Sky+ Amstrad whining noise

N

nr.b

Guest
Hi

Yesterday had Sky+ installed which went great but the Amstrad box has a constant high pitched whining noise when it is on and while cooling down in standby which is audible when the volume is low - is this normal or should it be changed, or does it disappear eventually!

It doesn't change with different channels.

Thanks
 
Hi sound's like the poor quality HD has failed, time to call SKY...

SKY do not have the ability to fix it and as it is under warranty with SKY and if it's that bad call them up for a replacment.

Be aware thatthey may try fob you off with a refurb box.(BEWARE)

Cheers
Chip
 
Thanks - it does everthing perfectly, maybe I'm being picky but it is just about audible all the time when on and in standby - only if I turn off Sky anytime does it stop on standby
 
Hi

Yesterday had Sky+ installed which went great but the Amstrad box has a constant high pitched whining noise when it is on and while cooling down in standby which is audible when the volume is low - is this normal or should it be changed, or does it disappear eventually!

It doesn't change with different channels.

Thanks

If you got it yesterday I seriously doubt the HDD is broke. New HDD last years and usually outlive their use before breaking. It's far more likely the sound is the normal sound that everyone with sky+ has which is the sound of the fan spinning and the HDD head clicking. I can clearly hear mine if my sky+ is on standby and recording something.

If the HDD had "failed" as the other poster wrote it would sound a lot worse like a constant clicking and you wouldn't be able to use the drive. If you can still hear the drive spinning in standby its probably the box downloading sky anytime programmes.
 
Hi mate

I had my first Thomson box replaced after a few days because of loud whining noise which i could hear above sound of TV when the room was quiet. It was driving me insane. Now have a Pace box and it is virtually silent. When the engineer called out he argued that the sound was normal but I just stuck to my guns and got a replacement. You are entitled to a new box within 90 days so make sure the packaging looks new as opposed to a plain brown box (ie refurbished boxes) that his van was full of!!
 
Thanks - it does everthing perfectly, maybe I'm being picky but it is just about audible all the time when on and in standby - only if I turn off Sky anytime does it stop on standby

I'd say its fan noise, not the HDD. And no your not being picky.

I have the Amstrad PVR3 and it is silent. If the noise continues I would get straight onto Sky and report it.

Have you tried unplugging the box for a few minutes and then rebooting? sometimes the fan can get stuck on, and a reboot clears it. Do you have plenty of ventilation around the box?
 
Hello again, thanks for all your advice - the box is on a glass shelf on its own so has plenty of ventilation - I don't think that the fan has gone on as there is no breeze from the fan ventilation holes. I can put up with the sound of the whirring no problem as I expect some noise but the high pitched whine is on now with the TV off and is terrible, when I unplug it it winds itself down and when it is plugged back on it winds itself back up in pitch - so I am will assume it is the hard disc for the moment.

One other thing... last night every 1/4 hour between 9.00 and 11.00 (BBC1 and then Sopranos on Channel E4) the screen blanked for a couple of seconds and then returned. At first I thought the signal had dropped, but when rewinding for a few seconds and replaying the picture was OK - I swapped the leads out of the back and it was the same so I am assuming the signal is OK, what would make the machine do this do you think?

Thanks
 
Hi

More info - machine has been dropping signal all day at different times, but as before if replayed the dropping off does not occur.

Have compared mine to a friend's machine - his does not have vents at the top but is made by Amstrad and has a large drop down flap for the card, and crucially does not make any noise at all.

Will phone Sky - don't know whether these two are linked, signal quality is well above 50%.
 
For a minute I thought I was reading my own post as had a very similar problem myself, although with a brand new Pace PVR3, now on my third!

The first had a very high pitch whine which was swapped straight away, second we put up with for about a week but this was replaced because of the same problem, did try to stick it out. Third does not have the whine, you hear it to start off with, it was as if the hd was not spinning fast enough or something on the others as this one does make the whine sound at startup but then goes as the disc picks up the usual speed.

I emailed Pace about ours and they were quite rude in their response saying that the chance of us having two faulty boxes was next to nothing, therefore saying that they were probably fine. Well they were wrong as our third does not make that anoying whine noise. It is not the fan as I got a rizla paper and moved it around the vents to see if there was air movement, which there was not.

Just don't do what we did and buy an expensive cabinet only to find you can still hear the dam thing! We managed to get a credit note for the cabinet and the box now resides back in it's usual spot!
 
Hello again - I have a Sky engineer coming tomorrow to look at my Sky+ box but the noise has not disappeared as some other postings have suggested it would do.

Have compared it to another identical Sky+ box which is OK, and another as above which does not have any vents.

Otherwise it is a great system with excellent picture.
 
*Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!*


Had a service visit today from Sky to replace a broken 2yo Thomson 160GB Sky+ box.

Before i start i have to say the engineer was excellent throughout. :clap:

He started off by saying i was 'lucky' to be getting a replacement 160, this was the only one they had in stock and he managed to get hold of it for me yesterday. Fair enough. Plugged it it, noisy as **** HDD, he said he couldn't leave that with me and needed to swap it but it would only be an 80gig. I accepted. Plugged that one in, faulty LED on power switch (green=off, red=on). Again, he couldn't leave that, so back in the van it went.

Out came a brand new Amstrad. Plugged it in, HIGH PITCH SQUEAL. He reckoned he couldn't hear anything, but went back to the van. Fourth box came out, another brand new Amstrad. Same squeal. Again he said he couldn't hear it. My missus agreed it was there. We were given the choice of either rejecting it and having another visit booked, with the "unlikely chance of getting rid of the squeal as all the boxes will be the same" [<-- his words], or, put up with it. Bear in mind life with no PVR this past week has been unbearable, and this unit only needs to last until next Friday when Sky+HD is being installed, at which point it's going upstairs (multiroom). We accepted it. For the fact that i didn't want another week without Sky+, the inconvenience of maybe finishing work early to accommodate, and then the slim chance of getting a box that was perfect? I also agreed to keep it and persevere in case the slight condensation which i noticed when it came into the house was having any effect.

It's now driving me insane. Like a severe case of tinnitus. :mad:

Anyone else had this problem? Can it be remedied? Am i within my rights to reject it after even a week and if the engineer can't hear it then will it even be authorised as a fault??? Added to this the engineer said he'd lose his bonus if we reject it after he installed it? I feel bad but i'm a bit peed off that this is a like a guilt trip placed upon me, but given the choices at 10.00am this morning, i felt it right to try it and reject it later if not happy.

I really don't know what to do about this! Help appreciated. (BTW, sorry for the long story...)
 
Reject it! There's no reason why you should put up with a noisy box, and whether or not the installer gets a bonus is not your problem.
 
Have you tried slipping the manual or a thin magazine under the box, so the belly of the box is being held up by the manual (between the support pads). Sometimes works.
 
Have you tried slipping the manual or a thin magazine under the box, so the belly of the box is being held up by the manual (between the support pads). Sometimes works.

No but i'll tinker with it tomorrow. Thanks.

Believe me, last thing i want is to keep changing them! I do not want to keep calling the engineer out, nor do i like setting favourite channels, planner and series links lol.
 
Have tried everything to get rid of the noise but no amount of repositioning of the box or sticking stuff under it gets rid of the noise, so I've booked another service visit to coincide with the HD installation on Friday.

Now then, what if the new engineer comes and e can't hear it either (same as the last engineer)? Should I be able to get every box out of the van and try them all until we find one that's not noisy? Last engineer refused to do this, making the assumption they'd all be the same, plus the fact he couldn't hear it. It's now so bad i swear it's responsible for the headache i'm currently suffering! :mad:

Only one more day to go until HD so i'm not too bothered!

So, anyone else had/know of this problem???
 
Can you tell which end of the box is making the squeal?

Lift it out of any cabinet and away from any walls, because you wont be able to tell if the sound is echoing. Then get your ear within an inch of the box.

If the whistling is coming from the left end (as viewed from the front) toward the rear of the case then it is caused by the switched mode power supply (Switched-mode power supply - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Congratulations; your high frequency hearing is good. That probably means you will be able to hear this same noise in any Amstrad sky+ box.

My whistling Amstrad box was replaced with a Thomson. Most of its noise comes from the HDD. Probably noisier overall than the Amstrad, but much easier to live with.
 
My Amstrad also squeals and drives me mad. Its done it more or less since day 1 but we put it down to being new and it would 'grow' out of it. However a few months have passed and its still the same. I would have contacted Sky earlier but my other half fractured her spine whilst on holiday and obviously the focus of life changed for a while.
 
How did you get on with your box replacement Regan?

It's being replaced this coming Thursday. Will let you know how I get on with the next one(s)!

It's upstairs now, having moved the newly installed HD box to the lounge, so at least I have a noise-free box again.
 
It's being replaced this coming Thursday. Will let you know how I get on with the next one(s)!

It's upstairs now, having moved the newly installed HD box to the lounge, so at least I have a noise-free box again.

Ive been tempted just to give in and go with the HD service but its turned into a point of principal really. But its so much hassle having to be around for the engineer, convincing them it really isnt right etc etc. And paying the extra dough each month doesnt really make it seem any better!
 
My Amstrad also squeals and drives me mad. Its done it more or less since day 1 but we put it down to being new and it would 'grow' out of it. However a few months have passed and its still the same. I would have contacted Sky earlier but my other half fractured her spine whilst on holiday and obviously the focus of life changed for a while.

Mine's the same, like a very high-pitched whistleling noise. Only happens when the sky box is on.

I too, thought it was because it was new but after 6 months it's still happening.
 
Mine does it all the time, but its more pronounced when its on or recording whilst in standby. You can hear the hard drive spin up separately so I know its not this. Spoke with Sky today and they said that it must be my TV and there wasn't anything they could do! Cheeky sods!
 

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