WHO AM I?
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| Repairs are now carried out by me, Michael Dranfield, at DIGIFIX in Buxton (see below). I have recognised qualifications in Repair and servicing and make my living from repairing TVs, VCRs, satellite receivers and other equipment. SORRY, I SELDOM GIVE FREE ADVICE |
Read the comprehensive notes below then please contact me to discuss your repair. Please make the fault symptoms and history of the fault crystal clear.
Contact Michael Dranfield at DIGIFIX
Phone 01298-73989 or EMAIL ME
DIGIFIX, 16 Terrace Road, Buxton, SK17 6DU (United Kingdom)
CLOSED on Wednesdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
GUARANTEE
All repaired units are tested before packing and return. I test for the fault symptoms that you describe. Repairs that I carry out are guaranteed for 3 months. Parts and labour are covered. Subsequent fault symptoms are not covered. For example, if you describe the symptoms as "no picture" and a different, unrelated fault appears some time after repair (eg. "crackling sound on audio") then that is not covered by warranty. In all such cases, commonsense and honesty will prevail. If you return the unit to me and the problem is obviously my fault, then I won't charge you for putting it right. However, if it's a different, unrelated fault which occurred through no fault of mine then I will charge for the repair and carriage.
Please test your unit on return. If it feels cold, LEAVE IT in a warm room for several hours before connecting power. Cold units attract moisture which can condense inside and cause short circuits. Make sure all connections are correctly made before switching on the 230v power at the wall socket. (DO NOT use the little plug at the back of the Digibox for connecting / disconnecting power as this can cause arcing which is dangerous and can damage the Digibox). I can not be held responsible for faults which you cause.
Note: my spelling and grammar are not good. I apologise in advance. I'm replacing Amstrad and Pace internal tuner modules every day. My details of packaging etc. are below. I charge £50 (includes return carriage + insurance for UK mainland only) so I'm fairly competitive if not the cheapest. The turnaround time is usually 1 - 2 days for the repair and 1 - 3 days for return carriage (insured) but could be slightly longer if I have no tuners in stock when your parcel arrives or if I can't re-use your packaging. If you want to improve reliability I can fit a miniature low-noise cooling fan inside for an extra £5 + vat (normally £6.95 + vat to buy). Save postage by ordering a "MasterCube" at the same time. This is £12.95 + postage + vat .. The "Master Cube" protects your equipment against mains voltage spikes and against telephone line voltage spikes. These prices are subject to change without notice (November 10, 2001).
Unless I request payment in advance, please send me a cheque immediately *after* you receive your Digibox back and test it to make sure it's OK.
A replacement DRX100 tuner is an upgraded exchange unit which has been "blueprinted" to give the best possible performance. If your existing tuner happened to be at the top end of the tolerance range then you won't see any difference (except it now works!) However, if it was one of the poor ones, you should see fewer problems in bad weather and fewer "dropouts" (although these can't be eliminated completely because they depend very much on dish size, cable type and local interference - see the notes in the accessories catalogue).
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| Am I a cowboy working in a shed? No, I have a high street shop and I've invested thousands of pounds in equipment. This is just one of the pieces of equipment that I use. It's a four thousand pound work station that allows me to remove and replace those tricky surface-mount chips which are impossible to do by hand. |
Now here's some general advice provided by SatCure. This is useful, regardless of where you are sending your Digibox for repair:
HERE'S WHAT TO DO BEFORE POSTING
The mains power connection at the wall socket should be removed before you touch any connections and, when you get your receiver back, the mains power at the wall should be the last connection you make, otherwise damage may be caused.
Be especially careful that the inner and outer wires in the coaxial cable 'F' screw connector can not short together when you reconnect!
The RF plug is often very tight. Pull it straight. DO NOT wiggle it!
If it is not easy to remove, you can use a pair of needle-nose pliers or old scissors (careful) to lever it off or you can leave it connected and I'll deal with it. When the Aerial-In plug and RF-Out plug are disconnected from your Digibox, CONNECT THEM TOGETHER. That way, you don't lose your ordinary TV and Video pictures and you won't be confused when you have to reconnect your receiver. Label all connecting cables and sockets. (But please do not stick labels over screws or joints because I will damage them when I open your Digibox for repair).
Tape your name, address, telephone numbers and comprehensive fault report to the underside of the unit - preferably on a label which won't peel off. If you want me to do any additional work (such as fitting a fan or supplying a surge-protector "Master Cube") then do write it on the label! Don't simply refer to a phone conversation or email - I won't remember! Don't put tape or labels over the screws or joints which I will need to dismantle. Don't obscure the serial number. Do seal the unit inside a polythene bag - this keeps packing material out of the ventilation slots and also keeps it dry if the package is left out in the rain! Make sure that the receiver is screwed together - don't leave the screws out - damage results!
Also write an alternative daytime delivery address on the receiver if you can not guarantee that somebody will be at home to sign for it in about 4 - 7 days. The carrier will not leave it without signature so it's often better to give me your office address or the address of a local shop or business that will accept it on your behalf.
Do NOT send any accessories unless I (or the repairer) have requested them. NO detachable mains cord, telephone cord, Sky card, handset or manuals! I have handsets for most models.
If the receiver has been "looked at" please tell me the history before you send it. If I suspect that somebody has already attempted a repair and caused damage, I may have to return the receiver untouched, with an invoice for carriage and workshop time. For this reason, and also because I need to test it in order to diagnose the fault cause, please make sure that the screws are tight and nothing rattles. DO NOT REMOVE ANY SCREWS. This does NOT help and it increases the risk of damage in transit.
PLEASE make sure the receiver is faulty before you send it. People send receivers that are NOT FAULTY. (For a Sky Digibox, make sure in the service menu that LNB POWER is ON and 22kHz TONE is ON and the "default transponder" is correct). The only way to be sure that your dish, cable and LNB installation is NOT at fault is to test it with another receiver and SEE THE PICTURES. Alternatively, test your receiver on a known good dish installation. I recommend that you don't believe a man with a meter that "says the signal is OK". He's probably right but I've known "experts" who misinterpreted the meter readings so the only real test is to SEE THE PICTURES. If your receiver shows no fault when I test it on arrival, I'll simply return it with a bill for carriage and time.
A word of warning: most receivers eventually fail when they are unplugged for a while then powered up again - just like old light bulbs. Before you unplug a friend's receiver to test yours, be sure to warn him/her that unplugging it might show up a fault that he didn't know it had! Make sure (s)he unplugs and disconnects his own receiver and that (s)he reconnects it, too. That way you can't be blamed (much).
PACKING ADVICE
Firstly, if you use polystyrene chips, paper straw or similar PLEASE put them into a number of small, separate plastic bags or dustbin liners and seal them so that the chips don't fill my workshop. The common practice of simply pouring chips around the receiver is not acceptable because it takes ages to empty the stuff out into another container and then put it back again. I may charge you extra if you cause problems like this.
Individual receivers are strongest at corners so this is where the packing should rest. The forces involved can be very high so that ordinary low-density "foam rubber" is totally inadequate. High density is better.
Tip: Plastic milk bottles (rinsed and dried!) with the tops screwed on tightly make useful packing pieces.
What you have to achieve is this: You need a soft but very resilient material wadded tightly at the corners and held there so it can't move. The manufacturer's original polystyrene packing pieces are ideal. If these are no longer available you can use balls of tightly crumpled newspaper or plastic milk bottles.
Don't pack straw or polystyrene tightly against plastic panels or thin metal covers since the packing can transmit knocks which will crack plastic and dent metal.
Pack the box inside a larger box using a similar method - rolled up balls of newspaper will do. Yes, you'll need a BIG box.
IMPORTANT! If you use only the manufacturer's box by itself you risk transit damage. If damage is apparent I might not accept delivery. Put the box in an outer box as described above. Ask at your local supermarket or TV repair shop for a BIG box. If your packing is damaged or inadequate then I may charge extra for packing and time.
IMPORTANT! If a mains plug is fitted, make sure it's in the corner of the outer box with pins facing out. We see more damage caused by mains plugs, which have been smashed through panels, than anything else.
DON'T use more adhesive tape than necessary. Remember that I have to be able to re-use your packing. (If it can't be re-used, or if I have to add more packaging, then I may charge extra). If you have to use lots of tape, draw indelible lines to show me where to cut.
Send by post or Carrier Service &emdash; If you can't send within a few days of contacting me by e-mail then contact me again before sending. I may be on holiday!
If using Parcel Force, ask for "Compensation Fee Parcel Post." For a few pennies extra this gives you up to £500 worth of insurance. You can send about 4kg in weight for a little over £5 this way. Typical delivery is 2 to 3 working days but sometimes up to a week. If you use a next day service such as DataPost it could cost £15!
A carrier service such as "ANC", "Securicor Omega", "City Link" is usually better but make sure that the package will be insured. I will accept no responsibility for damage in transit in your packaging.
Please note that the stationery warehouse "Staples" currently offers an £8 delivery service using DHL, which may be convenient if you are near a branch. Simply hand over the parcel and fill out the form. £8 covers any weight up to 30kg.
