Certain channels suddenly no signal on either Sky+HD bos

[weatherman79]

Hi, guessing this might be a dish/LNB issue, but we've lost signal on some, but not all, channels, on both Sky+HD boxes. Channels lost include include 101, 105,, 107, 108, 111, 113, 115, 117, 118, 119, 122, 503, 506 (based in Central Scotland). Signal strength and quality show 0 and NULL lock on Input 1 when tuned to one of those channels. 

If I record a working channel on Input 1 then tune to a non working channel then the signal strength on input 2 then shows 0 strength.

For the channels that work, signal strength and quality are normal (good).

Not sure what the missing channels might have in common, such as polarisation or a different satellite. Seems like the boxes are fine, and each of the 4 LNBs do work on the channels I have.  I did notice a couple of nights ago I lost signal on 506 while watching it, so I don't think it is an LNB polarisation switching issue. 

Any ideas based on these specific symptoms, and is it only independent aerial companies that touch dishes attached to sky+ boxes?

TIA

[Daniel0210]

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@weatherman79 wrote:

is it only independent aerial companies that touch dishes attached to sky+ boxes? 

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@weatherman79 

Sky recently changed their stance on working on Sky+ box issues. They will not send an engineer and if you call you'll be advised to either upgrade to Sky Q (whereby dish issues will be repaired as part of your subscription) or to arrange an independent local satellite engineer. If you subscribe to Sky Protect through Domestic and General Insurance I believe you can still arrange an engineer through them. 

[Jones-UK]

@weatherman79 Same issue here so don't think it is specific to your dish - also in Central Scotland and since last night have lost various channels (101, 105, 107, 118, 119 etc) - just noticed 101 (BBC1 trying to come back but glitchy picture and now disappeared again) - yesterday rainy weather not as bad as many other places and was finished during the day therefore so don't believe its weather related

[GD1]

@Jones-UK  It will either be weather or dish related.

It wouldn't be a satellite issue as this would affect millions of customers. And the forum wouldmbe flooded with posts.

[oj01]

@Jones-UK A possible occurrence on an aged setup is rain water getting into the cabling at the LNB end. Thus coupled with a slightly misaligned dish could, create the symptoms you described. As the cabling dries out, signal is restored, until it rains again. 

[weatherman79]

Yes looks like it is the Horizontally polarised channels that have gone, same channel list as @Jones-UK and following the very wet weather I like the explanation @oj01 mentions. Strange that it is the same on all 4 LNBs; if it had been a switching issue I would have thought maybe one of them might have been on H at the time a switching failure occurred, which did appear to be sudden. 

Anyway I'll book a local technician first, probably rather fix Sky+HD rather than upgrade to Sky Q if for no other reasons than getting completely lost in the upgrade options and losing existing recordings as it looks like effort is still made to disable PVR playback only for legacy recordings.

Thanks for replies (I'll add any useful info to the thread rather than keep it hanging)

[Dragon1]

Same problem on same channels, also Central Scotland, but East Coast where weather has not been severe and is now calm/clear. Now in 2nd day of fault.

I, too, do not want to take option of losing saved programmes by upgrading to Sky Q.

[Jones-UK]

Hi there - @weatherman79 if you could let us know how you get on with your technician, it would be greatly appreciated.

So BBC 1 did come back for this morning and was on for a few hours - turned off box to go out and then when turned back on a few hours later, it had gone again - weather has been fine therefore no further rain to have caused this - also only BBC1 returned and then went again, the other 'missing channels (i.e. Channel 5 - 105, ITV2-118 etc) did not ever return.

The dish is older but cabling 9 years old, and would be surprised if the 2 cables for the SKY+ box and the 3rd cable for a Sky HD box all went bad at the same time.

We also don't want to change to Sky Q as happy with legacy package so depending on how Sky respond when I contact them, and how @weatherman79 gets on, may consider trying to change the LNB

Thanks for all responses though, very much appreciated

[weatherman79]

The problem was the LNB - water ingress, had to get a newer style LNB and new dish, now signal strength much better on all transponders.

[weatherman79]

Incidentally until you get it fixed I found that I could get BBC1 London as it was vertically polarised, that's on channel 951

[TimmyBGood]

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@weatherman79 wrote:

 it looks like effort is still made to disable PVR playback only for legacy recordings.

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Use of the hard drive in a Sky+ box is a subscription function, so that ceases when the subscription transfers to Q.

[weatherman79]

Yes I know, but I thought it be possible, and fair, to allow playback of recorded shows, following an upgrade to Sky Q, when a subscription is still being paid. Not only does it remove a barrier to upgrading for some, but it means not having to scrap perfectly good boxes. 

[TimmyBGood]

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@weatherman79 wrote:

 I thought it be possible, and fair, to allow playback of recorded shows, following an upgrade to Sky Q, when a subscription is still being paid.

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But not a subscription covering Sky+

The hard drive in any Sky box is not intended to be a media archive (despite that being what all of us used them for) : it's there to facilitate downloading and to permit time-shifting of live broadcast content as a limited exception to copyright, and as such access ceases when the platform is no longer covered by a subscription.

[Ajs_mummy]

I'm also having the same issue - based in the Midlands. 

It also very strange that the recent stance to stop supporting the boxes and all of a sudden we are having an issue. 

[GD1]

@Ajs_mummy  That is simply coincidence, sky can't affect your dsih remotely, have you tried the steps provided by @weatherman79  or have you contatced a 3rd party installer to check your dish.