Reception Problems Germany Astra 2B

[nick6470]

Hi Guys,

Something strange is going on...... Since about 2 weeks i cant seem to receive the channels from Astra 2B on the North beam , ie SkyNewsHD,History Channel HD, South beam channels are ok.

Also Cbeebies has totally gone and other 2D are considerably worse than before.

So i tried a different LNB, no change in the situation. SKY HD box could be on the way out i guess ? Or has the dish moved ? I dont think thats the case as it is in a sheltered position at ground level, I have also checked for any overhanging branches and that is all ok.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

TIA Nick

 

[Analoguesat]

We need more info Nick

What dish size do you have / lnb / make of receiver.

 

[satelliteman]

What sky+ box do you have out of interest. Thomson receivers for example are notorious for power supply failure.

 

[Analoguesat]

Yeah my money is it being a Thommo as well.

 

[nick6470]

No probs, Dish is 110cm, Sharp LNB (also tried a inverto black ultra but no improvement), SKY HD box is a Thomson about 2 - 2.5yrs old.

Hope that helps

 

[nick6470]

Could changing the LNB have screwed things up because before i changed it it seemed to work better , I thought a change to this black ultra LNB would have improved the situation but it seemed to be worse afterwards, so i changed back to the old sharp LNB, But could the LNB change have somehow damaged the box ?

 

[satelliteman]

More like failing caps in the PSU. This accounts for most faults and reception issues.

 

[Analoguesat]

No probs, Dish is 110cm, Sharp LNB (also tried a inverto black ultra but no improvement), SKY HD box is a Thomson about 2 - 2.5yrs old.

Hope that helps

Almost certainly knackered capacitors in the power supply. Switch off, unplug everything, and pop the top off. Have a look at the capacitors in the circuitry where the power cable enters the rear of the box and see if any are bulging or leaking.

Keep your fingers well clear You can still get a hell of a belt off it when its unplugged!

 

[satelliteman]

Having just changed my power supply, you'll find the obvious ones bulging normally next to the heat sink.

 

[nick6470]

Ok guys thanks for the help, i will get the top off tomorrow and have a look. One more thing if i replace the box which is the best one for fringe reception and do sky still insist on the box doing a call back to sky to pair the card or is a phone call sufficient ?

thanks again

Nick

 

[Analoguesat]

I got our card paired to our Sky+ box via My Sky & email a few months ago.

 

[BLUEPLATINUM]

I got our card paired to our Sky+ box via My Sky & email a few months ago.

You have to phone them now. The email facility has been removed from MySky.

 

[Analoguesat]

You have to phone them now. The email facility has been removed from MySky.

Oh. That must have been recent. I just put a technical query in, explained what I wanted and they emailed me with the detailed technical details they required and it was sorted in a day.

 

[nick6470]

Ok a little update, hooked up a cheap FTA receiver to my dish and all the channels came in great so its definatly the box that needs replacing. So any suggestions which Sky HD box i should go for ? Is the Amstrad good for fringe reception ? Any suggestions would be great.

TIA Nick

 

[satelliteman]

Most Thomson's at some point will need a reliability kit / repair for the power supply. You don't have to replace the whole unit, just get it repaired.

 

[Unhban]

Most Thomson's at some point will need a reliability kit / repair for the power supply. You don't have to replace the whole unit, just get it repaired.

I hate to see someone buy a new/secondhand box when this repair is so simple. Just to expand on satelliteman's comment, and as has been mentioned elsewhere, if you open the Thomson box you'll see bulging capacitors on the power supply that have overheated. These just need replacing (cost of each depending on spec is couple of pounds at most) and can be done with anyone handy with a soldering iron e.g. radio ham. I've not seen inside a Thomson box myself, but read plenty of its problem, and wonder if some kind soul could write a How To on repairing the PSU as it's such a common fault.

Unh.

 

[nick6470]

Thanks for the info, i will certainly try and repair it even though i have never done this kind of thing before. Maybe someone could help answer a couple of questions for me, Is there a actual 'kit' to buy with all the components in it or do i have to open the box first and see what is broken ? Anyone know of a dealer that sells these kits or components ?

thx

 

[hexah]

Post a photo of the box circuit board.

Don't touch anything!

 

[satelliteman]

i will certainly try and repair it even though i have never done this kind of thing before

Yes you can buy a reliability kit, you'll have to google it.

If you've not got any experience in electronics or an electrical background, I wouldn't advise attempting the repair. Either send the board away or take it to an electronics repair shop. An unplugged receiver can give you a belt if you happen to touch the main smoothers even if it's been off for days.

The actual repair shouldn't take too long, it's stripping it down which will take the time. You have to dismantle the top, front and sides to find yet another casing to remove. The fan will need removing also to get the psu board out which of course can be tricky getting the rubbers back in. All in all, a fiddly job.

 

[nick6470]

ok guys thanks for your help, I am flying back to the UK next week so i will try and get it repaired somewhere.