What have I missed

[dardruba]

Bought a Smart Universal Twin LNB TTX 0.2dB and replaced the Lidl Universal LNB 0.6dB.

First I confirmed I had analogue and digital working ok. So it was up the ladder but I coped ok in the sunshine. Uncoupled one, coupled in the other, didnt disturb the arm, easy.

Analogue on the Pace MSS 100 is just as good as ever.
But digital on the Comag SL55 has a problem. At first there was no picture, then I got fta pictures on Astra 1 for about 20 mins only, that went and all I can get now is 'Signal is Weak'

I went through the menus looking for something 'different' and in STB Setting/ RF Setting I found the words
Modulator Error.
I dont know what that means, but is it the cause of my problem and how would I fix it please?

[dardruba]

Second try

Its gone dark I've tried again and I got all my usual fta stations on Hotbird, Astra 1 and Astra 2

This time I set the clock and they lasted for 12 minutes only. Analogue is still OK.
I switched off counted slowly to 100 and tried again but 'Signal is Weak'

Is this problem familiar to anyone, I cant find previous posts on this topic.

[BGonaSTICK]

Hi dardruba.

You know, everyone keeps telling me that these Smart Titanium LNBs are the hot ticket, but that's three people here that have had inexplicable problems when using them.

I take it everything was OK before you switched LNBs? Strong reception?

Just out of interest, why did you change it? Were you trying to improve the signal strength?

If you were as careful in replacing it as it sounds like you were, and your analogue signal is as good as it ever was I suggest you switch back to the Lidl LNB for a test.

Analogue may be a little more forgiving of slightly poor dish alignment, where digital signals fail totally at a given point, but if your old LNB was doing OK it makes me wonder about the new LNB.

[dardruba]

I must put a stop on this enquiry. I'll report back when I've sought local advice.

I needed a twin LNB for a second cable to the PC. There was an online recommend for the Titanium, it has a pull down rainproof cover which appealed to me, the chance to better the Lidl 0.6dB was only secondary.

Its clear now that the problem is in my setup.
I have terr.coax into Freeview into a DVDR and then to TV/VCR combi.
I have sat.coax into digi Comag, then looped into the analog Pace box. I have a scart from each box into a switched (either/or) scartbox and a scart out which goes to the DVDR. Scart from DVDR to TV.

Viewing has been satisfactory but I've not yet mastered the Sony DVDR with hard drive. I've not been able to tune in the inputs despite lots of advice from the forum on Satellites.co.uk so I need to reread that lot too.
One suggestion was to use UHF modulators to add the Freeview and Sat outputs into the terr. coax line or perhaps just one of the decoders.

I talked on a previous post about spending money aiming towards a Sky Star2 PCI Card or similar and doing my recording on the PC and not thru the TV and DVDR hoping that I'd find this to be simpler.

[BGonaSTICK]

Ahh, sorry, I missed the fact that the new LNB was a twin.

You might find that a priority switch like the Global SPS1 would be a better way of dealing with your Comag/Pace split.

Not sure if you fixed your original 'signal is weak' problem, but it might be because your Pace box is fighting the Comag for control of the LNB. Does the Comag work OK now? If not, does it work OK if you disconnect the Pace from the loopthrough? Have you tried the other output from the twin?

STICK

[dardruba]

>You might find that a priority switch like the Global SPS1 would be a better way of dealing with your Comag/Pace split.

Yes there is a conflict there, I can see it would make sense to switch the incoming, but that would leave me with outgoing scarts from each box and only one scartsocket.

[BGonaSTICK]

As you're trying to accommodate a lot of boxes here, the SCART situation is always going to get complicated.

There are some excellent smart-SCART adaptors which sense which input is active (via pin 8 on the SCART lead) and switch automatically. They don't come cheap though.