficult to set up a dish using a Sky box; (it's deliberate,  Murdoch doesn't want you learning too easily how to stray onto other satellites where programmes he charges for are broadcast free to air!).   In addition,  any relay-calling system is pretty much doomed!

If you can,  borrow a bog standard free to air digital satellite receiver which has been set up to work on Astra 2 already.   Get a portableTV ,  wire them all up outdoors where the dish wielder can see the screen and the signal meter displayed thereon,  and line it up that way.   Forget the signal meter,  if it's a cheap one it's probably less than useless (I should know,  I bought one and it's pathetic!).

Bon courage

[Bugsy]

This thread is starting to demand the question, " How many people does it take to set up a sky dish and box?"

17 so far..............................[:)]

[cooperlola]

No, Gary, the answer to the question is always 1.  Martin W in the case of all things telly; Sunday Driver for all things car and... well all things really, Chrispp for all things nature and eco' related.  I'm sure there are many others I've forgotten. The rest of us just like to get our two pennyworth in![:D]

[Martin963]

You're too kind,  and if only you'd known Mazan - well he really was THE expert,  if a bit grumpy at times (Hi Mazan!)

If France wasn't so big and if I wasn't sitting in Devon at this moment I'd go to the Vendée and do it myself.

[lynpy]

Martin, you'd be more than welcome here!!!![:D]

After so many helpful responses I've decided to either buy a different box or to get someone in to do it.   I'll probably opt for the latter, just depends on how much a new box is.

Anyway after 18 months without UK TV, what's another few days, weeks, months???!

Thanks everyone

Lynpy

[Martin963]

Don't be too downhearted - it's like so many things,  once you've done a few you develop a sort of sixth sense and generally it gets to be very fast.

However,  just before Christmas I had a call from a Devon neighbour who had - without thinking about it - moved his dish to a new location on the house and couldn't get it to work.  On inspection he was trying to get at Astra 2 via several large ash trees.  This in spite of the fact I'd told him three years ago that that part of his house was unsuitable.  It's amazing how many otherwise intelligent people (he's even a JP) think that they can re-write the laws of physics!

Anyway,  choose the right installer and it shouldn't be too expensive and - provided the bolts are done up properly - it's a one off cost.

[Deauville]

Merci Pierre, you've answered a question I've wondered about for a while - local brico digboxes are ten a penny BUT does a UK FTA card work in them or are they pre-programmed to only accept French cards?

[Martin963]

The encryption system that Sky uses (and thus used by C4 and C5 etc) is videoguard,  and in flagrant disregard of EU legislation Murdoch refuses to allow the incorporation of the decryption circuits in anything other than Sky boxes. 

Generally the cheap boxes in Bricowhatever are FTA,  ie they have no decryption at all,   The next stage up is a receiver with a CAM slot;  this allows you to buy the necessary CAM (conditional access module) and slide it into the slot.  A CAM is the same size as a PCMCIA unit but configured differently;  in this case it acts as a specific card reader for that specific encryption system.   Having bought your CAM and slid it in,  you then slide your legitimate satellite card in;  for TPS you'd buy a Viaccess CAM and slide in a TPS card,  for Canalsat you'd buy a Mediaguard/Aston CAM and slide in a Canalsat card.   With Sky you OUGHT under EU law to be able to buy a Videoguard CAM but - guess what - they aren't made.

Having mentioned TPS and Canalsat,  I should add that they don't make it easy to buy cards on their own;  they'd much rather (unlike Sky) rent you their own box to put the card in.

So you need a Sky box for a Sky card,  whether sub or FTV.