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If you subscribed to our "Twitter Feed" or Facebook page you'd have received notification of this blog a day earlier. A few people have reported problems with their Thomson HD DSi8215 Digibox being unable to receive BBC HD channels. So far all have been fixed as follows: Switch the box off at the mains. Hold down the backup button on the box; switch power back on while still holding the backup button on the box down until the 4 LED's on front of the box come on and the "Updating System Software" message comes on-screen; remove your finger from the backup button; do not disturb for 10 or so minutes until the message disappears and the box reboots. Repeat several times if necessary. (Thanks to the guys in AVForums for reporting back on this.) Note: if you have not already upgraded the PSU with a SatCure kit or exchange PSU, you could experience other problems. Note: we are now offering Thomson PSUs for OUTRIGHT purchase (i.e. no exchange) while stocks last. The BBC have reported that the number of "red button streams" will be reduced and moved to a UK-only transponder. BBC radio channels will also be moved to a UK-only transponder. These changes will be made on or about October 16th. After that time, those of us living outside the narrow UK "footprint" will not be able to receive the streams or radio programmes via satellite. Sky programmes are unlikely to be affected at present. The recent launch of Astra-2F is not referred to in the BBC announcement but is unlikely to improve the situation. UK readers should be unaffected, although:- *** some non-Sky receivers may require a retune.*** A Place in Greece If you remember the Channel 4 TV programme (and its endless repeats) you'll recall that Brian and Andrew had a house built on Crete. Well. the famous couple is back for a brief holiday and, although I haven't had a chance to meet them, yet, my friend, Natasha, took this photo of them at "The Stardust" taverna near Georgioupolis. Pontop Pike and Bilsdale (North East) switched over to digital on September 12, 2012, completing on September 19th. The entire UK mainland now has digital terrestrial TV only. SSD (solid state drives) have a limited future, says report. More... Tiny damage to the upper part of the rocket apparently allowed a gram of dust inside so the rocket had to be inspected inside. Launch rescheduled for September 28th. Right-click to Download PDF info. WANTED My wife wanted to buy some new toothbrush heads from Amazon and she spotted this. Those of you who have ever tried to post a SatCure web link on "Moneysavingexpert" forums will notice that it gets censored. Clearly, linking to any of SatCure's technical pages, which provide information to help people save money, can not be "spamming" but it's still banned. The reasoning is clear: Mr Lewis doesn't make money by linking to companies that don't give him a back hander or pay him for advertising. That's his prerogative but the problem is that companies which advertise have to recover that cost somehow so they don't always work out to be the cheapest or the best choice overall. Usually they fall down on technical support, delivery or warranty. SatCure doesn't advertise at all. We rely on YOU good readers to "spread the word". The beauty of this is that any recommendations will be genuine, since you have nothing to gain, other than helping people. (Please don't complain to Moneysavingexpert on my behalf. Mr Lewis is running a business. He really doesn't care. The best action is to help people on other forums to find the right advice or product - and that won't necessarily be from SatCure. You should always give truthful advice.) Here's a typical example where linking people to information can save them from hassle and wasting money:- This type of 'F' connector plate is being sold by many companies as "suitable for satellite TV". A plate such as this has no screened connection so interference can get in and out and there will be a significant impedance mismatch. This poor design can cause weak signal, interference, loss of picture and other symptoms. An unscreened plate is not even a good idea for Freeview, since it can cause "glitches" or "dropout". It is really designed for American UHF TV and NOT for satellite TV but many unscrupulous or ignorant dealers are offering it as suitable for satellite. You might get away with it but why take the risk? The same aplies to UK/European UHF TV sockets. They are totally unsuitable for LNB signals, which go above 2 GHz. Try them if you want (it won't do any harm if you avoid short circuits) but make sure the plug is electrically connected to the cable screen and centre wire and remember my warning if problems occur in the future. Most likely is "No Signal", either permanent or intermittent or affecting some (but not all) channels. See the good alternatives. (Link to http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#plate ) I mentioned, previously, that my mother had been scammed into paying for "Sky Insurance", although she has a Virgin Media rental system. I contacted her local councillor who arranged for a police visit. The police have just contacted me to say that mum has THREE direct debits going out: two for "Sky Insurance" and one for "Boiler Insurance". We'll get these cancelled but I just wanted to suggest that if any of you have aged parents, be sure to check their bank statements to see what they are paying for. You might get a nasty surprise but at least you can put a stop to it. "We have what we know is a scam operating from a man in Middlesbrough (Mark Heslehurst) whereby he is asking for (and receiving) money, via the Internet, claiming it's to reunite him and his small son living in Cambodia. He tells people the son is ill; that he and his Mother are living in poor conditions as refugees, etc. I did some digging and found that his ex-wife, as she now is (Dominique Dufieux - google her and see), is living a good life there as a lawyer and the child is well - she takes him on hols all over the world! I also found he did the same scam in the USA 2 years ago. The police looked into it and decided he was not breaking any law because he himself actually states that the money will be used for adverts in newspapers and that he will tell his story world wide - which in turn might make the PM in the UK help him get the child back here! As long as he believes that will happen - he is OK! Money is rolling in - but I am like the proverbial dog with a bone and I won't let him get away with this. People in Harrogate and Birmingham (where he tried to get money earlier) contacted me and we are determined to expose him." Truth is, it's a rather clever moneymaking scheme but, at the same time, it's quite legitimate. If you think the price is affordable and that it might encourage your child to write, then there's no shame in buying a copy. More... From Pete:- I publish this in the hope that it might help prevent readers from being similarly scammed, as has just happened to my son. He had just returned to university a few days ago after working an internship at David Brown Gears during the summer, and was looking at cameras for sale through "Gumtree" - a classified ads website - with a view to upgrading his current digital camera, when he was distracted by an ad for a brand new, unopened, Retina MacBookPro going for only £800. He decided he had to have it. Now, my wife and I were on holiday and I knew nothing of all this, otherwise I could have advised him that it was probably a scam and not to touch it with a ten-foot barge pole. In actual fact, he had contacted my wife and asked her if he could borrow the money to buy it, paying her back when he got his wages. This, they both kept from me, fearing I would veto it (the amount of stuff that goes on behind dads' backs is amazing, don't you find?!) Besides, we had enough on our plates as number-two son had just lost his wallet on the Isle of Wight and we were frantically trying to cancel debit cards, etc.! To get back to the story, my son rang the mobile number on the advert, and it was an Orange Ansafone message - as it was every time he rang it. The people on the other end always replied by email. Turned out that they were selling the unopened RetinaMBP on behalf of their wheelchair-bound auntie who had somehow got it and didn't want it, and the seller didn't want it as they were happy with their current MBP. (Yeah, I know - it gets worse!) At this point, my son made his interest clear and they got down to business. Apparently, they didn't accept Paypal; they didn't accept credit cards; and if you wanted to pay cash on collection, lo and behold they lived right out in Crediton in Devon - enough distance to prevent most people from collecting! They only really accepted direct bank transfers. Don't get me wrong, alarm bells were ringing in my son's head - just not loud enough to stop him wanting a RetinaMBP! He got the address in Crediton, and then asked (all this by email, remember) for proof that they lived there as he was worried about sending all that money to a complete stranger. By return email he received a scanned gas bill with the name Heather Jones on it - the same name he had been dealing with. He decided to take the plunge and transferred the £800 into the account they had given him. Bye-bye, money. Bye-bye summer wage / loan from 'Bank-of-Mum'! Bye-bye camera. No more emails. He was now getting frantic, and after sending more and more emails, containing more and more pleading for the money back, he finally received one more. It just said something about sex and travel, and the letters "LOL". Calls to Gumtree's 0845 number were fielded with an 'out-of-hours' notice. Calls to NatWest seemed to hold out hope as both my son's account and the crook's account were with NatWest. The fraud department there took all the details and they said all the right words, but to be honest they probably then put the report at the bottom of a very large pile of similar please for help after they'd hung up. The police in Devon listened and then confirmed that no such person lived at that address. Furthermore it was the address of a hardware store. He was then given the number of a fraud investigation department of the police and had a long conversation with them during which he could tell the whole story. Then came the hardest phone call of all for my son to make - the one to me. As luck would have it, I was only about 80 miles from Crediton at the time, and considered a drive round there, but me going to jail for assault with a baseball bat would have just added to the problems, let's face it! So, it occurred to me that Heather Jones might not live there, but she *might* work there and so I found the number of the shop and rang it from the top of the cliff facing Durdle Door in Dorset asking to speak to Mrs Jones. "Is this about the iPad?" the man asked, "I'm sorry but someone is using this address in his scams". Turned out that other people had been going through the same amateur sleuthing that we had been doing after being similarly duped. It seemed that the last scam had been for an iPad, and now a RetinaMBP. The police had been informed by the keeper of the store. One woman had put £500 into an account for the iPad and not received it, and a couple of chaps from Manchester had thought better of paying out the money to strangers and had actually driven all the way down to the address only to find out they had gone on a 'wild goose chase'. We then knew that all was lost. The scammer is probably working something like this: 1. He gets a free pay-as-you-go sim card and uses the number in his advert. He then makes sure he never answers the call, asking that interested parties leave their email addresses on the ansafone. 2. He uses a free yahoo.co.uk email address (along with hotmail, googlemail, gmail, etc., the scourge of the Internet!) 3. He sets up a bank account - possibly using the identity of someone whose details he acquired from a previous scam* 4. When he's lured some people into parting with their 'hard-earned' he empties the account and closes it. Easy to do online. He closes the email address and moves onto another one. He then chucks the sim card, or even the whole phone away and forgets the misery he has inflicted, moving onto his next prey. *Let's face it, he now knows my son's name, AppleID, email address, bank account details, address, mobile phone number - surely enough there to possibly use for the crook's next scam! For days you are racked with rage and thoughts of getting even with this pond-slime, but to be honest, all you can do is chalk it up to experience and make sure you are never caught out again. Please don't be caught like this. If something is too good to be true, it usually is. Pete PS: The good news - number-two son's wallet later turned up under the seat of my car! :-/ It's extremely rare for me to receive spam so, when I do, I spend a few minutes investigating. I just received an email purporting to be from one of my friends. It actually came from an Android mobile in Japan. It contained a link to a Russian web site, which redirects to a site that allegedly pays people to disseminate spam like this. However, to sign up for the "package" you have to pay! I won't give a link to the page but you can safely read my PDF copy of it here:- http://www.glodark.com/temp/DailyConsumerTips.pdf It's easy to see how people get sucked in. The email message had a blank subject line and a link to the Russian redirect at:- http://www.kamazzap.aaanet.ru/calculatechicken/ (This link is incomplete. It was followed by the perpetrator's name so that he gets his commission.) Note the ".ru" for Russia. I don't recommend clicking on any link that contains this. The email message contained, in the "to" line, 25 email addresses (including mine), a couple of which I recognised as being friends and also another email address that I used to use, which hasn't been valid for several years. This list has probably been picked up from a webmail account belonging to a friend. Webmail such as yahoo, hotmail, googlemail is always at risk because it's such a rich target. If you use webmail, I recommend you change your password to a really strong one or stop using it altogether. I offer technical help for customers and for people who aren't sure what to buy. I won't give much help to people who bought an item that we sell from another company. I tell them to look at our web site or contact that company. If it's Amazon, Screwfix, eBay etc. they are probably screwed but that's not my problem. Today a guy phoned me for advice about a magic eye that he'd bought two years ago from some other company whose name he couldn't remember. I could tell that he was quite annoyed when I helpfully directed him to our "Guide to Magic Eyes". However, my time is precious and I'm not providing a Technical Help service for other companies that undercut us by not providing such a service. Interesting and/or amusing questions from various forums. How can I stop annoymous junk mail from Vrigin? "Annoymous"? Good word! (Do I need to point out that, if it's from "Vrigin", it's not "anonymous"?) Posted by David "have you tryed sky + planner rebuild as then i have losted the signal. i jest do a sky + planner rebuild & that gets my signal back." You jest? Believe me when I tell you that you wouldn't want to see me naked! Thanks Robert The nickel plating on an 'F' plug is appropriate when you realise that the plating on nearly every LNB output socket is also nickel. Gold plating would only be useful when both plug and socket are gold plated. (However, in tests I carried out when I was in charge of a reliability test laboratory, I found that the gold "flash" normally used is less than 0.5 micrometres thick - insufficient to provide useful protection unless it is applied over at least 8 micrometres of nickel.) But what really matters is the central "pin", which is actually the bare copper wire of the cable! In practice, following many practical tests "in the field", I have determined that a coating of silicone grease will usually protect the copper wire from the electrolytic corrosion, which would otherwise occur due to the presence of moisture, oxygen and electric current. Silicone grease on the threads also provides protection and makes the nut easier to turn - especially when you need to remove it in the future. I should also add that the idea that "one size fits all' is laughable. Try fitting a true RG6 plug to WF100 and you won't screw it on without crushing the cable. That affects the impedance and can cause signal reflection. Conversely, a WF100 plug on RG6 cable will be too loose. ( Link to http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#fplugs ) By this I mean that the 230V lead is connected directly to the radio ...... not one which uses a 5V/9V DC supply from a wall wart type adapter........ I want one which has the transformer/rectifier built into the case just like most FM radios do/did. Adrian Good question. The reviews are useless for this type of information so the only way to find out is to hope that an owner comes along or look at the physical products in the shops. In general, as you've discovered, the trend is for "wall-wart" PSUs because they are cheap, easy to replace and improve reliability of the radio itself (less heat inside and less to go wrong). There's also the safety issue of having a cable carrying mains power to a transportable radio. I've known many instances where dogs (and even a baby) have chewed through the cable! Sam G. Why SatCure won't stock Homeplug/Powerline PLA/PLT Ethernet adapters:- http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1274377381 Has anyone experienced problems of interference with one of these? If so, I'd like to hear from you. Apart from the effects on amateur radio reception, what else was affected? What were the symptoms? Were you able to fix the problem? Your answers will be in next month's blog. THANK YOU Those 5m 1.4 HDMI leads were brilliant. I will be after more when the rest of the crap ones we have now die. I threw away 12 leads today but each bay in our shop has 4 leads and I've had to spread the spares around but now have none left. It won't be just yet though. Collin As you already bought from us, you will find a link to a £1 discount voucher in your Order confirmation email. You can use it to get £1 off every order you place until it expires. (No more than 1 order per week.) Note: I think we have only a few HDMI leads left in stock and I don't know how soon we can get more stock so I recommend that you don't delay. Panasonic DMRE75 I read about the faulty DMRE75 DVD Recorder in last months blog with some trepidation. The capacitor mentioned is in the middle of the main PCB and beneath a complex logic PCB. To fit a new capacitor correctly requires you to remove the DVD mechanism and logic PCB, the Hard Disc Drive, the power supply and thirty odd retaining screws before easing the main PCB clear and replacing the capacitor (680uF 10v)in question. ESD precautions are of course essential to ensure a reliable repair and non-leaded solder should be used as well. I worked for Panasonic for around 20 years and know their products very well and indeed respect their quality and reliability. To retain those qualities they should be repaired properly. If you have any problems with Panasonic products please direct any such questions to me. Regards Gerald (See last month's "On the Forums" Panasonic DMR EX75) Hi, Gerald. I agree that Panasonic equipment is amongst the most reliable. They also make the best electrolytic capacitors in the world. Unfortunately, they fail to use these in their own equipment, choosing instead to use capacitors which, demonstrably, end up bulging and failing. Either they made a mistake at the design stage, or the capacitors are faulty to begin with, or, like all manufacturers, they are up against "the price tag" barrier and also they want customers to buy a new model every few years. So the consequence is that, as reported on forums, several capacitors fail and, as you rightly point out, are not easy to access. (However, if they are known to be short-lived, the design should be such that replacement is easy, just as with batteries.) Various users of the DVD recorders (without any input from me) have figured out that it's possible to chop off the failed capacitors, leaving the wires behind. New capacitors can be soldered to those wires. This is not the tidiest job but it can be done with a minimum of dismantling and minimum risk of damage. The customer, thus, gets a working recorder at minimal cost and without the hassle of having to claim from the seller under the Sale of Goods Act. I stress, again, that I have personally played no part in this and merely report what I observe on various Internet forums. Panasonic can quite easily do the same, if they are interested. Meanwhile, I offer better, replacement capacitors because part of my business is to cash in on manufacturers' mistakes! No response. Thanks. Not happy with the recommendation for "Home Plug" devices. There are only about 80 days before Christmas. The average family spend is over £500 so start saving NOW. You can spend less by buying early at discount prices if you plan ahead. Buying toys? Are you aware of the toy-sellers' methods to get you to spend more after Christmas? On the run up to Christmas they will advertise a specific toy, which your kids will nag you for. You will promise that toy, only to discover that it has mysteriously sold out before Christmas! So you buy a different toy. (Sound familiar?) A few weeks after Christmas, the first toy becomes available and your kid hasn't forgotten so you have to go and buy it, even though Christmas is over and you already spent the money on a different toy. This is how the toy sellers overcome the "February slump" but, now that you know, you'll be ready for it! Buy in advance and say "no" to any demand for a different toy. While I'm discussing Christmas, may I remind you that SatCure stocks many items such as electronic kits, LED torches and other stuff suitable for children or for retired relatives. We can't predict demand so, to avoid disappointment, please order ASAP. Otherwise, all we'll have left is eBooks to download. I would also remind you that the postal and carrier services are overloaded in December every year, yet we still receive hundreds of orders in mid December. I'm not complaining but I hate having to apologise when the mail fails to turn up in time for Christmas (and it's not even my fault) so please order as early as possible. ( Link to this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#chat ) Many kind people took the trouble to write to me with helpful suggestions about my "new" scooter, which I mentioned last month. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all. We've had guests staying here for a fortnight and one of them happened to be a car mechanic. He helped me to reassemble the scooter after I'd diagnosed and fixed several of the problems. There was some corrosion on the flexible printed circuit behind the instrument pod and two bulbs didn't light. I replaced the bulbs and treated all connections with silicone grease to prevent further corrosion. I applied silicone grease inside all connections in the wiring loom and also cleaned up the bulb holders and applied grease, which got the indicators working. That left the problem of the sticking throttle, which makes for exciting rides! I dismantled the twist-grip assembly and discovered ... ... that the metal slider had worn away, leaving a knife edge. This wear left a lot of free play in the twist action and caused the mechanism to stick. Surprisingly, the spiral groove on the plastic twist grip is not worn. September 18, 2012 I managed to locate a shop that does bike repairs and the owner just happened to have a scrap Piaggio in his lockup. I bought the required throttle parts. The scooter is finally back on the road, although the speedometer isn't connected and the headlight has a piece of yellowed plastic in place of a lens! However, the horn works and (the locals assure me) that's really all that matters. Link to this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#scooter Some years ago I bought a Yankee Candle "leather scent" card, shaped like a jar. When its smell faded I removed it from my car and carelessly left it on top of my Epson scanner. Next time I looked, it had melted the scanner cover! The chemicals used in these things must be very powerful. It wouldn't surprise me if they caused cancer, asthma or other diseases. I recommend you handle them only while wearing polythene gloves. Link to this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#yankee They don't make 'em like they used to. We've been searching for a supply of sturdy wooden clothes pegs. Why? Because the sun, here, destroys plastic pegs within weeks. They lose their shine then break up, depositing clean clothing on the dusty ground! Link to this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#pegged Ants can be a problem in a warm, dusty climate so we made our own remedy:- To make your own ant killer you'll need: You can buy this from any pharmacy. They sell it as a treatment for feet. About 5 Euros for a 200g box. Mix the two powders approx. 1 tsp. full of boric acid to 2 tsp. full of icing sugar. Add 2 tsp. full of boiling water and dissolve powder mix. Allow to cool. Place drops onto a nonporous flat surface (e.g. old credit card or yoghurt tub lid) in the path of the ants, in a shady place. If possible, put it close to the nest. Add more as it dries out. Ants will be gone within 2 days. They carry it back to the nest and feed the rest. Note: it will also kill wasps and bees. If that's going to be a problem, put a plastic carton or old cup over the top and leave a gap just large enough for ants to enter. If it's windy, put a stone on top. Boric acid powder is very poisonous to insects but, in the quantities you'll be using, it will not harm humans or animals. However it IS a poison, if inhaled or ingested in large quantities, so you should keep the packet in a safe place. Link to this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_169.htm#ants 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. No contributions this month. Nowt, zilch, nada, mythen. Thanks, everyone. Stop Press! A missive from Jo:- Having negotiated a new 18-month contract 6 months ago, I was irritated today to find that my TalkTalk Anytime boost payment was rising from £4.50pm to £5.00. In itself, that wouldn't have bothered me as I make a lot of daytime and international calls, so a fiver is still good value for money. (I use Skype, too, but it's not always how I want to make the calls, especially if I don't know the people at the other end.) However, we are not on an unbundled exchange and so cannot benefit from the better deals. Further insult to injury is the infuriating good deal being offered to new customers who have no history of loyalty to TT - I've been with them for donkey's years with the telephone, 3 years with the broadband when they bought Pipex out. Now, I'm no fool and I understand how businesses need to attract new customers, but the double whammy really got to me so I decided to ring TalkTalk and see what I could achieve. I have just had a thoroughly pleasing interaction with the two young men in Customer Services. I presented my 'case' in a friendly, rational manner and assured them that, whilst I fully understood TT's need to attract new business, had agreed to the terms and conditions each time I had a renewed contract and that yes, the small print in it says that I'm unable modify things as I'm still in the contract period, I felt that it was something of a 1-way contract - they could change things as they were going along, but that I couldn't. I told them that I understood the need for price changes and that the additional 50p per month on my Anytime boost wasn't, in itself, a major issue, but that the added insult of TV adverts offering hugely cheaper packages to newbies was making me irritated. To cut a very long story short, the thoroughly amicable discussion with the young men resulted in my having a new 12-month contract from today, with 3 months of paying NO line rental and NO call plan fees, a total saving of £21 per month - and with the option to pay the remaining line rental in one fell swoop in order to get a further saving. The men I talked with were charm itself but said how much they appreciated a calm and reasoned approach from, and discussion with, a customer when so many people yell at them from the outset. (I was able to empathise with that, having been at the receiving end of awkward customers who had 'launched' before getting their facts right or even tried the nice approach first.) He admitted that those customers end up in a difficult situation and usually don't get a good outcome. Now, I'm no saint and I can lose my rag with the best of them - when pushed, and I mean really pushed. Oh yes I can! But, as I say, I have to be really pushed so those occasions are, mercifully, extremely rare. I also know that even the deal I now have can be bettered in some aspects if I jump ship and go elsewhere. However, I have a reliable service from TT, I have always found their staff to be inordinately helpful, their Anytime boosts suit me and hubby down to the ground as we do make a lot of international calls and UK daytime calls - and I simply can't face the hassle of changing! Knowing us, it wouldn't go smoothly and it would add another unwanted drama to a busy life - a drama too far! TalkTalk gets a bad rap from a lot of people but today's experience was worth flagging up, IMHO. I believe in people power, but it has to be logical and a good argument. I can jump off the deep end 'right royally' when dealing with idiots, but the trick is not to assume everyone at the other end is an idiot until they prove as such. The other thing I always try to remember is this: none of us ever knows if the stranger to whom we are speaking has just heard he has a terrible illness, has just had a loved one die, is worried about losing his job, etc. Starting in neutral gear first is a good ploy, then moving up through the gears as the situation demands. It works for me - usually. Jo 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.) Simple DIY alarm for shed, garage or outbuilding. You can get this guide and buy the parts from us or from elsewhere. More... Small U bolt with 1.5" centres, Here... Duck Poo Would you like an unusual email address? Here's your chance to donate a few pennies to my retirement fund. Go to www.DuckPoo.com Don't like Duck Poo? Feel free to suggest alternatives. And, please, tell a friend about www.DuckPoo.com ! Troubleshooting Sky Digital FREE new eBook! Fuses We've been offering fuses for years but it seems that nobody wants to buy packs of 10. So we are now offering them in packs of 2 We'll be stocking the Humax HDR-1000S and Manhattan equivalent when they become available. - 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 sixteen 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... Which of your hdmi leads include the ethernet connection? Rodney P. Hi, Rodney. ALL HDMI cables have a 19 pin connector each end. There is no special "ethernet connection". Any equipment that includes what they call "the Ethernet channel" simply pumps the relevant data down a standard HDMI cable. However, if you've read all the hype from cable sellers on the Internet, this statement will probably come as a shock to you. Most people will have read that they absolutely MUST "upgrade the HDMI cable". Not true. Try a standard v1.4 cable and see! Virtually all HDMI cables made since the end of 2011 are v1.4 capable up to a length of 5 metres. If you have any problems, it's likely to be your equipment at fault, rather than the cable. There's a lot of very poorly designed "HDMI splitters" and "HDMI boosters" on sale. The price of this equipment is often a good guide. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the price of HDMI cable. Frequently a £6.95 HDMI cable will perform just as well as a £69.95 cable (although, if you've already stumped up your hard-earned cash, you won't want to believe this!) Here's the link to HDMI leads. They are in the first dropdown list. (Rodney placed an order. Thanks, Rodney! Let us know what you think of the HDMI leads.) Since Pontop Pike switched analogue channels off, my Sky programmes have been very grainy on all bedroom TVs connected from RF2. How can switching analogue off affect the Sky analogue output? Graham (Newcastle upon Tyne) Hi, Graham. Some of the Freeview multiplexes were shifted to different UHF channel numbers during the change. It's likely that your Digibox is set to UHF channel 50, 38 or one of the other multiplex channels. Reset it to a number between 30 and 37 and it should cure your problem. Model number on label or rear panel: R000.049.22.00P Hello Martin, Thanks for offering your services to help online to people like me. Very much appreciated in advance. I have recently got my first Sky+HD installation (only ever been used to 5 channels). I have the Sky box downstairs in the living room, and wish to boost the signal around the house. My electrician put in a booster kit and fed coax from each room to it. Each room has a wall plate. I can receive the signal in each room. A friend told me about magic eyes. So I bought some Labgear magic eyes, though they are not getting power. That's the problem. Now I will describe the setup in more direct detail: Sky RF2 out >> coax wall plate in living room >> feed enters 'select SLX8 8 way booster' in landing cupboard >> coax output to each room (let's specify the bedroom) >> magic eye >> Samsung 40 inch TV. The magic eyes will power up (green LED) directly from the RF2 output. However they will not power up at either: The feed into the booster (before being plugged into the booster kit - I just tried that as a test to see if power was coming up the coax cable) Any room between wall plate and TV. I can still get a signal and sound when the magic eye is plugged in, though the quality is very poor. I originally posted my problem on the AVforums website, and this is where I was directed to your site to look for some extra help. Here is my post: http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd-sky-3d/1673488-magic-eye-help.html#post17547948 Someone has recommended a splitter with DC. I do not understand this - where it would be installed, what it would do, and how it would solve my problem? You may advise some other solutions - I would really welcome any advice that you can offer in layman's terms. If you require any further info I will do my best to get it for you. Thank you very much, Rob Hi, Rob. Well, I think this is an easy one so you probably won't even need my booklet (free if you order something):- http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/satellite_freeview.htm#magic As is often the case with electricians, yours has fitted the wrong type of amplifier. He's fitted an aerial signal amplifier instead of a SkyLink compatible amplified splitter. He's probably fitted the wrong plates, too, and maybe the wrong cable. Buy here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15.htm#amp But read this first: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm In short, you'll have to buy the correct unit and swap it with the SLx8. If you buy the T180 you can use the same leads with TV plugs but please note that they should be SOLDERED. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/tvplugs.htm If you buy the F180 you'll have to swap the TV plugs for 'F' plugs but these don't need to be soldered as they simply twist on. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm Please note that any wall plates between the Sky Digibox RF2 outlet and the various rooms, must be "DC PASS" type ("screened, DC coupled"). See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wallplates.htm Chances are good (from your report) that your electrician installed the wrong type. Electricians tend to install the cheapest cable they can get. However, the cable should be "double-screened" otherwise you might have intermittent problems. However, it's OK to use whatever the electrician has used but bear in mind that, if "magic eye" operation is unreliable, the cable could be at fault. I hope I've provided enough information to help you solve the problem. Please read everything carefully and then let me know if you need clarification on any specific point. In future, if you want coaxial cable installed, either DIY or employ a professional satellite TV/aerial installer, not an electrician. John A. Hi, John. you can increase your "rain fade" margin by increasing total dish area, provided that the LNB is the correct one for the dish shape, as explained on our LNB technical page. http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm Is any additional hardware required to pole mount your Zone 2 satellite dish? John A Did you click on the "More info. HERE" link? http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/zone2_sky_minidish.htm I really don't have anything to add to that. (John placed a large order; many thanks!) Brian L. Hi, Brian. you ordered it from the page of "standard" LNBs where it states "The LNBs on this page are NOT suitable for Sky minidishes. (See Page 1 for Sky minidish LNBs)". I suggest you cancel the LNB and place a new order for the LNB that you require. Are you certain that one output is enough? Most people order a Quattro LNB so they can run a Freesat PVR, Sky+ or whatever. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1.htm THANK YOU All items received perfectly, excellent service and advice, thank you. Brian L Hi Martin have you a source for the pedal casing for this type of unit? As mentioned on the page, we can offer a choice of two aluminium die cast boxes. I don't have anything else to offer. I'm into railway modelling and frequently use a small 12v drill. Basically a 12V motor with a chuck attached to the spindle. There are many occasions when the work piece requires one hand and the drill the other, how the h*** are you supposed to adjust the speed. It's one of those objects that are so obvious that no one bothers to make them, a 12V foot operated speed controller. When I used a 12v drill for making holes in PCBs, I controlled the speed simply by switching the PSU voltage. See the 1.5A PSU here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page5.htm#psu (Scroll down). I've come to the conclusion that if I want one I'm going to have to build it myself. Hence the question. Keep up the good work of telling it the way you see it. John W thanks Jacques Yes, simply select it, set dish Qty to zero, click "Add to Cart". the postage to Europe for a 1.20M Channel Master AZEL mount is 50 £ ! isn't there really no cheaper way to send it? (I am not in a hurry). Thanks for your answer. Jacques F. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/postage.htm#prov as delivery charges are so high for the Channel Master 1.20m AZEL mount, I can arrange to have it picked up at your premises for a much better price is this feasible ? if so, please inform me of exact weight and dimensions of parcel thanks JF See http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/sales_help.htm#collect We can arrange shipping to a UK address. (He did order it but I don't know whether it arrived.) I have ordered a lead this morning and paid for delivery, but after receiving confirmation from you I have noticed that the lead is coming from my local area. Due to this I would like to collect lead as this will save time, can you please confirm that I can pick up lead today and that delivery cost will be refunded. Thank you. Adam K. Please see http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/sales_help.htm#office and http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/sales_help.htm#collect Good Afternoon, I have tried sending this to relevant departments but unfortunately the email will not go through to the technical department. I am emailing you to confirm the lead provided was the incorrect lead and does not fit onto existing lead already connected to sky dish. An 'F' plug is an 'F' plug. It has to fit. The thread and nut are standard. On the lead required it states Webro BskyB twin 63 008a 11 12 10 018830 this lead is smaller in thickness than lead provided. Can you please provide the correct lead, connectors and barrels so I can connect my sky box to existing lead already connected to sky dish. If you cannot supply required lead can you please authorise a refund and I will send lead back to you in the post. Can you please come back to me ASAP and inform me where lead needs to be sent to and when refund will be completed. Thank you. Adam Kind regards. Hi, Adam. I see that you ordered:- WF100BLTWIN1.5M Black length 1.5, metres Qty:1 at £1.99 Are you saying that we did not supply a twin WF100 lead, as ordered? The code is often (but not always) printed on the cable. WF100 is approx. 6 mm diameter. Note: when you send a Technical question, we respectfully request that you confirm that you have read the Product Information, as listed in your "Keep-me" message. No response. Graham C. Hi, Graham. You'll find everything you could possibly need to know on our web site. Start here:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm No response. Model number on label or rear panel: none Hello i want to extend my sky cables as need to move my TV to the other side of the room. Could you provide me with the link for ready made cables can buy please?? Cherise B. Hi, Cherise. Please start here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/extend_cable.htm No response. My location is: London Model number on label or rear panel: Samsung HD sky 2008 sep Hi I would appreciate your help on this matter, I have 3 rooms where they all have face plates for sky+ I have a Triax Tmp 9x16 multi switch and would require and dish and a Quattro LNB as sky will not supply We can supply a dish and Quattro LNB. 50 cm for smallest possible size:- 60 cm for better margin in bad weather:- I also would run Turk sat through as well on a separate dish? however I do mainly watch sky most of the time, please can you help with this matter as a lot of people I have spoken to are contradicting one another with the information they are trying to provide me with. I would like to use a 80 cm dish for the sky. OK, in that case we can supply an 80 cm dish:- Quattro LNB can be ordered separately:- Thank you for your time Esat K. I'm not familiar with Turksat so I can't advise on dish size for London, although I suspect it will be rather large so you may need planning permission. I recommend you determine the satellite location (e.g. 42°E) and the required dish size, preferably by asking other Turkish expats in London, because that's the only way to be certain of the choice. http://www.lyngsat.com/Turksat-3A.html No response. The pole is approx. 70 mm away from the wall to avoid overhanging guttering. Can you help ? Thanks John K. Hi, John. Did you check out our hardware page? If it's not there, please tell me the exact dimensions and I'll ask our suppliers if they have something close. No response. I have been trying to find a method of receiving Irish TV stations in the UK. In Portugal its not a problem RTE1 and 2 plus TnG etc. are received perfectly. Is there a system that will give us that access her? thanks Tony N. Hi, Tony. Yes, the same as Portugal. Satellite dish and suitable receiver. If you need more info ask here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=55 No response. Connect it to the LNB with any suitable short length of coaxial cable. if so which cable do I link it into ? Link to the LNB. and how many push on figments Figments or fitments? As many as you need. and f connectors would I require to order to make life easier when setting it all up ? One for each cable end. would you advise buying the silicone as well if you could e-mail me back with what I need to do I would be most grateful . Start with this page: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm No response. He lives in Westcliff-on-Sea. That is close to Southend and the SS0 postcode is his. I am based in Plymouth. Basically, the area my friend lives in is in the process of switching to digital. He has old TVs with no Scart socket but he, unlike me, is well versed in electronics & circuitry. He is 92 years old as well! He is probably going to sort out his problem himself but he asked me to locate a source of (quote) a converter - which will give an analogue output to be fed to the aerial input (unquote) I assume that he's referring to a Freeview receiver with a built-in RF modulator, or a Freeview receiver and a separate RF modulator. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page11.htm No response. Hi Martin, I have a Sky + Pace box about 3 years old. Model number? I have been using a Triax inter link magic eye for 8 months and everything worked fine until I lost power to the house during a lightning storm. Power restored - the magic eye no longer worked (green power light still on). I did the following:- - reset the box using secret menu And the result of this test was? - turned RF off and back on And the result of this test was? - connected eye direct into the back of box (9v RF connection)using 0.5m coax. And the result of this test was? - used 2 more spare new eyes I had and repeated above. And the result of this test was? - experimented with different F connectors and coax to eliminate them And the result of this test was? All connections look good and all 3 eyes have green power lights on. The picture is good quality and the remote works with the box. Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated thanks? Shaun shaun b. If the result of all tests was that remote operation didn't work, then the (unknown model) Pace Digibox must be faulty. See http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/satellite_freeview.htm#magic Magic Eye Problem. Hi, I have recently updated By "updated" do you mean installed new firmware? my second TV in Kitchen working off my multiroom sky+ box situated upstairs. Previously I had a magic eye installed to change the channels working fine. Since disconnecting the eye and fitting new TV (Panasonic Viera 24") Ah, so you've replaced the old TV with a Panasonic model. the eye has stopped working (red led not on). Two possibilities: 1. The Power is no longer ON in the secret Sky Digibox "Installer Setup Menu". I have checked the eye on the original TV, now positioned in bedroom and it works fine. It shouldn't. You can't run more than one "eye" simultaneously without a SkyLink compatible splitter. Have you omitted to tell me that you have one of these? I have also made sure the cable was plugged into RF2 and the plugs are all correct. Is there any possibility that the cable has been damaged (although I can still get a picture on TV)? There is a possibility. Do I need to replace the cable or will a new eye do the trick? I don't know. I think your description is incomplete. See http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/satellite_freeview.htm#magic and http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm No response. No there isn't. The power of all such wireless devices is limited by law to a small number of milliWatts. This limitation is to minimise interference between neighbours. If you actually found what you wanted (maybe an illegal import) you'd risk having the authorities paying you a visit, confiscating your equipment, and imposing a large fine. One workaround is to buy a router with a removable antenna and to replace this with one of higher gain. However, "higher gain" doesn't mean "more power"; it means concentrating it more in one direction or "squashing" the beam pattern so that you aren't wasting some power by beaming it at the Sky. There are also relatively crude ways to concentrate the beam in one direction by using a tin can, steel tray or aluminium foil behind the antenna. Sometimes one of these methods will help, if you want to concentrate the signal in one direction. It won't help if you have computers etc. scattered in various rooms. My house is made from poured concrete with steel reinforcing rods. The result is that zero signal passes through the ceiling or walls. My workaround is to position the router so its signal gets bounced up the stairwell and into the bedroom. However, we have to leave the (wooden) bedroom door open, otherwise the signal is too weak. The high-frequency router signal doesn't pass through solid objects and, as mentioned, even wood attenuates it a lot. However, the signal gets reflected off hard surfaces so it's quite possible to bounce it around the house, if the angles happen to be right. It's a matter of experimenting by placing the router in different positions, with the understanding that even 1 cm can make a big difference. It's sometimes possible to direct the signal out through a window to be reflected by a nearby wall so it comes back through a bedroom window. I have found an application called "iStumbler" very useful for determining signal strength in various locations, when installed on a laptop. Hi I currently have a SKY Plus, and would like to receive the KBS network (Korean Broadcasting Network). I have found out that it is available from the the BADR 6 satellite. Is there any way I could receive this channel using my current box and dish or do I need to purchase more equipment? Would greatly appreciate any advice you can give. Many thanks Mark A. Hi, Mark. Without doing research (which you can do just as easily) I can't tell you the required dish size or receiver. However, I'm fairly sure that a Sky+ Digibox won't be useful and I'm also fairly sure that anything beamed at Korea is going to need a very large dish to pick up stray signals in the UK. Hi, I want to fit freesat HD to a two story detached house. There is an aerial that looks like a high gain Yagi but no cable. I would like to supply three bed rooms and two down stairs rooms. I would need two outside runs of about twenty meters, one to front room which has internal (single coaxial) cable to above bed room and other front room, and second run to bedroom two. Third bedroom has wall socket with coaxial cable curled up in loft which would probably reach aerial. Could you please advise of equipment needed, single cable or double. Boosters,good quality free view HD box etc. I have got wireless broad band, don't no if that increases my options. Any advise would be very gratefully received? robert d. Hi, Robert. You should have a very strong signal from Winter Hill so a large aerial is unnecessary. If your existing aerial is damaged or unsuitable, our V10-040 would be ideal (I've used this myself for installations near Crewe, which is twice as far from Winter Hill.) The choice of equipment is an entirely personal one. See this page for cable: The simplest distribution system to feed a total of five rooms would be a 4-output masthead amplifier, plus a good-quality passive splitter to feed the two shortest cable runs. Masthead amplifier: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/UXF4.htm Deluxe AP00090 Splitter: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15a.htm#ysplit Please read this information page: (Robert placed a substantial order. Thanks, Robert!) I now wish to feed both at once and it would seem that an Inverto black premium twin output (LNB12) would be an an appropriate model of LNB for my purposes. Is this what you would advise? Regards Martyn M. Hi, Martyn. You haven't stated the dish size and I'm not familiar with Famaval dishes. My guess is that whatever single-output LNB works OK will also work in twin-or quad-output format. However, we normally recommend Invacom LNBs where the dish diameter is 1.8m or greater. Also, since Astra-2F satellite is scheduled for launch tomorrow and will replace Astra-1N, it is entirely possible that you might need a larger dish when that happens. Consequently, my advice would be to buy nothing until Astra-2F has been deployed and adjusted. Otherwise you run the risk of blaming faulty reception on a new LNB when the real culprit lies 36,000 km away! -- Thanks for your quick response. The FAMAVAL dish is 1 Metre. Would you still recommend Invacom LNBs for my dish size. Regards Martyn M. No because, as stated, we recommend them for 1.8m and larger. Of course they will work fine but you are paying extra for cross-polar performance that won't make one iota of difference with such a small dish. Is this covered by your 3 year guarantee at that time? Hi, John. It's covered by our warranty provided that you can quote the SatCure order number and provided that that order number is recorded on our server to prove that you read our fitting instructions. If it's covered then you must send it to Digifix as listed on the fitting instructions page under "Warranty", since we don't do repairs. If so what is the postage to an English address, as I see you no longer post to Ireland. The Digifix address listed in the fitting instructions, which you should have kept safe for a warranty claim. Alternatively if I send my box to you complete with faulty PSU, what is the cost of transferring data off the hard drive to a new or refurbished Anytime+2TB DRX890 model?(Include postage to UK address.) You would have to ask Digifix as we don't carry out any such work. Hello, We have recently purchased this property and would like to replace the current aerial. Having read the very helpful information already provided on your website I have a couple of questions which I'm hoping you can answer before I place the order... From what I understand from the information on your website it is recommended that I install the log 40 periodic aerial, specifically I am looking at purchasing the Vision V10-040 Super log-periodic Aerial 9 dBd. Can you confirm that this will be OK for my location? Secondly, our aerial currently points to the Sutton Coldfield (W. Mids) transmitter (as do all the houses on our street) but we are actually part of the East Midlands and we are in fact closer to the Waltham transmitter. Can I point the new aerial to (what I believe to be) the correct transmitter? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Gino M. Hi, Gino. According to the "Wolfbane" prediction site you should receive an equally strong signal from either Waltham or Sutton. The V10-040 should work fine for both. If you have any more questions, please ask before buying anything! Hi, Iain. We don't sell one but any metal box with appropriate ventilation will be better than nothing if you have flammable material nearby. Hi I've got a new sky HD multiroom box with no RF2 how can i connect it to my TV in second room. Can you supply the parts? Thanks. John. Hi, John. The simplest course of action is to sell it and replace it with a Digibox that has RF2. Any other "fix" is going to be more complicated and expensive than it's worth. However, if you insist, see our Freesat kits:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page3.htm#freesat No response. Please get back to me - I sent you several emails now trying to increase quantities in my original order. All I ever get back is automated responses. Please read all of the automated response, carefully. Especially the part that says "Warehouse staff can not answer questions. We will not reply unless we have a problem with your request." ( I should have ordered a Plus controller would it be possible to exchange?) See http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/returns.htm How can I change channel, view Guide and planner using the eye? Please download and read our instruction booklet. See link in your "Keep-me" message. (Please read ALL of your Keep-me message to avoid surprises.) No response. Dear Sir During recent building work my LNB was damaged but I am not sure which LNB to replace it with. I have a raven 75 mm oval perforated dish and a sharp oval shaped feed horn LNB with a single connector, the dish is over 6 years old I only use my old pace box as a digibox now and do not have a Sky contract anymore as I paid a one of fee to use it as a digital box. Can you tell me which LNB to purchase? Kindest regards Alex M. Hi, Alex, See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm#oval I want to order an octal ( 8 way) LNB. Please advise which of your units will be OK( give part number), and price.? I will then order item on Monday. regards brian m. Hi, Brian. Our standard (40 mm neck) LNBs are on the LNB page entitled "Standard Universal LNBs". See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1a.htm#octo Also please read http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/lnb.htm#oval (Brian ordered an LNB. Thanks, Brian.) I plan to order a Zone-2 Sky/Freesat minidish (DISKY2) from you. I'm in SE England and most people here use Zone-1 minidishes but I gather that the extra gain of a Zone-2 dish gives a useful margin against rain-fade. I need to pole-mount the dish to get past an overhang and I see that you suggest either a 1.5" steel pole or a cranked pole, and my questions are about these options. 1. Does the pole have to be 1.5"? (By implication "No", as I see your cranked pole is 30mm (~1.25"). Hi, Bryan. Please read our notes about Zone 2 dishes here: 2. You offer both steel and aluminium poles. I like the idea of an aluminium pole both for lightness and corrosion-resistance, but must I use a steel pole to get sufficient strength and rigidity? That depends on the length between wall bracket and dish bracket and on prevailing winds, etc. I'm not a qualified structural engineer so I can't advise. 3. The shortest 1.5" pole you offer is 8' long, but I probably don't need that length. A 6' (1.25") or even a 5' (1") might do if the smaller diameter would be OK. However, if I used an aluminium pole would I be better getting the 8', 1.5" version for the extra strength and cutting it to length? We offer a free cutting service on request (add it to the Shopping Cart notes window) but it may delay delivery by a day or two. -- Hi Martin, Thanks Very much for the quick reply and reference to http://www.satcure.com/tech/zone2.htm (Sorry: missed that page somehow when exploring your website.) I think I'll order the Aluminium 1.5" pole and cut it myself to the length I find I need. (I note that I'll need longer U-bolts if the dish I receive is Triax rather than Raven). Thanks again Bryan (Brian placed a substantial order. Thanks, Brian!) Hi Martin, First of all, thanks for very quick delivery: ~24h! I ordered a 50 cm dish (DISH9) and assumed that it would be circular. The one that arrived is elliptical (~50 cm x ~45 cm). I plan to mount it on a cranked pole from you (Raven C11058) but this will mean that the long axis is vertical. Apart from slightly reduced azimuthal discrimination (and the fact that it will look a bit weird!) is that OK? Thanks Bryan Hi, Bryan. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/dish50.htm This is one of the links provided under "Product Information" in your "Keep-me" email. Please be sure to read ALL product information pages before unpacking and assembling the dish. THANK YOU Thanks very much for the exceedingly quick (~24h) delivery of my order. Thanks also for your patient reply to a question I sent about the dish that arrived - pointing out that it was answered in one of the product information links in my "keep-me"email. I had read the relevant page before but I must have skipped over the crucial sentence - perhaps because the text was mostly similar to what I'd read on pages about other dishes. I really will try to learn to read your technical information very carefully in future! Thanks again for excellent service. Bryan See photographs here http://s1157.photobucket.com/albums/p586/CarlWalters/ The red arrow capacitor is definitely not flat-topped and it ought to be. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/low_ESR_capacitors.htm#caps Hi Martin, Is it possible for you to tell from a photo what kind of satellite dish I have (and therefore what kind of LNB I should buy from you)? I've uploaded the photo to a public DropBox folder. It was fitted at least 8 years ago and probably more like 10. Or do I have to get up on a step ladder to measure it? Thanks very much. Greg Hi, Greg. That's a MK1 Sky minidish made by Channel Master, as shown on our LNB page: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/quad_sky_lnb.htm A MK4 Quad-output Sky LNB will fit with a bit of bodging. The MK4 fits over the arm, not inside. That leaves the problem of securing it with a self-tapping screw, cable ties or glue! (after optimising its position) (I'm still waiting for any customer to fit one and send me photos of exactly how it's done.) Everything we have is on the web site. Unfortunately, the F barrel coupler is for a 1 mm thick panel:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page7.htm#adapt You'd have to rebate your 5 mm steel plate to fit that. The location would be under a roof overhang so not too exposed to rain. Is there any disadvantage in using extra joins in the cable, such as signal loss/ volt drop type of thing? If made properly, a joint produces no voltage drop and negligible signal loss. I'm looking to purchase 30m of WF100 cable (black) with compression fittings. I see on your website you can supply up to 30m but it is not on the dropdown menu. Please can you tell me how I can order and approximate delivery time? Regards, Andrea Hi, Andrea. Sorry for the oversight. It's now in the drop-down menu. http://www.satcure.com/accs/page8.htm#WF100cutSingle No response. I need a TV arial {aerial} cable extension suitable for outdoor. I need 7 meter of good quality white cable (WF100) with one male TV fitted on one end and another male TV plug supplied but not fitted for the other end. I am not sure how to order this on your website? It is to be used as an extension from an aerial to a digital television. You can call me on 07977 xxxxx if you need anymore information. Best regards, Karine L. Hi, Karine. Unfortunately, we don't offer that as an option but you can order a lead with two plugs fitted and add a note in the Shopping Cart asking for one plug to be supplied loose, with price adjusted accordingly. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page8.htm#rfleads (She ordered as I suggested. Thanks, Karine.) First off, as a tech gear supplier myself, with much the same kinda supply, customer stupidity and support issues, I must say that do love and support your no nonsense approach and even the 4% Paypal surcharge is just telling it like it is. However being based in the EU and having a valid VAT number, your checkout process does not provide for me to enter this and so have the 20% VAT element removed from the Bill unless I have missed something. Can this be corrected? Yes but at a cost I'm not prepared to pay. We sell mostly to "Joe Punter". Orders from traders such as yourself are extremely rare because most buy direct from trade warehouses. By that I mean both can you refund me this element if I supply you my VAT number and can you modify the shop / checkout for others? I'm not going to pay to have it changed because it would cost me and add more complexity to an already complicated checkout. However if you had included a specific request for discount in the Shopping cart "notes" area, it would have been handled by Nicola (who is on holiday till Friday). I suggest you leave a message for her on the "Order Support Ticket" database and she'll sort it out next week. Thanks Nigel Hi, Nigel. Our suppliers currently stock only the Triax zone 2 minidish, since Raven moved their manufacturing to the USA. We have received no complaints about the Triax zone 2 dish. See http://www.satcure.com/tech/zone2.htm (Nigel ordered cable but no dish.) I plan to continue to send the LNB signals directly to my sky+ box as I have 4 cables going to this location. I hope to distribute FM, cctv (currently passing through an RF modulator), and Saorview signal (Irish digital UHF)around the house. (Main TV plus 7 other TV points) CCTV, UHF and VHF connections are in the attic. I have a power supply in the attic. I will be using sky eyes, will the Loft box provide power for these as the power from the RF2 outlet of the sky box no longer works (it is turned on!) It will definitely provide power but beware that RF2 power faults may also mean that the actual "remote signal" circuit inside the Digibox is damaged - usually by water ingress via the TV aerial cable. Am I correct in thinking that GLO28 plates will be suitable for all TV points? No. Please use the wall plates listed at the bottom of the Loft Box page. Approximately what would the delivery charge for 8 GLO28 plates, plus a loft box be to Cork, Ireland. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/sales_help.htm#cost No response. I'm hoping you can help me. I am very interested in the Triax 304110 wall plate. I have something very similar installed at the moment, but with a single telephone socket. However i was hoping you could supply the wall plate with a pre-filtered telephone connection - splitting the phone line and ADSL connections, rather than two telephone ports? I am not really concerned about the facia of the plate having two telephone sockets as long as the connections behind the wall plate are correct. Would this be possible? Many thanks Lee S. Hi, Lee. The wall plates that we list are all we have. Splitting before the plate would leave you with only one phone socket per plate, which could be a problem if you have two devices to connect. (One micro filter "splitter" is required for each device.) You might achieve what you want by getting the BT master socket with built-in filter - I forget what it's called but any BT shop will tell you. No response. a. Quattro LNB, Please would you recommend best items to buy from you, I prefer a Vision multiswitch but would like recommendation fitted with F connectors for input and output. What size dish and model would you recommend please? Distance from LNB to multiswitch will be around 6m. Distance from multiswitch will vary, longest length approximately 25m. Thank you in anticipation of your help. Kind regards. Haroon A. These are the pages you need to read: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/multiswitches.htm Tim K. Hi, Tim. The information on this page should help:- (Tim placed an order. many thanks!) Good afternoon, I am looking to have a Satellite system installed to be able to receive programmes from the Hungarian station Duna. I will need a complete installation connected to the lounge TV; i.e. dish;etc. receiver; and also to be able to receive the transmission on a bedroom TV. Can you recommend any receivers and roughly what do you think the whole job should cost me? Thanking you in advance. P. H. Sorry, I've never heard of "Duna" and a free two-minute reply doesn't include doing research. You need to determine which satellite broadcasts "Duna" and what size dish you'll need. Make sure the dish can "see" the satellite from your proposed mounting site. You'll also need to determine whether a special receiver will be needed and, if so, whether a subscription card will also be needed. No response. Chris S. Hi, Chris, See Stacker here: See Global Loft Box here: No response. I have been into satellite for many years but have recently come up against a few problems. I installed an 80 cm dish 12 years ago and it has worked fine with two blue line LNBs at 0.6db. One for 13e as prime. And the offset on Astra 1. and a Global communications 4 way switch for 4 satellites. the two I've mentioned plus a dish on 5 degrees west and one on 28 degrees east. Recently, I changed my 13e LNB as it had cracked and replaced it with a Technomate TM-1 0.1db. At the same time I replaced the 4 way switch for a new Global communications 4 way switch that I bought as a spare 12 years ago. Now I have a problem. Some kind of interference on some of the channels mainly on Astra 1. Affects 11.000 to 11,245. I was going to buy another TM-1 LNB to replace the other blue line 0.6db LNB so they would both be the same. When I leave the blue line LNB off circuit that I am using for the 19e offset. Any slight interference on the Hotbird channels France 24 for example disappears. But when I reconnect it, interference lines come back across the screen. The same thing happens when I disconnect the Hotbird LNB, then the interference goes from the Astra 1 channels mainly France 24 and NHK. A few others too. I have no idea why this is happening. The dish has not moved. I have lined up the LNBs using a cheap signal meter which is exactly what i did 12 years ago. With the replacement 4 way switch there is less dB loss. Over the years the dB loss had increased with the old switch. I do not like the two fixed cables in the design of the 4 way global switch, they are not of usual thickness and they are fixed. You may be familiar with this switch. Anyway, it is these two smaller cables that I use for Astra 1 and Hotbird. Have you any idea why I am getting this interference? and what i need to buy to stop it? Richard L. Hi, Richard. I can't be certain but you may need a better DiSEqC switch. LNB switches tend not to have very good isolation between outputs, so some crosstalk is inevitable. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_164.htm#diseqc and http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_167.htm#db (He ordered a 75 Ohm terminator.) Good Morning, I am in the process of moving my living room around and want to relocate my SKY HD box to the other side of the room, the existing cable from the dish is not long enough. Therefore i am either going to have to put an extension on the existing cables (will this effect the signal) or re route a longer cable from the dish. I would prefer to extend from the dish for optimal picture quality. The cable and LNB have zero effect on picture quality. Because the signal is digital, the error correction automatically produces a perfect picture until the point where the signal is so weak that "break up" of the picture into coloured squares occurs. There is no intermediate point. The picture quality received is always the same as the quality transmitted (which is not always good, however!) What equipment would i require to do this ? Mr James R. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/extend_cable.htm No response. Any thoughts? Stuart f. This is the page I referred to in my previous reply from my iPod while I was out of the office:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/freeview_problems.htm No response. Hi I want to install Sat TV at the above location. Local installers advertise the new Famaval 100LH Hi-Gain 1mtr dish to receive the new Astra 1N satellite. What do you think ? and what LNB and receiver do you advise ? Kind Regards John H. Hi, John. Your local installers may be right but did they tell you that the Astra-1N satellite will have gone before Christmas and been replaced by the Astra-2F satellite, which is due to be launched about now? Although footprints have been published, they don't cover Spain so NOBODY knows what size dish will be needed and nobody can possibly know until Astra-2F is in stable orbit at 28.2°E. We have just had our house rewired, we asked the electrician about also being able to watch cable TV throughout the house and he wired in TV points in the lounge, where the cable box is, and in the bedrooms. The lounge point connects to a booster in the cupboard that then links to the bedrooms. The TV points look like the ordinary aerial/RF type connections, however there is no corresponding connection on the back of the cable box, it a a 1 gig TIVO unit. I have done some research and see you can get an RF modulator that will allow connection of a Scart to RF, but there seems to be problems with compatibility and quality I see you a number of modulators available and wondered if you could advise on the most suitable. This is my personal favourite: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/rfmod.htm It's a compromise between price and picture quality. As with all such RF modulators, it provides only MONO audio. The "Mercury" model, which we tested, suffered from picture interference. Also, is there a better solution, should the fitter have installed something more "up to date" that would have given better quality and been future proof. I'm not familiar with cable TV, having never lived in an area where it was available. If your "fitter" was an electrician then he was the wrong person to employ. You need an Audio-Video expert to discuss your exact requirements and the current options. Nobody can see the future but the immediate future will probably involve using a computerised system to stream A/V through the house via CAT5 cables. You might try an ordinary videosender system. This will at least provide stereo audio: What I want to know (plus any other relevant information): No fault - need advice about best cable / connectors to buy, and advice about possible amplification of a split signal from my antenna. To avoid cost of a roof aerial fitting I have fitted a "One For All SV9350 Outdoor DVBT Antenna" at the apex of my loft space since I'm in a moderate reception area with a digital good transmitter (Emley Moor). Insufficient space to fit proper loft aerial. This provides all freeview channels with no noticeable loss of picture, but I'm concerned about minimising signal loss, to allow (if possible) for the signal to be split and used for more than one TV in the house. Adrian Hi, Adrian. I note that you are using a very low-gain miniature aerial with built-in amplifier. Adding another amplifier will give you the problem of powering the built-in amplifier and possibly overloading the additional amplifier. I suggest you try a simple passive splitter first - one that will pass the power for your aerial's amplifier. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15a.htm#power Unfortunately, the number of questions you posed take this beyond our "free 2 minute reply". However, ALL of your questions are answered in the technical section of our web site. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm and browse the technical index for other relevant pages. -- Thanks for the advice. Whilst your website gives a number of options for extending the cable going into my loft to reach the Antenna in the loft - it does not say which is best in terms of minimising signal loss. It is probably either 1) using the pre-manufactured moulded 5 metre cable and joining to the old aerial cable via f-connector or TV plug and suitable joining adapters. or 2) buying a new 3 metre cable from yourself with F-connectors at both ends, and joining to an f-connector attached to the old aerial cable. I'm inclined to think (2) is best, but I'd like confirmation. Also if I go for option (2), do the barrel connectors you supply fit all sizes of f-plugs? Note I have purchased from SatCure in the past, and have every intention of doing so on this occasion at least to buy a number of cables to avoid the need for me to solder anything - since I'm sure they are better quality than elsewhere. Adrian W. Hi, Adrian. The signal loss in a properly made screw joint is negligible. The signal loss for the cable we stock is tabled here: The signal loss in your existing cable is obviously unknown so you'll have to use your best judgement, based on the information in our table (your cable will be much worse) and on the article here: http://www.glodark.com/cable.htm Note that signal loss isn't the only consideration. Badly shielded cable is susceptible to interference and to generating internal "noise", so it's always best to amplify the signal going into poor cable, not the signal coming out. I would always advise not using poor cable but, where replacement or re-routing is a physical impossibility, cut the poor cable as short as possible. (Adrian placed an order. Thanks, Adrian!) Dear Satellite experts: Please help: I had working dish,receiver,and 3 LNBs on 3 satellites. Few days ago, all channels disappeared. I thought my dish is not aligned. I bought a satellite finder. I put it between the receiver and dish and all channels came back before I even start realigning my dish! I removed the satellite finder and all channels disappeared again! Any idea what is wrong? Is there some kind of amplification in the satellite finder? My receiver is a Clark-Tech 3100 Plus. My 3 satellites are Hotbird, Astra 28.5D, and ArabSat. Hamid H. Based on your information I would guess that your receiver's internal Power Supply has one or more faulty capacitors. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/low_ESR_capacitors.htm#caps Dear Martin, A friend of mine gave me a 99 cm Channel Master dish but with no LNB. Can you help me find a right LNB for it to receive channels from Telstar12 satellite? I have uploaded a picture of the dish with all dimensions written of it. Many thanks, MEHDI Are you certain that it's a Channel Master dish? I don't recognise it. Trying to purchase the second kit from this page: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/platt-kits.htm After checkout and confirming my details, am receiving this message: "There has been an error while trying to save your order information! Please try and place your order again. If this is your second attempt at placing an order with us and you are still experiencing problems, please report it with as much detail about the computer system you are using by clicking here." I've tried twice. The details look OK so not obvious what is going wrong. I'm using the latest Chrome on Windows 7 but I don't think that's making the difference? Thanks. Patrick F. Hi, Patrick. I've just tested it and there's no problem at our end. Please see http://www.satcure.co.uk/orders.htm#problems -- Fyi I tried again, changing the payment method from 'Visa Delta' to 'Visa' and the order went through (card is a Visa Debit). Interesting, thanks. I've forwarded your note to our Shopping cart software designer. First time I've had this complaint. -- His reply was:- Hi Martin, This code only runs if Paypal has been selected as a payment type. I can only assume the customer selected Paypal and then tried to enter his card details via Paypal as opposed to selecting card and entering them on the site. I need to purchase from your store passive Y splitter(s) for 3 freeview receivers. They need to pass power back to the antenna in the loft, one of these: 2x A73203 or 2x A22373 or 1x 73237 Which would result in the least losses and chance of interference? The manufacturers don't provide a specification but a metal-enclosed splitter will be free from interference and a two-way splitter has a loss of around 4 dB per output. This is stated here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15a.htm#ysplit Second Question: I'm guessing the signal is best split in the lounge rather than in the loft? Yes. It's best to keep the signal as high as possible for as far down the cable as possible, to reduce the effects of interference. This is also stated here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page15a.htm#ysplit Third Question: I need to replace the faceplate in my lounge with one of the following faceplates (note, my wall box is 20 mm deep and cable entry from loft is at the top of the wall box). Please can you advise which would provide least signal loss and least interference - I don't mind a tight fit? Must pass power to the amplifier in the loft antenna. I won't be soldering! If they are all equal - which would you recommend for quality or else neatness? The manufacturers don't all specify signal loss since the problem is more likely to be one of signal reflection at specific frequencies, caused by impedance mismatches, which depend on cable type/length and are unpredictable. However, losses are generally less than 1 dB and signal reflection is usually not of a level that will cause visible problems. All fully-screened plates are pretty much equal in this respect, with the exception of diplex/triplex plates where signal loss may be of the order of 2 dB (and higher close to the crossover frequency). Again, the effect is generally so low as to have no effect on the picture. All diplex/triplex plates that DON'T have a "SAT" connection will pass power via the UHF connection. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/wall_plates.htm#decombiner -- Thanks for you answers. I will be making an order shortly, but want to get it right. The stated 4 db loss per output clearly applies to the 2-way splitters - but item 73237 "UHF Splitter/combiner 4-way with "F" connectors" is 4-way not 2-way. Is that still likely to be 4 db loss per output - it merely says "If used as a splitter, will pass a very much reduced signal to each output" - but I don't know how that compares to the 2-way splitters? No, splitting a signal is the same as cutting a cake with a blunt axe. Cut the cake in two and you get two halves with some lost due to the blunt edge. Cut it into 4 and you get 4 pieces, each slightly less than 25%. I guess a 4-way splitter likely to be better than using two 2-way splitters for 3 freeview TVs, because the 2nd Y splitter will reduce the signal from the first splitter by a further 4 db? No, a 4-way will do the same. Each output will be around 8 dB down. I'm still struggling with which faceplate to order. There are essentially 2 options 1) A faceplate with a metal terminal box to connect the lead from the loft and then an f-connector on the front of the plate. For example, "V33-11S Female F socket". Clearly this has shielding for interference. 2) A faceplate with F-connectors only for both the cable from the loft and the front of the plate. For example, "100-00107 "F" connector wall plate for Digital satellite and TV". Looks like this has no shielding (it's only an f-connector housed in a plastic plate) - but by its very nature perhaps shielding is not needed because the shielding in the cable remains intact. Correct. Also take into consideration the need to bring the cable vertically into most plates but horizontally into a faceplate with F-connectors only. Are you saying the 2 options above are likely to be equivalent in terms of signal loss / reflections / interference? Yes. You say - "All diplex/triplex plates that DON'T have a "SAT" connection will pass power via the UHF connection." - but I'm not asking about diplex/triplex plates - I'm asking about the faceplates with a single f-connector. Are all of these OK for passing power to the amplifier in the loft antenna? Yes. See the note next to each plate beginning with " *Non-isolated means ..." (If you have any more questions about specific items, please include a link to the item, otherwise all I can give is a general answer.) (He placed an order. Many thanks.) Have a TV link fitted, Fitted a wire from the RF2 to upstairs bedroom, everything was fine, i recently wanted sky in the kitchen, so i fitted a 3 way splitter to the outside and ran a new wire to the kitchen, picture fine everywhere but the TV link wont work. bought a new one and still not working. It must be the splitter at fault but what's the best solution? Can we fit bypass kit? but don't know where to fit it if it would work. Is it just to bypass the amplifier if fitted. Please help, is it best fitting a remote extender? best regards Keith Hi, Keith. You haven't stated the make/model number of anything. I'm afraid that your report is too vague for me to diagnose the cause. I recommend you read our "Magic Eye Guide". (He did.) I found the eBook How To Use a Multimeter advertised on your site for £1.00 when I went to purchase it the price was £1.95p is there any reason it is not at the price advertised? Harry H. Sorry about that. Was it a special offer in an old "blog"? Please provide a link to the incorrect price and I'll correct it. http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/electronics.htm#multimeter In return for this information, I'll give you a £1 discount code. No response. The various f-plug connectors all say "Can be used with TV-F adapter (above)" except for the "SPECIAL F plug for 4.8 mm WF65" which does not specify. Can the TV-F adapter be used with this, as I wish now wish to fit WF65-1 ultra thin coaxial cable for final cabling inside my house? The only issue I could see is if the adapter will not grip the thinner central core wire? Yes indeed. The adapter is a threaded barrel. It doesn't come into contact with the cable. It connects to the nut, which is obviously standard since it has to fit every satellite receiver ever made. :-) -- Need to add to my last question - will the ultra think coaxial cable WF65-1 fit OK to the threaded F barrel connector - or again, is the central wire too thin? Adrian W. Hi, Adrian. That's an excellent question and I'm sorry that I overlooked the point in my previous reply. Provided that the connector is new, it will be fine. Use silicone grease on all parts to ensure that it remains so. If you use a connector that was previously fitted to cable with a thicker copper wire, the results are less certain. You should inspect it by eye to ensure that the two spring leafs are touching each other. Please use voucher number xxx to get a £1 discount. (Adrian placed an order. Thanks, Adrian!) john w. Yes, John. Our LNB switches are on the LNB switches page. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1b.htm#switch Could you advise tech spec - i.e. will satellite TV cable (at the top of the range spec) be right for the job? I can get the cameras / recorders elsewhere as I don't think you do them but I would like to ensure there is good quality cable in place at the outset. General installing companies are rarely to be trusted to use quality materials - they often cut corners. I am not sure of the cable spec and would be grateful for advice on that aspect. If it is the same as top spec satellite dish cable then I will know what to order from your shop. Thank you Lorna, Inverness. Hi, Lorna. Unfortunately, my knowledge of CCTV is extremely limited. I believe they normally use RG59 cable, which would be useless for satellite TV and Freeview, so we don't stock it. Electrically, WF100 would be fine but I'm not sure about fitting BNC plugs to it. The professionals use a crimp tool. See http://www.leadsdirect.co.uk/tutorials/bnccrimptutorial.html Frankly, I don't think that the crimp sleeve would fit over WF100 cable so you probably have no choice but to use RG59 unless you want to use a BNC - F adapter.* What always puzzles me about CCTV is that it uses 75 Ohm cable but BNC connectors are 50 Ohm. * We offer an adapter. We don't have any in stock and it may take a week to get them. http://www.satcure.com/accs/page7.htm#bnc hello hope you can help me please, I have been using an old ex sky dish and LNB sx 1019/s with a Humax freesat box with HD and i player, all worked well until 3 days ago 18 Sept. 2012, now screen message is no or bad signal, I've been and looked at dish and all is secure, could it be the LNB is faulty? as I say it is an old one . hope you can help me . thanks Michael Hi, Mike. No point in guessing. You must carry out some checks to determine the cause. Download and read our free Guide to "Troubleshooting Sky" digital systems. I contacted you recently regarding no signal on my Humax sat box, after checking both ends of my coax cable I found rodent damage halfway along the cable , so now I know what's wrong its easy to rectify, thanks for your reply , logic applied. thanks martin. mike. Mike, that's excellent news. Well done and thanks for your feedback. You may be able to repair the cable with a simple kit like this: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page7.htm#jointkit More info. http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm (Mike ordered a joint kit. I hope it did the job.) Hi, I have an Arcon Multi 57 cm SATKIT Dish and need a spare part. I need a replacement ring, which fits to the front of the LNB, and is held by four screws. This has the thread for the cone in it. On mine, the thread has stressed, so does not tighten up, and hold the unit together. I would like to buy two of these rings please. Can you supply them, and how much are they? Regards, Andrew B. Hi, Andrew. Unfortunately, we can't get spares for this but you could try Roadpro in Daventry. I would like to, combine loft box output signal (TV) with LNB output straight from sky dish for freesat. Then decombine signal at TV and still be able to control sky box in another location using magic eye. Thanks Bruce F. Unfortunately that's probably not possible. The LNB needs DC power and the "magic eye" needs DC power. The two are incompatible so I very much doubt that the remote "eye" system would work. Cables are usually hidden in plastic trunking. The DDU circuit is not really negotiable. No response. Hi, I want to put my skybox in a cabinet below the TV and whilst keeping the doors shut still operate the remote. All the extenders appear to be focused on changing channels from another room, not what I want to do. I just want the most unobtrusive "eye" that I can discreetly fit to the cabinet and (I assume) plug into the sky HD box. Really would appreciate your advice See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/extenders.htm If it could also control a DVD/BlueRay player as well, that would be a bonus, but not essential Thanks, (Ps here is the requisite question mark to differentiate this from spam ?) Tom M. Hi, Tom. Please click here: http://www.satcure.co.uk See the left hand column "Shop Index"? Scroll down to the "Technical Index" heading in orange. Keep scrolling down then click on "Magic eyes". All the answers are on that page. Hello - I have just gone through the process of ordering a T & K wall bracket set for 1" to 2" pole as well as an additional bolt pack and 2 extra U-bolts - a total of £10.50. I feel uncomfortable progressing and paying for the order with the 'cheapest' P&P at £45 (!) and no idea of what this might be revised to if I type in 'PROVISIONAL - PLEASE ADVISE'. Please could you reassure me that even if I complete this transaction, I will be charged a more reasonable amount for p&p? Thank you. Emma G. Hi, Emma. This is not a "technical" question so I can't give you a specific answer and I don't know the exact weight and parcel size. However, it will certainly fall into our category of "heavy/large". As you probably read on our web site, we act as factors - middlemen - to arrange shipping from various trade warehouses who ship direct to the customer's (UK) door to keep costs low. In the case of overseas orders, the warehouses can't do that. Consequently, we have to have the items shipped to our Sales Office as part of a weekly order (= delay). Then we have to pack them and arrange overseas shipping. You don't state which size T&K bracket you want but let's assume it's the smallest and will fit inside a cube of 18" (45 cm) per side. Assume a weight of 3 kg including packaging - probably a bit optimistic. You can check on the Parcel Force web site to see the cost of shipping from UK to France:- http://www2.parcelforce.com/price-finder Here are our notes about this:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/delivery.htm#bulky No response. It's evident that many people have unrealistic expectations of overseas carriage charges. If you compare the cost with that of flying to the UK and flying back with the item (probably as "excess baggage") - or even the cost of fuel to drive back - then I think you'll find the carriage charge is much cheaper! Hi there. I have a 6 month old SKY 1 TB Box. Model Number is DRX895. It was a happy machine and then a few weeks ago the sound (via the optical cable to an AMP) started skipping every 20 seconds or so. Drives you crackers as it just cuts out for maybe a second. Having seen overheating issues with boxes in the pas I find that directing a big household fan at the whole box has it working normally after just a minute or two. When you feel the box it only has one warm patch, at the back in the middle or so. My major concern is also that the fan (on the left hand side) NEVER seems to cut in now. I don't quite know how to force this to activate? Obviously unsure if it is a control issue or if the fan just needs replacing. The unit is normally stored in a cabinet so I am guessing it may have overheated and that this may have caused the fan to fail? Or does something need resetting? Either way I need some advice please. I tried to take the box apart yesterday (have done this kinda stuff before) but got a little stuck on this DRX895 so probably need to find a guide online. I am living in Germany so sending the box back to SKY is an added drama (plus being without a box will be a shame). Sounds like I need to buy some parts for you: 1. To fix the internal fan. 2. To add fans to the cabinet (wood fortunately so I can easily do that) 3. Possibly add an extra fan into the unit?? I look forward to your advice :-) Thanks in advance, Jonathan. Sent from my iPod because I'm out of the office. Please don't reply to this sending address. It won't work. 3. Look for our fan for internal fitting - non specific model version. 2. Look for our Cabinet Fan Pair. 1. I have no specific info for this model and Sky won't divulge anything. Ask on the forums for owners of this model. Be sure to include the model number in your forum message title. -- Hi, Jonathan. I'm back in the office, now. On 24 Sep 2012, at 17:54, jk@androv.com wrote: Either way I need some advice please. I tried to take the box apart yesterday (have done this kinda stuff before) but got a little stuck on this DRX895 so probably need to find a guide online. This is the best guide I can find for you:- http://forums.ph-mb.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=86 These discussions might be of interest:- http://www.skycopyplus.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=740 http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-hd-sky-3d/960449-any-guides-amstrad-hard-drive-upgrade-2.html As I stated earlier, I have no information on this model so I don't know how the fans are supposed to work. it's a fairly trivial matter (I think) to disconnect a fan and connect it to a 12v DC supply to test it. However, if it's temperature-controlled and you think the control isn't working, the simplest option is to connect it to a permanent 12v supply, either internal or external. Our fan page is here:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fan.htm If all else fails, our UK repairer is http://www.digifixltd.co.uk No response. Unfortunately, I've never heard of "CAT100". It's not something we sell. Maybe it's a cheap Chinese copy of the original (but very obsolete) CT100, which hasn't been manufactured since 2005 ? See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm No response. mark r. Sorry, insufficient information. However, I'd guess that you'll need an additional coaxial cable + plugs + clips and you might need to change the LNB if all outputs are used. Maybe an OCTO LNB if you already have a quad-output LNB with all 4 outputs in use? http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page1.htm#octo No response. Hopefully, this is a straightforward question: I recently moved my Sony Bravia flat screen TV within the room but beyond the reach of the Freeview Aerial antenna wall cord. I therefore need an extension. The too-short cord that I currently have has on the antenna end (that is, the aerial wire plugs into a Labgear power supply unit box, and then the too-short cord plugs into that)a connector that is threaded on the interior with a very thin wire in the centre. On the TV end, the connector is not threaded but round, also hollow with a thicker, rounded 'wire' (for lack of a better word) in the centre. I had thought to purchase a white ten metre 'RG6 with threaded plugs F', using '090-4333 TV to F adapter'. Does this sound right, or do you have a better suggestion? Many thanks for your time, and my apologies for my lack of technical terminology. Kind regards, Scott P. Hi, Scott. I'm not sure what you are trying to describe so I recommend you read about plugs here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/plugs.htm Then read about choice of cable: http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/cable.htm (Scott placed an order. Many thanks!) Hello, I have a Monobloc installation on Hotbird and Astra 19,2. We had a thunderstorm some time ago. After that all FTA channels became coded and I could not see any picture on the screen (even DVB-T channels). I have bought a new HD tuner (Ferguson Ariva 150 Combo). Now everything is OK until I switch off the tuner to standby mode.When I switch it on sometimes it is OK and sometimes there is no signal from most Astra signals and most (sometimes most of them are dead too) Hotbird channels are OK. If I reset the tuner a few times the signals come back and stay unchanged till the next unlucky switch-off switch-on. But the most effective (nearly 100%)way of regaining the image is to switch off the LNB power and then switch it on again. (I have just read your article about LNB "reset"). Is it possible that my LNB converter has a fugitive fault or it is the problem of the new tuner? Edward Szcz..... Anything's possible. Maybe your LNB cable connections have corroded because they weren't assembled with silicone grease. In that case, a small surge of voltage might be enough to get the current flowing. Maybe the LNB is faulty. Maybe the receiver is faulty. (Thanks for writing in excellent English.) Barny C. Hi, Barny, The answer is immediately above the black band, here: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page8.htm#WF100twinCUT If you have any questions about price, unfortunately I can't answer them. You'd have to read the notes about placing a provisional order. Please note that custom lengths are non-returnable. (Barny ordered the cable and connectors. Many thanks!) Previous customer. After some test equipment this time. I am a buy-2-let landlord and need to be able to check that there is a signal being received by the faceplate in a flat i own. Its internally wired for SKY+ (2 outputs) and to a communal dish. I am confused at all the meters available which seemingly check that the dish is being pointed in the right place. Any thoughts on what i need? Thanks Sunil Yes, simple. Borrow a Sky digibox and connect it to each outlet in turn, to ensure that all free programmes are being received. Or buy a used one for about a tenner. -- Thanks for that. Only problem with that means I need to wheel in a telly plus a digibox. Is there any portable solution that would work? Thanks Sunil Yes a portable TV will be fine. I got one off eBay for about £25. About 5" screen, black & white, like this: http://tinyurl.com/96wryce No response. Graham H. Hi, Graham. If I understand you correctly, it seems that you need a piece of wire with a suitable connector on each end. Unfortunately, you haven't stated what connectors are in use, what the 12 volts is powering or whether the 12 volts needs to be AC, DC, regulated or unregulated, or whether the available "12 volt supply" is actually suitable. -- I am feed the power inserter from a 12 volt ring main on a boat which is powered by 6 12 voly batteries in series. The 12 volt supply is dc. Not sure if it is regulated or unregulated. Hi, Graham. I know nothing about boats so you need to determine precisely what voltage you have. 12 volts is a "nominal" figure - two 6 volt batteries will usually provide up to 13.8 volts when fully charged and, dependent on the charging system, under 16 volts while charging! You need to determine whether that's suitable for whatever you want to power (you haven't stated). If the supply is suitable then you need a piece of wire with a suitable connector on each end. If it's not suitable (wrong voltage, unregulated) then you'll need a regulator that provides the correct voltage. Such devices are available for use in caravans but we don't stock them. I actually bought one last year and it's labelled "SMART electronic s.r.o. CAR ADAPTER model ST-S-090-1200AC". Input: 11 - 30 Vdc 11A Max; Output: 12V DC 6A. Unfortunately, I can't (quickly) find a record of where I bought it from but it was definitely on-line and possibly eBay or Amazon UK. However, this may not help because you (and I) don't know what you actually need. No response. What box and card would you recommend for the reception of French TV I have a 1mtr dish with dual LNBs available for this application? Phillipe L. Hi, Phillipe. I don't know anything about French TV but a quick search found this site: http://www.fransat.co.uk/whatis.php No response. I've put my details in to download the free eBook as you suggested but didn't get an e-mail back, I've checked the spam folder and have also tried it on a different email address on my home computer. Any ideas? First box delivered from my order today thanks Tony Sorry but that's too vague. The server was off-line* from 9:10 to 9:40am this morning so, if you used it during that time, it probably didn't work. Otherwise, I need to know:- The email address that you think you used. No response. * I should add that it's extremely rare for the SatCure site to be off-line but apparently the ISP had "a security problem" and took the server off for 30 minutes without warning. Just looking to run a coaxial cable form my sky box in my lounge to my loft and connect this to a splitter of some sort so i can then run cables to up to 3 bedrooms with magic eyes. Can you tell me please what is the best splitter and cable and magic eyes to use for this ? Thank you Mark Hi, Mark, You haven't defined "best" (cheapest or smallest or most reliable?) so I'll point you to:- http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/review116.htm#03 and http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/split.htm and this eBook http://www.The-Cool-Book-shop.co.uk/satellite_freeview.htm#magic (Free with magic eye orders.) No response. I have Triax DDU112 which i brought over a year and it does not power on no longer what would you recommend. Do you guys do a repairing service?. Kind Regards, Ravi M. Hi, Ravi, We can supply a replacement Power Supply Unit. Alternatively, you can send the DDU + PSU to http://www.digifixltd.co.uk for investigation and possible repair. No response. I am looking to replace an old 60 cm round dish with a Sky Mini dish for cosmetic reasons and because I now want a Quad LNB to allow Sky+ and Freesat. Are Zone 1 and 2 Sky sishes available for pole mounting? See http://www.satcure.com/tech/triax_dish.htm if not, Will the wall mount be long enough on these dishes to allow mounting to a "wall" almost at the side of the dish? I want to tuck it in along side a chimney stack. Finally can you do next day delivery? Usually if order received by 1pm. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/useful/delivery.htm#nextday (He placed a large order. Many thanks!) The whole of my order has now arrived. Thank you. Although it has taken a little while to arrive your correspondence has always been helpful and polite. I would not hesitate in using you again or indeed recommending you to friends. Thank you once again. Kind regards Darren K. This is just a simple message to thank you for your great service. After buying a new Echostar freeview box and being frustrated for months with the blocky picture of certain channels (film 4/4music etc.) I began researching a fix. A quick Google made me think about moving or changing my rooftop aerial before I happened by chance upon your website. Not only is there a wealth of genuine & helpful info available; there is a place to buy high quality accessories and this is where you have a convert for life. You see, it turns out that not only was my RF cable a piece of crap but my cables for all manner of tech was criss-crossing and picking up interference. One easy purchase of a quality shielded RF cable later - coupled with the distancing of TV and freeview box/plugs - has resulted in a perfect picture received without the need to call out an ariel expert. Thanks again, I shall recommend forthwith. David p.s. 2 days was all it took to get my purchase. Brilliant! Just to let you know it (your cynical sense of humour) is one of the things I love about your blog. Gordon Only in America An attempt to steal a car failed because the thieves could drive only an automatic! Car hijacker caught by technology Into DIY? Make your own spectrometer The original SatCure discussion forum was hosted by "ezboard", which was taken over by "Yuku". I cancelled my payments years ago so I was surprised to discover that the old forum is still readable at http://satcureforum.yuku.com/directory#.UFTNokZEslu Feeling bored? There's a wealth of articles on my other site! 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 Troubleshooting Sky The SatCure Satellite Review is written for the customers and subscribers of the following websites: copyright © 2012 SatCure 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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