Worked for Sky and Cable last 20 years

[Andy™]

have you defragmented the drive recently?My mum had this problem and a defrag solved it

may have to look at that. the box often has only 10-40% space left. gets lots of stuff left there unwatched for weeks

 

[Andy™]

Miss Patch actually

Miss then!

 

[mr. shr]

whilst were on about sky boxes...my sky + likes to crash every so often when i turn it on from standby. it just freezes. sometimes comes back to life after a few mins, other times need power pulled.

also, it often says no signal received when turned on. turn it to standby and back on, and everything is normal, or if i go to check signal, both are as should be, then go back to a channel, all works.

any ideas?

Your box may have the same problems as Apache.

Do you know if yours is a Thompson box too?

Unfornuately, I'm not familiar with the problems on Sky+ boxes as I don't have one myself.

I often use this forum for excellent help with these kind of things.

 

[Andy™]

its an Amstrad. its a white box with sky card in bottom right behind a cover

 

[mr. shr]

Apache and AndyC, I believe if you do a defrag you'll lose all your recordings.

First thing I would suggest is a Planner Rebuild.

I think it's under Services 4 0 1.

This worked on mine, but only provided a tempory fix.

Give it a go, only takes a few mins.

 

[Andy™]

dont want to do the re-build until there is stuff left that i dont mind loosing.... but thats probably never gonna happen!

 

[mr. shr]

321 and 322 are bad!BBC is fine. My worst are 365,366,367,372,374,376 & 382 in my music 'loop'

I have no spare box

The 'Signal Test' page gives me ~60% signal strength and 30% signal quality

Is it worth getting a satellite aligner gadget and compass and fiddle with the dish?

If it's not lined up 100% it would be a shame to try anything major?

I guess you could have a look to see if any of the screws / bolts that enable fine adjustment are lose at all.

If they are all tight, then I doubt the dish has moved.

Where is it located? Is it possible it could have be mis-aligned by a football having hit it or something?

Or could a window cleaner have knocked it?

 

[Apache]

I have defragged which doesn't loose recordings. A re-build wipes the hard drive

It did nothing for mine but solved my Mum's freezing on standby

 

[Apache]

I guess you could have a look to see if any of the screws / bolts that enable fine adjustment are lose at all.If they are all tight, then I doubt the dish has moved.

Where is it located? Is it possible it could have be mis-aligned by a football having hit it or something?

Or could a window cleaner have knocked it?

you never know?

How exact is the alignment? a few degrees?

 

[mr. shr]

dont want to do the re-build until there is stuff left that i dont mind loosing.... but thats probably never gonna happen!

A rebuild shouldn't delete your recordings (didn't on my HD box). But it will get rid of any failed recordings.

 

[mr. shr]

I have defragged which doesn't loose recordings. A re-build wipes the hard drive

Are you sure?

I have done a rebuild on my skyHD box and it didn't wipe my recordings.

It only takes a few mins so it's not like a "format C" type comand.

A complete system reset wipes the drive I believe.

 

[Apache]

Are you sure?I have done a rebuild on my skyHD box and it didn't wipe my recordings.

It only takes a few mins so it's not like a "format C" type comand.

A complete system reset wipes the drive I believe.

whatever I did didn't wipe it!

I honestly don't know. I'd have to dig out the email from a techie mate!

 

[Andy™]

i was told by sky engineer last time he was here that a rebuild would wipe everything, so i dont want to risk anything that may wipe everything yet

 

[mr. shr]

you never know?How exact is the alignment? a few degrees?

I remember as a kid, we got the original BSB system. One day, a painter / decorate type chap was paining the outside of the house. He must have knocked the dish (denied it, of course) because we lost all channels (only got about five on that system).

Anyway, that evening, my dad climes a ladder and jigs the dish. After a few jigs the picture comes back.

So I guess they are very exact. (That system was anyway).

Don't know how expensive those alignment meters are.

Can you get to borrow one or something?

 

[Andy™]

its pointed at a satellite thousands of miles away... of course if its not aligned it aint gonna work very well!

 

[mr. shr]

i was told by sky engineer last time he was here that a rebuild would wipe everything, so i dont want to risk anything that may wipe everything yet

Fair comment and I don't blame you. (You've got me doubting what I did now!! )

But I'm sure it was a rebuild. Will check tomorrow and confirm.

In the mean time, nobody do it, in case you lose your recordings.

 

[Apache]

Don't know how expensive those alignment meters are.

Can you get to borrow one or something?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270290038129

I'm willing to risk <

 

[Andy™]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270290038129I'm willing to risk <

 

[mr. shr]

its pointed at a satellite thousands of miles away... of course if its not aligned it aint gonna work very well!

There will be a degree of tolerance in there. Therefore, not every install has the same signal stength / signal quality values.

Maybe you were bordering on one of the tolerance extremes and now your dish has fallen outside.

But there are a few maybes here.

Can you borrow a neighbour's box or something?

Reading the threads on that link I posted (in the HD section) it's always the box at fault.

 

[Apache]

i have one of those. last time i tried to re-align dish it was easier with someone watching the signal level on TV

I'll try that first!

Does the signal strength bar move in real time or does it have to be refreshed?