Picture quality

Tom Dunne

Hi All,

over the last few nights, at around 10pm, my channels have gone extremely blocky and impossible to watch. I called Sky, who ran through the usual tests.

My signal strength was approx 50% and the signal quality was hovering at around 0-8% (I reckon). The lock indicator was on. The nice chap asked me to power off the box and he sent a signal down to do something, which as it turns out did nothing. He eventually said I would have to get somebody out, at a cost of €85!

Last night there were no clouds in the sky (the atmospheric sky, that is), and my signal quality had gone up to around 15%, with the occasional blockyness.

Is there anything I can do to get the signal quality/strength back up (e.g. move the dish slightly)? €85 is a tad steep if I can do this myself.

Thanks,

TD.

carrolls

I had the same problem about 6 months ago,
and what I did was replace my existing coaxial cable with
High gain CT100 19dB coaxial cable. Used gold crimps
on both sides and optimized it to have minimum length up to the Minidish.
(The Sky Install technician had used (With my permission I might add)
an existing coaxial cable that was coming from the roof, and it was about 3 times longer than was needed and was of the cheaper W109 brown cable type).

Ever since I changed the cable, the picture has been perfect and the signal
is always above 80% with very little artefacts or blocking.

My advice is Get an accurate measurement of cable length need, go to a TV repair shop, ask for High gain CT100 cable of that length and ask him to put gold plated digibox crimped connecters on the ends.
Then DIY it to your hearts content.

chernobyl

Well a high gain cable or standard coax could improve things..but how far is the dish from the box?

Saruman

might do it.. though my dad drilled right through my sky cable (muppet) but he stuck it back together with masking tape i think and the signal is perfect..

Tom Dunne

Originally posted by chernobyl
Well a high gain cable or standard coax could improve things..but how far is the dish from the box?

It's about 8 meters as the crow flies, but the cable would be about 12-15 meters.

Dec

Tom, I had a similar problem. On certain days/ time of day I was getting a patchy/blocky picture. I called Sky who ran through the same tests with no Joy. They told me that they would send around an engineer in 4 weeks. My signal strength/quality meter was similar to yours + my footie interactive was never working.

Anyway an Engineer called in Saturday morning and reckons that my digibox was fried, he said it could be lightning (I cant remember any recently), although the weekend it happened there was high winds apparently but I was away.
Anyway he replaced the Grundig box with a Pace one and the signal strength is now at 100% and quality about 90%. I did not have to pay anythiing as I was still under warranty. I also rang Sky about refund for dodgy 4 weeks and they agreed. Even repayed the 3 PPV footie games that I could see but fell within the trouble period !!!.

If your picture was ok and has now only started being dodgy you may have to get the engineer around ! - I hope you are still under warranty !

Tom Dunne

Alas, no, I am not under warranty.

Sky became available on the 1st of September, 2000. I ditched Chorus that very day.

Tony

Originally posted by tom dunne
Alas, no, I am not under warranty.

Sky became available on the 1st of September, 2000. I ditched Chorus that very day.

Tom if you are in south or west Dublin area we can look at this for you for a lot less than €85 although it may well be the receiver as others have suggested.

Thanks

Tom Dunne

I am in Enfield, Co. Meath. Is that too far west?