A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Information and help in the IT field of computers, internet, ISP's, mobile and fixed line telephones plus satellite TV systems.
TerryC
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A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby TerryC » Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:54 pm

1) Has anybody else been experiencing their TV picture breaking up on most channels after about 7.00 pm for the past few weeks?

2) I think my sky free to air box has just given up the ghost. Aboput a dozen times I've unplugged it and left it for a while but it just says that no satellite signal is being received. Perhaps that's the problem with question 1, but I don't think so. If I need a new box any recomendations on the Costa del Sol. I live up near Antequera.

3) 6 months back I changed from Telefonica to another supplier for telephone and dial-up internet connection because it was cheaper. (There is no ADSL where I live). However the new supplier wants to increase the dial-up service by 68% from €19.90 to €32.90 per month because I use the internet a lot. Now I was a contracts manager in my past life so know my way around a contract and they are in breach of the contract, but they hold all the cards. Somebody suggested getting a dongle, so I went into Vodaphone today and I can buy a dongle for €9 and then pay €15/month for 500Mb @ 7.2Mps and thence 128Kbs thereafter with unlimited use. So it would cost less for a better service. But I've heard dongles are pretty useless. I've no way of checking until I get the thing home. I get a reasonable signal with my Movistar mobile where I live. Any thoughts please.

Regards - TerryC

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby chrissiehope » Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:06 pm

Hi Terry,

Can't help with 1) or 2), but for 3) - we are in the campo aout 20 mins away from Antequera, and when we visit we use a Vodafone dongle PAYG. It is supposed to be 3G but we don't usually get a good enough signal for that, so it's mostly GPRS (dial up). If you get a reasonable signal with Movistar, then I would look into one of their dongles - do they still have a shop at La Veronica ?

Good luck :thumbup:
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby El Cid » Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:14 pm

As for 1 & 2 the most likely problem is that either your dish needs realigning or your LNB is shot - they only last about 4 years.

Get a specialist in to check it out.

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby frank » Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:15 pm

[quote="TerryC"]1) However the new supplier wants to increase the dial-up service by 68% from €19.90 to €32.90 per month because I use the internet a lot. Now I was a contracts manager in my past life so know my way around a contract and they are in breach of the contract, but they hold all the cards. Somebody suggested getting a dongle, so I went into Vodaphone today and I can buy a dongle for €9 and then pay €15/month for 500Mb @ 7.2Mps and thence 128Kbs thereafter with unlimited use. So it would cost less for a better service. But I've heard dongles are pretty useless. I've no way of checking until I get the thing home. I get a reasonable signal with my Movistar mobile where I live. Any thoughts please.
Regards - TerryC[/quote]

If they want to up the charge because you use the internet a lot, 500mb won't last you five minutes. :eh:
Regards, Frank

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby satandpcguy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:16 am

TerryC wrote:1) Has anybody else been experiencing their TV picture breaking up on most channels after about 7.00 pm for the past few weeks?

2) I think my sky free to air box has just given up the ghost. Aboput a dozen times I've unplugged it and left it for a while but it just says that no satellite signal is being received. Perhaps that's the problem with question 1, but I don't think so. If I need a new box any recomendations on the Costa del Sol. I live up near Antequera.
If you have unplugged it and poweed back up and still getting "no signal" messgaes, then it sounds like the box is not finding the default transponder of 11778 to perform its initial data download.

You can help the box bootup by asking the box to do its initial data download by temporarily changing the deafult frequency - services 4, 0, 1, select, 2, input a frequency (12129v, 12207v, or any other that you know of on the south beams), save, date and time will appear on the screen, indicating you have located a signal, and eventually the bottom info banner will populate with channel information, and channel will be there.

This boot issue certain seem sto point to a dish or LNB issue, especially if you say you are experiencing breeak up on MOST channels (there are over 200 plus free to air channels spread over various frequencies over 4 satellites so to have break up on MOST of these channels is a serious issue!) not only on one or two channels , but on ALL channels means something like dish alignment and or LNB.

So its down to dish alignment, LNB starting to go, poor connections at the LNB or box end, or cracks in the cable for water ingress...

So you may not need a new box after all...
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby peteroldracer » Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:01 pm

A couple of weeks ago we had a few days where at roughly the same time of day all channels went off with a "technical fault" message being shown. I found that if I selected one of the "other channels" I had programmed in, that came on perfectly and I could then select a "normal" channel by inputting the number and all was well again!
I put it down to alignment of the sun with the satellite signal, which happens at least twice a year it seems.
It has not done it for over a week now, so maybe there is something in my theory?
With all this discussion about new satellites and changes, I am deferring any modernisation of my system until I can be clear what is going to be needed - is this wise?
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby Coin Boy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:24 pm

We have this problem with freeview on our Humax box that we've been using since May and it has got worse in the last few weeks. However, it's a lot less than when we were using a Sky box on the same cable and dish.

I've wondered if a larger dish would make any difference given that we're at the edge of the reception area for the Astra satellite. Any ideas?

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby satandpcguy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:33 pm

peteroldracer wrote:I put it down to alignment of the sun with the satellite signal, which happens at least twice a year it seems.
That happens twice a year, in March and October, where the sun is directly behind the UK TV satellites and its energy basically swamps the weaker (Astra 2d) signals, so you temporarily lose these channels for about 15 minutes at about 1030-1130 for about a week.

It does not happen any other time of the year.
You can see when this is happening on big prime foicus dishes, using the LNB shadow on the dish...and seeing the shaod moving across the centre of the dish, and channels drop out.

In the summer, heat and humidy can also knock out some frequencies.
Coin Boy wrote:We have this problem with freeview on our Humax box that we've been using since May and it has got worse in the last few weeks. However, it's a lot less than when we were using a Sky box on the same cable and dish.I've wondered if a larger dish would make any difference given that we're at the edge of the reception area for the Astra satellite. Any ideas?
You cannot get Freeview in Spain, as it is a UK only terrestrial service, via a TV aerial

You may find your Humax is using different regions to your SKy box, which may account for some differences.

Larger dishes also help, but most of the time the issue is down to dish alignment and LNBs. MOst LNB are only good for the first 3 or 4 years and reception drops... Also, some dishes can "warp" in the heat, so they are not at their optimum shape...
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby Coin Boy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:47 pm

You cannot get Freeview in Spain, as it is a UK only terrestrial service, via a TV aerial

What I should have said was freesat. I'm surprised youd didn't notice the error given your technical knowledge and the fact that I mentioned we use a satellite dish.

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby peteroldracer » Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:31 pm

Coín Boy - he did notice your error - he merely did not give you what you should have said!
Incidentally, if your alias refers to a well-known inland town in Andalucia rather than an item of metal money, you can type it by holding down the AltGr key whilst you press the 'i' key. :wink:
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby satandpcguy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:40 pm

Coin Boy wrote:What I should have said was freesat. I'm surprised youd didn't notice the error given your technical knowledge and the fact that I mentioned we use a satellite dish.
I knew what you meant, but so many people (even "installers"!) misuse and confuse all the terminology (freesat, freeview, free to air, free to view etc) that thought I needed to mention it in case other people saw it and thought thay they could get "freeview in spain", which you cannot.
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby El Cid » Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:46 pm

satandpcguy wrote:
You cannot get Freeview in Spain, as it is a UK only terrestrial service, via a TV aerial
But you can get Freeview in Australia and New Zealand!

No wonder people get confused.

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby satandpcguy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:53 pm

El Cid wrote:But you can get Freeview in Australia and New Zealand!
No wonder people get confused.
:lol:

I have had that asked also: people moving from Convict Islands back to the UK , asking if they can bring their Freeview box can they get Ozzie TV on it!! As its called Freeview in the UK also!!
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby probe » Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:39 pm

satandpcguy wrote:

You cannot get Freeview in Spain, as it is a UK only terrestrial service, via a TV aerial

You may find your Humax is using different regions to your SKy box, which may account for some differences.

Larger dishes also help, but most of the time the issue is down to dish alignment and LNBs. MOst LNB are only good for the first 3 or 4 years and reception drops... Also, some dishes can "warp" in the heat, so they are not at their optimum shape...
I didn't realise the LNBs only lasted this time. Can you just plug in a new one and providing you don't shift the dish it will continue to work?

Probe

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby El Cid » Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:53 pm

Yes, just make a note of the skew angle - mark it with a pencil.

Most people recommend the Inverto Black Ultra for this area if you have the normal offset dish..

Sid

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby satandpcguy » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:11 pm

probe wrote:I didn't realise the LNBs only lasted this time. Can you just plug in a new one and providing you don't shift the dish it will continue to work?
As soon as you connect the LNBs to the receiver they start to lose performance.
Its only after a number of years that it comes really noticable, especially if you are trying to get weaker channels in fringe reception areas.

Yes its a case of just swapping it over.
But not so much "dont move the dish", the critical part of LNBs is distance from the face of the dish - too far or too close and reception is not at its maximun, and the skew (angle) of the LNB is very very very critical - for both a millimeter wrong can greatly affect reception. These are things that a pro signal meter can see, and a "beeper" unit does not.
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby annfoto » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:21 pm

El Cid wrote:Yes, just make a note of the skew angle - mark it with a pencil.

Most people recommend the Inverto Black Ultra for this area if you have the normal offset dish..

Sid
How come these work in this part of the world, they are black and must get to about 60C in the summer?
Ann

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby El Cid » Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:38 pm

annfoto wrote:
El Cid wrote:Yes, just make a note of the skew angle - mark it with a pencil.

Most people recommend the Inverto Black Ultra for this area if you have the normal offset dish..

Sid
How come these work in this part of the world, they are black and must get to about 60C in the summer?

Dunno - but they do!

Sid

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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby malagaman2005 » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:46 pm

El Cid wrote:Yes, just make a note of the skew angle - mark it with a pencil.

Most people recommend the Inverto Black Ultra for this area if you have the normal offset dish..

Sid
Sid, would this one be suitable for my 1.3m dish? It says in the spiel about a 40mm fitting?
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Re: A mixed bag of questions for the experts!

Postby dxf » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:41 pm

Hi

I always use a dongle what with living in the campo. I have a Movistar on contract (use it a t home 24X7 for www.chiclana-weather-station.org) and both a vodafone (now expensive) and a carrefour (uses Orange network) PAYG dongle

I had a look at all available and chose Carrefour as the best option. I have used the dongles all over Spain, currently in Cañar, and they normally now pick up a 3G signal

Davexf


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