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Loss of HD Channels again

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 68
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in Freesat #1
For the third time in two weeks I have lost all my HD Channels on my Humax Foxsat box via a communal aerial. The TV shows - No or bad signal. I have tried a retune and checked all my connections. If left for a few hours the picture returns. Is this a communal dish problem , a Freesat changing of settings or should I leave my box and TV in standby overnight. . This is north Derbyshire.

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    grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    #2
    patrickpatsy wrote: »
    For the third time in two weeks I have lost all my HD Channels on my Humax Foxsat box via a communal aerial. The TV shows - No or bad signal. I have tried a retune and checked all my connections. If left for a few hours the picture returns. Is this a communal dish problem , a Freesat changing of settings or should I leave my box and TV in standby overnight. . This is north Derbyshire.

    When tuned to a missing channel. Menu - System - Diagnostics. It will tell you the signal strength and quality the box is getting.

    At a guess it's an issue with the dish or multiswitch it's connected to.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 68
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    #3
    Graham, thanks for that. I have just tried your suggestion and the signal strength and quality - Zero.
    I have asked engineer to look at the dish. I notice that when I did a retune, no HD channels came on the menu only Channel 4 HD and NHK HD.
    I tried a manual input and No channels found. So your explanation seems to be on the spot. Will let you know after the engineer. Thanks.
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    REPASSACREPASSAC Posts: 2,017
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    #4
    patrickpatsy wrote: »
    For the third time in two weeks I have lost all my HD Channels on my Humax Foxsat box via a communal aerial. The TV shows - No or bad signal. I have tried a retune and checked all my connections. If left for a few hours the picture returns. Is this a communal dish problem , a Freesat changing of settings or should I leave my box and TV in standby overnight. . This is north Derbyshire.

    Your Foxsat needs to be in standby at 03:00 GMT for housekeeping to take place when channel and transponder changes will be picked up.

    My Humax unit does shows any signal if quality drops below 35% or when it can no longer decode it.
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    MartinPickeringMartinPickering Posts: 3,711
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    #5
    I didn't understand your reference to "communal aerial".

    As regards your Freesat problem, the first thing to do is to check your connecting leads to the wall plate. Preferably replace them with WF100 leads. In my experience, this solves many intermittent "no signal" problems. It's easy to make your own, high quality leads.
    http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm

    If that doesn't help, grab an old Sky Digibox and use it to test the signal. If that works OK for a day, your Freesat box is faulty.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 68
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    #6
    Martin, many apologies it should be Communal DISH. The engineer has apparently realigned the dish and the signal strength is now 85% and I am back to receiving the HD channels. I have since found out that nearly all the other neighbours are Sky viewers and their reception wasn't affected. Strange.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 68
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    #7
    Apparently I was wrong. The engineer hasn't realigned the dish as he has just appeared today and unfortunately not attempted to rectify it as there was a swarm of bees hanging around the foliage near where the dish etc is located. Fair enough I would be a bit wary too. So I asked him why I have got the HD channels again. He said could be numerous reasons eg. A bird pecking at the end of the LNBF ( I think that is the name) causing a hole and wet getting in etc. An issue with the satellite signal???
    I gave it up as a bad job then and he said that he would be back when the bees etc disappeared. I just cannot believe it especially how they came back without adjustment..
    Signal strength 85% quality 100%.
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    Dr.OliverTwichDr.OliverTwich Posts: 1,580
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    #8
    I'd be suspicious of a dodgy connection on the feed to your Foxsat (as all your neighbours are unaffected and all BBC HD, ITV HD and C4HD are the same signals used by both freesat and $ky boxes.

    Certainly worth wiggling the connection cable and plugs about to see if you can replicate the problem? A new cable might cure it or even a re-make of the existing one? The problem might be inside the wallplate and/or cables from there to the communal antenna (aerial/dish) system.

    Anything affecting the LNB itself should cause issues for your neighbours.

    Trouble is intermittent faults are difficult for a technician to diagnose when they are not present at the time of a visit.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 68
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    #9
    Thanks for that DrOliverTwich. If I get the problem again will try a new cable. I just couldn't understand why nobody else had problems too.
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    HumidHumid Posts: 1,790
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    #10
    I believe over the last few weeks channels have slowly changed from one satellite to another. That & the dish slightly out of alignment could have produced the problem. The cable from the distributor box to your connection could be poor or even the distributor box may have a slightly lower output on your connection, touch wood it's not your Humax.
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