|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All
Aerials Bargains
Earphones
Leads
+ Plugs Power
Inserter Satellite
Cable 4G
problem |
If you subscribed to our "Twitter Feed" you'd have received notification of this blog a day earlier. Since Crystal Palace transmitter switched off its analogue transmissions and increased the strength of its digital signals, many people have complained about a loss of programmes. In many cases the cause is their aerial amplifier or "booster" and it should be removed. (In some cases, simply fitting an attenuator near the Freeview aerial input will do, provided that you aren't so close to the transmitter that the booster is being overloaded or "blinded" by too strong a signal.) Some receivers simply need to have their memories cleared (factory reset or scan without an aerial connected) then rescan. If your Freeview receiver was working fine before the change, there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't work now EXCEPT, in some (rare) cases, the Freeview receiver is too old and incompatible with the current transmission standard. Search for the model number to see whether it's listed as being incompatible. Some people have been conned into buying wideband Yagi aerials for Crystal palace. This is total WRONG as explained on THIS page. Google Mail problems A small percentage of Google Mail users were locked out of their accounts on Tuesday 17th April. (I dislike "free" services. Too big, too vulnerable and you always end up paying somehow.) End of PVR3 "After a comprehensive review of our A Grade models we have made the decision to move the PVR3 Model to End of Life. This reflects feedback on the reliability of the A Grade Sky+ PVR3 and the respective increased cost of repair as well as allowing us to enhance our customer service offering by giving customers a better box if a swap out is necessary." (BskyB announcement) Sky's new Fibre Broadband product is now called Sky Fibre Unlimited. It could be right for you if you live in a busy home with lots of people using the internet at the same time, watching HD videos, downloading very large files or online multiplayer gaming. It gives you peace of mind with totally unlimited usage &endash; no usage caps and we won't slow your speeds down no matter how much you use. How can customers get Fibre Unlimited? For a few months now we have been offering customers Fibre Unlimited through our Contact Centres. Now customers can check on www.sky.com to see if they live in a fibre area, what speeds they are likely to get and buy Sky FibreUnlimited online. Simple mobile phone displays for people with poor vision Read about it at http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-12504178 Postal Charges I'll begin with the bad news: Royal mail increased their postal charges on April 1st and it's no joke for us. We can no longer absorb the losses we've been taking so we've had to increase our minimum charge from £1.55 to £2.49. I realise this is a big increase but we've put it off as long as we can and we are still partly funding the postage out of our profits. We actually pay £2.70 for the smallest package weighing 0 - 750g and over 25mm thick! That's just the cost of the stamp. I know most of you are thinking "but a 1st class stamp is only 60p" and that's true - for an envelope up to 5mm thick. See http://www.royalmail.com/prices2012 On top of that is the cost of the packaging (we do recycle where possible so sometimes it's free) and the invoice (ink and paper), plus the time and petrol to drive to the Post Office at 4pm each day. I realise that some large companies are still offering lower postage or even "free". This is because they get special discount for high volume of mail and a discount for bulk-buying of products. Consequently, they can use part of their profit to pay for the postage. Unfortunately, we are small fry compared with the likes of Amazon, so we can't compete. But I believe we offer a better technical advice service and often better quality products. I also think that our postal charges are very reasonable compared with the cost of transport to travel to a shop that sells what we sell (and most don't). "We will soon be updating areas of the forum to increase engagement and provide more benefits for our members and incentives to join. We've had over 250,000 visits per month for the last two months, so with a bit of encouragement we should be able to sign up a decent amount of this large audience. One key area of the updates will be in discounts for Caravan Talk members. We will create a new "Caravan Talk discounts" section, only viewable to members, that will list a selection of exclusive discounts. We're looking for any discounts that you can offer to our members, whether using a discount code, tracked link or both. These offers will be accompanied by text and (where applicable) images to encourage members to visit your websites. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in please send me an email or give me a call and we can discuss this further. Kind regards, Ben Feltwell" Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/caravantalk Did you notice that the SatCure web site has acquired a new "navigation menu" in the left-hand column? This is something that I've been wanting to do for over a year. In fact, I paid a guy to make a template and then spent six months transferring all SatCure web pages over - only to discover that the software I'd chosen couldn't handle hundreds of pages. It slowed down, then started corrupting the pages, then finally gave up, and so did I, until last week. I had a brainwave and realised that I could use PHP script to "include" a menu listing very easily. It took me just two days and no money to make the change. I hope you like it. Also added is the facility to put an announcement on every page - for example "closed for Easter" (I wish! I'm typing this on Easter Monday!) And, finally, most pages now use "Verdana" typeface because it is easier to read on a computer screen. If you come across any exceptions or problems, PLEASE report them to me. I have checked hundreds of pages for errors but still keep coming across them. (If you do report an error, please include the page URL and the specific nature of the error.) "Kalokeri" - Summer Summer is here at last. I've finally discarded my "long-johns" and I'm walking around without a pullover! Everything is green and the flowers are blooming. Pleasant scents fill the air. At this time of year, everyone is repairing the winter damage and preparing for the flood of tourists. Already we are seeing the roads fill with hire cars as the first visitors arrive. It's a great time of year for walking. The mountains are still snow-capped but, if you come in the height of summer, the snow will be gone and the vegetation will be mostly brown. We bought a lamb. I've named her "Kleftiko". Our friends are looking after her because we have only a small garden and they have a large field. She's being kept in a makeshift shelter at present, with her sister, "Stofourno". WANTED WTB Analogue FM Tuner Hi guys I'm interested in buying a very good FM tuner such as a Sansui TU717 or anything in the Sansui range from TU 414 and above, Sony ST-A7B or a ST-A6B or a Pioneer TX-9500 or TX-9500II AM/FM Stereo Tuner, Denon TU-850 or something similar in good condition and working properly. Original box and manual would be good. I would prefer one of the above but anything really in that quality range would be fine. I would consider something older with valves etc. I have a Leak Stereofetic, a Leak Troughline 3 Stereo valve tuner and a Kenwood KT-7500 which is faulty but I'm hopefully going to have it repaired and it's audio section modified. My intention is so listen to all of these tuners then keep the one I like and then sell the others on, I'm also installing a top quality FM aerial to try to get asgood a signal as Ican as some of these tuners need very good signals to really work properly. I'm in Glasgow so it will have to posted unless someone local has something suitable but I can arrange a courier if need be. I'm open to suggestions and offers not looking to spend fortunes on this but I am flexible for the right tuner. Please email me if you have anything you might want to sell. Thanks Tony tony1987(*)electrokits.co.uk (Substitute @ for (*) ) Cheap Chinese Chit! My desk Compact Fluorescent lamp started to flicker so I ordered an LED bulb replacement via eBay. After 6 weeks it hadn't arrived so I contacted the Chinese seller. He asked me to wait another week. I did so and it still hadn't arrived so I left appropriate feedback. The seller emailed me and asked me to remove the feedback. I didn't. After 8 weeks the LED unit arrived! I fitted it to my desk lamp and it worked beautifully - for a week - then it failed. I made a saw cut* down the side and took it apart. The PCB components looked and tested OK so I tested the LEDs, one by one, until I found the culprit. I soldered in a replacement, reassembled the unit, and it's working again - for now. *Actually, there's no need to make a saw cut. The LED assembly is lightly** glued into the plastic shell, so it should be possible to prise it out by working around its circumference with a thin, flat screwdriver blade. **Excuse pun! Later... I was just thinking. If I was one of those people who couldn't use a multimeter and couldn't solder, I would have had to spend time and money ordering a replacement. As it was, the repair was really easy. In fact I was doing stuff like this when I was ten years old (although, admittedly, not with LEDs!) In those days the nearest thing to an LED was a neon bulb. Apologies! To anyone who bought one of these from us. I've been using this DiSEqC switch for two and a half years and it has just failed. Despite the "water-resistant" cover, the metalwork is showing signs of rust. Also, the connecting cables are long, thin, and certain to have high losses. All in all a poor design, in my professional opinion. Inside you can see the actual failure. Something on the PCB - I'm not sure what - has burned out! Needless to say, I'm not happy about this and we are no longer stocking this switch. Originally Posted by Beancounter: So can someone tell me how much I would expect to pay to add another duel feed..? That's fighting talk! You mean "twin feed" not "duel" (or dual). The twin cable is about £1 per metre. The connectors and clips cost pennies. The labour is about £35 per hour (also covers public liability insurance & wear & tear on drills & equipment) plus, possibly, a "call out fee" to cover travelling time and costs if you are more than a couple of miles from the installer's base. Some installers charge significantly less - which usually means they go out of business and you lose any "guarantee" which they offered. It may also mean they skimp on the quality of parts and workmanship. That's why I never go for lowest quote. dropped my satfinder off my roof last weekend and smashed to bits, but already had the dish down and was fixing the LNBs for 19\28\13 last week so I had a brainwave, using a laptop pointed at the TV with the receiver on the best transpoder I dialed my smartphone with skype video and it worked a treat, took me 5-6 mins to get all the LNBs setup This wasn't on a forum but on the BBC web site. However, I thought it was too amusing to pass up! "The switchover in London is a 2 stage process. The first stage happened on 4 April 2012, with ITV1's analogue service being replaced by the new high power BBC-A multiplex. At the same time, BBC2's analogue service was switched off forever, being temporarily replaced by ITV1 analogue. (For anyone who's failed to notice the intense publicity around switchover, this might explain why your VCR recording of Top Gear last week looked more like Emmerdale.) The second stage due on 18 April 2012 completes the process, with all the old analogue and digital services turned off and new high power digital multiplexes coming on air. With a hint of irony, the new high power digital transmitters at Crystal Palace actually use Inductive Output Tubes (IOTs), essentially valve technology! So the forefront of digital technology still borrows from the past." I don't see why Sky have to charge one for using the internal recorder. It's because they need to make a profit to pay their shareholders. The more the better. That's the nature of business. As long as the majority of customers pay up, it's a good business model and they'll maintain it. Some people have reported success with an old, blue, "yellow house" card. I received no feedback about the "Screen Wallpaper" images I provided so I assume they were of no interest. I won't bother to offer others. Satcure monthly review You really didn't need to send the notification twice (15 minutes apart). My guess is a technical error with your mailing list server Tim P. Hi, Tim. Nice to hear from you. I did it because I had the wrong damn month on the first! Had I not sent it again, I'd have had a hundred clever sods emailing me to point out the error. Request for 12V modulator in SatCureBlog162 Hi, I'm not sure this is the correct route, but I couldn't find another way of replying to a question on your blog. Richard G. is looking for a 12volt modulator, I am assuming with a SCART input. I have one of these, and if he contacts me I can post it to him for a very reasonable price. You have my and his email address, so if you could pass on my email to him with this message, I'm sure he will be happy. Regards Mr Kenneth Edwards Duly forwarded, thanks. Hi Martin. I know you live at the other end of the Med to me. I am on the Costa Blanca. I just wanted to pass on some info. I have a 2.4 metre dish . Just at the moment I find the reception is fantastic for BBC and ITV. I have heard that the BBC have swopped Satellites and the Costa Blanca , at the moment, is able to receive with even an 80 cms dish. I am told this may be only for a year until a new satellite comeson stream . I now get BBC 3 and 4 which I have never seen before. Maybe the reception has improved in your neck of the woods. I had to smile at some of your emails from crabby customers. I know your service is great. Hasta la vista . David H. That's interesting but I have only a 1.2m Channel master dish, so I can't receive BBC here via satellite (I get it by other means on my Apple Mac). But thanks for letting me know! Hi Martin. Interested to read your thoughts about a burglar alarm for your Mum. A lot of the cost of commercially available alarms stems from making them reliable & resistant to false alarms. Looking at your daisy-chain design, I'm reminded of the early days of PC networking when 10base2 was popular. This also worked on a daisy-chain principle & my experience was that it would regularly cease to work, at which point you had to test the whole circuit around the building to find out which bit had gone to lunch. I would recommend a "star" layout for your alarm - it would be more reliable & easier to troubleshoot. I also noticed that you talk about elderly people not being quick enough to turn the alarm on/off, but then only give them 3 seconds to close the door! I agree with your decision to use wired vs. wireless. Even though wireless is easier to set up it would - as you say - be susceptible to interference (just look at the problems with wireless networking). Having a switch to turn it on/off doesn't sound very secure, as a burglar would just have to hit the switch to turn it off. How about some sort of contactless key? Love your blog - always interesting. Rob B. Hi, Rob. Thanks for your feedback. The switch box is positioned immediately inside the door and three seconds from the point where the door is pushed is more than enough time to reach up and press the switch. Even if it isn't, the alarm will cease as soon as the button is pressed (unless the door has been closed). Yes, it would be easy for a burglar to switch it off but 1. He won't expect it because there's no warning bleep 2. He won't know what to look for 3. He has only 3 seconds to think this through. If the alarm squeals, the neighbours' dog will start barking and everyone will come to check. The series connection is the simplest, requiring only one thin wire. If there's a fault it would be inconvenient but not impossible to locate and it wouldn't take me long. I don't want the complication of having to have "zones" and twin wires in a star configuration. Greater complexity means worse reliability, not better. No definitely not. I understand your reasons for simplifying the operation of your mother's alarm system, but I think that the following is important to consider. The fact that no codes or keys are required to set or unset the system lead to the two dangers. It can be accidently or maliciously set thus causing nuisance alarms. My mother probably won't do that. She's 84 and quite wary of buttons but I think she'll manage with just two. If it can be disarmed without a code or key then there is nothing to stop a criminal disarming it upon entry to the premises. True but they have 3 seconds to find it and press the "light switch". Unless my system were in widespread use, they won't be looking for a double light switch behind the door curtain. It's not going to "bleep" to alert them. Perhaps a compromise would be to operate the system by use of a removable key? My mother would love that. It takes her two minutes just to find her front door key! You are probably aware that properly designed alarm systems that conform to BS4737 will also have an anti tamper circuit? Yes, the proprietary bell box has that. Also the mandatory 12 or 20 minute switch-off. Only the control box is custom designed. Cutting or shorting the wires to it won't disable the alarm, once set. Nigel Thanks for your feedback, Nigel. You are actually the first person who hasn't suggested that my idea is stupid. I'll see if a key switch is available. However, it takes my 84 year old mother at least a minute to find her front door key in her handbag (or the fridge or wherever she put it)! The thought of entrusting her with a key-operated alarm, with 3 second delay (or even 30 seconds), fills me with horror! (*1% = one small niggle: one item, 090-3078 FFC Threaded F Barrel Connector, one of 4 ordered, net price £0.29, is only threaded on one end & therefore useless. Given the item is worth about half the postage costs, not worth returning, but a basic visual inspection should avoid this.) Roger M. I agree. I don't know how the girls missed this! I'll ask them to send you another. Do you work for someone else - a big company, perhaps? Do you feel undervalued and underpaid? I know that a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. I came across a free booklet, which you might find interesting. You can download it HERE. I guarantee that it will greatly improve your earning prospects if you follow the advice. (I didn't write this but, if I had, my advice would have been exactly the same.) Why should you read this? Well, I confess that my motives are not completely altruistic. The plain fact is that, if you earn more money, you might spend a little of it with SatCure! Do you know an aerial installer who has a spectrum analyser (and knows how to use it)? Contact Details, please. Quite an interesting article. Saving the Environment Instead of supplying printed instructions, wherever possible we provide a download link to the PDF version and the customer can print out as many or as few pages as he needs. Environmentally friendly AND with the bonus that the customer can read the instructions before the goods arrive at his door. That way, if he forgot to order something (batteries?) he can nip out and buy them in good time. Dropbox again Last month I mentioned using Dropbox to transfer files. It's really easy to use but one person (yes, a Mac user) became really angry with me because he couldn't upload a file for me. Or at least he could upload it but he couldn't give me the correct link. Turned out that he was using his web browser to create a "shared" folder, putting the file into that, then giving me the link to HIS Dropbox account on the secure server. This is NOT the way to do it, so I have put brief instructions HERE. You do not need to open a web browser (or any other application) to upload a file. Dropbox normally gives you 2 GB of space to use for uploads but click HERE and you'll get 2.5 GB If you have problems with our email form "spam filter", please ask for my email address or post your contribution in the public forum. If you want a mention in this monthly newsletter, just ask. I will then decide whether your message is suitable for inclusion or whether I should simply include a link to it here. What the f...? Hi Martin. I did promise you some time ago some photographs of unusual (?) satellite dish installations. I read your blog this month, and enjoyed it just as much as always- I can identify with you on so many levels! I also realised (with dread) that I may have been one of the offending senders of large image files (rogues' gallery), for which I apologise whole-heartedly. One does tend to take a reliable internet connection for granted. The 'silver lining' is that I have now learned about Dropbox, and have the pleasure of sending you some images of an awkward situation I 'got around' by installing an offset dish on its side! In the first picture, the camera is facing south- therefore Astra 2 is to the left. The only available wall space faces west- therefore the the only 'conventional' install would involve the entire (137cm) dish projecting over the roof-line, which the customer was not keen on. But, by using the offset dish on its side, signals are collected from the side (which used to be the top), thereby getting around the awkward wall (and customer!) problem. The pictures are here for your perusal, but they are 1.5 ~1.9MB, so you may want to wait for a 'good' day to download them :-). On the subject of Dropbox, I also found Sugarsync- a similar (free) service with a generous 5GB initial space, but it's not as user-friendly as Dropbox, so I thank you for the heads up. Many thanks once again for your monthly out-pouring of woe and more. Portugal and Greece have so much more in common than I suspect either of them would ever like to admit. Keep up the good work! Best regards, Trevor. Have you an unusual installation? If you have anything of interest to contribute, please contact me with details. What have you installed? What problems have you had? Have you been ripped off? Tell us all about it. (Make it interesting.) Another HDMI extender product I came across - for those with a lot of spare cash burning a hole in their pocket ! http://hiddenwires.co.uk/resourcesnews2010/news20101104-06.html http://www.keene.co.uk/electronic/aavara/hdmi-over-ip-multicast-system/PB5000.html By my calculations it must be doing compression as full HD (1080 * 1920 * 25 full frames/s * 3 channels * 8 bits/channel) comes to around 1.25Gbps which is considerably more than the throughput available on gigabit ethernet. Says it does HDCP though. So what use are they? For a home environment, probably not that relevant ? Much cheaper to use a pair of HDMI-over-Cat5e/6 units. But if you've a big mansion, you can use them as an alternative to point-point links for an any-any matrix - regardless of where any of the sources are. I.e., unlike an HDMI matrix switch, you don't need to run cables from each source to one point, and cables from that point to each display. Being network devices, you just plug the units in wherever it's most convenient. That network could include fibre (or copper if you're a cheapskate) links between buildings if you've an even bigger mansion or a business spread over several buildings. Just thought you may be interested in seeing what's available should it ever come up, I know myself it's great when you can reply with something along the lines of "well actually, I think I know just the thing for that ..." ;-) Simon Hobson New eBooks These are actually not as complete as I would like but I hope to add more information, later. As always, future updates will be free. If you already paid for a previous Special Offer, here, you will find the FOUR eBooks (see below) in the usual folder. (Don't email me to say you've lost the details.) If you haven't aready paid for a Special Offer, you can buy these cheaply, below, or subscribe. Offer ends at 10pm on April 30, 2012. But there's a snag: I would like feedback, please, if you download one or more eBooks. I would like you to provide information for improvements. Just a line will do. A "hint or tip" that I've omitted, perhaps. A clarification? Your TV Manual* You should read this book before you buy a TV and before your TV goes faulty - as it inevitably will! Includes advice on how to avoid problems, fix simple faults, fix remote controls, getting your TV repaired and buying a new TV. Includes many money-saving tips. Intended for the UK reader but many points are applicable to all countries. (Several repair shop owners asked me not to publish this booklet because they think it will lose them business!) Offer ended but you can buy from http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk The book they didn't want me to publish! I showed this eBook to various professional TV repairers and asked them if they'd like a free advert inside. They didn't. In fact they pleaded with me not to publish! Question: do YOU know a good TV repair shop? We can put their details in this eBook for a free advert. Please contact me with details. No whingers, please. I want to list only repairers who provide a genuinely good customer service. *I changed its title SatCure Guide to Magic Eyes This User Manual is the ideal solution if you've bought a "magic eye" such as "tvLINK", "slxLINK" etc. without a manual. Explains how to install a "magic eye" including "secret" menu + tips. Includes Troubleshooting Guide for fixing problems with your "magic eye". Offer ended but you can buy from http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk Do you install or repair equipment in people's homes? Or maybe you are thinking about starting such a business in the UK? Learn simple methods to increase your earnings significantly. A book full of common sense hints, tips and methods, which will change the way you think about running your business. Implement these suggestions and see how your earnings increase! Normally £9.95 but special offer for a limited period... Offer ended but you can buy from http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk Sky Digibox User Guide This User Manual is the ideal solution if you've bought a Sky Digibox without one. Explains all the features of a Standard Digibox including "secret" menus. Normally £1.95 but special offer for a limited period... Offer ended but you can buy from http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk IMPORTANT CONDITION OF SALE: I'd like you, if possible, to email me a tip or information which is missing from this eBook. (It's somewhat out of date as regards HD so I don't think you'll find it difficult.) Please contact me with details. Otherwise, please just tell me whether you like it? (I haven't received any feedback yet.) Offer ends at 10pm on April 30, 2012. After this date you can buy these eBooks at the normal price from http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk - a selection from this month's emails If you are a new subscriber I'm afraid that you might find some of my replies a little blunt to the point of being rude. That's just the way I am after answering customers' questions for the last fifteen years. Please don't take offence. Sometimes I'm a little tired, ratty or impatient and it shows! Generally, if you ask for a free reply, you'll get what you pay for. If you DO have a question, PLEASE read the web site information and eBooks first. I get the same questions day after day because people are in too much of a hurry to look. If you want me to give you links to the relevant pages, I'm happy to do that if you provide enough information. (I'm always REALLY busy after a "blog" is published, as everyone thinks of something they meant to ask/tell me earlier! If you just fancy a natter, please wait a few days.) Note: I will not return your call if I'm out. Note: my replies, below, are mostly from my offer of "a free 2 minute reply". Consequently, they are sometimes brief to the point where I haven't even answered the right question because the person asking it hasn't made it clear. You wouldn't believe how often people send me an email without a single question mark and expect me to figure out precisely what they are trying to ask. On the other hand, if the questioner has written lucidly and included all possible information, AND if the question interests me, I may spend up to an hour on research to answer his/her question. Here's a tip: I respond better to "I have searched your Technical section but I can't find the page that tells me how to ....." than to "You gotta tel me pls wot 2 by or my wifel kill me i lives in the smoke an we need freeview innit." Every reply I send contains a clickable link to acknowledge receipt. That's the only response I need. If the recipient clicks the link, his browser window opens with a "Thanks" message. If I receive no notification and if he places no order (I do check) then my reply gets flagged with No response. Either these people are rude, lazy or they are not receiving my replies because their spam filter is incorrectly set. You'd be amazed how many people get it wrong and don't even realise. (I may occasionally make a mistake about this - it's possible they replied without using the correct ticket number or placed an order with a different email address - but I do check as carefully as I can before I label my reply with No response. Questions... The problem I am having is that my mother, who is critically disabled in a number of ways, has just been forced over to Freeview, from her analogue service. She uses an old (~23-25 years) 14" 4:3 TV, at quite a distance from where she sits in a fixed chair. She wears strong glasses and has a severe neck injury that prevents her from changing position or moving her head, so getting a new TV is not an option (has to be mm perfectly positioned). The new Freeview VCR/DVD, Panasonic EZ49VEBK, I have purchased for her does not have RF output - hence needing a modulator. The real issue is that the digital picture is far too intense for her, being used to a fairly degraded analogue signal. She gets eye pain from the new picture and sickness and has to stop watching. I was hoping the attenuator in the modulator might help lower the signal intensity, but it doesn't seem to do much and there is a slight shake on the modulated image, which doesn't help. Changing the TV settings for brightness/contrast/colour is non-trivial on this old telly and she watches a lot of old recorded VHS videos which would be affected too. She uses the TV as her sole form of rest and recovery; without it, she will deteriorate - hence why I'm bothering you with this, in case you can think of anything to get the signal strength down or whatever affects the white temperature. There's also a problem with the Channel 4 output (all channels) not supporting 4:3 anymore; the new VCR doesn't offer pan & scan, so that's another major problem. A major stress event. Anyhow - sorry to lay this on you, not your problem I know, just hoping to pick your brains as you have extensive knowledge in this field. Thanks, K. I couldn't provide a useful answer. If anybody has a suggestion, send it to me and I'll forward it to K. Ref: 65078 My location is: tn33 Hello 1- i want buy say 100 m of quality co-axial cable - for sat feed - what do you have available, + cost ? 2 + will it also perform ok for normal tv aerial feed ? nb - i read that the better the co-axial - the better the signal - true, or OTT ? 3 - i would like to attach are photos of my old - non-used dish, may be a PACE [?], to which I wish to fix a replacement LNB --- thus does it look - ok ? :-) THUS I need your email address to send photos ??? I know it is difficult, from photos - but your best estimate would be appreciated -- ie what degrades on a dish, etc -- will it still focus the sat signal on the lnb ? 4 -- thus if so -- are you able to supply a suitable lnb, which will match the dish + cost ? 5 -- you mention in your 'sale' items a 'double' feed lnb - ? suitability of double feed etc ? 6 -- to align to a satellite - what / how do recommend, notes / equipment + cost ? 7 - is the goodmans gfsat101sd - a reasonable box ? ----- or could I do better - recommendations ? 8 - -- will your lnb - work with my goodmans ? 9 - what is the best way to 'connect' the sat co-axial cable to the TV - ie, plug-wise ? 10 - with the digital changeover - are there any recommendations for enhancing a sat signal to a digital tv ? 11 -- recommended satellites to focus on from here in east sussex ? ..... currently the dish is fix to side of house facing, say east-ish, with a 10m high oak tree 20 metres east-ish - ? obstruction or not ! many thanks russ & ps - soldering nps - & I know what a circuit looks like -- but finer points of pns / capacitors are hazy + pps please pass to ?freesat? answers ? if required - TY russ c. I'm not going to include my reply to this. Suffice to say I provided links to many of the answers and left it at that. Frankly, this goes way beyond my "free two minute reply" offer, with no guarantee that an order will result. Please spend some time reading the SatCure Technical Section and restrict your questions to important points which aren't (apparently) answered there. Location: LE3 2xx Hi Martin, I would like to buy a Televes DAT75, MRD and the power supply but reading through your website apparently it is not suitable for areas that require group A aerial such as Crystal Palace, and Rowridge Is there more of these areas? I live in Leicester and my transmitter is Waltham but I have not been able to find out if that is a group A ae-rial zone. One other point I am concerned is the narrow focus of these high gain aerials, I am going to have it on a 2" pole substantially bracketed and no more than 3' high. Do you think that will be all right? Many thanks in advance Regards Faruk Hi, Faruk. Waltham's channels go from 29 to 61 at present. A "wideband Yagi" might work but, as your predicted signal strength is a rather high 49dBuV/m, I'd recommend the V10-040. It should work perfectly now and should also be as "future proof" as any aerial can be. You should have a clear line of sight of the transmitter, on a bearing of 49 degrees, provided that you put the aerial above any buildings in that direction. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/best_aerial.htm I would avoid the DAT75 and MRD. In fact I doubt that you'll need any form of amplifier, but try simply pointing the aerial out of a window to begin with. I have developed a problem with my TV analogue signal throught out our house. We purchased from you a few years ago a Triplex wall plate (with decomposer) and a loftbox 4. This enabled us to watch sky & terrestrial tv around the house. It has worked fine for years but a week ago we have lost the terrestrial signal (very grainy) from our aerial. I've tested several things today but have drawn a blank so I thought I'd ask for help in case either the loftbox or wall plate has gone faulty. The first thing I tried was connecting the aerial directly to a tv upstairs - worked fine. Just in case it was due to the switchover. The next thing I tried was to connect a lead to the 'living room' connection on the loftbox directly to a tv upstairs(removed wire already connected), also worked fine. Next I re-connected the living room connection (original) and tried the trial wire onto one of the output connections to the upstairs tv - still no picture (very grainy). I've checked all connections both in the loft and at the triplex wall plate in the lounge, I've tried connecting the tv directly to the wall plate via the tv port - still nothing. And also the return wire to the tv directly - still nothing (this was all in the lounge). Clutching at straws by this stage!! I've even tried a different sky box (my parents HD) just in case it was linked to that - still didn't work. If you could help I'd be most grateful. I'm sure it must be a simple solution but I'm stuck as to what to do next. Thanks Martin W. Hi, Martin It certainly seems that the Loft Box is faulty. My guess is that it might have been damaged by static discharge from the aerial. Maybe you've had an electrical storm recently? I'd suggest that you order a new Loft Box and try it. If it makes no difference, return it for refund and we'll have to think again. There's a possibility that only the PSU is faulty so, before swapping the Loft Box, you could simply try connecting the new PSU to your Loft Box. If the Loft Box is faulty, there's a possibility that we could get it fixed so please give us the opportunity to look at it. Martin, Thanks for the reply. Our electric has flicked off a few times recently (but n storms). In ref to the loftbox being faulty, one thing I forgot to mention is that the Sky signal is being sent around the house fine, it is only the analogue that is not working properly??? That's what I understood. The Loft Box or PSU could still be faulty. The only other possibility is a cable fault. I had an instance where the centre wire of a cable had snapped inside the wall socket because I had overtightened the screw. I can certainly order a new loftbox and swap the power supply unit (PSU) to see if it helps. One issue I'm just thinking about is at the end of this month our analogue signal is being turned off anyway so a new loftbox isn't going to help us. The Sky Digibox RF output is analogue. Freeview comes from the aerial and is passed through by the Loft Box (if working). I mailed you a few months ago about trying to send freeview around the house but it started to get complicated with wireless senders etc to enable channel changes so I'm not sure where to go on this now?? It doesn't have to be wireless. If your Freeview receiver has an RF modulator, you'll need a TVlink Plus: If the Freeview receiver has no RF modulator, you'll need the complete kit: However, this seems a bit daft. Why not simply put a cheap Freeview receiver in each room where you want to watch it? Or a Freeview TV. Further to our earlier conversation, I've been out and purchased a freeview box, but as you said it won't work until I get the loftbox fixed. No channels can be found at the moment. I might try hard wiring it to the aerial tomorrow just to see if the aerial is up to it, if not I'll order one of these at the same time as the new loftbox. What's going to be the best way of processing the order for the new one, go through your on line shop Yes. I'll probably just have a freeview box in the rooms where we need one, it's going to be the most simple option I think. You mentioned swapping the PSU on the loftbox, is this easy?? What am I going to gain by just swapping the PSU? To determine whether the old PSU alone is causing the fault symptoms. It's a vague possibility and easy to check. The PSU is an external "brick", connected via a screw-on 'F' plug. Easy. You also mentioned about the possibility of fixing the loftbox, do you want me to send it back to you once the new one arrives? Will you send it back if it can be fixed? Yes, certainly. It'll be done FOC apart from postage because I'm keen to find out whether there's an inherent fault (e.g. crappy capacitors) or simply "one of those things". At worst it will be scrap but you are likely to get a spare PSu out of it, if not a spare working Loft Box, which you can sell or keep. We are starting a boat trip from marseilles heading east and wish to get the most freesat we can. We would like a reasonably small dish (say 80cm). We don,t want to spend too much so I don't want an inertial/ gimballed or foldup job, premier league football or tomorrows movies. I read that the pace javellin is a good box and have found a model 1000. Please could you advise which dish/ lnb etc you would advise? Also would I need a sky card? I guess I would need some cables as well If you sell these bits please advise part nos. Regards Dave Hi, Dave. The dish needs to be stabilised on a boat or your receiver won't lock on to a signal. If you put the dish on dry land and align it on the required satellite, an 80cm dish will get a reasonable signal around france and much of Spain, although it won't receive ALL UK channels once you move far south of Marseille or east of of Monaco. A Pace BSKYB1000 "Javelin Minibox" is a perfect choice as it is small, runs of 12 volts and has a sensitive tuner. You'll need a Sky Card to watch the "FreesatFromSky" channels or a Sky subscription card to watch sky channels. As regards advising part numbers, I can't do that because you haven't stated specifically what you want. However, you'll find all the parts and information that you could possibly need on our web site. Please see http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/navigation.htm On a boat you might prefer a "seaside dish": I recommend that everything, including the dish and LNB, be given several coats of oil-based paint. As a boat owner you'll already know how important it is to protect equipment from corrosion so you probably don't need such advise. I just want to confirm that it's perfectly OK to paint everything. Denso Tape also affords useful protection, although it's filthy stuff! Silicone grease is essential for all connections: No response. Stan C. Hi, Stan. The "Vision" masthead amplifiers will happily work from 5 to 12 volts. Current demand depends on number of outputs. I don't know how much current the Humax is able to supply but hopefully it will be enough. If you are feeding anything else from the masthead amplifier, the Humax supply must remain ON, otherwise the amplifier won't work. Hello, Hope you can help I have a SKY+HD box in my main room and a digital TV in a second room that at the moment is connected to a digital aerial in the loft. I intend to connect this 2nd TV to the RF2 output on my sky box but this will mean I will have to disconnect the loft aerial so that I can use the existing coaxial cable for the RF2 to TV connection. With only the RF2 connection to the 2nd room TV I understand I won't get a freeview digital signal. Is there anyway around this, or any other bits I can buy. Because of the construction of the house I cannot run a 2nd cable to the 2nd TV for loft aerial connection? Many Thanks Ray M. Hi, Ray. 1. Use a wireless videosender system. 2. Most houses will accommodate a cable running externally from an aerial. If not, it's sometimes possible to pull a cord through with the existing cable and us the cord to pull through a thin twin "shotgun" cable. 3. You could put an aerial in your "main room". You should have a very strong signal from Bluebell Hill so a log-periodic aerial should be fine. That would free up your cable. However, your "digital TV" will need an analogue tuner in order to see the Sky RF output. If the TV is Freeview only, you are out of luck. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/best_aerial.htm P.s. There's no such thing as "a digital aerial". No response. Kind Regards------Kim The aerial has a threaded F socket, as does the Optima filter. i want a push fit cable one foot from the aeriel A foot is 30cm. We can supply a 25cm WF100 lead with 'F' plug each end. Add a "push-on" adapter. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page7.htm#adapt then main run into the signal strenth finder Does that have threaded 'F' sockets? If so, you need another 'F' plug extension lead, as above. Chhose length and colour. and out then in and out of the Opitma Another 'F' plug extension lead. then into the tv, An 'F' - TV lead. can you visualise this run from the aerial to the tv and let me know the plugs etc i need so i can order all the said items please? Hopefully, I got it right but please check carefully. Have been suffering break up of picture recently. Replaced digibox with second hand one (standard)made it better but not perfect. It seems worse on the terrestrial channels but does affect all. should i replace the LNB with a new one ? This is the original installation & is several years old now. Your advice would be appreciated. Many thanks Gary. p.s. On the previous box it use to lock out, it doesn't do this on the replacement, which is a Pace for a Panasonic. Gary K. Hi, Gary. I don't understand your comment regarding "terrestrial channels". I thought your question was about satellite TV. For satellite TV, you should check dish alignment and connections. Cable and LNB can be checked only by replacement but the typical life of unprotected cable outdoors is 5 years before signal loss may become apparent - dependent on exposure to heat, cold, wind, rain and sun. For cable info. see http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm For 'F' connector info. see http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm You haven't stated the model number of your Pace Digibox so I can't comment except to say that it might be faulty. No response. I have purchased 2 of item 16933 on the understanding that the standoff is approx 11 inches as stated on your website description. The actual standoff is approx 6" and I need more than this as my chimney flares out at the top. Is there a similar item with more standoff? about 9" would be ideal. I do need double lashing brackets as there is a feature on the chimney which would get in the way of a single piece bracket. Thanks, Robert It seems to me that this is not really a Technical question. The A16933 is listed as having an 11 inch standoff from the chimney to the pole centre. If the one you received hasn't, then this comes under the heading "incorrect items" and you should contact Sales and ask them to send the correct one. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/email.html Regards, Peter R. Hi, Peter. The bracket is for a MK4 Sky LNB, as stated. A Sky MK4 LNB has a 37mm diameter neck so a standard 40mm neck LNB will not fit into the bracket. This is to prevent people from inadvertently fitting a standard LNB (designed to see a circular dish) into an oval sky dish and thus degrading its performance - especially in bad weather. An Easy Find LNB is designed for a circular dish (as seen from the LNB's focal position) such as this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page2.htm#60cm More info about LNB differences here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm#oval Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. You could bodge it but the signal will be about 20% lower than it should be, with the additional possibility of some transponders being considerably lower still. A bit of a gamble (but many people have done it so don't let me put you off trying it). arllen Yes, I'm sure we can help. Choose what you need from this page: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/television_capacitors.htm Hi first of all I must congratulate you on your website, as well as being source of equipment I have founds lots of good information and knowledge. I have checked your FAQ and forum but cannot find an answer to my questions. I have a 'suitcase' satellite system very similar to your camping and caravan kit, a Tevion make. I have a couple of questions about hooking this up (I used last year and and the mounting etc was not the best). The dish has a 10mm pin, it would mount to a tripod/pole via a bracket and a 10 inch arm which is not be the best for stability. Do you have a bracket to mount the dish direct to the tripod? Sorry, Paul. I can't follow your description. I suggest you upload some photos. Also the sat meter is a squawking LED type, I would prefer one that does not make so much noise, it is obvious on site you are struggling! Does your meter with a needle have a loud noise? Yes, it squeals. But it's easily muted. Simply flip the rear cover off and push a small ball of Blu-Tack into the piezo-electric sounder. Lastly I have struggled to attach the cable to the LNB as the f plug is recessed, would the f plug tool you sell help? Again, a photo would assist me to see what you are trying to describe. One possibility is to use a push-on adapter with the 'F' plug. If I do have to use the arm will your tripod be stable enough? Our tripods are very stable when pegged down. After the good advice I will be upgrading the poor quality cable, to a good quality from your site. Sorry to ramble on, thanks in advance! Paul G Later... Martin thank you for getting back so quickly it was unexpected at the weekend. I have placed an order for the cable, satfinder and a few extras, I will to use them soon. Many thanks, Paul. I have solved the fplug on the LNB - the fplug supplied in the kit was the wrong size, also the fly lead was also incorrect! (but they both worked on the receiver!) How helpful. For mounting the dish I have uploaded a couple of photos, they begin TE102964, but some I had trouble uploading. TE102964_kit shows a similar kit to mine from your webpage. TE102964_dish shows the dish the 10mm mounting pin as at the bottom. dish_bracket is a close up of the wall bracket that I used U bolts on. Dish_mount is a close up of the pin mount that fits in the arm. dish_arm shows with the bracket that the dish will be 10inches from the pole. If you have a bracket that would mount direct to the tripod using the pin it would be excellent. Unfortunately, I know of no such item. However, (see modified image) maybe you could cut the bracket arm much shorter and drill it, to fit the wall bracket much closer to the dish. It should then be possible to fit the wall bracket directly to the tripod with 'U' bolts. Having the arm much shorter will reduce the tendency for the dish to topple the tripod. If you can point the arm forwards beneath the LNB arm, the balance point should be even better. For the tripod, I see you have numerous ones, I was looking at the deluxe tripod or the budget tripod from the caravan dish kit. Is the difference only the weight whilst the budget one extends? Are these as good as the Omnisat ones that are more money? I haven't tried them but I think you pay a price for the Maxview name. I have been in contact with the support people of the makers, they have sent out a replacement LNB and F plugs, these work much better. I seems the originals were rubbish with an under size connector. Thank you again for all your help. Paul. Equipment made by: Thomson Hi. Thanks for your time. My Thomson DTI6300-16 psu is playing up. I had successfully changed C52 & C60 for the better Panasonic 1000uF 16V 105deg ones last time it died. Then after some months C14 popped so I changed that to a Panasonic 22uF 400V 105deg but still the DTI still didn't start. While investigating I measured that the FWB rect had 400V dc out but I slipped and popped the on board fuse. Before trying again with a new fuse is there something else that might have died for me to change? Otherwise do you supply exchange psus and if so how much? Cheers, Paul Paul R. Hi, Paul. Unfortunately, we don't have any PSUs. Without a circuit diagram and without knowing what you did when you "slipped", all I can say is that just about anything could have been damaged. Try a new fuse of the same type (we stock fuses if you can't get an exact match locally). If it pops again, contact Michael: http://www.digifixltd.co.uk Antony F. Sorry, Tony. I have access only to a 1.2m Channel master dish. I recommend you ask the suppliers: Hello again Martin, There are no instructions of any kind with the 60cm sky Sat Dish I ordered and received. By this I mean it does not state if the dish is an offset type (it looks to be) and if so what the offset is. I know that most dishes are around 22 to 26 but I have not been able to locate and confirm this on your site. Regards, Neil Hi, Neil. It's important with any enquiry to include your last order number, please. I have located your order confirmation email in the archive and have forwarded a copy to you. Please also see http://www.satcure.co.uk Later... Dear Martin, Thank you for the SatCure Keep-me [RESEND], I had not received it previously and it was not caught up in my spam folder. Hi, Neil, That is worrying. It was certainly sent by the server because I received the copy. That means that it was trashed by Yahoo. There's no other explanation, and I've come across this problem previously. It's best to use a proper email service because you don't know what else is being "black-holed" by a free service. With a proper email service you pay a (usually) very small amount to an ISP, who is accountable. You sent a link to the 60cm dish assembly, but as it was already assembled correctly it was ok for checking, however I am sorry to say there was no answer to my question regarding what elevation the dish was designed at, It simply refers to the elevation scale of which I am aware and know how to use. (Quote; Note position of notch and arrow hole against the elevation scale. Un-quote) The scale stamped on your 60 cm dish is; 30-60-30 totally unusual as far as I can see when on a normal dish it starts at 0 &endash; 20 &endash; 40 straight forward. However when the bracket is horizontal the reading is already 50 degrees elevation as only 27.7 is required (included bellow) reducing by 23 degrees means & pointing it towards the ground which I cannot believe, which is why I asked for the dish design specifications/ offset to check The scale is marked 30 - 60 - 90. This is obviously NOT degrees of elevation. I think it is the offset angle, required when installing the dish on an H-H motorised mount. The dish should be set approximately and aligned with a meter, as described here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/satmeter.htm Most dishes are offset, <snip> eggs suck grandma <wink> Although I am retired I do have my college degrees as probably you, but if you are not able explain or do not have the time I shall understand and I will not bother you anymore as I will work it out for myself. It's no "bother". My job is to help customers as best I can. :-) Yes, I have a university degree in Electronic Engineering and I'm heading for retirement, too! I haven't been asked about the scale, previously, which is rather surprising really. Maybe most people are too embarrassed to admit they don't understand it. I shall certainly ask the suppliers if they know what it's for. In the meantime, if you set the LNB arm to horizontal and use the meter, you'll probably find that the arm needs to be fractionally lower - towards the ground. But horizontal is a good starting point. Actually, if you manage to work out the relationship between the scale and the actual elevation I'd be interested to know. It would help future customers. (As I live on Crete I don't get the opportunity to play with the equipment!) Later... I just found this page. The picture looks like the same dish:- Marked with latitude??? HDU681S 8 WAY LOFTBOX DISTRIBUTION UNIT 27856R Qty:1 at £54.95 Above installed and working fine with "Virgin V+" unit since 2009. We have now changed to "BT Vision" and the remote extender system no longer works. Are you aware of any incompatibility issues with the above items and the "BT Vision" box, and if so any alternatives? Many thanks and keep up the good work. Cheers Andy Hi, Andy. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with "BT Vision" since I ceased doing repairs several years before it came on the market. I didn't even know it had an RF modulator. So, if BT won't help you, I suggest you ask in the various forums, such as http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/ Be sure to state the Make and Model number of your "BT Vision" receiver (if there's more than one). (If you find a solution, please let me know so I can put it on our web site for other BT Vision customers.) Thanks in anticipation - thought it was worth a try. Barbara B. Hi, Barbara. Yes, all German analogue channels will be switched off in April. I can't be specific but prices are listed on our web site. Here are my thoughts:- You'll obviously need a FTA digital receiver, with or without Hard Drive for recording: and a "universal LNB" to suit your (unknown type) dish. Hopefully, a standard 40mm neck LNB will fit: If you choose a receiver with recording ability then you'll need at least a twin-output LNB. If you plan to add another receiver, you'll need a quad-output LNB. Apart from that, I can't think of anything, although your cable etc. will have aged and may need to be replaced. If you want both English and German programmes, you might consider something like this: It is possible to receive some German programmes with a Sky Digibox. However: 1. The dish still needs to be realigned or changed. Susanne T. Hi, Susi! Die deutschen Kanäle kommen vom Satellit, der sich "Astra 1" heisst. (D.h. 19.2°E). Die Antwort ist die selbe wie die Antwort für Formel Eins, die ich auf dieser Seite beschrieben habe. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/how_to_watch_F1.htm MfG. No response. I am in the process of wrecking / renovating a house and have done what every self-respecting tech geek dreams. i.e. flood wiring the house. I have put in to each room a WF100 cable (two where I want the facility to have sky plus) back to a cabinet where the main satellite LNB and aerial connections are located. I'm looking for a patch panel solution where I can patch either a TV signal or satellite signal to the wall mount box in any given room. Do you have any thoughts on a solution to this and do you sell the components? To be clear I'm not looking for a duplexed/triplexed system for distribution TV all over the house, I just want to be able to make a specific connection between the dish/aerial to a wall socket. Regards, Matthew Hi, Matthew. So it seems you want a simple Signal Distribution Plate a bit larger than the one at the bottom of this page: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm I think the holes in the aluminium sheet need to be 9mm or 9.5mm. PS. Your Yellow WF100 cable is really nice cable to use when wiring a house, thanks ! Yes and nobody else seems to stock it! I have found this site today which seems to do what I want. I thought I'd send it over in case you have other folks asking the same thing. http://www.connectorco.co.uk/catalogue/media_panels.htm Once again thanks for your advice and the cable. Yes, that's an interesting collection. Many thanks. Lawrence W. Hi, Lawrence. Yes, indeed, we supply extension cables with, or without, 'F' plugs fitted, in a choice of colours (WF100 cable). Also the threaded barrel connectors. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/extend_cable.htm No response. My 2 questions are: How high above the roof of the van should the aerial be set. Is there a recommended min or max distance? If it's a metal roof then I'd suggest a bare minimum of 0.5m but preferably more. However, you may have to raise or lower it for best results in a fringe reception area. I have read a lot about signal finders. Would the above set up require such a device or is it simple a case of turning the aerial? With analogue it was easy to rotate an aerial to get the least-grainy picture. Digital is "all or nothing" so you may think you've got it right and sit down to watch TV, only to find the picture breaks up every minute. The signal display provided by the receiver might help (if you can see the TV screen) but there tends to be several seconds delay between moving the aerial and the receiver recalculating. Again, the results will vary, dependent on signal strength. Unfortunately, the cheap meters are fairly useless in weak signal areas - which is where you most need them. In brief, trial and error is the answer. For many many years I've been watching German analogue FTA TV with an Cambridge ARD200 set top box with no problems at all. I've noticed that many German channels have gone digital and hear that more are to go in April. I obviously have to change to digital as I still want to watch the same channels. Please will you give me a list of of what I need and the cost? It will be a DIY job and I'm a pensioner. I've down loaded your E-book: Understanding digital Sky and FreeSat. Kind regards Ron K. Hi, Ron. All German analogue channels will be switched off in April. I can't be specific but prices are listed on our web site. Here are my thoughts:- You'll obviously need a FTA digital receiver, with or without Hard Drive for recording: and a "universal LNB" to suit your (unknown type) dish. Hopefully, a standard 40mm neck LNB will fit: If you choose a receiver with recording ability then you'll need at least a twin-output LNB. If you plan to add another receiver, you'll need a quad-output LNB. Apart from that, I can't think of anything, although your cable etc. will have aged and may need to be replaced. http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm If you want both English and German programmes, you might consider something like this: We resorted to leaving it on all the time but even then, about every 2 days, it reboots and resets the defaults. I have given up with Humax. They say to send it back for a repair but won't say how much it would cost and, anyway, we would lose all our recordings. If you think your kit would be suitable, would we lose the recordings? My husband would be able to fit it but asks what is actually included? Is it just the capacitors and, if so, how many? Brenda Hi, Brenda. Fitting the kit (correctly) won't do any harm. Obviously I can't guarantee it will cure your problems. Have you taken our advice and checked to see if any capacitors are bulging? If not, please read this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/low_ESR_capacitors.htm#caps Typical Life of a Hard Drive is 3 - 5 years so it ought to be OK but, when you've got the Humax working and you've watched all the recordings, you should consider fitting a new one to guarantee trouble-free operation. Apple Mac I have talktalk.co.uk as my homepage on my Mac as they are the ISP. Over the last few days they have been advertising Macbook Defender for "Is your Mac running slowly?" and now a download for "Clean your Mac in 5 minutes". Are these to be avoided? I seem to remember Macbook Defender being treated with disdain sometime back. Ian "Bargepole". See http://www.reedcorner.net/news.php/?p=245 From my own experience of using Macs since 1997 and macOSX for 11 years, I recommend installing the free "AppleJack" and using that once a month. It has fixed many problems for me and my wife and I haven't found the need for anything else. However, when a friend managed to trash her external Hard Drive directory by disconnecting the drive before "ejecting" it, I recovered it with "Data Rescue": http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php It's not cheap but, my goodness, it's nice to have when you are in a fix and all the shops are closed! I am looking to purchase a better 8 way tv splitter for out offices. We are in a 2 story office building with the aeriel on the top. We currently have a tv in our kitchen which is connected to an 8 way splitter about 10 metres away. The picture is perfect. There are 7 other cables around our building which range from 25 metres to 50 metres from this splitter. I have tried a new digital tv plugged directly into the splitter and it works fine on atv & dtv. when I try the same tv at the end of the other 7 cables the picture on atv is poor and nothing on dtv. the splitter was replaced about a year ago and unfortunatly I do not know what spec the one was.The current one is a SLX8 R07W43. I assume when the old splitter broke and we got someone in to replace it they did not give us an adequate splitter. Can you sell us a better one please. ? Thanks Colin C. Hi, Colin. The SLX8 has a gain of 8dB per output. As you'll have noted on our technical page (see * link below), this is sufficient to drive a signal down 8/0.18 = 44 metres of WF100 cable and get, out of the end, the same signal level that went into the amplifier: * http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/amps.htm Unfortunately, you haven't told me the length or type of cable from aerial to amplifier nor whether the aerial has a masthead amplifier. Nor have you told me the history of the problem. Did the system ever work properly with Freeview? Anyway, to begin with, you could try our high-gain amplifier:- This amplifier has an automatic masthead power facility so, if a masthead amplifier IS fitted to the aerial, it will be powered. If our amplifier works OK for the longer cables, you may need to fit suitable attenuators to the shorter cables. The intention is that every receiver gets roughly the same level of signal. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15a.htm#uhfatten Calculate the approximate attenuator value on the basis that every metre of cable less than the longest run (50m) represents 0.18 dB. Choose the nearest available value. In other words, a 10m cable is 40m less than 50m and would therefore need an attenuator of 40 x 0.18 = 7.2dB. The nearest value to that is 6dB. If the long cables still give a problem with our amplifier installed, you may try a masthead amplifier in addition. The "Vision C12469 Mast amp 1-way" has an adjuster that should be set so that the A281LR is not overloaded. No additional power supply is required because the A281LR will provide the current. Just make sure that all connections are able to pass DC. Any TV plugs should be the solder or screw type to ensure good continuity. Wall plates should be non-isolated. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page11c.htm#buysep If any cables run outdoors and are not protected from the weather, they may have deteriorated. No response. David P. Hi, David. I have a friend who used to modify Sky Digiboxes but he was eventually pounced on by Trading Standards because such a modification requires extensive safety tests and approval certification, which costs a lot. Best just to buy an inverter. It doesn't need to be very powerful. David P. Hi, David. The Pace BSKYB1000 "Javelin" minibox is a standard Sky Digibox. It has no Hard drive and no HD. It is an obsolete model, available only second-hand on sites such as eBay. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/pace_info.htm I am trying to install a Triax DDU in my house. I have a terrestrial aerial connected to the UHF1 and 4 port sky dish connect to sat 1-4. I connect the down link and uplink (IR-SAT2) to my Triax 304115 and all works no problem. I then try and connect either SAT3 or SAT4 to a triplexed (304102) outlet but I get no digital terrestrial and analogue is very poor. I also tried connecting IR-LINK(1-6) to regular outlets (without magic-eye) and same result, bad picture(snow). Pete See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lofthelp.htm No response. Is there something available to resolve this issue? Would a booster of some sort work? Errol C. Hi, Errol. The clue is in "Recently". Since it was working previously, it ought to work still. Adding "a booster of some sort" is only going to complicate the situation without fixing whatever has gone wrong. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/tvlink2.htm Hi there Martin I have been reviewing your website for details in the attempt to get a signal from Astra 1 aswell as Astra 2 ( RTL and Freesat ) I have a dish that was on our old house measuring 72 cm x 59cms with a Raven Quad LNB currently point at 28.2 degs Astra 2. I cant see any branding on it but was probably installed by sky many years ago. I was looking at your LNB bracket as seen on http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/how_to_watch_F1.htm page. Can you advise will this work with this type of dish...? Iain F I'm not sure what you are asking. Our LNB bracket works with our dish. If you have any other dish then you are probably going to have to "bodge" something. Go back to the F1 page and click on the link to "our Sky minidish extra LNB page" for ideas. We have a Humax HDR which as far as I know can be connected to a DiSEqC switch but I am unsure as to exactly what type of switch and the type of set up. If you bought the Humax from us, I'm happy to advise. Otherwise please ask your supplier. No response. I tried to Skype you a couple of times and I think I missed a call from you yesterday, so I thought it might be best to drop you an email. I have recently purchased a two bedroom first floor flat, which I am I the processes of gutting. Currently it has no TV aerial or Sky and so I thought I would future proof the property for cables etc. I basically want to have all cables going into the sitting room (I have no access to the loft) and then a distribution system in place so that TV/Sky can be watched in the bedrooms. I had a TV guy in and he told me to do the following: TV aerial on roof, wired into wall plate in sitting room. Have a double wall plate in each bedroom with TV socket, two RJ45 sockets and a blank (in case want to use the second coax cable for Sky (not sure about this) and the mirror of these in the sitting room. So I would therefore end up with three modular wall plates in the sititing. Does this seem a good system? I would have to use a distribution amp in the sitting room to send tv and Sky to the other bedrooms. I am not sure why I need a second coax cable and why I need two Cat 5e cables &endash; does it make sense to you? My modem will also be behind the TV. Please advise if the sounds correct and what I would need to buy. If I am running twin coax cable to the bedrooms, would it be best to use two single cables or shotgun cable? Many thanks Ben G. Sorry, Ben, I've been out a lot and I forgot to switch off Skype when I went out yesterday. This is a "personal choice" question and only you can decide what you want. I recommend that you determine what is feasible and work from there. If funds permit, you simply can't have too many cables! Wherever you decide to put something, I guarantee that within a year, you or your partner will decide it should be at the opposite side of the room. So you need to duplicate cables to every possible corner of, at least, the main viewing room, and maybe others, too. That way, if you move furniture around, it's a relatively simple matter to go to your distribution point and swap a few connections. I also recommend using coloured cables to make identification easy. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm You may decide you want Sky instead of Freesat (or vice versa). You may decide you want to watch Formula One (or other sport channels) for free. There's no way I can guess. I recommend you begin with these information pages: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wall_plates.htm There are plenty of other pages which are relevant, too. Hi, I'm thinking of getting this unit as a gift for my parents; Can I check whether this is twin tuner? (I suspect not?) Yes it's twin tuner and we offer twin "shotgun" cable to connect it. Also, regarding the ethernet input... Does this provide access to BBC iPlayer, and ITV player, and Ch4 player? (My own Panasonic TV only give access to BBCiPlayer, not the others) No, it doesn't provide access to any of those. It provides access to your own satellite TV programmes via the Internet. Like any other "Slingbox", you can control it remotely. There are many reviews available like this one: http://www.t3.com/reviews/echostar-hds-600rs-freesat-hd-pvr-review I ordered twin cable and connections, including two FLATFCON ribbon connections, I received my order but only one flat ribbon connection, on my order it only states one, can you forward the second flat ribbon connection please Regards Les Hi, Les. No problem but your order clearly has "FLATFCON ribbon with F connectors Qty:1". Please check your order confirmation "Keep-me" email again. Sales may charge you extra for postage (and please note that Royal Mail increased their rates today, April 1st - but it's no joke). I am sorry to trouble you, but having been given some cable by my neighbour, when I mentioned wanting to replace the wire from the satellite dish to the skybox, I'm unsure of its quality. The cable is marked: I don't want to seem ungrateful, but before I install it I thought I'd check with an expert. Your information regarding WF ratings seems very detailed, but I can't cross reference this cable with your details, apart form the possibility that 0065 relates to WF65. Richard N. We don't stock Televes cable so I don't know and you haven't stated the diameter or the construction. Please measure it, strip the cable end, and read these pages: http://www.glodark.com/cable.htm http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cablespecs.htm No response. carl taylor Hi, carl. This is the closest we offer: I'm not familiar with jockey wheel couplings so you'll have to look and see if something like a "Shelley Clamp" will do http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page2a.htm#clamp (instead of the wall bracket) or whether it needs something specifically designed for your purpose. Feedback is welcomed. No response. I have a satellite dish hard wired to my Humax Foxsat box in one room and want to be able to use a TV on other floors without installing more cabling. Is there a wireless solution? Sheridan W. Hi, Sheridan. Provided that your ceilings are not lined with metal foil you may be able to use a videosender. This will allow you to watch the programme that is selected on the Humax receiver. Most videosenders also support remote control so you can change channel etc. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page3b.htm No response. Richard K. Oh, so you don't read my monthly "blog"? http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_163.htm#photos I am sorry to say that although my order has arrived in good time (a substitute rather than what I ordered) I am very disappointed with your customer service. I researched on the internet for a digital set top box with an RF modulator and found that there were two contenders. First the widely available and fairly cheap Icecrypt T5000 and secondly the recently discontinued but, according to your site and one other, still available Manhattan Plaza DT100. I opted for the latter because, although more expensive, it seemed from reviews to be a better quality machine and ordered it from you. Because I knew the Manhattan had been discontinued I ticked the box that asked you to let me if it was not in stock. Your email to me of 25 March timed at 16.50 confirms this. Under my phone number it says "Hold order and contact me if any item out of stock". You didn't do this and instead supplied an Icecrypt T5000 without contacting me. Had I wanted an Icecrypt I could have obtained one for less than half the price I paid for the one you have sent me. I would add that a week later your site still advertises the Manhattan and does not mention the Icecrypt so I have no idea you charge for an Icecrypt. I think you will agree that this cannot be described as acceptable service. Given that boxes with an RF modulator are thin on the ground I wish to keep the Icecrypt but I do not of course wish to pay double its proper price. I think you should offer to credit my credit card account and would suggest £30. I will then only be out of pocket by a small amount. I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Richard B. He was right of course and Sales refunded him. There were two problems:- Firstly, the "Keep-me" message states that we will supply a "Functional Equivalent" unless customer specifically tells us not to. Clearly he didn't read that or felt it didn't apply to him. Secondly, our suppliers had no stock of the Manhattan but omitted to inform us that they'd sent a cheaper "Functional Equivalent". Consequently, we didn't know about it until the complaint came in. In addition, the customer waited a week before telling us, although we state quite clearly that mistakes should be notified immediately. That doesn't help us to put things right quickly. Hi hope you would be able to assist me, im fighting a loosing battle on my freeview box at moment !!! it seems to be from switch over, i get all the basic channels all the time. but my favourite channels. like quest, and sky news, and many more keeps loosing signal certain times a day seems to be worst in evenings i had changed cables!!! to try used a spare freeviewbox still same.??? freeview box are quite old.is this the reason or is there is problem with aerial???? be great if you could help with some way of resolving this issue kind regards rich f Hi, Rich. You should be receiving an extremely strong signal from Rowridge. However, some people have been reporting Continental interference causing "drop-out" of some programmes. There's not a lot you can do about that except get an aerial installer with the proper equipment to confirm it. If that's not the cause then work through the suggestions on this page to locate the cause: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/freeview_problems.htm Hi Martin. Currently I have a Foxsat HDR with a twin LNB feed from a zone 1 dish. Signal and quality are excellent. I have been "persuaded" by the family that we should go should go Sky+HD multiroom in 3 rooms. I intend to replace the current dish (it's getting a bit rusty) with a zone 2 but not sure which is best for distribution. So the question is do I: 1. Use 6 outputs from an octo LNB and connect 3 pairs directly to the Sky boxes? That'll work. 2. Use a single LNB connected into a satellite distribution amplifier in the loft with 6 outputs connected to the Sky boxes? Do you mean "use a quad-output LNB connected to a multiswitch"? Maximum cable length is 30 metres. If the answer is 2, could you suggest a suitable amplifier. Also, would the zone 2 dish's LNB arm take the weight if the answer is 1. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/page10.htm I have read you many excellent articles and ebooks and have found the extremely helpful but I just can't resolve this. Charles Obviously it's a personal choice. I am getting a bt vision box, I would like to disribute it to two other tv's would it be the same process as normal freeview distribution? ken m. Hi, Ken. I'm very sorry but I have no knowledge of BT Vision products. It's not something we can obtain or sell. Please put your question on the various forums that have a BT Vision section. http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl?board=btvision No response. OK, see http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/how_to_watch_F1.htm You'll need the bracket and additional LNB. Can you suggest inexpensive receivers ( I think I'll need 4) which would enable me to do this. As I understand it a dedicated freesat receiver has an EPG which will presumable contain the freesat channels. Correct, from Astra-2 Is there a particular receiver which has an easy interface for adding the foreign channels? Most Freesat receivers can tune into channels on other satellites but you'd have to write detailed instructions for your guests. It might be easier to use two separate receivers for Freesat and FTA, rather than a single receiver with a DiSEqC switch. But it's your choice. You could ask users of the equipment on various forums for their experiences. I am assuming that there are a selection of FTA Dutch/German/French channels available on the Astra satellite. Definitely German from Astra-1. Possibly a couple of Dutch and maybe one FTA French channel. Most French channels are encrypted now. I'm not certain as it keeps changing so you'll have to do some research. Here's the current list for Astra-1 http://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-1H-1KR-1L-1M-2C.html No response. I want to distribute terrestrial and satellite signals around my house. I have read and understand the instructions for the Triax DDU, and I know the parts I need to order from you. Before I order everything: Will I still get a HD signal from my main Sky+ box to my main tv, if I feed the LNB's through the DDU? Thanks Paul H. Hi, Paul, Yes, but only if you connect the Digibox to the TV with an HDMI cable. (Placed an order - thanks, Paul!) Martin In your Blog 163.March 31, 2012 under "New Products" you advised that a replacement power supply for the Pace 1000 "Javelin" Minibox BSKYB receiver was available. Unfortunately your WEB site shows the power supply but does not have an "Add to Cart" selection box. Could you advise when the item will become available as I wish to place an urgent order? Regards Colin E. Oops, try it now: http://www.satcure.com/accs/page12.htm#javelin (He placed an order - thanks, Colin!) Martin Power supplies ordered on Sunday 3rd (evening) and arrived by 09:30 on the following Tuesday 5th (Your usual exellent service). Both work OK and you have a satisfied customer. Thanks for checking with me and your help in resolving the WEB site issue. Regards Colin E I want to be able to view sky and change station via magic eye so can i reverse and it i do will pass through work ? thanks wayne d. Hi, Wayne. It depends on what stations are being received by the terrestrial aerial, which may cause interference. Also, I think it unlikely that a magic eye will work. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm Later... thanks for your answer. previously i have used passive splitter ( reversed ) to combine my sky rf output and my tv aerial as i put them into my booster to distribute all over my house. I currently have a new one in my new house and signal is ok but majic eye remote does not work despite the red light being on so the splitter i bought may not allow pass through. I guess a powered one will give better quality picture so i should go for one. Which of our products will allow me to combine the two inputs into one pls and use remote control ? wayne d. Hi, Wayne. An amplifier won't work in reverse. It has to be wired as shown here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm No response. Dear Martin, I want to use a small panasonic t.v. upstairs separate from my main Panasonic downstairs and I believe that I will need an indoor aerial with a coaxial cable for the Freeview box that goes with it. If this is correct please can you supply? I can pay you with Visa or Paypal or whatever you suggest. Cheers Barbara F. Hi, Barbara. You should have a strong signal from several local transmitters, which means that some channels may be duplicated when you perform a search. If that proves to be annoying, you would have to enter the channel numbers manually. I'm not clear on why you want to use an indoor aerial. It might be OK but they are often troublesome. If you already have a satisfactory outdoor aerial, use that. The signal can be tapped off with a splitter or with a masthead amplifier. Your aerial should ideally be a "Group A" type and directed at Pendle Forest transmitter, which is on a compass bearing of 48 degrees. If indoors, it should be mounted well away from the TV (to minimise interference) and pointed (if possible) out of a window on the correct bearing. I don't sell so-called "indoor aerials" because I can't compete with the likes of Argos. However, if you want to use an existing aerial, I sell everything necessary. Later... Thanks Martin for your reply to 'indoor aerial' query. The story is this: my daughter was going to lend me her small television set with a freeview box so that I could watch it upstairs in my house while I recovered from a medical procedure but when she brought it she forgot the aerial that went with it. So, as she has forgotten the aerial before I thought that I would be clever and buy one to keep here at my house. After talking to you I have decided to go for plan 'B' and buy myself a small cheap television thus making myself independent of my daughter's bad memory. cheers Barbara OK, if you really want an "indoor" aerial I suggest the Telecam TCE200 as being "the least bad". It might do the job: http://www.amazon.co.uk/TELECAM-TCE2000-performance-indoor-aerial/dp/B000G73ZIQ Otherwise, tap off the main aerial as I suggested. I have sent an email explaining to sales_robot@The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk this has been returned by webmaster as unknown!! Yes, the "sales-robot" computer is rather shy. Please use the email form at http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk I did explain I am a Bozo so don't shout at me. I just want to know how to cancel my order? Regards John C. See http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/ebookfaq.htm#refund No response. Order number S1234567 Unable to submit ticket as system claims I already have open ticket - which I have not. Very unimpressed! Mr Ward. Unfortunately, Mr Ward, another customer decided it was a good idea to use your order number to contact Sales. I have deleted that ticket and this one, so you can now post your enquiry under your own order number. Sales may ask you to confirm that you entered the correct delivery address. No response. analogue tv which is built in to the bathroom wall for watching tv whilst in the bath with the switchover it would be very difficult to get a scart lead down the wall and into the back of the tv so i thought of getting a Philex 28207RF Free to Air Satellite Receiver with RF Modulator to control this tv. the box would have to be in the attic above the bathroom and i would need some form of tv eye so i can operate it from below as it can not go in the bathroom can you provide the equipment i require to do the job? This was a question I asked someone when the changeover happened but my wife did not like the black tv eye in the bathoom. I was looking at your site and saw the white non sky extenders and wondered if i could use that with a free view or free sat box in the attic and have the extender next to the white speaker in the ceiling which would look better. if so could you email me a price to supply all this stuff with instructions how to connect the amplifier is directly above the bathroom and there is a socket Les S. Hi, Les. Unfortunately, we have no white "magic eyes" at all so I don't know what you are referring to. All of them have a black lens to let Infra Red light through and colours vary from silver and grey to black - but no white. However, it would be a simple matter to use white paint (but leave the black lens unpainted). There is no simple way to use an "eye" with a Free To Air satellite receiver but why not use a second-hand Sky Digibox, which provides the same programmes and has a magic eye connection? You can probably get a tatty one for a tenner. I imagine your wife won't mind what it looks like if it's going in the attic. We can supply very thin white coaxial cable, too. Sky will sell you a Freesat card for about £25 (one-off fee). You'll need this if you do use a Sky Digibox. See https://mysky.sky.com/replacecard/get-a-card No response. (Yes, there must be a lot of women named "Martin".) I have gone to pay for my additional items that I wish to add to my order Qty 4 18431 Rubber boot for LNB connector Qty 1 SG3 10g economy syringe silicone grease the system wishes to charge me postage and I can not see an option to add to current order. Please advise. Kind Regards Darren That's OK. Just add a note saying "Please add to previous order and recalculate P&P". Sales will calculate the total postage and it probably won't be much (any) dearer. No response. Will this faceplate work with the following scenario - I would like to use this faceplace as I currently have a back box which has 5 cables - Is this what is intended with the triax faceplate? or won't it because it is not through a combiner for sat/tv? Dean P. Hi, Dean. Please see: http://www.satcure.com/tech/triax_304114.htm (I have just added more information to this page.) If you are not combining SAT+TV+RADIO (or at least 2 of the three) into one cable, then I see no point in using this decombiner plate. No response. Nick S. Hi, Nick. We don't sell large dishes so I'm not familiar with it, although I've seen reports that Fortec dishes are flimsy and have poor gain. Hopefully this is wrong but you should be aware just in case. Have you searched for reviews? Prime Focus means that the LNB sits at the exact centre of the dish, instead of being offset. Most Prime Focus dishes are supplied with a feed horn, which usually has a C120 flange and requires a matching C120 flange LNB. The only type we sell is the "Invacom". http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1a.htm#c120invacom If it's not that type then it might need a 40mm neck LNB. If it's any other type, we don't stock it. Whatever type of LNB it needs, make sure you don't buy a Sky LNB by mistake, since this will give very poor reception. To supply three ordinary receivers you will indeed need a quad-output LNB. In fact this will have a spare output so I'd advise running the extra cable in case you decide to change one of the receivers for a (twin tuner) PVR that will record programmes. You can use four separate cables or two twin cables. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm See http://www.satcure.com/tech/lnb2.htm#prime No response. Best solution for either an aerial or sat dish for a touring caravan? Thank you ruby m. It depends on where you plan to tour and which programmes you want to watch from which satellite(s). However, the best compromise aerial, in my opinion, is the Vision "Focus" V10-040. The best dish? Impossible to say without knowing your criteria for "best". Generally, the bigger it is, the better your chance of receiving programmes. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page17.htm No response. Hi Martin I have a slightly warped 1.8 m solid dish in La Manga Spain with a single LNB as follows: Invacom SNF-031, LO 9.75/10.6 Ghz 5070108EC 0008408. Can you supply a 4 way replacement LNB and would it be advantageous to have on it an adjustable screw feed horn to help improve signal? What part number should I use to order it from Satcure? I look forward to your reply. peter j. Hi, Peter. We can supply quad-output LNBs with either 40mm neck or C120 flange fitting. Without knowing exactly what you want I can't provide a stock code but the choice is limited anyway. See See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1a.htm If you don't have a feed horn to match the dish then an adjustable feed on a C120 LNB is essential - unless the dish is designed to be used with a standard 40mm neck LNBF. (LNB with integral feed horn, as most of ours are.) If the dish is more than 2mm out of true, I recommend you replace it because it's unlikely to give acceptable reception of all channels. Unfortunately, we no longer offer large dishes but I'd recommend buying one locally, anyway. I suppose a typical installation of the Humax Foxsat-HDR is to one LNB aligned to 28.2 with two feeds to its two LNB inputs and two tuners. Certainly I need a new LNB aligned to 28.2 as I do not have a DTT receiver to get the BBC etc. But it would be good if another LNB could be aligned to 19.2 or 13.0 so I can get more channels. What do you recommend so that I can get the best out of this set-up? Nick C. Hi, Nick. Freesat did not exist in 1995 so what you have can't be a "Freesat installation". In addition, "universal" LNBs did not exist, so you have the wrong LNBs. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm#universal I recommend you buy "Universal" LNBs to fit your dish, if your LNB clamps are suitable (i.e. for a 40mm neck LNB). See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1a.htm To switch between LNBs you'll need a DiSEqC switch and I'm fairly sure that the Foxsat-HDR supports this in its menu, but please check. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1b.htm#DiSEqC No response. Have had SKY fitted at a seaside location for many years but the bracket holding the dish (to the vertical wall) has corroded such that the dish moves and the signal varies in wind. If I were to replace the dish, can I use ANY dish to receive SKY? If so, no worries, I shall order a corrosion-resistant dish from your list. If not, is there one specific type of dish for SKY (rather than free-sat/etc?) and if so, which one? Excellent site BTW Malcolm C. Hi, Malcolm. The simple answer is "yes". The more complicated answer is "yes, but". The reason for the "but" is that you are a long way north so I guess that you'll need at least an 80cm dish and maybe larger, in order to get good reception in bad weather. Of course the problem is that the larger the dish is, the narrower its focus and the more susceptible it is to wind movement. But you probably know the ideal size already. Unfortunately, we can't offer a corrosion-resistant bracket - even for a fibreglass dish. For some strange reason, nobody manufactures a carbon-fibre bracket so you'll have to make do with steel. I recommend that you paint it then bind it with Denso Tape before bolting it in place. No response. Hello, Ive had the foxsat hd box approx 2yrs now with no problems,but having switched it to standby (being away for 2days)on switching back on all I get is the green circle of death (Ithink it is called)the display going round as though it is upgrading but nothing happens even after 1 hr.Even unpluging and reboot does nothing no red led, just green display going round as before when plugged in. Opened up seems to have been a little warm on psu around d1,d2 on board nothing significant though,There is no 13v on lnb f skt? and I can see none anywhere else strange? (point me in the right direction ?) Woud your Relkit70 help and any other parts I need will order from you asap, being a radio ham (to many turns on the coil as it were,but lost on switch mode psu's.Hope you can help asthe missus is lost without her box!!! Regards Frank(G6YAQ) Frank B. Hi, Frank. Unfortunately, I can't diagnose the cause of your problem by email. Measure the ESR of all PSU capacitors or at least check them very carefully for bulging. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/low_ESR_capacitors.htm#caps We provide an eBook about SMPSUs, if you want to learn: http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/beginrepair.htm (If you order a kit you'll get this eBook free.) (He ordered a kit - thanks, Frank! Let us know if it helped.) Red light is lit up ok but the SKY CONTROL(REV 9)wont change the sky box channels etc. Have set the sky remote to work the TV ok ie volume/off on but cant get it to change the sky box functions. The sky box is located 20M away and the bedroom is fed via a digital bypass splitter in roofspace. Any suggestions ? Part of the cable run is ordinary 75ohm co-x would this be a prob as the eye light is on ok. alex a. Hi, alex. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/tvlink2.htm No response. (8) I am a total technical bozo The purpose of this email is to request your advice to buy the right kind of indoor Satellite switch. We live in France and own a HUMAX FOXSAT - HDR freeview receiver. Currently, a cable runs from an outlet that is connected to an Astra dish and a terrestrial antennae ,and to a JOHANSSON V-U/ SAT COMBINER switch that has 2 cable outputs . One goes to the receiver and the other to the television , which allows viewing of French television channels. We want to maximize the use of our receiver by connecting 2 cables to the receiver , one to the LNB 1 connection the other to the LNB 2. We also want to maintain a direct connection to the TV. To do this I believe we need a switch that has 1 input connection and 3 outputs , could you recommend a product please? We will also be buying the cables and connectors for this and another receiver yet to be connected , I will follow your advice on the site and go for the thickest cable. Please can you help? Paul M. Hi, Paul, I'm not familiar with the Johansson switch so I can't really comment except to suggest that all you need is a cable connected from the LNB to the Humax receiver LNB input 2 (which, by the way, is a "Freesat" satellite TV receiver and not a "Freeview" terrestrial receiver). If it is completely impossible to add a cable under any circumstances then, if the existing cable is suitable, you might try a Stacker/Destacker (which we don't sell). See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/stacker.htm I am living in Germany and am about to upgrade my satelite system to the following: The idea being is so that I can view English and German satelite tele and record and view at the same time. I was recommended to buy 2 x Quattro LNBs and a 9/4 muilti-switch, but I just can't understand how the 4 outputs will feed into one Sat receiver? They don't. It requires only two inputs. You'd have two spare in case you wanted to connect another receiver. Or simply leave them disconnected. What can you recommend please? Andrew M. Go with the recommendation. It should work. No response. Hi, Anthony. You seem to be confused between Freeview Terrestrial (requires an aerial) and satellite TV (requires a dish). See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/freeview.htm For Freeview we recommend a "Vision Focus V10-040" aerial. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/best_aerial.htm For satellite TV, pack the largest dish you can fit. The actual size depends on what you want to watch and your location. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page17.htm (We discussed this further via Skype.) Hi, Tony. Nice to speak to you. Apologies for lack of camera but my ancient computer is allergic to my webcam and keeps crashing, so I disconnected it. Here are the V10-040 aerial reviews: http://leisure.prior-it.co.uk/best-caravan-tv-aerial.shtml http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_156.htm#caravan And the page where you can order it: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/best_aerial.htm#loftkit If you don't want the Loft Kit you can order the bits separately. Here's the aerial list: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page11f.htm#list All our cable types are suitable for Freeview, Freesat, Cable TV etc. I note that you can supply this cable with female connectors Unfortunately, we can't supply female connectors fitted - only separate. but my connectors are both male to the s/top box and the i/door aerial socket so can these be supplied fitted to the co -ax cable? We can fit 'F' connectors to cable. These are male. My set up is TVonics MDR252 - P/sonic TX32 DVB TV -P/sonic DVD EMR50 rec. STB scart leads conn. to AV1 sockets of TV & DVD. I/door aerial lead to i/p STB and o/p STB lead to TV. I am also thinking of replacing my i/door aerial socket box because when I jiggle the aerial lead the picture can become pixillated. We can supply wall plate sockets. No response. From my master Sky HD set I want to run 3 TVs all HD. I need advice on setting up the magic eye for the two spur TVs. I'm using HDMI splitter and CAT 5 extenders to feed the HDMI signal to the spur TVs as they are about 30 meters from the sky box. But I'm lost about how to set up and split the 9v RF coax to feed two magic eyes 30 meters from the HD box. Can you give me a shopping list/cart please (cable spec, connectors, power supply, ot too bothered about wall plate options so long as I can change channel on all TVs) ? If it helps I can solder. Oliver Hi, Oliver. It's all explained here: As you are feeding two TVs you'll need a 2-output SkyLink compatible amplified splitter, such as Global F120. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15.htm#amp You can use whatever cable you wish but WF65-1 is thinner and more flexible. cheers Terry H. Hi, Terry. We've never seen a capacitor fail in a Samsung so we don't offer a kit. Much as I'd love to take your hard-earned cash, I recommend you leave well alone. However, if you are really, really desperate to mess with it, and like risk-taking, we offer a selection of capacitors here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/low_ESR_capacitors.htm No response. Hi I think I need the CAPKIT33J and RELKIT33js to be installed on my Box. Can I send you the whole box to do this for me or do I need to buy the kit and then get someone to fit it for me? I have spoken to a local guy called Jason Frost (he is on your approved fitter list) who says he hasn't done one for over a year and he wants £85 which seems a bit steep or is that about right? Regards Simon Hi, Simon. CAPKIT33J is part of RELKIT33JS. The capkit is an upgrade for people who used our early kit, several years ago. I don't offer a repair service because I live on Crete. Our repair agent is Michael Dranfield at Digifix. http://www.digifixltd.co.uk Repairers can charge whatever they like. You can try Michael, or other repairers on the list who might offer a mail order service. Or you can buy the kit and DIY or find someone else to fit the parts. No response. 6146B....6146B JAN Regards, Paul. Hi, Paul. Unfortunately, we don't stock any radio valves whatsoever, and never have. Try Chelmervalve Co Ltd http://www.chelmervalve.com No response. Hi, Have a Foxsat HD with the blown caps and green circle of death. I would rather pay you £9 than faff around working out which size & lead pitch caps to get, but I was just wondering what brand caps you supply as replacements? I'd only want to buy a kit if it was a kit of quality parts. Thanks! james Hi, James. SatCure has been the main supplier of capacitor kits since I started the company in 1995. Prior to that, I worked for Eurosat and designed the kits sold by them. We supply "Phoenix" kits to large companies. Wherever possible, we use only Panasonic capacitors of a particular type (low ESR, high reliability). We give a 3 year guarantee on capacitors but expect them to last a lot longer (and so far they have). See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/low_ESR_capacitors.htm I have two payments coming out of my PAYPAL account, could you expalin please Alan m. Hi, Alan. Paypal uses a "push" system. In other words, we can't touch your account. You have to send money to our Paypal account. If Paypal has somehow pushed two duplicate payments then, of course, we can refund one if you tell us the payment reference numbers. See http://www.satcure.co.uk You have sent me your email blog for far more than 5 years and it is always interesting. I have never bought anything off you, as luckly all is running ok, but just thought I would send a thanks for all the infomation that keeps us all up to date with the happenings with sky etc? Thanks again in appreciation of all. P Monti Hi, Thank you for your prompt and efficient service. The new power supply for our Thompson HD Sky box arrived Friday lunch time. I fitted it immediately with no problems. On powering up, I found that it was more responsive to remote control commands and the small fan doesn't cut in so often. Also the signal strength from both LNBs was higher and the fast rewind (X30) no longer hangs. The only slight problem was refitting the small chassis fan. I tried WD40 with the rubber pins but was unable to persuade them through the fan holes. I then tried the cable tie method but the ties weren't elastic enough to get the fan really tight. Finally, I resorted to slightly enlarging the holes in the chassis and using nylon bolts. Thank you again, Regards Edward Poole Many thanks to all concerned at SatCure. I have now received ALL of my order (sent to you late on Sunday night 25/03/2012), after receiving no less than three packets over the course of four days including today (29/03/2012). As this included out of stock item as well as a correction of quantity item, I consider your performance to be EXCELLENT. Best regards Roger E Price Roger B. Mark D. A BIG "thank you" to all those who took the trouble to write to us! That's it for another month, folks! Latest SatCure eBook updates 3 new eBooks written! (See above). Meet other Satellite TV enthusiasts and put your questions or points of view here Need to buy wholesale stock to sell on eBay or on your web site? Thinking of starting your own business? Click on banner above. All kinds of video tapes transferred to DVD, UK's lowest prices and top quality. Experienced engineer and a personal service. Most tapes just £10 for 2:30 hours or less in quantity. I can't recommend this forum for Expats too highly. It's run and moderated by Kay who puts in a lot of hours to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you are outside the UK or thinking of emigrating then you need to look in here! Looking for a TV or VCR remote control? Look no further. only £18.80 inclusive from SatCure! Your advert could be here! Contact us for details. Electronic kits and gadgets. Start a new hobby! Ideal Presents.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sky Freesat 20 things you need to know
How to fit extra TV points
DIY door alarm guide
The Freeview bible
Installing Sky Digital and Freesat
Learn Electronics by building
Guide to Magic Eyes
Sky Digibox Manual
How to use a multimeter
Time for a new TV?
Piping TV around your house
Sky Remote control guide
Sky remote codes book
Troubleshooting Sky
Repairing Sky receivers
Repairing receiver PSUs
Double your earnings
Television magazine articles