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NewsMan Flu I haven't felt much like working this week. I developed a cold on Friday and snuffled my way through the weekend, sleeping as much as possible. On Sunday I watched my neighbour erect a new fence on our boundary. He did the work and I paid for it and offered helpful advice. He told me he was appointing me as his personal sexual advisor. "When I want your f****ing advice, I'll ask for it!" Fair enough; back to bed. On Monday I started to feel better - then the coughing started. For some strange reason, my wife was entirely unsympathetic, and drove off to work with a parting "and it had better NOT be soup again tonight!" So I emailed my girlfriend of 38 years ago (found her last year on "Friends Reunited") to try to elicit some sympathy. But she merely replied with news of her new well-paid job and how she'd lost a stone in weight (I wish!) By Wednesday I realised it was almost the end of the month and I hadn't written your newsletter. Panic set in and I started to cast around for things to write about. As is the case with most writers, I have to be in the right mood. Today (Thursday 31st) I'm feeling somewhat better and I've already typed four paragraphs, so it's looking good! Now I'd better buckle down and get working, otherwise 9871 people are going to be somewhat disappointed. In return, would you please buy something, otherwise I'll never be able to afford that idyllic house on Crete? :-( The Register Reviews The TVonics MFR300 Freeview receiver (No Scart):- http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/04/review_tvonics_mfr_300/ Small, extended remote "eye", RF Modulator, Audio Description, high price and abysmal picture quality, set this apart from the crowd. Ideal for the blind, then? Eurosport HD Launched on July 15, 2008 Some FREEVIEW television viewers in parts of Gloucestershire will have to replace their set top boxes. Details here:- http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=851180 Limit your mobile phone usage or die! http://kdka.com/health/cell.phones.tips.2.777727.html Slingbox down in price (from "Sam") If anyone's interested, eXpansys have a bunch of the original UK Slingbox "classic" in stock, £59 + p&p = £68.70 These boxes also have a Freeview tuner in them, which the replacement Slingbox Solo doesn't have. See http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=170005 Review: http://www.coolsmartphone.com/article709.html Web site and forum: http://www.slingcommunity.com What does a Slingbox do? It allows you to push a TV signal down a network connection (including an Internet connection). If you want to watch TV in a different room (or different country) this might do it for you! (Thanks, Sam. I ordered one at 3pm yesterday and it arrived at 9am today!) Anyone remember Ballroom Dancing? - Read the story of the RONNIE HANCOX dance band that you used to dance to:- SPS1 Sadoun LNB SwitchI've got a Pace TDS470N. We've just moved into a flat with a communal dish and as a housewarming present we got SKY+ installed. I was informed when I called to book the installation that we'd only get limited functionality from the box so I started searching around for a solution (All I'm looking for is the ability to set an unattended timer without dummy recordings) and came across the SPS1. After reading DigitalSpy forums and giving it some thought I purchased the Sadoun S-SM21V from yourselves. I ordered the unit as "SPS1" with the SCART plug and lead and this is where the problem lies... The switch is connected to both LNB inputs on the digibox and to the plate on the wall. I connected the wire from the 5/12v on the SM21V to pin 8 on the SCART block, plugged the SCART into the TV socket on the SKY+ and turned the box on. I was greeted with a nasty buzzing noise and the blue "no signal" screen on the TV, so I pulled the SCART out and the picture came back. I'm not entirely sure where the buzzing is coming from but if I were to hazard a guess i'd say it's from the back of the digibox. I'm at a loss as to what I may have done wrong and any help would be greatly appreciated (before I accidentally blow the box to bits or something). The switch actually acts as a splitter at the moment so at least I can record one channel and watch another on the same frequency, it's just not allowing me to use timer recording unattended. My order number was SAT028054. OK, so none of the cables is short-circuit. My guess would be that your particular Digibox is unable to provide enough current to operate the switch. Maybe we can develop a fix for this but I need more information. Is anyone else using this (silver) switch with a Sky+ or Sky+HD digibox? Please contact me or, better still, add your comments to the forum discussion:- Martin Faulty LNB?Equipment made by: Thomson Model number on label or rear panel: DSI8215SGRNC89 Hello Mr Sat, I bought the package below to replace a Sky mini dish. 1X DISKY2QUAD - DISKY2QUAD WITH QUAD-OUTPUT LNB I have had considerable trouble with the Quad LNB. I even bought your book but that did not help. No signal strength and no low band channels. My disk alignment was perfect. I have replaced the quad LNB with my original Sky mini dish LNB. Signal strength now 50% Quality 75%. All channels OK. The single old LNB produces a meter reading that goes from one (LNB covered with a hand) to 9.5 when hand is removed. The max gain achieved by the Quad LNB was from one to 3.5. Skew adjustment had no significant effect. Shall I send the Quad LNB back to you? Many thanks, Chris
Yes, if you wish to return it for a refund, please contact Sales. However, you might find these notes of interest:- You have not confirmed that you read our DISKY2QUAD instructions page (we gave you the link in your "Keep-me" message). Especially the part about setting the LNB focus. Did you follow that instruction? If not, then you might like to try it first. Although you mention a "gain" measurement (which, unfortunately, I don't understand - how are you measuring LNB gain?) you don't mention what reception problems you have with the quad-output LNB. If reception of all channels is perfect then any measurements are of purely academic interest - especially if the measurement is at one spot frequency. You don't mention which book you bought. We don't sell ordinary books but we sell several "eBooks". However, I can find no record of a SatCure eBook sale associated with your email address. Many Thomson Digibox power supplies begin to fail after 12 months. This can result in a "poor signal" indication, which is more noticeable with certain LNBs - especially if the LNB requires more current from the power supply. (The quad-output LNB requires more current). We do recommend checking this. It's reported more often with the HD boxes but the Sky+ digibox has the same power supply unit. See http://notonyourtelly.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1390 In short, there are several reasons why an LNB might appear to be faulty when there's actually nothing wrong with it.
Sky Pay OnceLast year Sky originally offered Freesat at half price, plus two free mixes for 6 months, after which they would contact you to see if you'd like to continue with (and pay for) the two mixes. Unfortunately, it appears that "Mark Anderson, Customer Marketing Director" forgot to tell the staff at the call centre, with the result that people did NOT receive a contact call but DID receive a bill for the two "free" mixes. Customers who phoned to complain were initially told that no such 6 month deal existed. If they managed to get through to someone who knew about the deal, they were told that it was "all sorted" and not to worry. Then they received a spate of letters demanding payment! This is ancient history but the saga continues... The offer was subsequently changed to a 4 month period and put the onus on YOU to give Sky 30 days' notice if you did not wish to pay: "For £75 new Sky TV customers get over 200 free digital TV channels & 4 months of the 4 most popular Sky Entertainment Mixes (normally £19/month). After 4 months you'll continue to receive Sky TV for £19/month. If you no longer want to receive Sky TV let Sky know & continue with the free channels." So my advice to anyone who has the "Sky Pay Once" deal, and does not want to continue with the two mixes after four months is this: post (within 3 months) a Recorded Delivery letter to Sky, confirming your cancelation and asserting your right not to pay for the two mixes. Enclose a photocopy of the original "congratulations" letter from "Mark Anderson, Customer Marketing Director" or whoever. (If anyone has a copy of this letter, or similar, would they please let me have a scan? ) Do NOT get involved in phone calls to the expensive 0870 number. I hate to say this but I would not rely on anything stated by a Sky operator on the 'phone. Deal with it by typed letter - it's cheaper, a lot less hassle and you have a copy (don't you?). New Products
I'm somewhat surprised that very few customers have ordered an LED torch. Please give me a clue. Is it because it's summer or what? I carry mine everywhere and it's come in handy a couple of times on dark nights - especially when my wife has needed to find something in the deep recesses of her handbag! SkyTronic Noise cancelling stereo earphones We've sold several of these - in fact we had to order more stock - and I'm interested to have feedback. In my case I carelessly shoved them in my pocket without protection and knocked the little plastic cap off one earpiece - the bit that holds the rubber ear canal insert. Fortunately, I was able to "superglue" it back on, otherwise I'd have written a very angry letter of complaint to myself! These are flying out of the door! They give a better signal than the standard "minidish" which, I'm told, gives improved reception for Sky+HD. If you've bought one and installed it, please let us have your feedback. The Vision V10-040 log-periodic aerial with 40 elements is reckoned to be suitable for use in 85% of locations in the UK, for analogue and (especially) Freeview. We've sold truck-loads and I'm asking for feedback - good or bad. Don't forget that we offer a £ tenner for an installation report (with photos) that we can publish here. If you email me, I'll tell you how you can upload your images to me. Electronics has been my hobby since age 10. It's become a little harder since, at age 50, my eyesight started to deteriorate but I can still manage with a magnifying glass. There's a weird satisfaction when you've plugged all the components in and the circuit works. It's almost better than sex! Our "Protoboard" lets you construct circuits without soldering, so it provides an ideal basis for a "kitchen table" hobby. The only requirement is that you are between the ages of seven and 107 and have at least one hand. Questions- a selection from this month's emails My location is: Co. Mayo Ireland Hi, I purchased a 80cm dish and pedestal stand from Satcure in 2005, installed it in my home in Co. Mayo Ireland and I have just great reception using an old UK Grundig digibox (I have renewed the capacitors and fitted the cooling fan) with an out of contract Sky card. However, the weather here is terrible and the dish has started to rust. I don't want to import another dish, is there anything I can do - like paint it and if so, what sort of paint should I use? Very best regards and thanks for the super service that you offer. Stuart Hi, Stuart. A small amount of rust will not affect the dish's performance but it can look ugly. You can treat a dish just like car bodywork. Sand off any loose rust; apply a rust inhibitor if the rust can't be removed completely; apply an undercoat designed for metal. Finally, apply an outdoor top-coat, which can be chosen to camouflage the dish, if required. The paint should be matt, not gloss. You can finish off with a good coating of beeswax, if desired. None of this will harm the dish's performance, provided you avoid paint with metal flakes mixed in. Thereafter, a monthly squirt with WD-40 will help keep the dish pristine. Brackets and stand can be wrapped with Denso tape for protection (but it remains sticky so don't use it near floor level where someone could brush against it.) Best Wishes, Martin Hi, Satcure. You may not want to publish this because it's about a rival company called DASTV. They have a neat web site and a discussion forum which is begging to be used. Sam R. Thanks, Sam (I think). Far be it from me to be judgemental so I've published the link. I have no information about that company but a quick glance at the forum indicates that at least they can type in English! And, apart from "Nik", you seem to be the only poster. Are you on commission? Martin I would like to move my Sky+ box to another room and would like to know which cables and connections are the best so I do not lose any Quality of picture.I would need about 5 meters of cable. I assum I would need two separate cables? If I can achieve this I would then like to buy an AV sender to send to TV upstairs and would appreciate your opinion on the best one for that job. Thank you for your help Richard Hi, Richard. We refuse to stock poor quality cable and our web site is packed with technical information that will help you to make your decision: See http://www.satcure.net/tech/cable.htm I assume you are referring to the two LNB cables and not to the RF outlet or aerial cables? In that case you will need two cables or a length of twin cable - whichever suits your purpose. Advice about Videosenders is provided here: http://satcure.net/tech/digisender.htm Best Wishes, Martin (Note: in many cases we can't help you to decide which is the "best" product unless you state what you mean by "best".) Equipment made by: Thomson Model number on label or rear panel: 4E2004011153190806 Hi Martin I have just installed a new Sony Bravia TV model KDL-23B4050 linked to my Sky+ box. It's a widescreen model and I lose the top and bottom of the picture so cannot read names and scores when watching Wimbledon. My other TV is a Sharp 4:3 model and that shows the full picture. I have tried all 3 Sky picture settings (Services - 4 - 1 Picture Format)and this makes no difference. I called Sony and they said it's a broadcasting issue, but that's obviously rubbish as the other TV dispays it OK. Would be grateful for any ideas you might have. All the best David Hi, David, Unfortunately we don't sell TV sets so our knowledge of the various models is close to zero. However, you might be able to get help from other Sony owners here:- http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl?board=tvtech Hello again Martin - sorry to have troubled you but just as you replied I (note "I" not Sony!) found the answer by fiddling about in the menu list. They have an item on the setup menu called "V-Size" which alters the vertical size of the picture. How Sony "engineers" could fail to be aware of this beats me. Anyway, all fine now and a great picture. Also interesting to note that this cost just over £300 from Amazon for a 23" wide screen and the old set I'm throwing out (I knocked it over and damaged the screen) which was 20" 4:3 screen cost £810 (in 2003). Thanks again David The integrated Freeview tuners in my 2 TV (Viewpia and Hitachi 42" plasma) do not work with freeview. However, a Topfield PVR and a Panasonic box do work correctly. DO you have any idea why this might be? I do not want a separate box for the upstairs TV as I want to wallmount. Is there an explanation or is there a fault somewhere - the Viewpia is a new machine and could be returned if at fault. Many thanks Dave M.
Hi, Dave. A TV set (especially plasma) produces a lot of interference so it's a good idea to keep the Freeview receiver well away from it and use double-screened coaxial cable for all connections. Unfortunately, a TV with a built-in tuner is likely to be somewhat "deaf", no matter how good the screening. However, the one thing you MUST try is to replace the fly-leads with good quality double-screened cable to ensure that it is not picking up interference and shoving it back into the tuner. Also ensure that the "drop cable" from the aerial is fully screened and the wall socket is fully shielded. If that's not possible, move the TV well away from the wall. See fly-leads: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page7.htm#rfleads Best Wishes, Martin (It's not "Satcare or CatScare or FatCure, either!) I have a problem with trees blocking my sat signal. Do you have any advice? Yes, see http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/tree.htm Regarding Customer receipt (Keep-me): SAT028461 Order was immaculately handled from start to delivery. Thank you. Kind Regards Chris S. Latest SatCure eBooks Installing Sky Digital TV has been updated to include a page about Freesat.
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