Briefly! Have had problems with Sky- have now got a new viewing card- problem still persists (i.e. cant get all channels but only intermittent problem- it's ok for a short while - max of one hour- if I unplug from mains.

 

Spoken to Sky several times (always different people) & they now want to send an engineer at cost to me of £65!! If a new box is needed they can give me a reconditioned one at no charge but only has 90 day warranty. The box was installed 15/5/2006 so not exactly 'old'.

 

Any suggestions? Better to get a local engineer out or ditch SKY & go cable?

Tell them you are leaving.I got a free engineer and a brand new HD Box for free.

As Vinz said tell them you are leaving and be prepared to go if they still want to charge you!

 

Tell them you are leaving.I got a free engineer and a brand new HD Box for free.

Hi mate,

 

Is it a group of channels that dissappears i.e. all ITV's or BBC's or just a random collection?

 

Also when this happens what does the signal strength look like? Will the channels only come back when you reset the box or will they come back of their own accord?

 

Has anyone been working near your Sat Dish or has it been covered by the Snow and possibly moved ever so slightly?

 

Next time it happens see what the signal stregnth says.

 

Check Sky TV signal quality by pressing "Services" on the Skybox handset, then press "4" for "System Setup" and "6" for "Signal Test". Typical readings off a Sky box in dry weather under clear skies in the south of the UK are about 70 - 80% signal strength and 60 - 70% signal quality.

 

Let us know how you get on...

 

Paul

You might know i work for Sky.

 

Give me a PM see if I can sort if for you

Hi mate,

 

Is it a group of channels that dissappears i.e. all ITV's or BBC's or just a random collection?

 

Also when this happens what does the signal strength look like? Will the channels only come back when you reset the box or will they come back of their own accord?

 

Has anyone been working near your Sat Dish or has it been covered by the Snow and possibly moved ever so slightly?

 

Next time it happens see what the signal stregnth says.

 

Check Sky TV signal quality by pressing "Services" on the Skybox handset, then press "4" for "System Setup" and "6" for "Signal Test". Typical readings off a Sky box in dry weather under clear skies in the south of the UK are about 70 - 80% signal strength and 60 - 70% signal quality.

 

Let us know how you get on...

 

Paul

 

signal strength shows grey box only 100% ??

 

signal quality 1/2 grey box - 50%?

 

Had system unplugged today. When reset it says no signal being rec'd for 2 or 3 mins then all my channels work!! Not sure how long this will last as has happened before!

Ok here goes.

 

If you unplug the power from the back of the box then press and keep you finger on the backup button, plug the power back in keep you finger on backup untill all the lights on the front of the box light up take your finger off backup. Go way for about 20mins

 

This fixes about 40% of the problems we get.

 

Worth a try guys.

 

 

If not PM me.

Ok here goes.

 

If you unplug the power from the back of the box then press and keep you finger on the backup button, plug the power back in keep you finger on backup untill all the lights on the front of the box light up take your finger off backup. Go way for about 20mins

 

This fixes about 40% of the problems we get.

 

Worth a try guys.

 

 

If not PM me.

 

Thanks- will give it a try!!

Here is a useful link below, also are you using the latest epg? is so it may well reset to the old epg (electronic programme guide) when a full system rest is done.

 

Most if not all makes of sky receivers have issue`s with freezing, failed recordings (on Sky +). and channel drop outs. On Sky+ and HD receivers there is a system restore for the program planner known as "housekeeping"

this oddly also sorts out other issues.

 

Power supply issues is part of the problem, there are "fixes" available for earlier receivers which replaces the psu inside of the box, transient spikes on the mains is an issue and its well worth using a surge protector extension lead.

 

Hope that helps

 

Jeff

 

http://nice-design.co.uk/blog/sky-plus-system-fault-how-to-fix-faulty-sky-without-a65-callout-fee

You might know i work for Sky.

 

Ooh, do you have any info on the sky HD 3D thats coming out this year?

3D Yes seen it running and looks good

 

Should be the end of the year...

 

 

Going on from what Jeff said there was a few batches of sky+ with cheap psu this is no longer a problem with boxes less then 8 months, but you are looking about 1 in ten boxes.

 

There is about 3500 of us fitting up to 5 or more boxes a day thats 17500 plus boxes, I think a few will be faulty.

 

 

 

Plus if you go back to the old epg it will give you more problems. Sky are ways sending down updates to your box. The old epg softwear might not like these updates.

 

One fault we get a lot with HD and sky+ is people sitting stuff on top of them and putting them in a TV unit with no air. These boxes are like you PC needs lots of space to keep cold. Pet hate is when people put the boxes on top of there amps. When we go and fix them roasting hot box.

 

 

Sorry for the rant......

 

But if you do want so help give you me a PM

I don't have Sky+ or HD. My box was installed 16/5/2006 according to Sky. It is a Pace dv3 box. I do not connect to telephone line so presumably I don't get updates! Does this additional info alter the advice given so far?

I don't have Sky+ or HD. My box was installed 16/5/2006 according to Sky. It is a Pace dv3 box. I do not connect to telephone line so presumably I don't get updates! Does this additional info alter the advice given so far?

 

You'd probably be better off looking on ebay for a sky+ box mate, wouldn't expect to pay more than £40 quid for a second hand working one. You can just plug it in to your exsisting leads. However you'll need a dual LNB on the dish and another lead if you want to watch one channel while recording another.

Edited January 12, 201015 yr by Steams

Hi mate,

 

Jmwuk has given you instruction on updating of the box software if youhave done that it may well sort the problem however in case it didn't I'll add a couple of bits... 50% signal strength isn't bad... But it isn't great either. I am interested to know if the channels come back if the box is left alone rather than reset. If it only comes back when reset then it's probably new box time, if however they comes back by themselves with no intervention from you it is possible your dish could have moved slightly. Let me know if this is the case. I have a spare box so could send it up to you to see if the fault follows but would like to get more understanding of the fault first.

Thanks

Paul.

Hi mate,

 

Jmwuk has given you instruction on updating of the box software if youhave done that it may well sort the problem however in case it didn't I'll add a couple of bits... 50% signal strength isn't bad... But it isn't great either. I am interested to know if the channels come back if the box is left alone rather than reset. If it only comes back when reset then it's probably new box time, if however they comes back by themselves with no intervention from you it is possible your dish could have moved slightly. Let me know if this is the case. I have a spare box so could send it up to you to see if the fault follows but would like to get more understanding of the fault first.

Thanks

Paul.

 

Have left it alone so far tonight & so far so good! Just checked & signal strength appears to be 100% & signal quality fluctuating from 60 to 70%

Will not go into this to much....

 

there are 4 signals coming from the dish to your box.

 

so say bbc 1 bbc2 and itv are on single 1

 

ukgold dave and say mtv are on single 2

 

so if you want bbc1 the box will find signal 1

 

then you want dave the box will find signal 2

 

this is done by voltage the box will send a difrent voltage for each signal to the dish LNB

 

if the box does not sent the right voltage you will get no sat sig..

 

Or the right voltage is getting to the dish but the LNB is faulty

 

 

There is a bit more to it then that but hope this helps.

 

Oh the updates come from the dish not the phone line. Phone line is only used so you can order stuff like box office..

 

best way to fix it is get a £65 call from sky. I would not by a sky box of ebay as it could be just your LNB. We will test the hole system and fix anything that is wrong.

 

 

Will also say i would not trust the signal readings from the box its only a guide just like the boost on a zed dials lol

Edited January 12, 201015 yr by jmwuk

before i go to bed....

 

 

Things that sky boxes dont like

 

DECT phones

some baby monitors

speed trap detectors in cars

cb radios

nintendo wii

 

Yes the wii had one last week, sky not working wii off sky working! dont ask me why!!

before i go to bed....

 

 

Things that sky boxes dont like

 

DECT phones

some baby monitors

speed trap detectors in cars

cb radios

nintendo wii

 

Yes the wii had one last week, sky not working wii off sky working! dont ask me why!!

 

I have a DECT phone but SKY reckon only a problem if very close to SKY box. Mine is 10 feet away- far enough?

Easy way to find out if the sky is not working unplug the phone

 

If it works then move it?

Easy way to find out if the sky is not working unplug the phone

 

If it works then move it?

 

SKY worked fine all last night & was ok still this morning- will wait & see before carrying out suggestions made above. Thanks for input thus far, folks!

I got new card just before xmas and now i can't record or pause any programs, worked fine before the new card :headvswal. i'm on the old yellow program guide with a DV 3 box. Like pissing in the wind talking to sky they just say they will send an engineer and charge :xxx:

Ok, I feel I need to say this as I'm I'm starting to feel a little guilty. For the sake of £65 it's worth having the guys out to try and sort your problems. Just think of it as an hours labour.

 

However it maybe the problem cannot be fixed and you'll need to get a new box etc. So you may aswell try a few things first before you pay out the cash for new box etc.

 

Rubble; sounds to me like your card is not paired with your box properly (no guarentee though) call sky and ask them to pair it again. If no joy then chances are that the box box needs a software upgrade as described earlier in this thread. If you do this upgrade and it fails or screws the box then it's new box time I'm afraid.

 

Lammypie; let us know how you're getting on; are you doing anything that you normally wouldn't I.e. Leaving doors open on a tv cabinet. Let us know.

 

Paul

Ok, I feel I need to say this as I'm I'm starting to feel a little guilty. For the sake of £65 it's worth having the guys out to try and sort your problems. Just think of it as an hours labour.

 

However it maybe the problem cannot be fixed and you'll need to get a new box etc. So you may aswell try a few things first before you pay out the cash for new box etc.

 

Rubble; sounds to me like your card is not paired with your box properly (no guarentee though) call sky and ask them to pair it again. If no joy then chances are that the box box needs a software upgrade as described earlier in this thread. If you do this upgrade and it fails or screws the box then it's new box time I'm afraid.

 

Lammypie; let us know how you're getting on; are you doing anything that you normally wouldn't I.e. Leaving doors open on a tv cabinet. Let us know.

 

Paul

 

It's not working tonight!! Not doing anything different, not in a cabinet! Will do what you suggest later on. BTW is my box old - installed 5/2006?

If you have a call out we could be there for hours sorting out what is wrong

 

This could add up to a new dish cables and box.

 

Dish about £25 new box £150 cables £15 all for a service call £65.

 

Why flap around trying stuff you found on the net or a old box of ebay.

 

If you PM me what the problem is I will be happy to help you out.....

That goes for anyone

 

If you PM me I will do my best to get you up and running again.

i have a problem with our sky also we have an older type hd box i basically have no signal for any of the sky movie channels or some of the others ocassionally it comes back , ive phoned sky loads of times but with no joy , any suggestions would be hugely appreciated