Setting up Topfield TF4000Fi decoder to receive freeview channels from Optus D1 with a sky dish

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rossmcm

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Topic # 112222 1-Dec-2012 01:02

I have a sky dish at the bach. When we can't be bothered unhooking the MySky box and taking it away with us we just watch Freeview with a Topfield TF4000Fi. I can't get it to work all of a sudden. The signal shows a healthy level but zero quality, and the yellow LED that normally shows on the TF as well as the green LED is absent. When I unplug the coax from the dish, the level drops to zero. I've tried various combinations of 10750/11300 /22 kHz, etc. A search for channels always gets no hits.

I know that they replaced the LNB a couple of years ago but the TF has worked since then. I always have needed to set the Sky box up when we come up and change it back again, I presume because the dish at home has a different LNB to the bach.

How hard can it be? Is there a newbies step-by-step guide to setting this up?

TIA
R

CYaBro

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Reply # 725385 1-Dec-2012 07:57

Do you know for sure the TF stb is still working?
Try it at home and make sure it actually is working.
If it is then it sounds like an lnb fault at the bach.

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rossmcm

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Reply # 725439 1-Dec-2012 11:25

I'm pretty confident it's still going. The fact that I can see varying signal strengths displayed with different frequencies, etc suggests that the RF side of things is OK.

Thanks for your reply.

R

rossmcm

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Reply # 725468 1-Dec-2012 12:37

Here'a photo of the LNB

hdinsider

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Reply # 725472 1-Dec-2012 12:44

Great photo. That's a 10750 one. This type of lnb are getting flaky now as they get older. My one had to be replaced as it went off frequency. It became 10740 which I could correct for in the decoder menu for a year or so, then it failed completely. You probably need a new lnb.

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rossmcm

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Reply # 725487 1-Dec-2012 13:10

I'm not sure where i would go to set a different frequency. I only seem to be able to select from a series of presets - 10600, 10750, 11250, etc. Or do i need to enter custom settings somewhere? (Tf4000fi)

rossmcm

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Reply # 725494 1-Dec-2012 13:39

Interestingly, when i exit the installation menu, the osd briefly shows the channel name (tv one) and "d1", "12483mhz", and "22500ks/s" in quick succession, before displaying "no signal"

RunningMan

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Reply # 725501 1-Dec-2012 13:53

Sounds like the LNB is dying - the LO will drift slightly, stopping the tuner locking on properly. See if you can enter a custom LO frequency for the LNB - try 10745 and 10740 (just under the 10750 it should be).

If this works, the fix is to replace the LNB - putting the wrong numbers in is a stopgap measure only.