Antenna Power Overload Detected

Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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I have just bought a new Bush Set Top Box from Argos and have set it up OK, everything works fine, but this message flashes up when I turn it on.

I contacted the Argos technical helpline and the person I spoke to didn't seem to have much idea.

In the end she advised me to contact an aerial engineer to sort out my aerial, but I'm reluctant to do that. it would probably be cheaper to buy a new box!

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks.
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  • MuzerMuzer Posts: 3,668
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    Does it have an "Aerial power" option or something along those lines in the menu? If so, try turning it off. That function causes it to send power back through the aerial in order to power a booster, but if your aerial doesn't have a booster, it would probably just short out the box, causing that message to be dispalyed. That's a problem I had on my Humax PVR-9200T.
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    ..... i assume the box can output 12v for a masthead amplifier, and there's a short circuit on your aerial lead (which means you won't get any channels!).
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    Muzer wrote: »
    Does it have an "Aerial power" option or something along those lines in the menu? If so, try turning it off. That function causes it to send power back through the aerial in order to power a booster, but if your aerial doesn't have a booster, it would probably just short out the box, causing that message to be dispalyed. That's a problem I had on my Humax PVR-9200T.

    It has a "low power" option, I have tried that on and off and I still get the message.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    spiney2 wrote: »
    ..... i assume the box can output 12v for a masthead amplifier, and there's a short circuit on your aerial lead (which means you won't get any channels!).

    I don't know what that means, but I've got all the channels.

    The box is working fine, it's just this message flashes up every time I turn it on.

    I only got it today, so have only used it for testing, really. i don't want the thing to blow up if I have it on for a couple of hours!
  • naddieuknaddieuk Posts: 1,974
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    I have a Goodmans Freeview box and have noticed that same message as well. I just press OK and ignore it since all the channels seem to show up.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    Look for something called Antenna Power or the like in the set up menus. I would imagine it would use a similar terminology to the error message.

    As others have said it may have the option to send a DC voltage up the aerial lead to power a masthead amplifier (a booster that sits up on the pole just under the aerial). If there is no such amplifier then the aerial looks like a short circuit at DC even though it works fine for receiving TV signals. The box detects this, hence the message, but if designed properly it will simply shut off the voltage to prevent any damage to anything.

    So if you can't find an option to turn it off permanently it is unlikely to do any harm.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    It has a "low power" option, I have tried that on and off and I still get the message.
    I suspect that is when you put it into Standby. Many boxes have an option to go into an even deeper sleep when you turn them off via the button on the remote to save a few extra watts of electricity.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    naddieuk wrote: »
    I have a Goodmans Freeview box and have noticed that same message as well. I just press OK and ignore it since all the channels seem to show up.

    LOL I'd be happy to ignore it, so long as my box/telly/living room doesn't blow up! :D
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    I don't know what that means, but I've got all the channels.

    The box is working fine, it's just this message flashes up every time I turn it on.

    I only got it today, so have only used it for testing, really. i don't want the thing to blow up if I have it on for a couple of hours!

    Then I'm stumped! A short circuit would also prevent reception. I can only assume a very brief intermittent short - are you moving anything around ?
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    (Originally Posted by naddieuk
    "I have a Goodmans Freeview box and have noticed that same message as well. I just press OK and ignore it since all the channels seem to show up".)
    LOL I'd be happy to ignore it, so long as my box/telly/living room doesn't blow up! :D


    then it sounds like a software glitch.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    chrisjr wrote: »
    I suspect that is when you put it into Standby. Many boxes have an option to go into an even deeper sleep when you turn them off via the button on the remote to save a few extra watts of electricity.

    Thanks, I wondered what that was :)

    I can't find anything similar to Antenna Power in the menus.

    I'll just live with it, I think, as naddieuk seems to.

    Thank you all very much for your replies :)
  • MuzerMuzer Posts: 3,668
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    Pretty sure it's not - my Humax was doing exactly the same thing (channels were coming through fine, just it permanantly had "The antenna cable is short-circuited" on the screen until I turned off the Antenna Power option).
  • ProDaveProDave Posts: 11,398
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    It wouldn't be trying to tell you the signal level it is receiving is too strong and likely to overload the receiver?

    Try powering it up with the aerial unplugged and see if you still get the message.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    ProDave wrote: »
    It wouldn't be trying to tell you the signal level it is receiving is too strong and likely to overload the receiver?

    Try powering it up with the aerial unplugged and see if you still get the message.

    It just says "no signal".
  • brumlad36brumlad36 Posts: 2,802
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    spiney2 wrote: »
    Then I'm stumped! A short circuit would also prevent reception.

    No, it wouldn't. If the aerial has a folded dipole (with no Balun), it would appear to be short circuit at DC, but would be working as it should at RF.

    Chris.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    brumlad36 wrote: »
    No, it wouldn't. If the aerial has a folded dipole (with no Balun), it would appear to be short circuit at DC, but would be working as it should at RF.

    Chris.

    I don't know what DC and RF mean.
  • MuzerMuzer Posts: 3,668
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    DC is direct current - what the box may be trying to send up to try to power the (nonexistant) booster.

    RF is radio frequency - in other words, the TV signals.
  • N.DeanN.Dean Posts: 1,680
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    I know an Alba box that has always showns that message. The aerial is fine on analogue and digital, so there is no fault.
    Perhaps it is saying that signal is too strong.
    The box works, so I ignore it.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    So is this potentially terminal?

    What I don't want is to have to buy another box in a few weeks because this one is buggered, when I could have prevented it.

    But I also don't want to spend money on this box/aerial because it's only a cheap one, and I might as well buy a more expensive box if I'm going to do that.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    So is this potentially terminal?

    What I don't want is to have to buy another box in a few weeks because this one is buggered, when i could have prevented it.

    But I also don't want to spend money on this box/aerial because it's only a cheap one, and I might as well buy a more expensive box if I'm going to do that.

    If the box is able to tell you that the DC voltage it produces to power an amplifier is being short circuited by the antenna then it ought to be clever enough to switch it off.

    This is even more likely if there really is no option to turn it off permanently in the setup menus of the box. It would have to be able to cope with no amplifier to power. I suspect there are far more aerials with no amplifier than there are ones with.

    So it is unlikely that it will cause any problems at all.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    chrisjr wrote: »
    If the box is able to tell you that the DC voltage it produces to power an amplifier is being short circuited by the antenna then it ought to be clever enough to switch it off.

    This is even more likely if there really is no option to turn it off permanently in the setup menus of the box. It would have to be able to cope with no amplifier to power. I suspect there are far more aerials with no amplifier than there are ones with.

    So it is unlikely that it will cause any problems at all.

    Thanks.

    Perhaps the fact that the message just flashes on and then off means it is sorting itself out?

    I really am grateful that people have taken the time to help me out with this You are all stars!:)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 965
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    You could just try doing a fresh install, it there is an option to send power up the coax then it should ask you if you want it activated or not.
  • albertdalbertd Posts: 14,341
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    I have just bought a new Bush Set Top Box from Argos and have set it up OK, everything works fine, but this message flashes up when I turn it on.
    Is there no handbook with the box which tells you what the message is supposed to signify?
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    albertd wrote: »
    Is there no handbook with the box which tells you what the message is supposed to signify?

    There is a handbook, but this is not covered in it.

    When I phoned customer services (the number given in the handbook), the person I spoke to said it was "not normal" :rolleyes: then said she didn't know what it was, then went to confer with someone, then said to get an aerial engineer to look at it.

    But, as I said before, if I do that, I might as well as get a new box, as it will be cheaper.

    My old box, an Oggi, I had for 6 years with no problems, until it gave up the ghost this weekend.

    I had it on last night for a few hours with no apparent harm, but the message is still flashing on whenever I turn it on.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2
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    I've had exactly this issue as well. I only get intermittent chances to do such things as I'm trying to assist an elderly relative on brief visits over to Northern Ireland and at present haven't solved it. A new Bush STP reports "antenna power overload" then "database empty" and will not scan for channels so is unusable. Unplugging the antenna does make the message go away so I suspect the signal is indeed too strong. There are no amplifiers and I see no options on the STP menu. My current thought is to install an attenuator. Has anyone tried this? I note they are available for just a few pounds so seem worth a try but I won't be able to try it for a while. I also note that they do not pass DC - does this matter? They have an aerial mounted in the loft rather than outside, but it does seem to be the same as an external one - this provides good analogue signal and did work for digital until the old STP (same model Bush) failed. I did wonder if changes leading up to switchover (2012 over there) have meant an increase in power which is now too high (could it have broken the old STP?)
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