Problem with Panasonic Digibox, help please...

dave747

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Hi,
I have the following problem with my Panasonic TU - DSB 30 sky digibox.Any suggestions very welcome.
There is a problem with the reception of Some of the channels and i get the message " No Satellite signal being received".This problem is on the BBC channels, ITV1 as well as some other channels and it is an
intermittent problem.
Sometimes these channels also work fine. However other channels (e.g Ch4,CH5,SKY News) always work fine and never suffer this problem.
I have tested the digibox on a friends sky installation and the same problem persists.I have spoke to sky regarding this and gone through the tests with them, they have confirmed all the software is correct and it is likely to be an error with the digibox.
Anybody know if there is a cure for this other than £65 for a sky Engineer or a new box?
Many thanks and kind regards
 

spiney

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problem Panasonic Sky box .....

There's several things this could be ......

(was it the same channels faulty on the other dish, when tested?).

1) Start by listing (a few of) the problem channels. Then, get the exact transponder details for them from an internet site (eg, www.lyngsat.com , see Sky package, details you want are in the boxes on far left side).

It might be the signal. Go into installer menu (on remote, select services, then 4,0,1,select. Goto "manual tune". Then, enter details for one of the problem channels. Do you get "lock"? Is "signal quality" reasonable (roughly halfway or better?). Repeat for other problem channels.

(if it's a signal reception problem, could be several things ....).

2) if "quality" was ok, then it's quite likely to be a digibox fault (worsening power supply). Confirm by first entering the channel details into "add channels", save, depower digibox, then repower and go straight into "other channels" and select that one quickly (don't first wait for channels to load and epg to appear!).

if the box is "failing", there are power supply repair kits, but needs a soldering iron, and probably easier and cheaper just to get another box.

3) If it's not just some channels, but the box just "freezing", then it may be a current software bug, see thread just below:

www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=10949 .
 

dave747

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Thanks, I will carry out these instructions. To answer your question regarding the channel YES when connected to my friends dish/LNB ,the problem was with the same channels.

Best regards
 

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Or,to double confirm,connect your mates digibox to your sat set up.
 

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Hi dave747,

[edit: my reply is slightly OT, but may prompt further questions]

I am gonna ask the obvious here. Do we have another Hamphire in Germany/Spain user here, LOL.:D

IMHO the Panasonic problem happened ages ago, so I hope (whether its real Hampshire or not) that you haven't bought one on Ebay :mad: With the Panny 30 - it has been noted (without any solution that didn't involve oodles of cash (sic)) that the problem could be: power supply, memory chips, software, and/or the MPEG processor getting too hot (sic). I'd rather like to believe those who reckon its SONY's fault.

I now have two Panny 30's and have cross-tested the basics with both. The power supply from the dud box worked fine in the replacement one and vise versa. The board (because of the nature of standby) could not be tested at major test points - because the dud box was dud :rolleyes: Other high level volt points were fine though.

The firmware on the dud box (thanks to it being 'ON' at the time of d/loading and subsequently going titsup) was newer than the firmware on the replacement box. Stop for breath.

Why? Well, the replacement had been sitting under my mates stairs for about a year before the Panny 'freeze' problem arose. After a forced firmware d/load - the replacement box hasn't flinched since.

Where does that leave us? Probably just to clear with you whether its been a friend since before and after the original Panny problem - and, probably more importantly, whether you are in Hampshire Hampshire.

Sorry for being upfront ;-)

Mark.
 

dave747

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Hi mljgmlg,

Thanks for the comments, yes i am in Hampshire, Portsmouth to be precise... and yes i did buy it off ebay:-doh!

Regards
 

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Hi dave747,
I also bought my pan.30 on e-bay same problem , also when it happens am unable to use the Fav. button have to go into other channels to change channels Most times end up pulling the mains out, [works until the next time.] John22.
 

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Thanks Analoguesat,
Looked up the link .His first suggestion is to bin it.No way for that only have it a few weeks. Dont think it is the LNB, I am using a raven quad.I would guess that it is a software problem . Maybe when sky get enough complaints they will do something about it.
John22.
 

BarMoo

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I very much doubt that SKY will do anything now.

The problem is so old, we have already had at least one firmware upgrade since then and even Panasonic (according to Martin's site) is four models on :rolleyes:

I imagine that anyone affected has long since upgraded to SKY+ or bought another STB. Sad isn't it. I was certainly a very lucky chappy for having a friend with a spare.

As for a filter? If you live in the UK, what's the point of filtering out the two main broadcasters (at least I assume that's what it does).

For the hell of it - I might pull my dud out of the cellar and try to force a firmware d/load again. Who knows ...............

Have Fun,

Mark.
 

rolfw

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The 2D switching fault as described on Satcure is not a firmware problem, it has to do with a spurious 22Khz tone being generated and the LNB switching to high band when it should be still in low band mode, hence the no signal message. The filter does not filter out the channels, it filters out the spurious 22Khz tone, thus enabling the reception of the low band channels. :)

It can also be cured by changing the LNB to one which is not affected, unfortunatley I can't remember which ones are not affected as this is such an old topic. :)
 

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dave747 said:
Thanks, I will carry out these instructions. To answer your question regarding the channel YES when connected to my friends dish/LNB ,the problem was with the same channels.

Best regards

OK, I'll wait to hear back .....

There's certainly a software issue. And this might affect channel changing. Basically, when changing polarity (between 1 of 4), if the lnb doesn't "settle down" quickly enough - due slowly degrading power supply - then the receiver "sees" no signal, and will continue to think that, even if the lnb is ok just a fractional second later! It's also partly software, in that there ought to be (but isn't) an allowance for slightly longer delay, where this happens.

So, not a simple problem, it's the interaction between several things, that's why I suggested particular tests, to see if you can get problem channels under any conditions at all .....

I don't know what the contractual position is, under which new software is provided for older digiboxes, but Sky aren't exactly being "quick off the mark" here!

(Above, Rolf refers to a "known problem" of spurious 22Khz, which might very well be the problem, but even if related to hardware this should be "software curable" ....!).

If there's no direct cure for this, it might be possible to store some channels in "other channels", then access them that way, without the box entirely failing, not ideal but maybe a "workaround" ...
 
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