Losing some channels - frequently

[scottie13x]

Hi,
Apologies if this question has been asked and answered many times before....but I have trawled through the forums and attempted to resolve this myself....so this is a last resort.
I have a communal satellite dish (SKY), and a Sky + HD box with two inputs to the back (sorry - don't know the technical terms).
On a daily basis (times vary) I get the No Satellite Signal is being Received message. The strange thing is, this only happens on BBC1,2,ITV,CH4,Ch5. Some times it occurs on the Sky Sports channels. All other chanells are fine....
Every time this happens - I just swap over the two cables at the back of the box, and the signal returns on these missing channels. This is very annoying as it happens daily.....and it is disrupting the recording of programs, as they fail when this occurs. I have followed the instructions and udnertaken LNB resets ...and I've even replaced my SKY box...but it still occurs.
Any help / advice would be appreciated.....I understand you may need more technical details on setup etc....if you do, then I'm happy to try and find this out !
(Oh - I have called SKY - and they have no idea what I'm talking about....and want to send an engineer out - but this means taking the day of work - so want to try and resolve this myself).
Scot

 

[Lazarus]

What make/model of Sky Box is it - a Thomson, perchance?

Sky's "LNB Reset" advice is garbage. If there is any effect whatsoever (and it is unlikely that there is), the same can be achieved in a far less convoluted way by simply rebooting the box.

Anyway, if it is a Thomson, then you probably have the all too common problem of failed smoothing capacitors in the power supply.


Edit: Just noticed you say you've tried another box - What make/model was that?

Have you tried your boxes on someone else's feeds?

Have you borrowed someone else's known working box to try on your feeds?

 

[scottie13x]

Thanks for quick reply....It is a Thomson box....but this happened exactly the same on my old box, hence why a bought a new one....and the problem still happened. Why would this just affect a number of channels (every time - the exact same channels) - and not others ? Would you suggest I buy another box - could you recommend a non-Thomson one ?
Thanks again.

 

[Lazarus]

Not enough info yet to advise you further - What make/model was the old box you tried on your own feeds? Have you carried out any of the checks mentioned at the end of my last Post?

I suspect I was editing it at the same time as you were replying!

 

[pgh13]

How many other users are on this communal system? Do they have the same problem? Has it just started happening?

 

[scottie13x]

Hi - I'll get the make / model of the old and new boxes tonight.
I've not tried the box on another friend....but I'm getting a loan of another box tomorrow.....so will try that one out.
There are about 80 apartments on the communal system....I've asked around and nobody else is witnessing the same issue (first thing I asked). It's beeing happening for around 3 months now....maybe two months with the old box, and a month with the new one.