Only Receiving Single Signal?

[FlashPan]

Hello all,

Will apologise straight away as being very new to this I know I will miss out some terminology.

I live in small block of flats with 2 or 3 large dishes mounted on the roof and connected/shared to 16 properties.

In my home I have 2 satellite cables terminated to a dual/double connector box in my lounge (so I can connect 2 cables).

I have 2 Sky HD DRX595 boxes I want to connect to 2 rooms. All internal cabling is done and working.

Strange issue I have now though:

Just connect sky box 1 to cable connector 1 - all works fine
Just connect sky box 1 to cable connector 2 - all works fine
Just connect Sky box 2 to cable connector 1 - all works fine
Just connect Sky box 2 to cable connector 2 - all works fine

Connect Sky box 1 to cable connector 1 and Sky box 2 to cable connector 2 I loose the signal 100%
Connect Sky box 1 to cable connector 2 and Sky box 2 to cable connector 1 I loose the signal 100%

I've tried different cables etc.

As I think now I need the building maintenance people in I'd just like to get an idea of what could be the issue. Sadly the engineers that are sent out are the jack of all trades types, so sometimes you have to instruct or advise them

Any ideas why I loose signal if I connect a 2nd box? Could it be because the 2 cables I have running into my house are connected to the same dish or LNB?

What could I advise the engineer to look out for or change?

Hopefully I've covered the bases above to prove that the sky boxs and internal cabling are ok.

Thanks and cheers in advance

 

[Analoguesat]

Morning & welcome to the forum.

Your system is complicated in that it wont be a traditional lnb to receiver set up. There will be a distribution cupboard somewhere where the outputs from the various dishes are combined then sent out to the various flats / apartments.

There is little point us trying to guess how its been wired. Talk to your maintenance team, they should have some info as to how its been set up. Im assuming the two rooms both have independent feeds from the distribution cupboards & the cables havent just been split inside your flat. If the cables have been split its never going to work properly.

 

[FlashPan]

Hi and thanks for your reply. I know for sure that the cables have not been split in my property and I can see 2 cables running up towards to the roof on my external wall. As I have no roof access I can not say how it is wired or connected to what up there.

I was always going to have to bite the bullet and get the maintenance guys in. At least I can mention a distribution cupboard to them and press the point home that something is not connected right somewhere externally.

Cheers and thanks again

 

[a33]

Connect Sky box 1 to cable connector 1 and Sky box 2 to cable connector 2 I loose the signal 100%
Connect Sky box 1 to cable connector 2 and Sky box 2 to cable connector 1 I loose the signal 100%

Just for my understanding:
You loose the signal on BOTH boxes simultanuously, when you have both the boxes connected? Or just the signal of one of the boxes (which one)?
With 'connected' you mean connected and both turned on?
Does the same effect take place on the one receiver when the second receiver is just 'connected'?

There are two or three dishes, you mention. Do you receive more satellite signals than only from 28 east?

It is very difficult to advise where to go searching, if one doesn't know the setup of the system. For now I cannot think of a cause for symptoms as you described.
Though your description of the problem itself (cannot run two receivers at the same time on the two connectors) is clear enough....

greetz,
A33

 

[FlashPan]

Hi a33,

Sorry I should have been a bit clearer. Which ever is the 2nd box connected and turned on receives no signal. I enter the sky box menu and it shows zero signal. When I only have 1 box connected a strong signal is shown on the menu.

Have even tried connecting the coax cable when the box is already powered on and if it is the second connected box, no signal.

Am not sure what 28 east is I do not think I can choose which satellite or signal to use via the sky box menu?

I appreciate it is very hard if not impossible to advise and appreciate you guys responding. But as the engineer sent out will not be a bona fide sat or cable engineer (it's a company that tendered to cover all maintenance from fence mending, changing doors locks, moving communal gardens, simple electrics etc) I just wanted to be part prepared myself

Sadly as well I can wait months for an engineer to book an appointment. I live in a ex local auth block and the local auth (who is still the freeholder/landlord) housing stock is massive and maintenance calls prioritized on urgency. I once waited 3 months for a fence to be repaired.

Thanks and cheers

 

[a33]

Which ever is the 2nd box connected and turned on receives no signal.

Well, this phenomenon suggests that the two connections are in fact interdependent, and suggests maybe even that just one signal is meant to arrive at your home.
But in that case, I wonder why two cables are used; that doesn't make much sense for one signal; or it should be that the possibility for two independent signals via two cables could be offered at some time/at some homes....
In the latter case, if you have luck that a signal output is still unused at (the switch near) the dishes, maybe they can attribute the free signal to your second cable and all could be well.
But that is just speculation from my side, given the symptoms, and the assumed reason of the two used cables....

Just to make sure: the second sky box has no signal, even if tuned to the same program as the first sky box?

Am not sure what 28 east is I do not think I can choose which satellite or signal to use via the sky box menu?

The 28 east satellite is often called the Astra2 satellite. However I prefer to use the location in the sky for naming satellites, to prevent confusion about satellites that have been moved sometimes to other locations than their original position. That's why I wrote 28 east.
When there really are several dishes, then there could be quatro LNBs for several satellite positions, multiswitches, and a choice of satellites (though I don't know if Sky boxes can manage that (through 'Diseqc commands')?
Or the several dishes have quad or even octo-LNBs, which don't need multiswitches, all aimed at 28 east
I wouldn't know which is the case..

So it all still depends on the unknown setup near the dishes...

Greetz,
A33