05-12-2020, 15:14
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#1
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nashville
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rutherglen. Glasgow
Services: Virgin Media
Posts: 5,178
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Freesat problems
Why does certain channels have a message ; Signal weak and there is no picture. Why does BBC Channel picture go distorted and disappear when the weather is bad, Really find this annoying. as far as i know my dish is fitted properly and firm. Any advice .
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05-12-2020, 15:19
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#2
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CF Resident Dog
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 14,353
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Re: Freesat problems
Probably because your signal isn't strong enough, the dish may not be in the best position or location.
Other people here with dishes should be able to give advice.
__________________
PSN: Snoopzster
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05-12-2020, 15:42
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#3
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Perfect Soldier
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Worthing West Sussex
Age: 67
Services: VM 500M SH3 thingy
in modem mode
XL TV V6 Sony Bravia smart TV and M phone
Posts: 11,015
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Re: Freesat problems
Trees or other foliage in the line of sight can cause this.
My sister has this problem with her Sky satellite dish and is going to get the tree that has grown in the way lopped.
__________________
History is much like an endless waltz: The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever.
However history will change with my coronation - Mariemaia Khushrenada
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05-12-2020, 15:50
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#4
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nashville
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rutherglen. Glasgow
Services: Virgin Media
Posts: 5,178
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Re: Freesat problems
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnoopZ
Probably because your signal isn't strong enough, the dish may not be in the best position or location.
Other people here with dishes should be able to give advice.
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My dish has been in the same position for years and all was well. Thanks for the reply Snoop, Waiting for more replies
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05-12-2020, 16:16
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#5
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Trollsplatter
Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: North of Watford
Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests
Posts: 37,052
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Re: Freesat problems
Either your dish is misaligned, or the weather is getting in to either the LNB (the block on the end of the dish arm) or the cable.
The Scottish weather is not kind to satellite installations. Dishes can move a fraction at a time over a period of years when there are high winds. The plastic that the LNB is made of will eventually become brittle and crack, and water will get in. Or, repeated, gradual flexing of the cable will eventually expose the connectors and let water in.
The only solution is to get an aerial installer to come and check the dish. They will ensure it is correctly aligned, and they will check the LNB and cable for signs of weathering, and replace parts as required. There's no way around this, it is going to need professional attention and it is going to cost you money (in the region of £100 most likely).
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05-12-2020, 16:32
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#6
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,526
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Re: Freesat problems
The LNB (the bit on the end of the pole jutting out of the dish) and the cabling can be affected by weather over the years. You may need to replace one or the other, or both, or the connectors between them. They can get waterlogged or corroded over time, for example.
It could also still be the position, don't dismiss it too soon because it looks fine to the eye and isn't swaying in the breeze. Wind over the years may have slightly changed the alignment of the dish, or the LNB relative to the dish.
Some tuners have a different sensitivity to others, can you borrow another box to see if that has it any better? It could be the box, though less likely.
---------- Post added at 16:32 ---------- Previous post was at 16:30 ----------
I see I was beaten to it as I was composing.
Chris' explanation is better.
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05-12-2020, 16:45
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#7
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Trollsplatter
Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: North of Watford
Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests
Posts: 37,052
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Re: Freesat problems
I think Nashville is waiting to see how many people say the same thing before she's ready to pay someone to come out ...
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05-12-2020, 16:46
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#8
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nashville
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rutherglen. Glasgow
Services: Virgin Media
Posts: 5,178
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Re: Freesat problems
My box is not really old and i do not know anyone else with another box, I still have Virgin in another room with the basic channels that I do not use that I could change back too, but do did not want to do this as I like Freesat, But £100 is a lot of money to pay out. Thanks for your help .
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05-12-2020, 17:02
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#9
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,919
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Re: Freesat problems
Is it as simple as snow on the dish or LNB?
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05-12-2020, 17:50
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#10
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nashville
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rutherglen. Glasgow
Services: Virgin Media
Posts: 5,178
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Re: Freesat problems
Quote:
Originally Posted by spiderplant
Is it as simple as snow on the dish or LNB?
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Probable be as you say but £100 is a lot of money for a call out ,
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05-12-2020, 22:58
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#11
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Just a Geek
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 3,641
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Re: Freesat problems
If some channels play fine and others do not I would not think it is water damage as this would in theory effect all the channels
You could get a digital sat finder and check alignment yourself or get a friend to . These devices can be got for a tenner
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05-12-2020, 23:07
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#12
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Trollsplatter
Cable Forum Team
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: North of Watford
Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests
Posts: 37,052
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Re: Freesat problems
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaymoss
If some channels play fine and others do not I would not think it is water damage as this would in theory effect all the channels
You could get a digital sat finder and check alignment yourself or get a friend to . These devices can be got for a tenner
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Not really - the sats used to broadcast to the UK are not all in exactly the same place and correct dish alignment is a compromise between them rather than a precise alignment to any one. The dish will be better aligned to some than others (and to complicate things still further each sat beam’s footprint is different, which makes more of a difference closer to the edges, in Scotland for instance).
In short, a perfectly balanced system will be receiving signals from multiple sats at multiple strengths, and when it becomes imbalanced by anything that compromises signal strength at the set top box, some channels will be more significantly impacted than others.
(I have had a water damaged LNB, and it didn’t go from perfect to total failure overnight - it suffered degraded performance that affected some channels more than others as Nashville has described. Though in general I do agree a dish that has shifted slightly is the more likely explanation in her case).
Last edited by Chris; 05-12-2020 at 23:10.
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06-12-2020, 13:31
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#13
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,526
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Re: Freesat problems
Well put Chris.
Not that'll it'll make much difference, but I'm further north than user nashville and I get pretty great reception on everything, and my installation is as old as Switchover.
My current set-up was professionally installed, but my previous one I did myself and I can attest to how tiny differences in movement, and other things, can make a big difference to reception.
I've even had an indoor dish (!) , and glass can be all that's needed to make some channels either borderline or stop reception altogether.
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