[cadburysmummy]

Hi. First time I have posted and hope that someone out there can help me.

Have Virgin Samsung SMT-2110C (not the + version) with the main tv linked by scart connection. Want to be able to view virgin and change channels on the tv in the bedroom upstairs.

Have read loads of posts on this and so bought a blue delta smart blaster and smart eye as apparently they are the only one that works reliably with virgin. But it's not working! With the aerial running from rf out without the blue delta gear there is a picture upstairs. With the smart blaster in place (plugged into the rf out connection) there is still a picture, as there is when the blue delta smart eye is introduced at the 2nd tv end of the equation. I say this, as at first was unable to get the blue delta smart eye and so tried ano couple of peoples eyes, but they not only wouldn't talk to the blaster, but when in situ the picture quality dropped right down.

Light is on on the blaster, but there's no red light flashing on the smart eye when using the remote control, which I think there should be and def can't change channels.

What am I doing wrong. Read somewhere that the rf out is disabled if you use the scart connection for the main tv and I need some sort of video modulator and run this from the spare scart connection marked vcr on the back of the virgin box. Is this true. I don't know and don't want to waste any more money.

Help me please I'm going insane trying to sort this out.

[spiney2]

i've no personal experience of v boxes, but will try to answer, because no one else has .............

the remote control frequencies from all cable tv receivers (not just virgin!) wont pass through the Global/SLX link wiring system, or most video senders, so you have to use a different type! There's several, and it seems this is one of them, so ok so far !

Many possible things, but from this description, sounds like there's maybe a short in the coax cable (or an inductive plastic aerial splitter used!) going to bedroom. Which wd give a poor picture, and no remote control, because power supply shorted out .......

check this theory, by trying out the complete system in one room using a very short connecting lead.

if that works, look more closely at the cable you were using.

often, you can get a picture but no remote control, because of poor connectors (uhf fine but no d.c. !). In which case, check wiring & jiggle plugs around a bit! However, in this case, it does sound very much like an inductive (plastic) aeiral splitter is involved .......

[spiney2]

..... I can't see why using the scart socket would "switch off" remodulated uhf out. That would be a very bizarre "feature". But you can easily check this via your tv aerial socket!

[cadburysmummy]

Hi. Thanks for your reply. There are definitely no splitters - just one length of coax that runs through the outside wall, around the outside of the house and in again at second floor level. We've jiggled the wiring plus checked the aerial connectors at both ends - but still no joy. Only thing we haven't done is tried it with a shorter piece of aerial lead to see if there is a problem with the longer piece of coax. If there was a short would we still be able to feed the tv upstairs ok without loss of signal? The picture quality is fine until we introduce an eye at the second tv end. Don't think I can check the tv aerial socket as we don't have a standard aerial that plus in - only tv is via virgin media and the v box.

Any further thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanx.

[spiney2]

Is tv picture upstairs ok WITHOUT the link stuff? ie, straight out of vbox into extension cable & directly into aerial socket ?

[cadburysmummy]

Yep absolutely fine. Also is ok with the blue delta smart blaster in place.

We tried a SLX link eye first as people we bought blaster from said it would work cos couldn't get a blue delta eye and this cut the signal down so it became fuzzy. Red light flashed on eye when remote operated, but wouldn't change channels.

We then tried another make of eye and whilst this didn't reduce the picture quality, it wouldn't talk to the smart blaster.

We eventually managed to get hold of a blue delta smart eye, but ditto problems. Picture quality ok, but still won't talk to the blaster.

We have main tv linked via a scart connection out of the back of the virgin box and have read somewhere that this can partially disable the rf out. Do you think this could be the case that rf is ok for transmitting the signal upstairs, but won't allow anything back into the box?

Ano forum said that we needed a modulator so that we could use the spare vcr scart at the back as this will still be live and then plug the blaster into that.

What do you reckon?

Sorry to seem so dense, but this is my daughter's set up - we run sky which with all its problems is loads easier to set up a multi room.

Thanks for your help so far and look forward to your next post.

[spiney2]

obviously this is taking your time and money, that’s not trivial, and these forums are for such problems. But I’m stumped. Possibly blaster, or eye, or both, could be faulty.

Best suggestion is try to find known good units, and try substitution, to see if one or both are faulty.

My reasoning is as follows:

1. This is basically tv link, as made by global/philex. Sky box sends analogue tv signal to tv in another room & remote control commands go other way via eye down cable back to digibox.

http://www.tvlink.co.uk/

2. tv link was extended to non sky equipment, by adding a reverse transducer, ie, electrical back to IR unit, which can then transmit IR commands back to the receiver diodes in most tv equipment. Philex (slx) sell a complete package as “omnilink”.

http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...r-location.htm

3. Cable tv boxes, the remote control modulation frequency is too high to pass through either tv link or most wireless video senders. Only a few particular models can cope.

4. I’m unlclear whether the blaster has ONLY a window, or also a little IR tx diode on a flying lead, to stick over the rx diode on V box. Presumably, you’ve tried either/both ?

5. If you get the tv picture on other tv, then obviously, the v box rf re-modulator is working, and not being turned off ! So that sounds fine, and in any case does not affect the other problem.

6. The fact that a tv-link eye flashed suggests that the coax cable is neither short nor open circuit - so its ok - and that 5v is reaching it from the blaster. But you wouldn’t expect this to change channels, because of the higher cable tv remote control frequencies.

7. that the delta eye didn’t flash (does it have a light?) - when the tv link one did - suggests it might be faulty. But that’s not certain.

8 the blaster might also be faulty, despite sending out power.