Problems receiving some channels on s10

[RalphMcT]

Hi i'm new to this so sorry if i'm missing something obvious. I got an s10 through a friend a couple of days ago set up to receive all sly channels. Most of the channels are ok but it fails to receive some channels ESPN hd, all the mtv's and most of the movies hd and a few others. Took the box over to a friends house where it receives everything perfectly. So the problem seems to be with my dish (sly+ dish). I'm guessing the place to start would be to nip out to maplins and buy a signal strengh meter and try realigning it. But was wondering if theres anything else it could be that i'm missing?

Thanks in advance
Ralph

[UyduMan]

Hi there.
I have similar problem too. However, I havent tried testing it from another dish/lnb combination. My sky hd box pick up all the channels just fine. Picture is perfect with no breakups what so ever. But my S9 box wont pick up higher frequency vertical polarised transponders. Horizontal transponders are showing 80+%. Really frustrating.
I have 3 brand new S9 boxes all have the same problem.
I have tried connecting the s9 box to one of the sky box cables. It made no difference.
I played about with the dish and lnb skew this morning. Still the same.
I'm going to buy an in-line booster see what it does. If that doesnt fix it, they are going back as fault tuners.
Regards.

[ali252]

I am also having a problem with certain channels but it seems that all are vertical high polarisation. Have tried the lead used by my Sky HD box and the problem is the same but the Sky HD box does get all vertical high channels. Any ideas anyone.

[RalphMcT]

Just to keep you updated I've been and bought a signal meter and levelled out the bubble on the dish (lnb was all ready on 3). When I attached the signal meter the signal was quite low, adjusted the dish vertically and got a really strong signal. While I was up there with the meter attached the wife tested all the channels we were missing and we could get them all. When I took off the meter and reattached the coax to the lnb we couldn't receive them again. Tried it again and with the signal meter attached we can receive them but with out it nothing. As far as I've read the signal should be weaker to the receiver with the meter on it but for some strange reason it seems to work the other way for us???

So for know I've got all the channels by attaching the signal meter to the back of the box with the coax from the dish leading into it and the sensitivity turn right down so it doesn't squeal.
Not a perfect solution but it works all the same and I figure if I replace it with a signal booster at some point it should do the trick (fingers crossed).

[UyduMan]

The signal meter attenuates the signal. Right?

So, we need an attenuator..... Hmm.

Is the tuner being over loaded with the v polarised transponders?

[RalphMcT]

The signal meter attenuates the signal. Right?

So, we need an attenuator..... Hmm.

Is the tuner being over loaded with the v polarised transponders?

Sadly thats well beyond my knowledge Even sadder just sat down to watch some of our "new" channels and the picture started freezing and going "blocky". Only seems to be happening on the channels we couldn't get before. The signal strengh is still showing as 74% compared to 7% with out the meter attached but still unwatchable. So its back to the drawing board, if anyone has any ideas they'd be most welcome.

[citygent1911]

Hi rakph,

Is it a brand new box or 2nd hand?

You seem to be having same issue as me.

Lots of channels missing, then they all go, yet s9 works perfectly on brothers motorised 80cm dis.

Think i'm going to get same dish and see if that helps. No logical reason i've found though as to why I lose signal but he didn't got new lnb & new cable but still same problem. I will check the polarisation though.....

[RalphMcT]

Hi Citygent,

The box is a brand new S10 upgraded to the latest firmware. The LNB and cables were replaced by Sly about 18 months ago when we upgraded to the + package. But the dish has been there for at least the 10 years we've been in the house. I'm going to have another play around today (gales permitting) and I'll let you know if I discover anything new.

[ali252]

I have tried an inline signal booster which has given me signal strength of 74% instead of no signal but vertical high still breaking up a bit. When weather clears a bit will try adjusting LNB and dish and report back. If that does not work the box is going back.

[vsc71]

hi..any idea where can get a good working cam for openbox s9?

[RalphMcT]

After having another go at realigning the dish, to no avail. I got a new twin LNB dish fitted for ?100 which has sorted the problem out. Still no clues as to what exactly was the problem all I know was it was either the dish, LNB or cable. But at least I can get all my channels now.

[UyduMan]

I have tried an inline signal booster which has given me signal strength of 74% instead of no signal but vertical high still breaking up a bit. When weather clears a bit will try adjusting LNB and dish and report back. If that does not work the box is going back.

Hi Ali,
Can I ask, is the booster you used the sloping type 13dB-18dB or fixed gain type at 18dB?

The reason I ask is because I used the fixed type 18dB gain and I'm getting exactly as you say. The missing channels are there but frequently breaking up. What make it worse is that some of the good channels that were presant are also breaking up.

I had better result using the booster at the receiver end than using it at the dish end.

Perhaps now I'm overloading the receiver...

I read in thread below that it should be the sloping type. See the last post.

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f184/openbox-s9-no-signal-188928/

Regards.

[UyduMan]

After having another go at realigning the dish, to no avail. I got a new twin LNB dish fitted for ?100 which has sorted the problem out. Still no clues as to what exactly was the problem all I know was it was either the dish, LNB or cable. But at least I can get all my channels now.

A costly fix, but I'm glad you got it sorted.
I'm suspecting my cable to be honest. I think I used a low quality satellite cable I found in the shed which I had bought to upgrade my terrestrial aerial cabling 2-3 years ago.
Waiting for some better quality WF100 satellite cable to arrive.

Cheers.

[ali252]

Hi Ali,
Can I ask, is the booster you used the sloping type 13dB-18dB or fixed gain type at 18dB?

The reason I ask is because I used the fixed type 18dB gain and I'm getting exactly as you say. The missing channels are there but frequently breaking up. What make it worse is that some of the good channels that were presant are also breaking up.

I had better result using the booster at the receiver end than using it at the dish end.

Perhaps now I'm overloading the receiver...

I read in thread below that it should be the sloping type. See the last post.

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f184/openbox-s9-no-signal-188928/

Regards.

Hi UyduMan,

In line signal booster is Phillips AMP6600 Tilted Line amp 13 - 17 dB. I have also adjusted the alignment of my LNB which resulted in the signal strength reducing from a steady 74% to fluctuating between 72 & 73% however all channels now working perfectly with no freezing on any channels so hopefully fixed the problem. Will test for a few days and report back if any further problems. Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic.

[UyduMan]

Hi UyduMan,

In line signal booster is Phillips AMP6600 Tilted Line amp 13 - 17 dB. I have also adjusted the alignment of my LNB which resulted in the signal strength reducing from a steady 74% to fluctuating between 72 & 73% however all channels now working perfectly with no freezing on any channels so hopefully fixed the problem. Will test for a few days and report back if any further problems. Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic.

Thanks Ali252.
Can you please confirm where you placed the booster. The dish end or the receiver end?