Troubleshooting Satellite TV Reception Problems

by JL.SM Sun May 08, 2016 4:10 pm

Have you just spent ages setting your system up, but all you're getting is a pixelated or even no picture at all, or is your display showing a strong/high signal strength bar but a weak/low signal quality bar? Make sure you haven't overlooked some cruicial steps and requirements for good reception.

With digital reception, a weak signal will cause the picture and sound to block or disappear. You should check the following (in order of priority):

Is the dish pointing at the right satellite? Check that under 'Services > System Setup > Signal Test' the Network ID reads 0002 (for Sky UK).

Is there a clear line-of-sight between your dish and the satellite? If not, you need to consider moving your dish.

Is the dish size large enough for the satellite you are aiming at and for your location? Check that your location is within the footprint of the satellite transponder.
Is the dish aligned correctly? A slight misalignment will cause a large reduction in signal strength.

Is the skew angle of the LNB correct? A wrong skew angle will cause low signal quality even though the signal strength is high.

Are the F-connectors fitted correctly? If the copper insulation touches the inner copper wire, or if the F-connector doesn't touch the outer shielding wires, strong interferences can occur which result in a reduction in signal quality.

Is the coxial cable suitable for digital satellite reception? You should only use high-quality cables with proper insulation.

Is the cable run too long? With cable runs of over 20 meters, some signal loss will occur. This can be compensated with a signal amplifier/booster.

Is your digibox or LNB faulty? Try borrowing one from your neighbour's/friend's.

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