28.2E sudden loss in Netherlands

C

colin.

Member
My Satellite Setup
Opticum 9600 HD Mini
My Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Hello, please accept my apologies if I've put this in the wrong section. I am basically at my wits' end. I live in Rotterdam, NL and for three years have been successfully and without issue receiving Freesat transmissions on Astra 2A 28.2E. Last week it ceased completely. I am now have 0-50% signal strength (it varies wildly) and 0% signal quality (this is consistent). So far I have taken the following steps to try to remedy it, but none worked: 1. Check that satellite alignment and elevation hasn't changed (it hasn't) 2. Reset satellite box to factory default and scan again (oddly, now the only channels it finds are Spanish!) 3. Check all transponder settings against those on lyngsat.com (they match) 4. Remove and reconnect all cable jacks 5. Check the rotation of the LNB (tried alternate rotations without any success whatsoever) 6. Tried a different satellite receiver (it worked) 7. Tried my usual receiver at another Freesat watcher's house in this same city (it worked) 8. Swore a lot and threatened to commit actual bodily harm against my TV I'm now pretty sure that the receiver is fine and the satellite aligment is fine. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the LNB suddenly died, but this sounds strange to me. Are they liable to just stop working? What do you think? Any ideas you'd have would be most gratefully received. Many thanks Colin PS I would add that I'm not a technical expert; I can follow instructions but please bear with me if you need to ask anything requiring a very in-depth response.
 
If you are picking up Spanish channels chances are the dish is pointing at 19E not 28E.
 
How can that be, though? The dish hasn't moved a millimeter (I made check marks on it with a marker when it was intstalled).
 
Dunno but there are precisely zero Spanish channels carried on 28E!
 
I will try to re-align it in the morning but do you think it would be worth getting a new LNB or does it not sound likely that the LNB could be dead?
 
Do you get any free channels coming up at all? If so list half a dozen and we will tell you whiat you are looking at.
 
colin. said:
I will try to re-align it in the morning but do you think it would be worth getting a new LNB or does it not sound likely that the LNB could be dead?
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The lnb could be dead if you arent getting anything, resetting the receiver may just have forced the receiver to read its internal database to give you the Spanish channel labels. LNB's are cheap enough so if theres any suspicion about it not being operational replace it.
 
Dead LNBs don't start receiving Spanish channels, so I think it's unlikely to be an LNB fault. If you are getting non-English channels then as AS said, it sounds like you are tuned to 19.2E. Many channels use the same frequencies in the orbital slot as Sky/Freesat do at 28.2E.

Could the whole dish mount have moved? Or the object the dish is mounted onto?
 
timo_w2s said:
Dead LNBs don't start receiving Spanish channels, so I think it's unlikely to be an LNB fault. If you are getting non-English channels then as AS said, it sounds like you are tuned to 19.2E. Many channels use the same frequencies in the orbital slot as Sky/Freesat do at 28.2E. Could the whole dish mount have moved? Or the object the dish is mounted onto?
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No, nothing could have moved. When it was installed I made alignment marks with a permanent marker just in case I would ever have to move it. It's mounted to my balcony railings, and those definitely haven't moved.
 
The *only* channels I now get are: - Mezzo LiveHD - C+ Deport HD - Nat Geo HD - Cinemagic - Calle 13 HD And one radio station, Radio ESP.
 
So you are most definitely not on 28E ....... keep moving it in small increments further East and see what the next scan gives you.
 
colin. said:
The *only* channels I now get are: - Mezzo LiveHD - C+ Deport HD - Nat Geo HD - Cinemagic - Calle 13 HD And one radio station, Radio ESP.
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All on 19E.

However unless you are getting a signal or pictures from them it may just be the case you are seeing the labels after the box reset.
 
Analoguesat said:
All on 19E. However unless you are getting a signal or pictures from them it may just be the case you are seeing the labels after the box reset.
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No signal, no pictures, no nothing. Just the channel names.
 
Replace the lnb, but take the cable off the existing one to see if the cable is damaged first. It might have got snagged or filled up with water.
 
But it's weird why resetting a receiver would bring up only Mezzo LiveHD - C+ Deport HD - Nat Geo HD - Cinemagic - Calle 13 HD And one radio station, Radio ESP. You'd think if it had some kind of memory for 19E it would bring up more than that. Sounds to me more like it did a scan and was only just about able to lock on to these 19E channels to get the labels.
 
I had a guy from the local satellite installers come and check the dish alignment. He pronounced it fine. He checked the co-axial cable and said that was fine, too. And the receiver is also apparently fine. He changed the LNB. After all his checks I was still unable to pick up most of the channels and he said he was unable to help further. Scanning Astra 2A now shows some channels but not all, and not consistently (most notably no variants of BBC1, BBC2, BBC News or Channel 4 HD). The only consistent thing is that signal strength varies from 50% to 100% and signal quality remains at 0%. It would also always (before the problems) pick up all the Sky UK channels (though I'm unable to view them obviously) and now it shows none, perhaps another indication of something wrong. So I'm fifty quid down and I still have no solution. I guess the satellite didn't fall out of the sky a few days ago, did it...? ;)
 
I'd get a better installer and a full refund. Everything can not be fine if you're getting 0% signal quality. Can you check your receiver on another dish, take it to a friends, or family member?
Did he use a professional satellite meter, to check the dish/LNB?
Do you get any channels, or any signal quality readings, when doing a scan?
 
Indeed.

You mentioned now getting a few Channels ............ what are they?
 
Mickha said:
I'd get a better installer and a full refund. Everything can not be fine if you're getting 0% signal quality. Can you check your receiver on another dish, take it to a friends, or family member? Did he use a professional satellite meter, to check the dish/LNB? Do you get any channels, or any signal quality readings, when doing a scan?
Click to expand...
Took the receiver to a mate's house elsewhere in the city and it works fine. He used what appeared to be a professional meter with what looked like an oscilloscope monitor and said 'everything is fine.' When doing a scan, yes I get channels, an eclectic and inconsistent mix every scan. Signal strength reading is usually 50-100% for channels that successfully scan, and quality is always, always 0%. Time to find another installer, I think.
 
Yes, but can you please give us the names of a few of the Channels you do get?
 
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