Magic eye problem

[TrevB42]

Hi I have a problem with my Sky+ system. I have a TV in the living room with my sky+ box connected HDMI.  I also have 4 TVs in other rooms with magic eyes. These TVs are powered by coax via a 4 way integrated bypass amplifier with magic eyes on each one. These have been working minimum 5 years with no problem but a couple of weeks ago they stopped working. All lights still on but no response.  Last few days I have tried resetting the RF outlet in engineers menu but didn't work. Went to bed a few nights ago and the bedroom one was working fine  but when I woke up in the morning it wasn't. Light on magic eye still on but no response. Tried this 3 nights on the trot and all working in the evening but not at all during the day. This is on all 4 magic eyes the same. Amplifier is on 24/7 and no loss of picture quality at all on any of the TVs just the magic eyes seem to be on nights. Not the remote controls as they all work on the sky+ box in my living room.

[Mark39]

Intermittent faults like this are always particularly difficult to resolve! There could be a number of reasons for this, so I think some testing and narrowing down will be needed. 

As a starting point, when the bedroom magic eye stops working, do all the other magic eyes also stop? If not, it points to a problem with the cabling, connections or magic eye in the bedroom. If they do, the cause is probably more central. Let us know and we'll take it from there. 

[TrevB42]

I have just checked and all working again as they have done in the evening for the last few days. I do have an RF modulator box between my sky box and the 4 way amplifier. When they are not working it is all 4 and when they are working it is all 4. All the magic eye leds remain on 24/7 and all pictures are fine 24/7. I have a temporary solution as seen elsewhere on the forum. I have downloaded a sky remote app that works through my wifi so when not working I can use that. I would still to solve the issue long term though. 5 days now they have worked in the eveinging but not in the daytime. They have stopped working before very occasionally and I have always cured it by switching the RF outlet off in settings, saving it and switching it back on. This doesn't work now when they are off in the daytime. It seems as though this is time controlled somehow but i haven't a clue how. 

Thanks for the reply

[TrevB42]

Same scenario last night. Was working fine from 22:00 to 00:45. Used it several times. Woke up around 7:30 this morning and it was working fine. Used it maybe 3 or 4 times. Tried it at 08:10 and not working at all and the same since.

[Mark39]

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@TrevB42 wrote:

I have just checked and all working again as they have done in the evening for the last few days. I do have an RF modulator box between my sky box and the 4 way amplifier

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Would that be an IO Link? The fact that all the magic eyes either work or don't work at the same time points to an issue from the Sky box end of the equation, up to the distribution amp - so either a faulty distribution amp, faulty cable between the Sky box and the amp's input, the Sky box itself, or the IO Link if that's what you have. My immediate suspicion would be the IO Link and the first check I'd suggest is to make sure it's firmly plugged into the IO socket on the back of your Sky box - they tend not to be a tight fit.

[TrevB42]

Yes it is an Invacom IO RF replicator. The Amplifier is a Philex SLX4B All connections seem fine and I have had them all out and back in again with a smear of contact grease to be sure. Same situation today. Not worked on any magic eye all day and checked it at 20.30 and all working fine and most likely will until tomorrow morning. I shut down and unplugged the Sky box for 30 minutes today. An electrician friend of mine says I have poltergeists in action !!!

[TrevB42]

Worked out that it stops working at dead on 8am every morning. Might be the same time in the evening but not narrowed it down beyond a couple of hours. Working fine at 7pm and not working at 9pm. I have checked voltage on the end of the coax cable in the bedroom and it is around 8.5 to 8.65 volts both when working and not working.

[TrevB42]

I have now narrowed it down to a 12 hour cycle. All work fine from 20:00 to 08:00 and don't work at all from 08:00 to 20:00. Can't find anything in settings that is time controlled at all.

[Mark39]

No, there's no timer in the Sky box settings. The only possibility is that there's an appliance or device within your home that IS timer controlled and interfering with reception of the control  signal from the magic eye. Perhaps via a mains cable which runs close to the coax cable between the 2nd TV and your Sky box at some point along its length or possibly being picked up via your distribution amp. 

[TrevB42]

Many thanks for that Mark39 but I cannot think of anything in my home that is controlled to 2 x 12 hour cycles and I have 4 other TV's running from the amplifier with cables running in all directions and they all follow the same pattern exactly. Been trying to get an online answer from Sky but almost impossible to chat with anyone. They only respond when you threaten to cancel.

[Mark39]

I doubt Sky will provide technical support on this, to be honest. The common components that would affect all magic eyes are the distribution amp, and the coax cable from it to your Sky box. You could try bypassing the amp, by connecting its input cable directly to a cable leading to one of the magic eyes, to see if the issue persists.

[TrevB42]

Ok thanks for that. I will try direct to one of the TV's when it is not working tomorrow and even try some foil round the amp temporarily to see if it is getting some radio interference from somewhere. Many thanks for your time. One of the strangest faults I have ever worked on. I may just sack sky and go onto freeview and the 2 firesticks that I have if I can't control my whole system as I want to anymore. I know I can use the sky remote app but not quite as convenient as individual remotes in each room.

[TrevB42]

I tried connecting straight into the I/O RF replicator so ruling out the amplifier and they all work fine 24/7. I have e-mailed Philex  the amplifier manufacturer and they say there is nothing timer related in their equipment which I didn't think there would be. They just say it is most likely environmental affecting it 

I don't like being beat but I admit defeat on this one.

Many thanks for the replies

TrevB

[Mark39]

They're probably right. Is there any electrical device or appliance which switches on or off during the affected times? Mains-borne interference might be the cause. Central heating systems or devices which communicate over the mains such as power line adaptors, or video senders are possible culprits.

[TrevB42]

Update on my magic eye problem. Started back working fully 24/7 yesterday morning and the same today. I haven't done or touched anything that could have cured it.