Skystar 2 not working properly

[Jontydog]

I have just dug out my old skystar 2 PCI card after not using it for a couple of years but while the card is connected to the LNB I cannot get a signal. When I connect it into the loopthrough on my F3 box it works as long as the f3 box is switched on and picks up over 100 channels. I am assuming that since the card works through the loopthrough its not faulty and all the cables are fine because they are working on the F3. I am using the 4.6.0.9999 drivers as they are the most up to date I can find for the card. I have tried with windows xp 7 and 8 and Ubuntu 13.04 and get the same result with all of them any ideas what could be wrong?

cheers

 

[rolfw]

From the sound of it your card is not powering the LNB, have you checked in the software that LNB power is on?

 

[Hixxy1]

I had a similar problem. Installing different drivers seemed to fix the problem.

 

[Jontydog]

cheers for the quick replies have tried 3 or 4 different drivers all with the same effect and in progdvb there is a tick in the lnb power box. I have thought of a problem though since posting the cable has a join in it as I can't get to the dish as I have no ladders at the moment to get up to connect it directly to the LNB which is a sky octo one. When we moved in this house the dish was up but where it enters the living room they just cut the cable off as virgin is installed pity I didn't think of this yesterday when I was buggering about with it for most of the day lol

 

[Jontydog]

Have now got a straight connection to the LNB with no splits or connectors and am still having the same problem.

 

[smoggy07]

Does the card have a socket on to take power from the computers PSU? The motherboard may not be passing enough power to the card or the PSU might not be powerful enough to run the voltage required to power the card

I take it this is a new (or newer) PC than the one you originally had the card in?

 

[Llew]

Have now got a straight connection to the LNB with no splits or connectors and am still having the same problem.

Which skystar version do you have? V2.6 used to short or burn out the 22kHz buffer choke with an accidental short at the LNB (I've been there). If you're lucky, it might just have blown the fuse, although being an SMD it's tricky to replace.

 

[Captain Jack]

Does sound like a power issue. Have you measured the output with a multimeter to see if that is indeed the problem?

 

[Jontydog]

Does the card have a socket on to take power from the computers PSU? The motherboard may not be passing enough power to the card or the PSU might not be powerful enough to run the voltage required to power the card

I take it this is a new (or newer) PC than the one you originally had the card in?

No there's no socket on the card for power and yes its a newer pc than the one I had before

Which skystar version do you have? V2.6 used to short or burn out the 22kHz buffer choke with an accidental short at the LNB (I've been there). If you're lucky, it might just have blown the fuse, although being an SMD it's tricky to replace.

I think it is v2.6 and I have read about the burn out problem on another forum

Does sound like a power issue. Have you measured the output with a multimeter to see if that is indeed the problem?

I don't have a multimeter to measure the output but I might try just unplugging everything and trying with just the windows 7 hard drive gfx card and skystar plugged in as I have 5 hard drives in my machine and 2 dvd drives which I suppose are all using power. Will try that today as a last resort if that doesn't sort it then it will be time for the bin and get either another sat receiver or dvb-s card lol

 

[Lazarus]

Crikey, that PC Power Supply is being worked hard ...................... sufficiently so as to be consistent with being the likely root cause of your Card issue.

Do let us know the outcome of today's tinkering!

 

[Jontydog]

still no joy unplugged everything apart from 1 drive and my ss2 and gfx card Got it connected back up to the loopthrough on my F3 box and with the box switched on I have got 250 channels