Analogue dish and Sky box

Remittub

Recently got given a Thompson Sky box and (separately) a Sky mini dish.
Last weekend, I made a temporary dish installation in the porch, used a signal strength meter to find the satellite, and was amazed to find that I could receive channels ! Now, I have had an old analogue dish up on the roof for many years and (maybe stupidly in retrospect !) so I connected the Sky box to see if I could pick anything up from the old Astra sat - nothing ! Today, I started fitting the sky mini dish up on the roof (where the coax comes down and therefore convenient) Used the signal strength meter and believe that I have aligned it to the Sky sat. Went down and looked to see if I had any channels - nothing ! Is it possible that I've damaged the box through connecting the old analogue dish ?

Markjose

Dish and box are fine could be shtty coax cable, and the digibox would not work with the old sky dish as it has a analogue LNB on the other ennd get sum fresh coax and have another go witht the mini dish

Analoguesat

The lnb on the old dish is probably either an old 10000 MHz type or a single band 9750MHz type both of which only operate on the lower frequency band.

Digital uses the upper band as well, and the epg is carried on the upper band of frequencies. No upper band = no epg

Aligning the new dish - remember that the dish needs to be accurately aligned to within half a degree in all directions or the dish is pointing hundreds of miles away from where the sats are.

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Remittub

Thanks for the replies ! So, I think that neither of you think that I can have damaged the receiver then ?? (Sorry to be so pedantic !!)

Analoguesat

Whilst its not impossible especially if there was a short circuit in the cable, it would be exceedingly unusual if you had damaged it.

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Markjose

even so don't the digibox have protection against shorts ?

Crisbe

If the old sky dish has been up there a long time it may be aligned to 19.2E which is where sky was before it moved to the Astra satellites at 28.2E. If you used the alignment of the old dish as a guide to where to point the new dish you could be about 9 degrees too far West with the dish. There are a lot of satellites up there that will give you a signal strength reading, but unless you are on the right one with the correct data stream the digibox won't give you much. Do a check with a compass to see if you are pointing the dish towards 28.2 East ( Keep the compass well clear of the metalwork of the dish etc. just get a rough idea of whether or not you are aiming at the right area of the sky. If you are it may be that you need to move the dish a tiny amount to one side or the other or up or down on elevation slightly to improve the signal quality. The sky box has a display in the menu that will give you a horizontal bar read out of both signal strength and signal quality at the same time.

ralphmagno

hi to all,
you probally have 2 things going wrong here.
old analoge lnb and wrong satellite.
if you can fit a new lnb cost about 5 euro and align the dish on 28 degrees and not 19 degrees it should work if the coax cable is good.
old lnb were not exterded to the lower band and had no upperband as well.
the lo was 10 ghz and not at 9.750.
there was no upper band as well.
don't forget the the lnb must be twisted to offset the scew.
ralph

Remittub

Just an update to my original problem. I made a more secure mounting on the roof, and aligned the Sky mini dish successfully using the signal strength meter and a known good coax. I then substituted the coax with the original (installed) coax, and lost signal. I then trimmed back this coax at both ends and refitted F connectors, and regained signal. Being a glutton for punishment, I then adjusted the old (large) dish to the same position as the mini dish, but couldn't get alignment. This LNB had lost it's label, but was used when we received analogue satelitte TV and is therefore unsuitable for Sky digital anyway. I had acquired another large dish over the years (history unknown) which had a universal LNB fitted. I tried it, but also couldn't get alignment - therefore concluded that that LNB must be "duff". Might well pick up a cheapie universal LNB on Ebay just to get it going (as a spare). Many thanks for everyone's help !

Tivù

Excellent progress -well done

And thanks for the update - it's always nice to know the outcome.

Analoguesat

Well done Remittub - in no time you will be wonder "what else is out there??" and have a collection of 3 or 4 dishes all pointing in different directions!

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Tivù

Is that an oblique reference to my back wall or to your hedge?