SkyTV now 100% worse since tech replaced dish

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HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#171668 27-Apr-2015 11:15

Hi,

A SkyTV tech replaced our dish the other week because of persistent 'atmospheric conditions'. He advised that the tree (that was there when dish was originally installed & has only got smaller over 14yrs of us using satellite Sky) was partially to blame.

Ever since with the slightest bit of wind, we get reception drops on MySky (mostly HD channels) and the 'atmospheric conditions' message appears. It affects the multi-room box (standard silver box) to a lesser extent - screen jitters slightly, but the 'Rain Fade' never appears.

Photos are of the new dish. Can anyone spot obvious that might be causing the outages? Sorry can't get too much closer without a ladder.

Are the HD satellite signals more prone to rain fade or wind interference?

Any assistance appreciated

Thanks

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2016 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1292192 27-Apr-2015 12:18

Replacing the dish won't help if the tree was in the way , unless you mean he relocated it.
The wind issue could be an obstruction , ie tree / leaves etc ,
or he hasn't set it up right. Either way easy answer is ring them back.

B1GGLZ

1961 posts

Uber Geek

#1292217 27-Apr-2015 13:09

If he says the tree is partially to blame (presumably being a pro he will know) then either relocate the dish so it gets a clear view of the sky or cut down the tree. A larger dish may help too.
P.S. As Brunzy indicates - ring Sky to get him back to fix it.

HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#1292237 27-Apr-2015 13:58

Brunzy: Replacing the dish won't help if the tree was in the way , unless you mean he relocated it.
The wind issue could be an obstruction , ie tree / leaves etc ,
or he hasn't set it up right. Either way easy answer is ring them back.

Thanks

Odd thing is that the tree has been there for the near 16 years since the old dish was installed. Reception only got really crappy after rusty dish was changed a couple of weeks ago.
Every gust of wind drops out signal to MySky box with 'atmospheric conditions'; standard box signal shudders but doesn't come up with its 'Rain Fade'

Rang them back on Friday afternoon, the best they can do is Tuesday afternoon.

They put the dish in that location when they installed it in 2000 & offending tree was there then. Always thought it was a stupid place, but that's what the tech at the time recommended as closest to where TV was.
I guess we'll have to cough-up to get it relocated to other end of house & dispute that with them.

Boeingflyer

643 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1292243 27-Apr-2015 14:13

Have you tried the connections on the back of the sky box, i had this once after a tech came out, he just didn't put the connections back on right and tight.

wingbat45

233 posts

Master Geek

#1292346 27-Apr-2015 17:06

Riddle me this. When the tech replaced the dish did the lnb (the old one) look like the new one or did it look older like a single one.

I have a theory. well a couple. None involving trees

any chance of a pic showing how close dish to tree?

wingbat45

233 posts

Master Geek

#1292347 27-Apr-2015 17:20

HaggisKiwi:
Brunzy: Replacing the dish won't help if the tree was in the way , unless you mean he relocated it.
The wind issue could be an obstruction , ie tree / leaves etc ,
or he hasn't set it up right. Either way easy answer is ring them back.

Thanks

Odd thing is that the tree has been there for the near 16 years since the old dish was installed. Reception only got really crappy after rusty dish was changed a couple of weeks ago.
Every gust of wind drops out signal to MySky box with 'atmospheric conditions'; standard box signal shudders but doesn't come up with its 'Rain Fade'

Rang them back on Friday afternoon, the best they can do is Tuesday afternoon.

They put the dish in that location when they installed it in 2000 & offending tree was there then. Always thought it was a stupid place, but that's what the tech at the time recommended as closest to where TV was.
I guess we'll have to cough-up to get it relocated to other end of house & dispute that with them.

If my theory is right, the tech has unwittingly introduced a fault by removing the older LNB (now I am assuming its a older Single LNB) and let an even harmonic into the line. This IS rectifiable if it is this by either re installing a SINGLE LNB or replacing with a special type LNB. Just means having tech get back up to it.

If its the trees, you would expect the fault to have been there before, usually if its a tree fault its bad in summer gets better in winter (depending on tree coverage etc.)

New to GZ so be nice.

HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#1292350 27-Apr-2015 17:32

As before the biggest tree has been there since before original dish was installed (in Nov 2000). Tree gets regularly maintained by neighbours.

From memory old LNB had provision for 4x cables, and I think it was positioned differently than the current one.
Here's a pic from last October when flying packing wrap protected our old disk (but didn't affect reception)

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HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#1292352 27-Apr-2015 17:38

wingbat45: Riddle me this. When the tech replaced the dish did the lnb (the old one) look like the new one or did it look older like a single one.

I have a theory. well a couple. None involving trees

any chance of a pic showing how close dish to tree?

If the distance was measured like a fix it'd be thiiiissssss much, in reality it's probably around 5m

Does this aid your theoretical analysis?
And, No, I'm not getting up on the roof in this weather. Wellington is starting to turn it on.

(One of the small mercies of multi-room is still being able to watch the sport I wanted to this weekend.)

wingbat45

233 posts

Master Geek

#1292353 27-Apr-2015 17:40

depending on trees Could be an option

LNB looks like an older type quad
Even harmonics, you name it it can happen.

I agree to get sky.

Try disconnected digital box and see what happens (unscrew sat feed)

wingbat45

233 posts

Master Geek

#1293175 28-Apr-2015 22:08

So... any newS?

tripper1000

1617 posts

Uber Geek

#1293827 29-Apr-2015 19:40

To answer an earlier question: Yes, generally HD requires a better quality signal than SD, so it will often fail before SD when the signal is weak or of low quality.

HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#1294432 30-Apr-2015 17:06

In breaking news... it is the learned opinion of the current tech that "The tree is in the way"
Edit: Different tech to that who changed the dish just over two weeks ago

This is the same tree that was there in June 2000 when we moved in, the same tree that wasn't seen as a problem when the dish was installed in Nov 2000, but now (in the last 3 week) has suddenly become a interference causing monster!

Not wanting to slight all Sky contractors, but if you're going to take to concurrent jobs all the way across town would you think twice about how you're going to put them in your appointment book.
Last night I was told that he'd be there around 1pm - kind of him to allows me an hour to get home on public transport (the hour was needed)
Eventually called at 2:20 to say that he be here in an hour.
4pm he shows up and announced that the tree is the problem.
Not our tree, so is out problem.
If we want good Sky then we need to move the dish.
Luckily I can get the $90 charged to the account, so I guess I'll do the 'you don't get anywhere if you don't complain' tack & battle it out after the job is complete.

Unfortunately for the amount of sport we watch & poor quality broadband (yes, we can have VDSL or Vodafone cable, but that will cost extra to install) Sky TV is the only option to access these services.
Perhaps someone needs to create a reliable terrestrial HD service that retransmits Sky TV at an acceptable cost?

Oh well, life happens.

Edit 2: Don't have a Sky TV fault near the beginning of a long weekend. This is how long it takes to resolve it. They've got your money & you're at the mercy of their contractors to fit you into their schedule.

Brunzy

2016 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1294599 30-Apr-2015 21:52

I don't get this. Doesn't matter whose tree it is , if your signal is substandard then it's up to them to provide you with a working signal , that's what you pay them for.
There is no way you should have to pay to get this corrected.

RUKI

1402 posts

Uber Geek

#1294819 1-May-2015 09:33

An opinion after looking at the position of the LNB on your photo.
It looks like the "scew" is out of order.
Techs are not bothered with adjusting the "scew" or "tilt" they only do the azimuth.
Dishes are given to them pre-set. I saw dosens of dishes with wrongly adjusted "skew".
signal of D1 sttelite is strong enough for them not to be bothered, but if neglected that could be the issue in your case.
Sharp LNB (oval in your case) if new is very good and should not be blamed.
If you have access to engineering menu in your box (know the pass code) or use any freeview box with good set up menu - then you'll be able to see the bars - "signal strength" and "quality" or it could be called "BER" (Bit Error Rate). By rotating the LNB (scew adjustment) and observing the bars - you'll be able to find the best scew with maximum signal strength and quality.
Good luck.
P.S. I even saw the LNBs (made in China) with antennas inside bended and requiring TLC before they could work at all :)

For others reading this - I just put in for sale section the add - selling 3 dishes cheap with LNBs as I no longer watching TV.

HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#1295784 2-May-2015 16:04

Brunzy> Yep, once they've got you you're captive. They pay the $s to lock-out other providers from the sports you want to watch. So saps like me have to pay to be provided with multiple channels of crap they don't want or need. (Not another news channel please).
So I pay 1000s of $ over the course of my contract, but they demand another $90 to fix something they'd misplaced in the first place. Maybe a case for the light-entertainment paragon of consumers affairs Fair Go?

Ruki> My partner told the guy who replace the dish a couple of weeks ago that it didn't seem to be pointing the same way as before, or others nearby. Suggestion ignored.
When you're talking about 'skew' do you mean the angle to horizontal that the LNB is aligned when pointed to the to centre of the dish, or something else?
The signal strength/quality is on the public side of the system menus. Is there another one on the (0759) engineering menu?

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