Interference on Some Sky Channels

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Earbanean

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#97085 10-Feb-2012 11:22

I'm running MySky HDi and I get intermitent interfernace - but only on a couple of channels. i.e. Every now and then I'll get service disruption (or partial recorded programs) on Prime and Four. This doesn't seem to occur on the other channels.

Given my limited understanding of how digital satelite TV works, I wouldn't have thought this was possible. i.e. you'd either get all channels fine, or have problems with all of them. However, it does ocasionally occur.

I don't think the weather is necessarily really that bad when this happens as well.

One issue that may be affecting this (although I can't really see how) is that around 6 months ago, we moved our TV and got sky wired to the new location. This involved replacing a two way splitter, with a three way splitter, running about 6M of cable and having a couple of wall plate/sockets. The issue may have only been happening since then, although I can't really be sure.

Anyone have any ideas around this issue? Any diagnostics or somethging that I can run?

Cheers

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#579665 10-Feb-2012 11:49

I seem to remember in the past someone (on this forum) had intermittent issues with some Sky channels due to a heatpump.

vexxxboy

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#579709 10-Feb-2012 13:07

i lost TV 1, 2 and 3 from my sky box and everything else was fine and i thought the same as you, ie it was all or nothing but i guess not and it was also me that when i turned the heat pump on every channel went , discovered in my case, i had a faulty 3 way splitter , sky replaced it and everything worked again , including the heat pump, i would check to make sure everything is fine on the splitter

Common sense is not as common as you think.

jpanwala

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#579870 10-Feb-2012 17:15

Funny that, I use FreeviewHD and have the issue (scrambled signal) on the same channels as the OP!!

Have done a complete auto tune but hasnt helped. Is also intermittent?

Hiamie

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#579905 10-Feb-2012 18:28

I had similar problem where only some channels were having problems.

Got SKY over, and the problem was traced to interference from my DECT cordless phone. The cure was to change my decoder to a different model. (Was using the older PACE model, changed it to the smaller silver decoder).

It seems that different decoders operate the sky dish LNB on different frequencies, and changing decoders changed the frequency range and the interference from the DECT cordless phone was solved.

And I ended up with a better / smaller decoder :)

Niel

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#579997 10-Feb-2012 22:09

Newer STBs are tested to newer EMC/EMI standards, which is why the newer small silver STB does not suffer (significantly) from DECT phones (and other sources).

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JimmyH

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#580007 10-Feb-2012 22:19

Hiamie: I had similar problem where only some channels were having problems.

Got SKY over, and the problem was traced to interference from my DECT cordless phone. The cure was to change my decoder to a different model. (Was using the older PACE model, changed it to the smaller silver decoder).

It seems that different decoders operate the sky dish LNB on different frequencies, and changing decoders changed the frequency range and the interference from the DECT cordless phone was solved.

And I ended up with a better / smaller decoder :)

I had the same issue on a few channels. Looked on the box in the tools menu, and the signal strength wasn't that great, so I got the Sky technician out. Turned out water had got into the LNB and it was packing up. New LNB (no charge) and all was well again. About 3 minutes to diagnose, and another 5 to fix.

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pinkydot

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#582208 16-Feb-2012 10:02

JimmyH:
Hiamie: I had similar problem where only some channels were having problems.

Got SKY over, and the problem was traced to interference from my DECT cordless phone. The cure was to change my decoder to a different model. (Was using the older PACE model, changed it to the smaller silver decoder).

It seems that different decoders operate the sky dish LNB on different frequencies, and changing decoders changed the frequency range and the interference from the DECT cordless phone was solved.

And I ended up with a better / smaller decoder :)

I had the same issue on a few channels. Looked on the box in the tools menu, and the signal strength wasn't that great, so I got the Sky technician out. Turned out water had got into the LNB and it was packing up. New LNB (no charge) and all was well again. About 3 minutes to diagnose, and another 5 to fix.

when you call a sky techinician out, do they charge you?

Hiamie

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#582215 16-Feb-2012 10:07

They didn't charge me.

I think if the problem turns out to be theirs, then there is no charge. If the problem turns out to be something caused by you, then they may charge.

JimmyH

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#582952 17-Feb-2012 19:31

when you call a sky techinician out, do they charge you?

I have had them out 4-5 times over the last 10 or so years. The LNB problem discussed before, and faulty STBs (1 UHF box, 2 satellite boxes). I have never been charged, as the fault has always been clearly with their kit and is covered by the regular fee. I understand that there can be a call-out charge if they come out and there is no fault with their kit (ie the problem was with your equipment, or you were just doing something silly and there was no fault).

manaia

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#583065 18-Feb-2012 08:25

Earbanean: Given my limited understanding of how digital satelite TV works, I wouldn't have thought this was possible. i.e. you'd either get all channels fine, or have problems with all of them. However, it does ocasionally occur.

Each transponder on the satellite (which is split into two "streams" of 8-10 channels) has its own frequency. If an interference problem is affecting one stream then you may see problems on the 2-3 channels on that stream you watch most and miss them on the other channels that you don't tune to.

As JimmyH said, your LNB may have problems such as alignment or water ingress which can affect some streams more than others. As Hiamie said, DECT phones can cause problems. (Those phone jacks that SKY installers put in next to the decoder can be a real problem when they're used for a convenient phone connections). The answer can be to move to the phone or use one on a different frequency. As Hiamie also said, the LNBs run on 10750 or 11300 MHz depending on model. Interference can come from lots of places, as per Vexxxboy. I think I've heard of noisy light dimmers and low-energy (CFL) lights.

If you ring SKY CS and tell them the channels you're having problems with then they can tell from a stream map whether one stream is being affected. From that, and your decoder and LNB type, they have a matrix to help identify the type of interference and offer a solution.

Earbanean

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#583883 20-Feb-2012 14:07

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'll give Sky a try. The one thing that had put me off doing that is how intermittent this really is. e.g. I record Crowd Goes Wild on Prime 5 nights a wek and 1 in 10 might have a problem.

I think there were times when the issue was actually happening live, that 1 or 2 other channels were also having issues. So that would fit with it being a stream.

We do have a DECT phone. I'm pretty sure it is 1.8 GHz. Is there any way to try to cause the problem, so we can determine that this is what's casuing our issues? i.e. would it be when a call was being made, or when a handset was close to the decoder, or something else?

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vexxxboy

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#583925 20-Feb-2012 14:51

also record it when it happens just to show the technician when he asks you what's the problem

Common sense is not as common as you think.

manaia

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#584516 21-Feb-2012 13:23

Earbanean: We do have a DECT phone. I'm pretty sure it is 1.8 GHz. Is there any way to try to cause the problem, so we can determine that this is what's casuing our issues? i.e. would it be when a call was being made, or when a handset was close to the decoder, or something else?

I looked up the spreadsheet: 1.8GHZ DECT phones are known to cause intereference on two streams, 5 (which has Four) and 11 (which has Prime). The weird thing is that the stream that the interference affects depends on the LNB type (10750 or 11300) so you shouldn't be getting interference on both. My guess is that you have a dual throat, single output 10750 LNB for your MySKY. It's possible that this is failing and causing problems on the other stream. SKY now has quad output LNBs on 11300 to help deal with the interference problem where we can't do a decoder swap. Also you could move your DECT phone as far away from the STB as possible.

Niel

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#584615 21-Feb-2012 15:30

My small silver Pace STB and 1.8GHz DECT base station is about 30cm apart and I've got the new quad LNB, not having any interference at all. Before I had a dual LNB and about 2m separation, no interference either. It does depend a lot on the quality and age (newer standards) of the equipment.

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Hiamie

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#584641 21-Feb-2012 16:01

For me, it was my DECT phone interfering with the older PACE decoder. Changing that decoder to the smaller silver decoder was the cure, and I've had no problems since.

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