Free to view channels not all working!

[Snowy]

Hello all, my first post on this forum and only because I think someone out there will be able to advise me...

I have a Grundig Sky digibox with 45cm dish and (I think) a standard universal LNB. I bought the system 2nd hand complete and installed it myself, using a borrowed dogs-danglies meter to locate Astra 2 accurately. I have good signal and picture strengths, (near Hull by the way).

Problem is, I am not subscribing to any tarif and only some of the free to view channels work. I use a card to get BBC, Ch 5, etc OK, and the shopping / holiday channels seem OK, but the following are some of the ones that I just can't get to work: motors tv, extreme sports, Sky news, Channel Health, Thomas Cook, GOD, AVAGO, BEN, etc. They all show the message "no signal being received". Why????? Please help.

 

[rolfw]

Al of the channels you've listed, apart from the "etc" which I can't find ;), seem to be in the low band.

This may all be of no consequence, as the Grundigs have had software problems, so its worth trying a reboot. Disconnect from the mains, then after 30 seconds or so, reconnect. If this doesn't work try a forced update, disconnect from mains, remove card, whilst pressing in the backup button on the Digibox reconnect, keeping the backup button depressed, all of the lights should then come on and you will have to leave the box until it switches off. If you are connected by scart lead you will get a message on the screen, the process could take up to twenty minutes.

 

[Old Satellite]

Also you might check that your LNB is switching correctly (22KHZ switching tone should be off when on the low band)


It is not unknown for a lnb to fail in one band high or low and not to switch again.

regards

Old Satellite

 

[Snowy]

Thanks for your help guys. I'll try the forced update.

Is there a simple way of telling if the LNB is switching? I have tried turning the 22KHz signal off in the installers menu, but to no avail. Perhaps this is not the same thing?

Incidentally, since posting this yesterday I have now realised that the channels I can't get are possibly from Eurobird, and not Astra. Could this have anything to do with it do you think? I wondered about moving my dish a gnats cock towards Eb.

 

[zansi]

Grundig PSU's have given problems with capacitor failure giving non-reception of some channels and picture break-up.

Best to try your box on a known good dish.

Kits of capacitors to repair the PSU, and other information on Grundig digibox faults are available @ www.satcure.com

 

[Old Satellite]

In short the Eurobirds transponders are similar in the power output for the UK has are Astra's.

Using the link provided below can you confirm which transponders you can not recieve ?


http://www.lyngsat.com/eb1.shtml

This will help with the identification of your problem

Regards

Old Satellite

 

[Snowy]

Judging by the many hits on this posting there are a lot of folks who can't get all their channels. Thanks again to those who've replied.

I tried a software upgrade, and several re-boots!, but made no difference.

I've now tried my box on a friend's dish, and I got exactly the same result, so it must be the box at fault. One odd thing; my friend's box shows a stronger signal and quality than my box, even when using his dish!!?

I looked at Satcure.com and it seems correct that Grundigs do suffer from power supply probs. Perhaps this is my next course of action - how easy is this to fix myself?

 

[rolfw]

As Zansi says, the kits are available, its fairly straightforward, but I would not advise anyone to do it themselves, unless they are confident and competent with a soldering iron on a delicate board.

 

[Channel Hopper]

You did say earlier that you had turned off the 22kz tone in the software, as far as I am aware the only way to do this would be to select a single band LNB (ie 9750 ) from the menu.

If you are still not getting low band then it sounds as though the receiver power supply is oscillating on the voltage rail (probably the 18V output to the tuner) and this is causing the LNB to think tone is activated

I believe you have a problem with the PSU, kits are available from the site posted above, but be careful when pulling components off the board

 

[Snowy]

Hooray for Zansi.

I've solved my missing channels problem by simply getting a repair kit from satcure.com as suggested. Changed the caps and all is now well. Incidentally I tried just cap 18 first, since this is supposed to be the main culprit, but ended up having to do them all.

Thanks.<@>

 

[bollywood]

a m8 of mine has the same problem with the channels he has Pan TUDSB30 in the day time they do not clear. come 9pm all channels are in the clear very strange

 

[MartinP]

Originally posted by zansi
Grundig PSU's have given problems with capacitor failure giving non-reception of some channels and picture break-up.

Best to try your box on a known good dish.

Kits of capacitors to repair the PSU, and other information on Grundig digibox faults are available @ www.satcure.com

I'd like to thank Zansi for pointing to our SatCure web site. We specialise in kits and fault information for Digiboxes. I'm pleased that it solved Snowy's problem (and I congratulate him on a successful soldering job).

Maybe we should be sponsoring this forum ;)

Out of interest, it's not exactly a poor design by Grundig that causes the failure. Nor can we totally blame users for "cooking" their digiboxes (although it's a good idea to keep them as cool as possible). As it happens, it's probably a capacitor manufacturing fault which is explained here:
http://www.niccomp.com/taiwanlowesr.htm

And it's happening to Pee Cees too!
http://home.att.net/~garyheadlee/images.htm

Martin Pickering