Help needed with sky plus box/ cable connection please :0)

[andrea1]

Hi, to any that are reading this. I recently bought a 2nd hand sky plus box and a new upgrade kit (quad LNB, cable, f connectors etc) and had a go at installing it myself. Anyway, my picture quality on sky isn't as perfect as it used to be since I installed the new stuff and now the picture has pink and green stripey lines over it although they're not that noticeable and i'm already getting used to it. My main trouble is that it will record a programme from sky but when I turn the sky over to watch something else when i'm recording then it just says no satellite signal is being recieved, on every channel , except the one that i'm recording. This makes me think that one cable isn't working or one cancels out the other? The quad LNB prong thing that goes into the rectangular metal tube on my old (about 6 yrs old) satellite dish to hold the LNB in place on the dish, is a lot thinner and half as wide as the old LNB prong so I had to wedge it up so it appears to point in the right direction. Could this be the problem? I put the new cable into port 1 and the old cable into port 4 on the LNB , is that wrong? Does anyone have any suggestions that I could try or know what the problem is? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!! Thanks for reading this! Regards Andrea :0)

[ACtheTROLL]

the installer who comes to sort you out is going to love telling his mates about it.

quad lnb requires quad co-ax ...
and the prongy thing has to be set quite precisely so that all 4 LNBs get the same strength signal.

if you are lucky he won't charge for undoing AND re-doing the kit

seriously ... if the dish has been up 6 years ... your nuts are going to be so tight it will bring tears to your eyes (?)

the prongy thing needs fixing securely into the same place as the old (so the focus is the same)
the dish needs loosening and re-positioning to balance the signal strength

and you need someone to hold the ladder - and someone to dash in and out to check the picture quality!

[andrea1]

Hi ACtheTROLL!!!
Thanks for replying!! ROFLMAO at your reply and you're quite right cos I know I might be insane trying to do it myself but you never know what you can do till you try!!! Being an essex bird, it wouldn't be right not to give it a go myself first! :0) I think you're an absolute star for the reply and would like to pick your brain just an ickle bit more if I may?
Ok, so I need a quad coax......what is that for? I'm only using 2 ports. Where is the co ax located (ie: on the dish, LNB etc) so I can change it when I buy one.
Also, and please don't dismiss me as a dippy bird just yet, are you saying that I just need to fiddle about for quite some time with the LNB and dish simultaneously, whilst getting someone to check the picture quality, for the cable signal strength to equalise?
Finally, and I know i'm testing your patience but stay with me (please :0) ), Do you think it's likely that i'll be able to 'tune in' my satellite dish/LNB ,with someone watching the picture quality, by myself or do the professionals have special gadgets or something?
Should I just give it all up as a bad job and go back to normal sky because installers, especially now that I haven't bought from sky, are going to charge me heaps to do the job which makes all my purchases for upgrade pointless?
A reply would be even more appreciated than the one before, if only so I can have another belly laugh at myself through the perspective of others!! lolol.
You can't blame a girl for trying.......unless you're a man! he he!
Warm Regards and the best of everything
Andrea :0)

[ACtheTROLL]

Hi again
Just seen the two - so a double co-ax is what you need.
the co-ax connects the LNB to the receiver.

the dish is like a telescope - it needs to be focussed and pointing in eactly the right direction
the focus is the position of the LNBs on the stick (which is why the sticky thing needs to be positioned so carefully)

if you've got it just right that's it ....

but a couple of degegrees out (three?) - and then
you'll have to loosen the nuts and give it a good waggle! (carefully)
..... don't forget to tighten them after you are done with them!!

but the serious bit is ... you are probably doing all this at the top of a ladder

if the dish is rusty, paint peeling and looking a bit tired ...
and most importantly .... you aren't getting anywhere - I'd consider a bloke ... if you are game you need a chum to look at the telly.

I put up my first and only dish on xmas eve about 15 years ago

.... and I paid for the others

[andrea1]

Hi AC, (I hope it's ok to call you AC? :0) ) Thanks heaps, once again, for a reply and a fantastic one at that!!! I am going to give it a good fiddle at the weekend and see what happens. I phoned a 'bloke' but he wants �45 and then will "probably need parts" and said that the LNB, cable etc that I bought from ebay is probably very bad quality and is more than likely faulty.......I'm sure the ebay peeps arn't as bad as that with a 100% rating and over 5000 sales.
Anyway, thanks again for all your help ,you've been a total superstar. I might still need to pick your brains in the future though so don't go anywhere! lol
Have a great summer!
Warm Regards
Andrea :0)