CNBC signal?

[icarusi]

Is CNBC ok on your kit? I'm getting fading and pixellation. The signal strength seems to be ok but the last bar flickers. All the stations on the 11623H tp seem to be equally affected.

 

[Analoguesat]

Bought a new DECT phone by any chance??

 

[icarusi]

Bought a new DECT phone by any chance??

No. Interesting point though. Turns out its a faulty STB. Seems, I assume, to get PID drift on a transponder if there's a crash, but I can't check or enter PIDs directly. I have a duplicate STB which is ok ATM. The original STB is still within warranty but I don't have a duplicate PSU or remote, and I don't think a repair or replacement will be available if I return it, just refund. Actually, I think it may have a 3 year warranty, so I'll have to check the docs.

 

[pgh13]

Sounds like an Aldi or Lidl one?

 

[Channel Hopper]

No. Interesting point though. Turns out its a faulty STB. Seems, I assume, to get PID drift on a transponder if there's a crash, but I can't check or enter PIDs directly. I have a duplicate STB which is ok ATM. The original STB is still within warranty but I don't have a duplicate PSU or remote, and I don't think a repair or replacement will be available if I return it, just refund. Actually, I think it may have a 3 year warranty, so I'll have to check the docs.

That frequency (or at least the IF equivalent) was plagued back in the analogue days with problems, often associated with cable issues, and sometimes the tuner, leading to sparklies.

 

[icarusi]

Sounds like an Aldi or Lidl one?

It's the Ross mini, the 1201. There's another at 12482V as well as 11623H, but the latter has been ok until this week. I tried my Amiko which was mostly ok, just a bit of pixellation on an overcast night BTW this is a night time thing, so a lot more 'stuff' at the dish end too. The 1201 has always been a bit odd but it records some really small files with no apparent loss in quality, eg 110Mb for a 2hr radio show vs 480Mb on my other kit, so I prefer to use it rather than my other kit. All other FTA tps on the 1201 are ok though. Checked 10715H and 12647V to see if the LNB was struggling at the edges but all ok there.

 

[Analoguesat]

Frequencies around 11620 & 12480 are affected by DECT phone interference - if you are having problems witht he channels on these frequencies you have the classic symptoms of L-band interference leaking into the system)

(other interefering things can be BT phone hubs!)

 

[icarusi]

Frequencies around 11620 & 12480 are affected by DECT phone interference - if you are having problems witht he channels on these frequencies you have the classic symptoms of L-band interference leaking into the system)

(other interefering things can be BT phone hubs!)

How far can this travel? I don't have any new kit since the problem started but I live in a semi. Can my neighbour's kit do it? Is the interference on the STBs parts, the LNB or cable between?

 

[Analoguesat]

A DECT phone the other side of a party wall a few feet from your receiver / tv could easily be causing problems.

 

[icarusi]

A DECT phone the other side of a party wall a few feet from your receiver / tv could easily be causing problems.

Turns out it is my nearest DECT phone, but very strange. The phone predates the sat kit and problem and neither have moved before or after the problem. Lunchtime today no problem on the suspect channels. 5.30pm the problem was back. Disconnected the phone, problem gone. Reconnected phone, problem back. Moved base station alone closer, problem worse. Moved base station+phone 2M away problem gone. Moved base+phone back to initial position, problem gone.

The only changes, I previously put new batteries in the handset when it cut off recently during a transatlantic call. When I moved the phone 2M away I straightened the PSU cable, but didn't move the cable any closer, or distant from the STBs.

So it's gremlins in the DECT phone. Still don't understand why ok at lunchtime but not at 5.30 though.

 

[Lazarus]

Automatic Channel seeking feature (To avoid conflicts with neighbour's phones)?

Anyway, DECT phone interference arises from exploiting weakness in cabling and joints, chiefly: Do you, for example, have a wallplate outlet - cheaper wallplates don't fully maintain effective screening. The Box itself is largely immune as it acts like a Faraday cage.

 

[icarusi]

Automatic Channel seeking feature (To avoid conflicts with neighbour's phones)?

Dunno. The base station alone causes the interference. Checked this morning and it needed to be >1M to cause a problem. Last night the lower STB frequency was ok, but the upper wasn't. I needed to move the DECT PSU cable to solve it and keep the same phone position.