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News Write to us! I do my best to bring you interesting news and information on a monthly basis but sometimes I run out of ideas or can't commit the time to do it properly. Therefore I welcome contributions from you. People like to read about your equipment - what you have installed, how you did it, any problems you overcame etc. It doesn't require an essay - just a few photos with notes. We offer a tenner for the best feature each month. That's a reasonable profit for a few digital photos isn't it? Email Martin direct. (Please don't use this email form for technical enquiries). From Digitalspy: Digitalspy holiday The digitalspy forums will be off-line for "essential maintenance" during the weekend of May 5-6th. No Freeview ITV, ITV2 and ITV3. The South Yorks transmitter is undergoing maintenance work. There will be breaks in transmission of some multiplexes until midnight May 4th. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/transmitters/index.shtml DO NOT rescan! If you scan while transmissions are off, the box will "forget" those multiplexes. You'll then have to scan again when they return. Just leave well alone. Watch analogue instead. Dreambox Dupe Illegal and inferior copies of the popular "Dreambox" digital receiver have been on sale for some time. See info here: http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.de/english/dm500_copy_eng.php The Dreambox is popular with enthusiasts and is the only receiver I know of that can use a Sky card without missing the periodic "card refresh" signal. BBC HD Freesat service goes ahead The BBC has been given the go-ahead to partner with ITV to launch a free-to-view digital TV service transmitted by satellite. The service will include HD programming. More... http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/27/bbc_gets_freesat_green_light/ "Freesat" would provide guaranteed subscription-free access for licence fee payers to digital services, including the BBC's digital television channels and radio services. It would be offered on the basis of a one-off initial payment only, to cover the cost of equipment and installation. The service would be future-proofed, through the designing in of high definition and personal video recorder compatibility, and would be marketed through retail outlets and via the internet. BBC management's intention is to establish a joint venture company with other public service broadcasters to manage the marketing and technical aspects of the new platform. Set top boxes and installation would be supplied by third parties working with retailers to a specification agreed with the joint venture company. More... http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/27_04_2007.html Murdoch accuses the BBC of "megalomania". http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?id=2100 (Dare I say "look who's talking"?) Man recovers £35,988 from NatWest Bank http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6559673.stm (OK, nothing to do with digital TV but it gave me a warm feeling inside!) Do you watch Freeview in Essex? Essex has been suffering from tropospheric propagation this week, with programmes coming in from North West England. Nothing you can do about it. Freeview programmes may suffer drop-out or complete loss. You may even receive programmes from Winter Hill!
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Hollow poles and masts can produce a howling noise on a windy day. The solution is to fit our mast cap, top and bottom. You'll find it with the poles on our hardware page.
(top) Questions Hi, my Sky signal is good but I get picture breakup and "freezing" on Movies24, Movies24plus, More 24 and Channel M. Had the dish, cable, LNB and Digibox replaced but it's still just as bad! Jake F. This is a common problem. Believe it or not, it's caused by your DECT telephone (or your neighbour's). Unplug the base station from the power socket and your reception will be fine.
I recently upgraded my 14" CRT TV in the bedroom to a 19" LCD. Now the analogue and digital reception is woeful verging on tragic, whereas every analogue channel and every digital mux was picked up with crystal clear reception on the 14" CRT. I have even bought a brand new aerial that makes bugger all difference. Is this usual? Most people don't realise that the coaxial aerial cable usually needs to be replaced. Many modern TV sets chuck out unbelievable amounts of "digital" interference that gets into the aerial cable and causes havoc. Even simply replacing the "fly lead" can solve many problems. It's amazing that people will spend over £1000 on a TV but forget to upgrade the 50p fly lead connecting it to the wall socket. (And the socket should be replaced with a shielded type, too!) See our on-line shop for all these parts.
My location is: Jersey
Equipment made by: Pace Sky
Model number on label or rear panel: DS430N I have upgraded my Free Sat to a new HD box so have a box spare which I want to use in a different room. There is only one co-ax to this room from the loft and it would be difficult to supplement / replace at present. TV signal is good so I presume the cable quality is OK. However when I try just LNB signal to my digibox it cannot detect a signal (TV and aerial disconnected). Have looked at the catalogue and think I could use a combiner and wall plate de-combiner to use just one cable. Thought I might need an LNB amp to overcome combiner and cable losses. Presume un-equalised as input cable from LNB to amp would be short as in loft before combiner but welcome views. Do I need some sort of power supply or will the LNB feed from the digibox feed through and cover the amp and LNB? Thanks Jerry R Standard "low loss" coaxial cable is designed to pass frequencies up to 1 GigaHertz. An LNB signal starts just below 1 GigaHertz and goes up above 2 GigaHertz. So using the correct cable is highly recommended. However, some TV aerial cable has really tightly wound shielding braid and is capable of passing LNB signals, albeit only over a very short length. I know some people who have left just the 4 metres or so that goes up the wall to the loft and joined it at each end (with 'F' connectors) to proper double-shielded cable. This has given satisfactory results when the LNB signal has been good. So, there is absolutely no harm in trying your idea but please be prepared for disappointment. You must cut the old cable as short as possible and be sure to make good quality connections with a threaded connector at each end. You could also try using an equalised slope* LNB amplifier or (preferably) a larger dish to increase the signal. *This type of amplifier compensates better for the high frequency losses of ordinary coaxial cable. (Bear in mind that ordinary coax isn't very well screened so pumping a strong LNB signal down it could result in that signal being radiated and interfering with other equipment. Bear in mind, also, that you could end up with too much signal which could overload the Digibox tuner, giving a similar result to insufficient signal. An attenuator would then be needed). If this works, you could try replacing the connector at each end with a diplex combiner and decombiner in order to get your TV aerial signal down the same cable. Best of luck with this project. Please let us know the result. Martin
Happy Customers Shopping cart order number: SAT017223 315065 My location is: Anglesey
Equipment made by: Pace Sky
Model number on label or rear panel: pace 2200 Just to give you feedback. I purchased a replacement Pace Zif Tuner having read on your site it was likely to be the cause of the problem (no sat signal being received). Fitted it without major problem and everything now works perfectly. Thank you for a superb site with excellent advice. I will definitely use your site again and recommend it to others. Thanks again!! Jon C
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eBook Updates Digibox Missing Manual updated 11/4/07. - All eBooks have been moved to a more reliable secure server which requires a username and password. If you can't access it, please contact us (wherever you bought it - SatCure or The Cool Book Shop) with your proof of purchase and ask for the new download information, stating exactly which eBook(s) you purchased and the EBK number(s).
http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk | 
"Installing a Sky Minidish" tutorial on DVD. Click 
