Humax Freesat box query

crankcaller

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Our Humax freesat box last night went black when we switched it on. I went into the settings and it said only one tuner was working. I switched off and swapped the two coax cables going in from the dish.

The same tuner still said working. It's the box isn't it, not the dish/cables?

With one tuner we can watch live or record but not both. Bit of a pain - but we can stream live stuff anyway. I dont want to buy a new box to find it's the dish/cables but does my swapping the cables suggest the box?

Thanks.
 
Which model Humax box?

What signal strength and quality is indicated on a variety of tuned channels?
Note that on the 1000/1010/1100S only the main tuner shows a signal unless both are actively working... so record BBC 1 on one then tune/record BBC 2 to check the other.
{But being unable to record/watch two + channels suggests that isn't the issue}.

Pull the box out to see if the LNB2 connection is corroded (e.g. water damaged). Check the F-plug 'pin' isn't too short to make good contact in that LNB2 input?

Check if the box has somehow decided to be in single cable mode - but again on the 1xxxS range I think they loop LNB 1 in to the 2nd tuner internally in that mode?

A factory reset shouldn't delete any recordings, but will lose any recording schedule (reservations, make a note of them before reset) and might reset something inside / detect both cables during 'first installation'?

Similarly just pulling the mains plug out and waiting a time can reset things?
 
It's the HDR-1100s.
I'll try all the above and post back.
Thanks for your help.

{Edit} I would say that last night the black screen and not being able to view channels was because we were recording when we turned it on. But I'll check what you suggest.
 
Ok, so I now know what an LNB is!

The box is giving signal info on tuner 1 of:
Strength Good, Quality Good.
Tuner 2 says strength Bad, Quality Good (though the blue bar for Good is about 75% compared to the 90% good on.Tuner 1)

The plastic on the LNB seems ok - I'm not sure how to remove this to check the cabling or if you can. It's branded zinwell. The wiring by the sky engineer a few years ago has the coaxial shield Visible at the LNB end - not great.

If the LNB or cables for one "side" was damaged and I swapped round the cables at the receiver end wouldn't Tuner 2 have the stronger signal - or am I just showing my lack of knowledge? When I record I can't view another channel.

Suggestions? Happy to factory reset but can't see that helping weirdly there was nothing on tuner 2 last night but now some strength.
 
You did not say what what was displayed at the foot of the signal display screen.
If it only reports a single connection a Freesat tune will retest for two LNB feeds.
 
This is the screen.

PXL_20210903_173719722.MP.jpg
 
Wow, Impressed that the HDR-1100S can recover that much quality from so poor a signal.

If I were to guess the problem I would firstly suggest cabling. Firstly try remaking the F-connectors making sure that they can make a good electrical circuit and not a whisker of inner braid/core touching the return foil/braid. If that does not improve things check the LNB end also changing the ports if you have spares free.

It is very unlikely to be the receiver- the single only ever tuner problem I have seen reported was caused by water ingression up the cable which took out the tuner.
 
I cut and redid the connectors at the Humax end. There are four cables coming out of the LNB, two going upstairs that are not in use. As I type this I forgot about those. They are in a cupboard. Will connect up and check. The ones at the LNB end I'll probably need to get someone in as I'm frightened I knock out the alignment. I have a neighbour who has sky TV - (not q afaik) so going to see if I can put the Humax on his cabling and see what's what. If full signal on both tuners if not I'll get an engineer. Thanks folks for the help/suggestions.
 
That's the upstairs cabling. Hmm.
PXL_20210904_111107720.jpg

I would say that is after I swapped the cables. First wiring had no signal at all in tuner 2. Swapped them over and got that.
 

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