Sky signal problems

unknowndomain · 27 Oct 2009 at 12:13

Hey all

For the last few years we have had Sky and for the last few months over the summer right up until now we have had frequent and annoying breaks in signal. It can last all day like yesterday or only a few moments but it happens all the time, it also occasionally doesn't happen at all. He has been up to look at the sky dish and it looks okay and we even swapped sky box's as we have a newer one on a separate multi-room location. They both have the problem sometimes but mostly its the main location that has the problem, Its defiantly not the box.

My dad insists that its just the weather because signal problems do happen when the weather affects them, he also thinks this because my aunt (his sister) has the same problem.

I am getting really fed up of it but he won't let me call Sky nor will he call them because he knows what the problem is. I am hoping there is an expert or sky engineer on the forums which could troubleshoot so I can get this fixed.

Thanks!

Jez · 27 Oct 2009 at 14:40

There is clearly a problem with the alignment of the dish, and/or the line of sight to the satellite (into the sky if you will). British weather should never have a noticable impact to the reception from a properly installed dish.

I suggest sky are called, they will charge £60 for an engineer visit to look at the dish installation. Failing that any independant satellite installer will be able to sort it out too.

lee32uk · 27 Oct 2009 at 15:16

It might be worth undoing the cable from the LNB and see if there is any signs of water ingress. You could always trim the cable back a few inches if you have enough slack, and refit a rubber boot or some self-amalgamating tape.

PiKe · 27 Oct 2009 at 15:22

The plastic on the LNB goes very brittle due to the sun and cracks, that can then let water in and royally balls up the signal.

kefkef · 27 Oct 2009 at 17:16

Pretty much the same fault on my mum's setup. She could be watching a channel and then would get the 'no sattelite signal is being received' error, some days the picture would be fine and other days it would be breaking up. I called Sky who wanted £60 to send an engineer out (after first trying loads of things and a £5 phone call).

Took a few weeks to mull it over then called back and asked if rather than having them come out to look at this one, could i get Sky+ instead (this was an original non sky+ box) at her house. After much arguing with a bloke on the upgrades team who completely wound me up (we'll do you a box for £49 and £30 installation and a £5 per month subs uplift for multiroom, then, we'll do you a straight swop for a sky+ box for £149 with no installtion and no uplift, then 10 mins of arguing over how it was a copy of the 'brand new customers only' bank advert on the telly after him agreeing that i could get my mum to sign up as a new customer for the promo rate but i couldn't have it!! :mad:

) i was put through to cancellations.

Explained the situation to the girl on the other end of the phone, mentioned i already had Sky+ HD with Multiroom at my house on top of this subscription for my mum, she was more than happy to replace the box with a Sky+ one and get it installed for the princely sum of £0 and no subscription uplift.

Engineer got there and confirmed dish was way out of alignment, replaced it with a new one, new cabling and showed my 70yr old mum how to use Sky+. Brilliant service!

Now got to call back to Sky as they said i could get some viewing credits if the engineer confirmed that i had been getting a rubbish signal at the house.

unknowndomain · 30 Oct 2009 at 12:21

Thanks all I will pester my dad again!

Memphis · 30 Oct 2009 at 12:29

Trees anywhere near your property?

unknowndomain · 30 Oct 2009 at 12:38

dl763 · 30 Oct 2009 at 13:55

I need to get this done too... same problems, can be a bright sunny day and pants signal, average cloudy day works brilliantly.