Problem with 2 boxes on one dish... Box 1 works, Box 2 doesn't...

[pproductions]

I've two Vu+ Solo2 boxes set up with 1 cable going into a tuner each (not using boxes with twin tuner setup at the moment).

Box 1: Using Tuner A on 28.2E (set up in the front room)
Box 2: Using Tuner B on 28.2E (set up on the living room)

The same ViX image is being used on both (copied from one box to another).

Box 1 is working no problem. Box 2 however is struggling to tune anything and isn't finding any channels.

Now if I take Box 2 to the front room and connect it up in replacement of Box 1, it starts to do the tuning and I can use ABM no problem.

When I connect it back up to the living room cables, I get "Tune Failed" when accessing channels that were scanned in the front room.

Going into ABM to start a new scan gives an error of "Timeout for tuner lock". Manual scans give me "0 channels found".

I've gone into Menu > Setup > Service Searching > Signal Finder and the SNR and AGC check and they both show 0%. The lock there isn't ticked.

From what I remember this was a problem before too on the Openbox setups. We hardly used the front room one then (it was turned off 80-90% of the time) but the living room one would always be on "No Signal" which is why I decided to upgrade the box thinking it was just knackered.

Do I need to call the sat guy in again as he was the one who set up the wiring for the dish (no experience at cable installation here with satellite cabling). If so, what do I tell him to do?

From what I can see on the dish, there are two separate cables going into the LNB, which go to the front room and living room.

My guess would be that the LNB isn't able to spread the connection to both boxes, instead it's giving signal to one box?

Please advise, thanks.

[abu baniaz]

you restored settings from one receiver to another. this would include the tuner configuration (software) wise.



The tuner configuration (software) must match tuner configuration (hardware).

But your boxes connected have different hardware configuration.

[pproductions]

you restored settings from one receiver to another. this would include the tuner configuration (software) wise.



The tuner configuration (software) must match tuner configuration (hardware).

But your boxes connected have different hardware configuration.

Sorry, I didn't clarify that I also changed the tuner configuration (software) to the correct tuner (hardware) on Box 2 but still no luck.

Setting Tuner A or Tuner B up in the front room works no problem. It's the living room that has a problem.

This was an issue before and not just relative to this receiver.

[Ford1]

what hardware are you using, i.e. static dish, duel lnb + splitter / quad lmb, have a look at your cables are there 4 coming out of your satellite?

Does box 2 work fine if box 1 is disconnected?



Scratch that, just re-read your original post, you only use 1 tuner on each box.

But does box 2 still work if box 1 is powered off or disconnected?

[abu baniaz]

First of all, the ideal setup in the end for your situation is:

Hardware:
Tuner B. Signal wire connected.
Tuner A: No wire connected

Software:
Tuner B: Simple, Single, 28.2
Tuner A: Loopthrough to Tuner A

I have deliberately mentioned B before A. On teh SOlo 2 and some other 7356 receivers, you cannot loop from A to B. You can loop from B to A without a problem. This is software thing, don't worry about cables.

================================================== ================================================== ================================================== ==========

Identifying problem

There are a few variables, you need to confirm what the issue is. You must be systematic in your approach and only test one thing at a time. There is an issue with some LNBs, in that they cannot handle two receivers connected to them.

The variables are:
F-plugs on all connections.
Signal wire to living room
Signal wire to front room
The different LNB ports
LNB as a whole
Tuner A on receiver 1
Tuner B on receiver 1
Tuner A on receiver 2
Tuner B on receiver 2

Tests:
Check F -plugs on all cables during the tests as they can work loose.

1.
Front room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

2.
Front room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

3.
Front room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

4.
Front room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

5.
Living room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

6.
Living room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

7.
Living room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

8.
Living room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?


There are 8 tests. Your 8 responses will aid in identifying the problem.

[pproductions]

what hardware are you using, i.e. static dish, duel lnb + splitter / quad lmb, have a look at your cables are there 4 coming out of your satellite?

Does box 2 work fine if box 1 is disconnected?



Scratch that, just re-read your original post, you only use 1 tuner on each box.

But does box 2 still work if box 1 is powered off or disconnected?

It's a static dish, quad LNB (an old Sky one). Box 2 doesn't work when Box 1 is disconnected.


First of all, the ideal setup in the end for your situation is:

Hardware:
Tuner B. Signal wire connected.
Tuner A: No wire connected

Software:
Tuner B: Simple, Single, 28.2
Tuner A: Loopthrough to Tuner A

I have deliberately mentioned B before A. On teh SOlo 2 and some other 7356 receivers, you cannot loop from A to B. You can loop from B to A without a problem. This is software thing, don't worry about cables.

================================================== ================================================== ================================================== ==========

Identifying problem

There are a few variables, you need to confirm what the issue is. You must be systematic in your approach and only test one thing at a time. There is an issue with some LNBs, in that they cannot handle two receivers connected to them.

The variables are:
F-plugs on all connections.
Signal wire to living room
Signal wire to front room
The different LNB ports
LNB as a whole
Tuner A on receiver 1
Tuner B on receiver 1
Tuner A on receiver 2
Tuner B on receiver 2

Tests:
Check F -plugs on all cables during the tests as they can work loose.

1.
Front room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

2.
Front room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

3.
Front room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

4.
Front room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

5.
Living room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

6.
Living room & Box1.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

7.
Living room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner B. Set tuner B as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner A. Set tuner A as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?

8.
Living room & Box2.
Ensure nothing is connected to the wires coming from LNB. No need to get to LNB, just the ends in the house.
Remove signal wire from tuner A. Set tuner A as not configured.
Connect signal wire to tuner B. Set tuner B as simple, single, 28.2.
Run ABM and see if tunes.
Is this succesful or not?


There are 8 tests. Your 8 responses will aid in identifying the problem.

Thanks for that list, will come in handy for the future should anything go wrong.

But my gut instincts were telling me otherwise and I was right.

1) Successful.
2) Successful.
3) Successful.
4) Successful.
5) Unsuccessful.
6) Unsuccessful.
7) Unsuccessful.
8) Unsuccessful.

So I figured it was a problem with the cable.

I called the sat guy in and he confirmed that the last person who installed the wiring had connected two signal cables together to form one cable in the living room.

He said that the cable coming from the dish into the living was working fine but the 2nd signal cable connected to that as an extension had been burnt and had caused rust inside the wire.

It could have been that at some point when the signal started to die, that there could have been the outer conductor touching the centre core which caused it to degrade over time.

This could have been a long while back because ever since I've been handling the receiver side of things, the outer conductor has always been folded back and away from the core when adjusting the wire.

Anyhow, the problem is solved now and I've also got myself the latest 2016 LNB fitted which apparently was better for HD channels, not that there's many these days anyhow lol.

Cheers!

[TK4|2|1]

Good job in sorting it. You should have got your sat guy to put an extra cable to each box.

[pproductions]

Good job in sorting it. You should have got your sat guy to put an extra cable to each box.

That was the plan but then I had a thought. Because we're thinking of extending the back of the house, it'll mean calling him out again anyway so I'll get that done when we've finished. :)

EDIT: I've just read back the long post I wrote in the middle of the night! :confused: Should have gone to bed and replied in the morning lmao.