[Granny McSmith]

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.

[Muzer]

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.

[spiney2]

..... 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 McSmith]

Originally Posted by Muzer

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 McSmith]

Originally Posted by spiney2

..... 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!

[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.

[chrisjr]

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.

[chrisjr]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

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 McSmith]

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!

[spiney2]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

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 ?

[spiney2]

(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".)

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

LOL I'd be happy to ignore it, so long as my box/telly/living room doesn't blow up!

then it sounds like a software glitch.

[Granny McSmith]

Originally Posted by chrisjr

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

[Muzer]

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).

[ProDave]

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 McSmith]

Originally Posted by ProDave

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".

[brumlad36]

Originally Posted by spiney2

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 McSmith]

Originally Posted by brumlad36

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.

[Muzer]

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.Dean]

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 McSmith]

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.

[chrisjr]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

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 McSmith]

Originally Posted by chrisjr

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!

[azimo]

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.

[albertd]

Originally Posted by Granny McSmith

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 McSmith]

Originally Posted by albertd

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" 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.