Tune Failed! LNB problem??

[coozer]

Random tune failed! Sometimes it all works OK, sometimes it takes time to clear.. TM Twin OE

Ive hunted it down to low number transponders having no signal.

Brief history: This is a new install, the dish has been on the wall for 2 weeks.. 3 LNB setup, two singles pointing at 13.0 and 19.2, a quad pointing at 28.2. Old sky dish still present sending signal to the sky box in the back bedroom. One cable direct from the quad to the No 1 input on the STB. Second cable along with the other two from the singles into a diseq switch with the cable going down to No. 2 input on the STB. Was all working fine when I set it up. Problems started middle last week.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7337/26464920504_bbd971f47b_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/27002064641_5cc38d1406_c.jpg

It would seem low number transponders are not coming down from the quad lnb. Ive looked at all the signals from each transponder on 28.2 and done several service scans. Had one scan as low as 320 channels this morning.

This afternoon I took the No1 input cable from the quad LNB and screwed it into the old sky lnb. A new service scan has restored all the channels.

Here are a couple of pics of one transponder. Tuner A is plugged into the sky dish. Tuner B is plugged into the new quad via the diseq. Signal check from the SAME transponder..

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7655/27002063151_142d4bb094_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/26464919144_a48272039c_c.jpg

Scrolling through the transponders on tuner B I see I only get a signal on the top numbers, the low number ones dont work.

Is this indicative of a faulty LNB??

Thanks,
Steve

[abu baniaz]

I am struggling to fully understand your cabling. Please fill in the blanks/correct

Desired:
New dish: 28 > Tuner A
New dish: 28/19/13 > Diseqc Switch > Tuner B

Do both tuner A and B fail in that configuration?

[coozer]

I am struggling to fully understand your cabling. Please fill in the blanks/correct

Desired:
New dish: 28 > Tuner A
New dish: 28/19/13 > Diseqc Switch > Tuner B

Do both tuner A and B fail in that configuration?

Yes, cable 1 from the quad lnb on 28.2 to tuner A input on the STB.

The other cable from the quad into the diseq along with one each from 13.0 and 19.2 with the cable going down to input B on the STB

If i go into the signal finder scrolling through the satellites on tuner B 13.0 and 19.2 have a good signal but nothing on 28.2 until I change the transponder to the upper range.

[abu baniaz]

Test 1.
The cable from the new dish 28.2 LNB. does that function correctly on the TM?

Test 2.
If you use the Sky LNB to supply the diseqc switch do you still have a problem for teh tuner that has the diseqc switch?

[twol]

Whilst accepting that you have strong signals in general for each satellite, none are likely to be optimal due to alignment - so have you (or whoever set it up) checked the skew on each LNB.
Even 28.2E in this setup may need adjusting, which "might" affect some transponders.

[coozer]

Test 1.
The cable from the new dish 28.2 LNB. does that function correctly on the TM?

Test 2.
If you use the Sky LNB to supply the diseqc switch do you still have a problem for teh tuner that has the diseqc switch?

Test 1.
Tune fail with the cable going from tuner A direct to the LNB.

Test 2.
Sky lnb to the diseq = rock solid, no problems.

Tune fail only occurs on the new quad lnb. Using the old sky dish quad all the problems go away.

Going to do some more tests at the weekend as the sky dish still feeds my sky box separate to the new setup.

Re the skew. I set it the same as the sky lnb on the minidish. About 5 degrees. The sky lnb has a scale on the side and the dish has a bubble level. So checked the new dish with a spirit level and got the new quad as close as I could to that.

The setup worked well for the first two weeks then slowly the tune failed started and it got worse as the weekend went on until Monday it was constant.

I do not have any tuned fails off 13.0 or 19.2 through the diseq.

I may change the quad for a twin...

Doing a service scan is totally random. One scan can pull in 900 channels, do it again straight away and its as low as 320.. and again 700, and so on..

[twol]

Test 1.
Tune fail with the cable going from tuner A direct to the LNB.

Test 2.
Sky lnb to the diseq = rock solid, no problems.

Tune fail only occurs on the new quad lnb. Using the old sky dish quad all the problems go away.

Going to do some more tests at the weekend as the sky dish still feeds my sky box separate to the new setup.

Re the skew. I set it the same as the sky lnb on the minidish. About 5 degrees. The sky lnb has a scale on the side and the dish has a bubble level. So checked the new dish with a spirit level and got the new quad as close as I could to that.

The setup worked well for the first two weeks then slowly the tune failed started and it got worse as the weekend went on until Monday it was constant.

I do not have any tuned fails off 13.0 or 19.2 through the diseq.

I may change the quad for a twin...

Doing a service scan is totally random. One scan can pull in 900 channels, do it again straight away and its as low as 320.. and again 700, and so on..
Skew, either use one of the phone apps or get someone to watch the signal on satfinder on one of the failing transponders and slowly move/adjust it.
I agree that where you are in UK (?) you shouldn't have an issue, but on a multi LNB setup you never know ... where I am if you don't adjust the skew correctly you can see the issue you have..... depending on which Astra 2 satellite the transponder is sitting!

[coozer]

I'm in the north east near Durham.

Just downloaded the dreamdroid and will check it tomorrow.

Thanks,
Steve

[twol]

I'm in the north east near Durham.

Just downloaded the dreamdroid and will check it tomorrow.

Thanks,
Steve
Even if it some other issue, its always worth learning how to setup a dish and lnb,s correctly - although there have been times standing on my garage roof in bright sunshine wondering what I am doing :)

[coozer]

Thanks twol, Ive been on the roof with my phone and SignalMeter and yes had to tweak the dish a little to the west and got the 19.2 from 66% to 92%, adjusted the skew on the 28.2 and got it up to 94%.

That was 2 weeks ago and have had no problems since with tunefail.

Although I now have a problem with the epg not populating... ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...:D

[twol]

Thanks twol, Ive been on the roof with my phone and SignalMeter and yes had to tweak the dish a little to the west and got the 19.2 from 66% to 92%, adjusted the skew on the 28.2 and got it up to 94%.

That was 2 weeks ago and have had no problems since with tunefail.

Although I now have a problem with the epg not populating... ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...:D

Thanks for the update (really useful) -- wish I could get the same figures for 28.2E!
Doesn,t help that the Sky box tuner is better than the Samsung tuners in most E2 receivers at holding signal.

EPG - well life would be boring without a few niggles :)