Sky link sensor (Magic eye) with Sky+ problem

[Lexeus]

Hi,
I have a Sky+ DV3 box, with the second output going to an upstairs room, and a sky link (magic eye) sensor on the second TV.
The sensor worked ok with the original sky, and it worked with the original Sky+ box, but after a couple of months of problems with the sky+ box the hard drive finally failed, and they replaced the sky+ box with the latest version. Now, although I can watch sky fine, the sensor does not work in the second room.
As I understand it the secound output has to have a voltage sent down it for the sensor to work (9V I believe) and I have checked that this is turned on in the RF menu. I have tested the sensor by bringing it down stairs and plugging it straight into the second rf socket, and it worked fine, and I have tested both sky+ remotes.
I have looked into the problem and came across a piece of equipment on this webpage, for boosting the current on long cables:

http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/accessories2.htm

But £30 is rather alot ....
Is it possible that there is some other problem ? As I wouldn't say the cable was that long at all; it runs from the lounge downstair, staright out the window and up to the bedroom directly above it.
Is the latest sky+ box known for outputting a weaker current than the original sky+ box ?

I would really appreciate any input and advice on this

Thanks alot

[Grumpy Old Troll]

You need to check for 9v DC at the end of the cable upstairs. Can you check it with a voltmeter? If not, are your pictures 100%?, no? - there's probably a break in the cable. If they are, try crimping the centre of the coax plug at both ends of the cable. This usually isn't done when installed by S*y monkeys.


The gadget you mention is not needed!.

Hope this helps.

A. Dork

[Merritt]

Hmm - not wanting to hijack the thread but ive got a slightly different problem with my magic eye when upstairs... All the functionality of my Sky+ can be controlled just fine except for the 'down' button i.e. if you are using the up and down button to scroll through the program listings, only the 'up' button will work upstairs!

Ive got two remotes and they both work fine downstairs so its got to be a connection or magic eye problem

Its obviously not a show stopper but its very annoying!

With regards to your problem - you don't have any signal boosters / splitters etc in the connection between downstairs and upstairs do you? Oh and don't forget that the RF connection MUST be in RF2 on the sky+ box

Cheers

Steve

[Lexeus]

No I don't have anything in between, apart from an adaptor, as the connector on the end was male instead of female. RF2 > adaptor > cable > sensor > TV.

Well anyway I used a multimeter and checked the voltage on the RF2 out on the box and it was at about 8.8V, so ok, but on the end of the cable up stairs it was negligible, maybe 0.9V, but was hard to get a reading at all

So what do you think is wrong ? How could a cable suddenly develope a fault ? I really can't believe its a fault, seems far too much of a coincidence that it suddenly stops working when the sky+ box is changed.
The only other thing which may be of note, is that adaptor I was talking about, on the RF2 out. Before the guy came to fit the replacement box the adaptor I had on there was a plastic one with a metal centre, but it was cracked so the guy replaced it with a new one which is all metal. Could that be a problem ?
I mean, if there's a fault in the cable why is it not effecting my ability to watch sky at all ?

Appreciate the replies thanks

[Grumpy Old Troll]

Originally Posted by Arthur Dork

...are your pictures 100%?, no? - there's probably a break in the cable. If they are, try crimping the centre of the coax plug at both ends of the cable. This usually isn't done when installed by S*y monkeys.

A. Dork

Have you tried my original suggestion?

A. Dork

Maybe this explains the problem?

http://www.satcure.com/tech/tvlink.htm

Note: Some Digiboxes (especially SKY+) will not work when the TV Link is connected via a critical length of cable (usually 5.5 metres or a multiple of that - 11m, 16.5m etc. Try adding a couple more metres of cable with an in-line screw "F" connector. If that doesn't help, disconnect the 2nd TV. If the remote commands now get through, you need our Decoupler (see below)

[Lexeus]

I got it working ! after posting here I thougth I would have another mess around with it. Anyway, I think it was where the connector joined the adaptor to the rf2-out.
The core wire in the centre of the cable didn't seem to be making a good contact with the centre of the adaptor, so I bent it slightly to make sure it was touching, and now it works

I am not sure if that was what you meant I should do Arthur ? I checked the cable connectors were crimped on the ends properly, but was a bit confused. Anyway, its working now yay ! No thanks to sky :P.
Now I just have to get sky to fix my reception ...

[Grumpy Old Troll]

...which is why I told you to crimp the centres of the coax plugs.

Was that a thank you? You're welcome!

A. Dork

[sinbrad]

Just thought I would add that I also had problems with the remote eye not working properly in the second room. The symptoms were that it only worked some of the time and looking at the small black box the green light just kept coming on and then going off randomly. However, after the recent SKY+ update I no longer have any problems with the remote eye and the green light is now constant. I know that the SKY engineers suggested that it was a problem with the actual box and not the cable run (Taken from other forums on other sites). Anyway it's fixed

[Lexeus]

Originally Posted by Gareth Gregory

...which is why I told you to crimp the centres of the coax plugs.

Was that a thank you? You're welcome!

A. Dork

hey, i know its been a long time but had more probs with it again after it stopped working, and i was being stupid before. I totally understand what you were suggesting and yea you were sort of right, well pretty much. Except the problem was actually that the core of the connector plugging into the box was snapped off so there was just and it wasnt making proper contact with the larger adaptor connector.
Just switched the connector for a new one.

The awful thing is that I have been at uni for ages and my mother tried to get it fixed whilst I was away and the aerial guy first sold her a new magic eye as the old one was 'broken' as the red LED wasn't lighting up on it, but it was the old model, which didnt have a red LED on it, couldnt believe it, my mother just paid him, and somehow he obviously made it work just by messing with the wires and making it contact, but then it stopped working again a week later.
When my mother got hi to come out and look at it he said it needed a whole new cable from the box downstairs to the tv upstairs and would be £50 + the price of the cable. She said no so £20 call out charge.
But all the time it was just a broken connector !! A Blatently broken connector !

The best part is that the aerial guy is obviously the one who broke the connector in the first place, as it was absolutely fine until he fitted the sky+ box, then was broke!

thanks for all the help !

a Long term problem but eventually fixed! and yes, I now have a 9v dc on the cable and most important of all, a pretty red LED

[RHCP]

I have exactly the same problem. I can use some buttons but not others.

Can't scroll down or page up.

Very annoying

Originally Posted by Merritt

Hmm - not wanting to hijack the thread but ive got a slightly different problem with my magic eye when upstairs... All the functionality of my Sky+ can be controlled just fine except for the 'down' button i.e. if you are using the up and down button to scroll through the program listings, only the 'up' button will work upstairs!

Ive got two remotes and they both work fine downstairs so its got to be a connection or magic eye problem

Its obviously not a show stopper but its very annoying!

[RHCP]

I've found out what the problem is!

I ordered a magic eye from amazon with sky remote for £15, but it said delivery in 2 weeks. I seen a magic eye and remote in a local market stall for £11, so i decided to buy it and cancel the amazon one.(Philex IR extender and SKY remote control)

Too late when i got back home, i logged on to my account and i couldn't delete it as it had already gone for packing, i thought oh well, i'll send it back when it comes.

I just plugged the amazon eye in and found that all the functions work.

Dud magic eye from the market!

Can't be bothered taking it back, i got a spare remote i suppose!