Magic eye suddenly not working

[Shortstuff1]

Hi @Mark39 I've managed to look at the set up and it looks like a black cable goes from the rf1 to the back of the tv and from the rf2 is a cable going out of the wall into the sky dish? This set up hasn't changed.

[Mark39]

@Shortstuff1 I've looked back through your posts and it's a bit of a confused picture. As I posted before, in a simple setup, power for a magic eye comes from your Sky box's RF2 socket. 

You've told us that the magic eye's power LED doesn't light when the magic eye is plugged straight into the RF2 socket. The most likely reaons for that are a) a faulty magic eye, b) RF Output Power turned off in your Sky box settings or c) faulty Sky box.

If the eye's power LED isn't lit when plugged straight into the RF2 socket, it just isn't  possible for it to light when plugged into the kitchen TV, unless there's  some additional kit involved, so I'd suggest re-checking that.

The cable from the RF2 socket doesn't go to the dish - but it might be going into the loft. Quite often, if the cable is routed via the loft, it's  because there's  some additional kit, for example, a splitter  or signal amp, in there that you haven't discovered and which might be relevant to the issue.

[Shortstuff1]

@Mark39  thank you you're a god send. As you said it went into the loft where I found a 3 way splitter/booster. I managed to source a new one and boom the eye is working again. Sorry for the mix messages and thank you again.

[Mark39]

@Shortstuff1 glad you were finally able to track it down and fix it!  🙂

[Ramblingjack]

Quite suddenly, the light on my IO link is not showing; I have tried direct attachment to RF2 on sky box, still not lighting up.

I have a second IO link box but this is the same, ie. not lighting at RF2 on back of box.

I have been into 'secret menu', to check RF Outlet supply is "On"  - it was and is (have toggled it on/off & saved "On"). I have re-booted the sky box, no improvement.

Any advice, please?

[Mark39]

@Ramblingjack I'm assuming you mean TV Link (magic eye) rather than IO Link?

Try the following first: toggle the RF Output Power to off, press Green to save the setting, then turn off your Sky box at the plug for at least 4 mimutes.

Turn on again, wait for it to finish restarting then toggle the RF Output Power back on, and save the setting. Then see if the power LED in either magic eye lights when plugged straight into the RF2 socket. If it doesn't, then either you have 2 faulty magic eyes, or the box has developed a fault.

[Hitler45]

Thanks for suggestion but - unfortunately - it didn't improve matters, still no light coming on.

Seems unlikely that TWO units would 'go wrong', so I suppose it's more likely that the actual skybox may have gone wrong (tho' it's working fine on main TV).

I do have a 'spare' skybox (inherited when my son gave up sky) - could I swop this for my unit or would I lose all my settings, recorded progs etc - ?

[Mark39]

@Hitler45 are you and  @Ramblingjack the same? You could temporarily set up the other box to see if it works ok with your magic eye setup. You wouldn't lose amything by doing that- ypur recordings etc would remain intact on your normal box.

[Annie+UK]

---

@Hitler45 wrote:

Thanks for suggestion but - unfortunately - it didn't improve matters, still no light coming on.

Seems unlikely that TWO units would 'go wrong', so I suppose it's more likely that the actual skybox may have gone wrong (tho' it's working fine on main TV).

I do have a 'spare' skybox (inherited when my son gave up sky) - could I swop this for my unit or would I lose all my settings, recorded progs etc - ?

---

The replacement box will have your sons settings, recordings etc... so you're better off factory resetting it to start with a clean slate

[Hitler45]

Yes, Ramblingjack & Hitler45 are one & the same, i.e. me ! (I tried to sign in as Ramb....but system insisted on a new name!!)

Thanks, I will try my son's old skybox as a speedy checker on whether I get a signal and, if the option is there, I will first try to go for a factory re-set, to start with a clear deck, as suggested.

Will try to update progress but don't know what name I will be using!!

[Ramblingjack]

UPDATE : I did look at the possibility of 'swapping in' the spare skybox inherited from my son but it turned out to be somewhat different (smaller physically & without the RF2 connector), so I gave up on that.

BUT the good news is that the signal is miraculously back at the remote unit, indicator light showing the proper red and recieving from the remote control, so all is well !

Seems like the second standard IT solution (after switch off/back on) of 'leave it a while to fix itself' has worked !  Anyway, I am happy & my thanks for your help & ideas. 

[dffjf]

Hi - I have the same issue we have 3 TV's off the I/O link that go via a passthrough amplifier, they work fine usually for months then all of a sudden stop. I have reset the box and unplugged the IO unit but still no joy - anybody an ideas? I am consdiering finding an alternative as it is a pain when it stops working - happens once every 3 or 4 months.

[Mark39]

---

@dffjf wrote:

Hi - I have the same issue we have 3 TV's off the I/O link that go via a passthrough amplifier, they work fine usually for months then all of a sudden stop. I have reset the box and unplugged the IO unit but still no joy - anybody an ideas? I am consdiering finding an alternative as it is a pain when it stops working - happens once every 3 or 4 months.

---

That kind of intermittent fault is usually caused by a poor connection. The IO Link connection to the IO port is not particularly tight. You could try supporting it so that the weight of the link unit doesn't drag on the connection to the port at the back of the box. The other possibility is a poor connection at one or both ends of the cable linking the IO Link to the amplified splitter.

[dffjf]

Thansk Mark - all the magic eyes have the lights on which i presume mean that they are getting power and therefore there is a connection back to the Sky box?

[Ramblingjack]

I'm back again, with another slight issue; although the red light is showing & remote control is satisfactorily working, I am finding an annoying incidence of signal 'drop out' and wonder if this is a known issue relative to the IO device?

I can be watching, when suddenly the screen goes black with only a central white box surrounding a message of 'lost signal' & a countdown timer showing - the signal blackout lasts a smallish amount of time - maybe 5 - 30 sec's - than all is back ok, only to randomly occur again, some time afterwards - deffo annoying!)

Any thoughts, plse?