Sky Coverage in Germany

[aross23]

Hello,

Please please please can somebody help me. I am living in Regensburg Germany and have a 1m dish with a UK Sky package. When it was first installed (by a professional) I was able to recieve all Sky channels ( Sky sports, movies etc) apart from BBC & ITV. I was told that the signal was too weak in this area for these channels. Anyhow, just recently (last week) I started to loose signals on a daily basis. It started with C4 and now its reached Sky sports, eurosport etc. Sometimes the channels appear if your switch the box off and on, however in the last day the channels have not re-appeared at all. Is it my box (its a 2 yr old re-con Grundig) or is it the signal? IS there anyway to re-set my box? I have checked the dish and its not moved. Any help would be much appreciated.
thanks
A

[Analoguesat]

Grundig digiboxes are notorious for capacitor failure in the power supply area giving exactly the symptoms you describe. Pop the top off the box and you will probably see bulging tops on capacitors in the psu.

You can either get a psu kit from satcure dot com or replace the receiver for somnething more recent.

It wont get C4 back though - they have moved onto Astra 2D - the satellite which is out of range on your dish.

[rolfw]

It will probably be the power supply on the Grundig digibox, they are an old box now and have always suffered with this problem.

Unfortunately people sell Sky digiboxes as reconditioned when they really mean either cleaned, or at the outside they have repaired a fault. The power supply unit can be repaired quite easily by the way. You may be able to buy a reconditioned power supply (they are removable) at this site: _http://www.digiboxes.co.uk/

Very small movements of the dish can affect signals, so you may not be able to identify if it has moved purely by visual inspection.

Do you have somebody who can lend you their receiver to test on your dish?

[aross23]

Thanks for your reply its really appreciated.

Do you think the capacitor would prevent just certain channels being recieved or all channels? As some channels are fine, however there becoming less by the day. Is this normal for a capacitor failure. Any ideas of the best place to get a new box from ( Ebay ?)

thks

[Analoguesat]

I had a Grundig GDS 3000 digibox and it suffered exactly the same synptoms as you described - channels going missing. We struggled on for several weeks until one day we had total loss of all channels as the caps finally went completely out of tolerance.

[rolfw]

Yes, it is typical of the capacitor fault.

Email the site I mentioned above, he may have a replacement power supply.

[aross23]

Thanks to all who posted. Its really apprciated for you to take time out to reply

Final question (I promise) - If i decide to buy a new box, what make would you recommend? The signal is weak where I am - are their any boxes which are more robust with a weaker signal? Is it possible to re-prog a replacement box using the hidden menu yourself or do you need to contact Sky (doh!)

[TonyWhalley]

I live in München so you should have NO problem with a 1 metre dish.

I have used a Pace Sky box for last 3 years with NO problems and have just changed to a Sky HD box (a rubbish Thomson bought on Ebay and rebuilt with power supplies from Satcure and new hard disk).
Both work very well, except I protect the Thomson box as much as possible, my main receiver is a Clarke Tech 5000 HD which will accept the Sky card.

If you do not need specific Sky channels, then buy the CT receiver (BBC and ITV and all the freesat channels) plus currently Prem'''' with English football and films.

Regardless, 1)check dish alignment (a 1 metre should have NO problems except in storms) 2) a very good LNB 3) a decent receiver

You can Skype me on Tonywhalley (but use a valid phone number or ID) - I have a cheap Pace box if you want Sky but not HD!

Regards

[aross23]

Hi,

Please can someone explain why my satellite coverage varies with the time of the day. I recently changed my Sky box and I have noticed that certain channels (BBC, ITV & C4) seem to work ok during certain times of the day. For example - ITV works ok from about 4pm to 9pm, however shortly after 9pm the signals goes all most like a switch has been flicked!

Any help would be good and thanks to everyone who answered my previous problem.

thanks

[Topper]

Hi,
For example - ITV works ok from about 4pm to 9pm, however shortly after 9pm the signals goes all most like a switch has been flicked!

Perhaps that is exactly what is happening, digital equipment such as DECT phones can swamp a particular frequency I doubt it is that in this particular case but if you have a factory close by starting the night shift or the security men switching on specific equipment only used at night. It would be worth monitoring the exact time for a few days. Check the quality of the cable you are using is it sat quality?

Also Germany is big place it is difficult to say if you are in a fringe reception area as you you do not state exactly where you are in Germany

[TonyWhalley]

You are having difficulty with the Astra 2D channels which are offically focused on the UK and therefore provide a weaker signal in Germany.

When I first set up here in Munich, I had a multi LNB (28.2E and 19.2E) and balanced the alignment to give a better signal for both - I noticed that in the late evening if there were any weather problems, I would have difficulty with Astra 2D.
Since learning more and optimising my 1 metre dish for 28.2E (and a separate dish for 19.2E), better cable runs and a far better LNB, it takes a really bad storm to knock out the reception and it is usually a very short loss.
So after all this preamble, my guess is that your satellite dish is NOT optimally aligned on 28.2E or you have a poor LNB - or both. How did you align the dish? - If you used the Sky box then it is odds on it is not setup accurately as their bar signal measurement is crap.

Also what Sky box do you have?
I notice that when I do lose the signal, my Sky HD box goes first and also comes back later than the Clarke Tech receiver I use for most day to day use - my wife likes one controller and one box where she can chose any TV/radio station from 28.2 and 19.2 - something which is not possible with Sky or a Freesat box.
I can even access ITV HD - that is when it is showing something!

Regards
Tony