News BskyB to sell shares BskyB has been instructed by the government to sell more than half of its 18% stake in ITV. This decision could cost Sky around 250 million pounds because ITV's share price has fallen since BskyB bought them. Sutton Coldfield Freeview Problems Some older set-top boxes in the Sutton Coldfield transmitter area may no longer work ("Setpal" tuner units). Engineering enhancements made to the Sutton Coldfield transmitter on 15 January 2008 may affect viewers using older set-top boxes in the Sutton Coldfield transmitter region (including Birmingham and parts of the West Midlands). These enhancements are required as part of the digital switchover programme. Some older set-top boxes are not compliant with the standard required for digital switchover and will no longer work. These boxes were designed before the full standard for digital switchover had been worked out. It is not possible to upgrade these boxes and a new replacement set-top box will be needed. More details: http://www.freeview.co.uk/help/getting-freeview/q24
Thomson Digiboxes Die We are selling replacement power supplies for Thomson Sky Digiboxes at an unbelievable rate! It seems that Thomson didn't learn from Grundig's mistakes and they have built their Digiboxes with crappy electrolytic capacitors. If you own one of these and it's over a year old, you'd better get ready! Note: Currently it seems that we can supply only "new" power supplies from the manufacturer. I have no reason to believe that these will be any more reliable than the original PSUs and I apologise for this. In the long term we are asking customers to return their dead PSUs. These will be properly refurbished with high quality (and rather expensive) capacitors so that we can then offer a choice of "new" PSUs with a 1 year warranty or refurbished with a 3 year warranty. I hope that we'll have some available towards the middle of February. We'll also have a capacitor kit ready soon. (Please don't ask when. Look at our "Receiver Spares" page and keep reloading it so you see when the kit is added.) There's more discussion in our forum:
http://notonyourtelly.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=9 Check there for updates.
New Forum We have moved! The SatCure discussion forum has been hosted by "ezboard" for a few years but I never really liked the layout or the lack of control. The owners have been promising to upgrade us to "Yuku" for ages but it never happened. So I finally gave up and migrated all existing posts to a new forum at http://www.notonyourtelly.co.uk/forum/ When you sign up you will have to type in a secret code word to describe the colour of milk. This was introduced to keep spammers at bay but it seems to have taxed some intelligent human brains, too! Be sure to enter a working email address (otherwise you won't receive the confirmation link). Change the language to "English". Choose an "avatar" from the selection provided. The new forum automatically corrects common typos so, if you are accustomed to misspelling words such as "aerial", "satellite", "across" and "apologise", you need worry no longer. All such typos will be corrected and your posts will appear to have been typed by a genius!
New Products Our Log Periodic aerial type V10-030 Pro by Vision has proved very popular and very successful over the past year. It is, therefore, with some horror that I discovered the manufacturers are now supplying it only partly assembled. I don't know when this change occurred and I can only apologise to those customers who thought they were ordering a fully-assembled aerial and received a kit of parts with a scratty piece of paper containing instructions which even I couldn't understand! I have now taken some photos and you'll find slightly better instructions here: http://www.satcure.net/tech/logp_ins.htm We are now supplying the V10-040 log-periodic aerial which has 40 elements and a slightly higher gain than the 030 version. Since log-P aerials are truly "wideband" (the gain is almost constant across the 21-68 UHF band) they are suitable for use in about 85% of the UK. The 040 should be used for weak signal areas, while the 030 should be fine for medium and strong signal areas. Log-Ps are especially capable of rejecting interference and reflected signals and will work better than standard "Yagi" aerials in most locations. They also have a much lower wind resistance. In addition, you can be certain that the futureproof log-P will continue to work after "digital switchover" when the frequencies in many areas will be changed and the power increased. (In some cases you'll need to fit an attenuator but no other change should be necessary). More info at http://www.satcure.net/tech/logperiodic.htm
(top) Questions - a selection from this month's emails I've been using Freesat from Sky for a number of years without any problems. Recently I've been experiencing problems with the BBC audio channels. Interference best described as "drop-outs" or hiccups - sometimes so bad as to make listening a problem. There is no such interference on other audio channels e.g. Classic FM, Smooth or Mojo nor on the TV/visual channels. I've spoken to nearby users but they don't seem to have a similar problem! I am confused...! Any ideas? Thanks Phil Yes, indeed. It's just a matter of methodical elimination of all possibilities. Turn off anything that might be causing interference, such as a DECT phone base, wireless router, "snooper" radar detector, microwave oven and computers. Also unplug any electronic equipment close to the Sky Digibox (TV, DVD etc.) As the problem is restricted to a single frequency multiplex, it could also be caused by a faulty LNB cable, connector, LNB, or a distorted dish. If in doubt, replace. If that doesn't fix it, buy a cheap used Sky Digibox (typically £20 off eBay) and try with that. If the problem is absent, your old Digibox is faulty. If the problem remains, your interference is coming from further afield. Neighbour's equipment, faulty street light, airport radar... Feedback appreciated when you locate the cause. It helps us to help others. Best Wishes, Martin
I am roughly 16 km East of Midhurst and I have my aerial on a pole with a clear view between my neighbours trees. I had to move it from the house because the trees were in the way. I think the gap is wide enough to avoid any scinntillation reflections from the leaves. In any case there is no winter / summer difference. I have a Swires UHF signal analyser which dates back to 1996 when I was last actively involved in aerials and that shows good signal strength on the three main muxes. What I do not get is the mux on Channel 60. The boxes tune to it and add the services to the EPG but the signal quality fluctuates from 0 to 10. I suspect interference from Reigate ITV1 analogue. A Reigate aerial would be at 100 degrees from the Midhurst aerial. I am not sure about the Channel 64 mux but I suspect that is wiped out by Heathfield ITV 1 analogue. I do need to replace the down lead but I am also looking for a good directional aerial such as the Televes 45 or 75. An alternative option would be to look at Crystal Palace. I get grade 3 analogue pictures with a contract aerial so maybe a decent aerial and a little head end amplification might do the job. Your thoughts and a price and delivery for a Televes 75 would be a good start to the New Year. For which best wishes. Regards Stephen L. Hi, Stephen. Your analysis looks good to me. Crystal Palace prediction is not good but read the full discussion here: http://notonyourtelly.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1051 Note that (as it transpired) the aerial height is absolutely critical. For Heathfield, a Group C/D aerial looks right for Freeview but a log-periodic has much smaller side lobes and is less prone to interference. It also has less gain at its peak but that shouldn't be a major problem if you use a low-noise masthead amp. It's also small, robust, unobtrusive and easier to handle. In contrast, a wideband Yagi aerial will be slightly larger than a C/D (probably) to get the same gain where you need it. In addition, its side rejection is no better than a C/D. I certainly wouldn't recommend the DAT75. Its gain is only fractionally more than the DAT45 and it's 7 feet long! It is extremely directional, presents a huge wind resistance, and needs an extremely secure mounting. Most people use it in the loft with an "MRD" fitted to squeeze a tiny bit more gain but, even there, I wouldn't recommend it. So that's your choice. In the end, the only way to find out which is best at your location is to try them. In this respect, our log-periodic comes fully-assembled in a box and is relatively easy to return for a refund. The DAT aerials are supplied as a kit of clip-together parts which (I'm told) tend to snap if you try to dismantle them. Best Wishes, Martin
I just bought 2 magic eyes and a compatible splitter. When plugged into the Sky HD box via a short length of coax to the splitter then onto the magic eyes and tvs, both magic eyes LEDs light up. In the same scenario but first going via the loft amplifier (a compatible SLX model) and back to a compatible face plate, the LEDs go out when I plug the second tv in to the splitter (the same happens if I use just 1 magic eye on one side of the splitter and direct to the tv on the other side of the splitter). I suspect this is a low voltage problem (all the cable is sat grade). Can you suggest a solution? i.e. a loft amp that boosts the 9v etc. Thanks Keith Hi, Keith. Even poor cable should be good for up to a kilometre as far as voltage drop goes. It sounds to me as if you have a ground loop problem on the TV set. Try our decoupling method on the short lead going to the TV aerial input. See http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/decoupled_cable.htm
I'm trying to extend the interior cable of my Virgin cable system so that I can move the television further away from the box where the cable system enters my house. Your WF100WH20M coax cable seems to be the wire I need, but I was wondering if you also sold the connector plugs of the type Virgin use to connect cable to the Pace box. The cable Virgin supplied has connectors that do not unscrew and appear to only be removeable by destroying them. If you do not have the right plugs, would stitching in a 15 - 20 m length of coax using F connectors to the cable cause a large loss in signal in your experience? Any help you can give would be much appreciated. Steve Hi, Steve. We sell crimp connectors and tools to fit them but only in boxes of 100 to special order. I recommend you use our normal twist-on 'F' connectors. We can supply lengths of WF100 with or without 'F' connectors fitted. You'll also need the threaded coupler. A 20m length of cable will attenuate a 600MHz signal by around 3db (or 50%) which probably won't cause problems (but try it before moving any equipment). If the attenuation causes problems, you'll have to call out a Virgin Media technician to adjust the gain at the entry box. Bear in mind that you are not supposed to mess with your rented system.
Recently got Sky+ installed. No problems, love it. On Saturday I went out and bought a Samsung LE32R8 32" TV and as far as I can tell, since then, the Sky+ remote works intermittently. I can't seem to figure out how a 32" LCD would interfere with the operation of the Sky+ remote. The box simply refuses to acknowledge the remote signal. Sometimes it works but it is very hard to pin down when it does/does not work. The light on the remote blinks when a button is pressed. But when the box doesn't respond, the red light on the box doesn't light up - suggesting the box is either malfunctioning, or something is interfering with the signal. Tom D. This is a problem with some TVs and especially Samsung. It is emitting interference which makes the Sky Digibox unresponsive. Move the Digibox behind the TV or "out of sight" of it and you should be able to find a position which minimises or removes the problem.
I'm trying to find a satellite TV signal amplifier and distribution box, please, that would be similar to a 4-output UHF/VHF booster amplifier (except that its infeed would be from a single LNB, and its output would be four separate and individual feeds to other satellite boxes or even a computer equipped with a PCI Freesat card) - but I'm not sure that such a product exists. If it does, and if you stock it, could you please indicate what I should search on in your catalogue - just the product name would be more than sufficient. If it doesn't exist, sorry to have wasted your precious time and thanks anyway for advising me. Thanks & regards, Philip A. Hi, Philip. I think you may be referring to our C12367 Multiswitch which has four inputs from a quad-output or Quattro LNB and one input from a TV aerial. It provides up to 8 outputs:- http://www.satcure.com/accs/page1b.htm#multiswitches Alternatively, you may be referring to our Triax DDU112 Loft Box:- http://www.satcure.com/tech/lofthelp.htm
Dear Sir I am just about to Replace some of my Digital Satellite Cable plus add a Few for Sky +, I have been on your Site and read the Different Comments on Cable and have Deceided on Either the FT100 Cable or FT125 Cable can you tell me if their is any Problem fitting the FT125 Cable as your site says that this Cable Cannot be Connected Directly to the Receiver you need an Extension Piece to join to it is it the same on the Dish End will it Connect to the LNB Directely or do I also need an Extension Piece, my LNB the Outside Plastic Slides down to Cover the Connections is this a Problem. Just to Add my Cable Runs are about 20 Meters. Thanking You Richard J. Hi, Richard. We don't stock FT100 or FT125 cable. I think you are confusing our "WF" cable with the cheap stuff sold by others! Our WF125 cable gives a slight advantage if you have a very long run of cable (in excess of 40 metres). It can be connected directly to the LNB but the same comments about additional weight and stiffness apply. It can put extra strain on the connector and the extra weight can cause the LNB support arm to bend. LNB plastic drip covers don't fully protect the connections from rain or condensation so you must use silicone grease on the LNB connections and self-amalgamating tape. But they do help to prevent deterioration of rubber caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. With a cable run of only 20 metres, I wouldn't bother with WF125. The minimal signal increase isn't worth the hassle. Use WF100. BTW there is no such thing as "Digital Satellite Cable", despite what some smart salesman might want you to believe! Everything is called "digital" nowadays as an excuse to increase the price.
My queston is: Can you get a box that takes an analogue RF channel over coax as input and then outputs it in a modern format such as scart or S-video? Simon R. We don't sell such a thing. There might be something available but bear in mind that it's impossible to restore the original picture quality or stereo sound from a modulated RF signal.
Happy Customers Just e-mailing to say thanks for your help with the Loft Box "fault". The problem was I had not linked aerial RF feed to the Skybox, therefore it was not returned. I had got it into my head that the feed to the sky box was only required for the satellite signals. I have just down-graded my technical expertise to 'I am a total technical bozo'. I works like a dream now, and the 10m cable length does not seem to have affected the picture much at all, even on ordinary analogue. Once again Thanks Matt
Hello Martin, As requested, an update on the Triax Unix 52 CD/W for Lochwinnoch, postcode PA12, being used used for receiving Blackhill transmissions. Installed the new aerial [greased/sealed as per your instructions] and cabling. Delighted to tell you that the signal has improved from 85 to 97+. We have just had the most torrential downpour and the signal only dropped maginally. I have used the old Triax for many years and it seems able to pull in a great signal under the most demanding conditions. Thanks for your interest, you guys are really great. I dropped a line to Nicola, I ordered the Triax at 14.50pm and it arrived 8am the following morning! Many thanks George
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"Installing a Sky Minidish" tutorial on DVD. Click 
