I have a basic Sky box with no monthly subscription which means I get all the freeview channels. Recently there is a fault developed due to which I cannot receive many channels including BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, ITV2, ITV3, BBC News and more. If I restart (switch off then switch on) the equipment from mains then I do start receiving some of the above channels but not all. Does anyone know where the actual fault is (dish or box) and how to mend it? Thank you very much.

Guru, September 2009

I heard that Sky have been reducing the bandwith on non HD channels to allow them more capacity to transmit their new HD channels. Anyone know if this is true ??

DrMoonboots, January 2010

I receive BBC2 on Sky bit it is very unreliable. It is common for it to cut out 3 to 4 time a hour while viewing or recording.
The problem does not seem to be getting any better and since all other channels are OK, the signal strength and quality are above 70% I have rulled out in my mind any problems with the box, dish or LNB.
Sky answer to the problem is change things but this does not seem logical.

Drmoonboots, January 2010

You might be best to do a system health check.
On the remote go to SERVICES press 4 then 8
this'll tell you if your dish is receiving properly.
Then Press Back -up Press 4 and press 4 again scroll to the bottom and click on Find Channels You may need to change the Frequencies and the polarisation to gain all the channels you're lookin for

(X-DJ)neps, September 2009

I can be the LNB on the Dish or the ST Box or the cables.

Is it a Grundig box? They have been known to do that. They can be repaired but if it is a Grundig, I would bin it and buy a new Freesat (that's what you have - not Freeview.) box for about fifty quid. Spend a hundred and you can have BBC HD as well.

You only need the card for Free To View channels. Free To Air Channels like BBC and ITV work without a card.

T, September 2009

Hello Peccavi,

I have checked the cable connecting from the dish to the box, it is fine.

Does anyone know what could be the problem?

Thanks,
Guru

Guru, September 2009

Thanks for the prompt response. I will try to check the cables in the evening.

However I would have thought if there was a fault in the cables then all the channels would show the fault? But I see the fault only on some channels. For e.g. Sky News is never a problem, it always appears OK in first attempt, but BBC2, ITV, Channel4 and FIVE (just to name a few), sometimes work and sometimes don't. The message I see is "No satellite signal is being received".

Before the problem got worse, if I waited when the above message was displayed it would eventually show the channel after sometime. But now even after long wait it doesn't receive anything.

The box (Grundig make) was functioning perfectly since it was installed in 2003 till I started experiencing this problem.

I have also checked the dish outside the house. I cleaned the cobwebs around it with a garden broom. It is perfectly mounted and still sturdy (no movement whatsoever).

Questions:
1. Are there any parts within the dish (or box) that need to be replaced from time to time?
2. Sky sent out new cards recently but since I am not a paying customer I never received the new card. Could that have caused this problem?

Thanks in advance.

Guru, September 2009

Fault most likely to be in the signal cables that run from dish to box - particularly the cables in your room which may have been knocked - they are the weakest link.

Peccavi, September 2009