My Sky box has a "no signal message" - what do I do?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV If you are getting the message "no signal" this would indicate that there is a problem with the signal from your dish into your box. Even without a card inserted into a Sky Digibox, if there is a signal, you will always get Sky Guide and the free channels.
Try powering off your box, remove the card, check carefully the cables, especially the connection to the dish, reapply the power and then when asked to insert your card you should then be able to see (for example) Sky News on 501 and the BBC News channel on 503.
Once you can see any channel, reinsert your card. This should, after about one minute, give you the channels you expect, such as 103, 104 and 105.
There are three ways you can attempt to reset your box. Please see
What can my do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' ?.
If you continue to get "No signal", you dish may have been misaligned, or there may be a fault with the cables and connectors, or a problem with the Digibox. You can see the signal strength by pressing SERVICES, then 4-SYSTEM SETUP and 6-SIGNAL STRENGTH.
All questions
In this section
Saturday, 4 July 2015
Dave Lindsay
5:56 PM
5:56 PM
Mike O'Sullivan: Of course, it doesn't mean the aerial isn't the problem. What I've said is simply making you/her aware of what sort of reception location it appears to be. Obviously with deciduous trees the signal might be worse in summer when the leaves are present.
It might be worth asking the landlord if they have any knowledge of the issue.
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MikeP10:25 PM
Trowbridge
Mike O'Sullivan
Are you sure of the post code given? A search shows that to be in Pilpot Wood on the Bowood Estate and between Derry Hill and Sandy Lane. It is therefore near the top of a hill (near rhe Naish Hill local radio mast) and should be able to get good reception from Mendip. But an 8 element aerial is unlikely to be sufficient in that location. Therefore it would be worth having an aerial installer inspect the current system with a view to replacing it with a log-periodic aerial that will suffice for the foreseeable future. Do not fall for the 'scam' of a "Digital Aerial", all UHF aerials are perfectly able to receive Freeview transmissions.
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MikeP's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Sunday, 5 July 2015
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jb3812:43 AM
Mike P : Much as I hate to contradict, but to me anyway, that post code indicates a property located at the end of a gated lane that runs off the A342 in one of the worst locations for Freeview reception from Mendip, insomuch with any aerial nstalled for reception from the aforementioned station having to face in a direction that skirts along the sides of a rather dense forest, that is, if not actually in it!
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jb388:39 AM
MikeP: Apologies Mike, I had another look at the view from said p/code location on a somewhat larger screened monitor, and on zooming in on said view can detect what would appear to be the mid/upper section of a mast in the extreme distance, the mast being positioned slightly to the RHS of two others at a shorter distance away.
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Mike O'Sullivan9:06 PM
Calne
thanks guys for the help. My daughter just emailed this to me, which explains a lot!
"David went up a ladder today to examine the connectors to the aerial and it appeared to be hanging on a thread and not earthed. He said he was amazed we had any signal at all. We certainly don't have many channels properly, including annoying ITV4 for the TdF.
I am going to call the estate office tomorrow and say that we really need them to get a new aerial or at the very least a new cable and connection. The previous tenants had Sky so wouldn't have used it..."
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Mike's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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MikeP10:32 PM
Trowbridge
Mike O'Sullivan:
Just a quick note, TV aerials are never 'earthed' in the UK. Doing so would tend to attract lightening much as a lighte]ning conductor does. If lightening did strike you aerial is may well damage you house and would certainly ruin any equipment plugged into the aerial.
The coaxial connectionhas an inner core and an outer sheath. These must be kept separated and each connected to the terminals of the dipole of the aerial. At no point is there provision for an 'earth' connection.
jb38:
The far distance mast is probably Mendip, the closer ones being the Naish Hill radio (local FM and DAB) and mobile phone sources (not 4G yet).
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MikeP's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
F
Frank Hagan 7:11 PM
Bought sat dish for my caravan took sky box with me set it up as directed unable to get sky signal
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MikeP10:45 PM
Frank Hagan
The alignment of the dish is absolutely critical to get right. The azimuth (the East or West angle from true south) depends on the location of the dish. If you travel around with your caravan, you will need the different settings for each location.
There are websites that do the calculation for you, so it's worth looking up the angle for the chosen location. One site to look at is Calculate Azimuth And Elevation Angles but there are several others you could use. You will also need to know the required elevation, the websites can do that to. Then you need to set the 'skew' angle (the amount the LNB is rotated away from the vertical) and that is usually given by the websites as well. It's also a case of 'near enough' will not do, it has to be very carefully set up.
It is also vital to get the cables connected correctly so the power and controls are supplied properly to the LNB to select the polarity and band.
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Wednesday, 8 July 2015
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Mike O'Sullivan8:23 PM
A brief update re. my query about Calne TV reception. My daughter tells me that the estate office arranged for an aerial rigger to visit, who installed a new aerial with downlead AND installed a booster. Very prompt service. She now has perfect reception on all channels.
Thanks again to all who answered.
Mike
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jb389:18 PM
Mike O'Sullivan: Re: your daughters reception problem. Thanks for the update on the situation, the aerial rigger's decision to fit a booster rather indicating that the signal strength isn't the best in that particular spot.
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