I have several
satellite dishes, but two are special: a 100cm with multi feed and a 80cm with
just one LNB. The cables go down to a multi switch and from there one cable to
each of 8 rooms.
satellite dishes, but two are special: a 100cm with multi feed and a 80cm with
just one LNB. The cables go down to a multi switch and from there one cable to
each of 8 rooms.
In the past, the
multi switch got broken (the power source literally burned) and was repaired, but over the years I started to
struggle with corrosion on the cables on the roof. More precisely, the cables
come from the LNB and attach to the cable going down by means of an F-type
male-male connector. This connector gets corroded and after some years/month, needs
to be replaced and the corroded part of the cable must be cut off. This annoys
me a lot, because the length of the installed cable going down to the
distribution box is getting shorter every year.
multi switch got broken (the power source literally burned) and was repaired, but over the years I started to
struggle with corrosion on the cables on the roof. More precisely, the cables
come from the LNB and attach to the cable going down by means of an F-type
male-male connector. This connector gets corroded and after some years/month, needs
to be replaced and the corroded part of the cable must be cut off. This annoys
me a lot, because the length of the installed cable going down to the
distribution box is getting shorter every year.
This whole thing
started of wrong: when I was building the house, I wanted to go cheap and
imagined having the multi switch on the roof. Hence I only passed down 8
cables. After two multi switches breaking down due to humidity, rain, sun,
heat, cold, etc., I accepted that the multi switch really needed to go inside
the house. Naturally it was protected in a box, but it was not ventilated and,
well, it did not work. One of the drawback was that I only had a total of 9
cables, which meant that I could only pass the signal of two satellites (19.2E
+ 13.0E) and one band of the third satellite (30.0W), when originally it was
planned to have 19.2E, 13.0E, 30.0W and 28.2E.
started of wrong: when I was building the house, I wanted to go cheap and
imagined having the multi switch on the roof. Hence I only passed down 8
cables. After two multi switches breaking down due to humidity, rain, sun,
heat, cold, etc., I accepted that the multi switch really needed to go inside
the house. Naturally it was protected in a box, but it was not ventilated and,
well, it did not work. One of the drawback was that I only had a total of 9
cables, which meant that I could only pass the signal of two satellites (19.2E
+ 13.0E) and one band of the third satellite (30.0W), when originally it was
planned to have 19.2E, 13.0E, 30.0W and 28.2E.
Also, this is why
I ended up with too short cables on the roof and the requirement to use the
F-type male-male connector.
I ended up with too short cables on the roof and the requirement to use the
F-type male-male connector.
Because I have
other dishes, two of which are motorized, and all of them go to my shack, where
I pass my time messing around with TV, CATV and SAT equipment, I haven’t lately
bothered to fix the fact that in the bedroom I wasn’t really receiving anything
anymore. I have been spending awake time using a tablet instead.
other dishes, two of which are motorized, and all of them go to my shack, where
I pass my time messing around with TV, CATV and SAT equipment, I haven’t lately
bothered to fix the fact that in the bedroom I wasn’t really receiving anything
anymore. I have been spending awake time using a tablet instead.
Anyway, this
weekend I decided to sort this out once for all. I went to the roof and
replaced the QUADRO-LNB’s with QUATTRO-LNB’s and redone all the cables. I put a
simple DiSEqC-1.0 switch and used a single cable to the bedroom. I wasn’t using
SAT on any other TV anyway. Also, this solution gives me the option to pass SAT
to 3 further rooms. I removed the multi switch, which was at the end of its
life cycle, anyway.
weekend I decided to sort this out once for all. I went to the roof and
replaced the QUADRO-LNB’s with QUATTRO-LNB’s and redone all the cables. I put a
simple DiSEqC-1.0 switch and used a single cable to the bedroom. I wasn’t using
SAT on any other TV anyway. Also, this solution gives me the option to pass SAT
to 3 further rooms. I removed the multi switch, which was at the end of its
life cycle, anyway.
When I finally
tested the now full 4 satellites in the bedroom: nothing!
tested the now full 4 satellites in the bedroom: nothing!
Still no
reception… 🙁
reception… 🙁
Could I have a
fault in any cable? Up to the roof, replaced one cable I had reused from the
previously installed ones.
fault in any cable? Up to the roof, replaced one cable I had reused from the
previously installed ones.
Tested again:
nothing.
nothing.
Took on of my TV
analysers and checked: all OK. Could the TV analyser have a much more sensitive tuner?
analysers and checked: all OK. Could the TV analyser have a much more sensitive tuner?
Weird!
Took another SAT
receiver (AZBox Ultra HD) and…
receiver (AZBox Ultra HD) and…
…got 3800
channels.
channels.
So after all, the culprit
had to be the VU+ DUO sat receiver, which I have for some 4-6 years.
had to be the VU+ DUO sat receiver, which I have for some 4-6 years.
I did a full RESET
and got about 500 channels. Far too few, but everything else was working fine.
and got about 500 channels. Far too few, but everything else was working fine.
Started reading in
the forums and found out that this is a common problem: missing the
High-Band/Horizontal channels, due to dried capacitor! This causes the required 16V for upper band channels to not be generated properly.
the forums and found out that this is a common problem: missing the
High-Band/Horizontal channels, due to dried capacitor! This causes the required 16V for upper band channels to not be generated properly.
*** Repair starts
here ***
here ***
Changed a 100uF
capacitor (C852) and… nothing.
capacitor (C852) and… nothing.
Changed two 1000uF
capacitors (C848 and C819) and… IT WORKED AGAIN!
capacitors (C848 and C819) and… IT WORKED AGAIN!
*** Repair ends
here ***
here ***
Conclusion:
- Spend 1 day on the
roof for nothing. - Changing the whole
SAT reception distribution for nothing (OK: now I have 4 full satellites, in
one room, with option for a total of 4 rooms, instead of having 2+1 satellites
in 8 rooms). - Did a repair in 1
hour (can be reproduced now in about 15 minutes), with a total cost of 3
capacitors worth 1.20 Euro.
TODO:
I will now buy a complete set of capacitors and replace them all. It was sheer luck to have the 100uF and 1000uF capacitors lying around, but I did not have enough of them and i lack the 220uF ones, too.
Also, the ones I used are fairly old and probably sub-standard, so they will be replaced again.
Anyway, that saved me from
having to buy a new VU+ receiver (they are really good products).
having to buy a new VU+ receiver (they are really good products).
Regards,
Vitor
Thanks for the tips you saved me from buying a new box. Swapped the two 100u capacitors and my channels are back!
It seems that C848 is allways the cause