(Progressive) Digital satellite signal loss during bad weather

W

Welsh Badger

Guest
I’ve had Sky Digital for two years.

When I first got it I would lose my signal during heavy rain (picture/sound gets strange - peak through the curtains and, sure enough, tipping down on my house - every time). However the problem appears to be getting worse. This week I’ve lost the signal nearly every day, usually without locally heavy rain– it can even go when it’s dry around me.

Another thing I’ve noticed is progressive channel loss. It still takes hideous local weather to lose Sky – ITV is pretty resilient too. However BBC is always first to go (a situation that can’t be right!) I don’t know if BBC can be blamed at all for this (after all their signal has to get to the satellite before it gets to me) or whether the issue is bandwidth management (presumably down to Sky).

Along with many private hair-pulling sessions, I suffered a major outrage when I lost the Calcutta Cup match this year. Being Welsh even couldn’t help my feeling gutted that the English friend I had invited round was being deprived of England’s defeat of Scotland ;)

All this for over £30 a month. I feel I’m reaching breaking point but my hands are tied - I don’t have cable in my area and my terrestrial signal is so bad that my TV sometimes gives up on channels completely (my main reason for going satellite in the first place).

So a few questions. Does anyone know:

1 – Any reason the problem should be getting worse?
2 – Why BBC disappears first?
3 – Anything I can do to improve matters (e.g. dish alignment/replacement)?
4 – Who I should complain to?

Living in Wales, the weather isn’t going to get better.
 
1) Well age might be affecting the digibox tuner resulting in a loss of sensitivity or it might be an accumulation of water damage to the dish/LNB and cable connectors.
2) That's not common, usually the channels carried by Eutelsat are lost first since that is slightly offset compared to the Astra satellites the dish is aimed at. Nothing to so with bandwidth, BBC buy their transponder capacity direct from Astra and they only deal with SKY for encryption and subscriber managment.
3) I would certainly look to realigning the dish and even consider getting the larger region 2 (60cm) minidish. It could also be the LNB and if the connectors and cable were not well protected from water they could have become damaged.
Do you have access to someone elses dish, connect your digibox up and see how it reacts to a different dish/LNB/cable combo.
4) You are out of warranty of course but SKY do a set price service call out. They charge £65 and that include all parts and labour to get your installation working again even if that means replacing the digibox/dish etc. If you are willing to say you are cancelling because you cant afford the call out fee they "might" offer it as a good will gesture.
Since you are losing picture on a regular basis there is a weakness somewhere in your installation and perhaps the £65 call out the easiest solution although maybe spending more with a qualified independent installer would be better in the long run although it would cost a lot more.
 

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