Technical Section

Problems with your TV Link? sky magic eye instructions This page is for SatCure customers only. If you are not a SatCure customer and have never bought anything from us, please buy a downloadable ebook from our ebook shop or buy something from our catalogue (or at least be grateful and email "thanks anyway"). http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk   Where can I buy a Digibox User Manual? Sky Digibox User Guide --> This User Manual is the ideal solution if you've bought a Sky Digibox without one. Explains all the features of a Standard Digibox including "secret" menus. http://www.the-cool-book-shop.co.uk/book.htm The TV Link ® made by "Global" consists of an adapter box with male and female sockets. All but the very earliest units have a red LED in the adapter. The "magic eye" attached looks rather like a computer "mouse". DOWNLOAD our PDF instructions (52k) Sky magic eye instructions Important We get a lot of enquiries from people who don't read our instructions. If you have a problem with our product you must specifically state that you've downloaded and read our PDF instructions and carried out the listed tests, when contacting us. Sky High Definition - We believe that the new Sky HD box has a different infrared sensor from previous Sky systems. This MAY cause problems with some eyes/repeater systems (but we don't know which, if any). We are investigating but we are desperate for customer feedback about what works and what doesn't. The RF cable length may be critical and wall plates may affect the remote extender operation. If you have problems, please follow the check list on the download page that we give you when you order. Pace DS445NB - We understand that this Sky Digibox is not compatible with the Global tvLINK so we recommend you choose a different make of "magic eye" for this unit. As stated in our catalogue, it is most important to connect your Digibox "RF Output 2" to your tvLINK with a continuous run of double-shielded coaxial cable (eg. RG6 or better). The cable should have no attenuator, kinks, joints, sockets, splitters or wall plates (except our approved type). However, you can use one of our "SkyLink compatible amplifiers" if you are distributing the signal to more than one additional TV set. The tvLINK might work reliably with ordinary TV aerial cable (and you are welcome to try it) but don't be surprised if it doesn't. Ordinary cable can let in more interference than double shielded cable and this can prevent the Digibox from recognising the signals from the tvLINK. The cable should be routed away from mains wiring and any source of strong interference, regardless of the type of cable used. Certain devices can interfere with the correct operation of infra-red remote controls. The main culprits are lights (especially "energy saving", fluorescent and the high brightness mercury and sodium types), computer monitors and some sources of radio interferences, too. The "magic eye" infra red sensor may not work if it is placed on, or very close to, a TV set which is emitting interference. A common problem is that people stick the "eye" to a plasma screen or large TV set and then report intermittent or no operation. If you have problems, please move the "eye" well away from any equipment that might interfere. A distance of 3 metres is required in the case of some large flat screens! The tvLINK simply passes the TV picture straight through and sends the remote control signals back to the Digibox. The tvLINK is not needed unless you want to use a Sky remote control. It has no effect on picture or sound. Remote extender "magic eyes" and masthead amplifiers need to be powered via the coaxial cable. If the "TV" plugs aren't fitted correctly, the connection will be intermittent and you'll have problems. See a short movie of how to fit a plug correctly by clicking HERE.   DIGITAL CABLE? >With regard to the installation of the TV-Link extender unit, just a quick question. >Can I use ordinary aerial cable (which I have about a 25m roll left after >installing a new TV aerial) or does it have to be higher quality (like >the cable used for the satellite installation) ? Interesting question but there's no quick answer. In the good old days before satellite, you could get away with almost any crappy coaxial cable. However, satellite receivers tend to radiate some interference, locally, so it's best to use good quality, double-screened cable within a couple of metres of the satellite receiver - otherwise its radiated "noise" gets into the cable through the poor outer screen. This problem also suggests that coaxial wall sockets should either not be used or should be of the fully-screened type. In addition, the down-lead from the TV aerial should be double-screened near the satellite receiver. This brings up another point: terrestrial digital TV transmissions are terribly susceptible to problems with car ignition interference and of switching transients within the building. This fact dictates that the complete run of cable from the aerial down to the first box that it plugs into should be double-screened and *without* any in-line connectors or sockets. NO coaxial cable should be run close to any mains power cables since these radiate switching transients which can knock out a digital picture and even "lock up" the receiver. Taking both factors into account, it seems that ALL coaxial runs within the building ought to be of double-screened cable *without* any in-line connectors or sockets. If that is impractical, then any socket/plug arrangement should be fully screened. This is most easily arranged by stripping the guts out of a wall plate socket and glueing in a suitable female coaxial plug. (This can be of the usual TV "IEC" variety or the satellite type "F" connector, as used extensively for TV in the USA. The wall cable fits directly into this female plug before the plate is screwed onto the wall. It does present a problem because extra depth is needed behind the wall plate to allow the cable to curve gently. I'll look into this and see if I can find a suitable female plug.) So, in answer to your question: if the installation already uses single-screen cable you can try it and see if it is OK. If it is not OK or if you are installing new cable then always play safe and use double-screened cable. We sell RG6 coax which is perfectly OK for indoor use (aluminium foil shield and quite flexible). If you need to use a distribution amplifier then at least two factors must be considered. 1. It must be suitable for digital signals, if that is what it is distributing. (The signal from the terrestrial aerial must be considered "digital". The RF1 output from a digital box is currently NOT digital - goodness knows what it will be in the future when all TV sets accept a digital signal). 2. It must be able to pass the signals from a "SkyLink Remote Eye" or TV Link extender - even if you don't use one now, you might want to in future. Alternatively, you could fit a "Bypass" unit but this might have a detrimental affect on the signal because it adds two in-line connectors.   Inside the TV Link Several people have asked me where to connect the wires after they broke the connections! Here's a photograph (below). They also asked me why the TV Link won't work when their TV set is connected. Well the answer is that the DC blocking capacitor (red arrow) is probably short-circuit, allowing a DC connection to the TV. This won't matter with most TV sets but with some it does. If you have fitted the TV Link behind your Digibox in order to control it inside a cupboard or out of sight then this DC blocking capacitor will STOP the 9 volt feed from reaching anything else (eg. a loft amplifier and/or another TV Link). In this case you must solder a tiny wire directly across it. A single strand of thin wire will do. Make sure it can't touch anything else. Solder it extremely quickly with a needle-tip soldering iron. DISCLAIMER If you damage your TV Link or anything else by doing this, it isn't my fault! You do it at your own risk. To avoid having to solder, you can use a splitter: click HERE. If your "SkyLink" doesn't work while connected to your TV set but does work when you disconnect it from your TV and just hold the connector close to the aerial socket, then our Decoupler should solve your problem. Screw connection each end. See our technical page for "F" plug fitting instructions. For more information about wiring and minimising interference, please see this booklet "Piping TV Around the House". Copyright ©2001 Martin Pickering Version 1.0 updated on October 30, 2001 This file may be downloaded for private and personal use but NO part of it may be published in any form without the prior permission of the author. This Web Site was produced entirely on a Macintosh computer