SatFreak
12-24-2007, 04:33 PM
C & P from Enigma+
I see a lot of posts regarding issues people have with their various boxes, most of which have very simple solutions. So before posting please ensure that you have checked the following. This by no means is all you can do, but the points listed are some very common issues, with very easy and common solutions.
"Scrambled Channel" This is the issue that finds most of us here. Sometimes, the Sky really did fall, but more often than not, its because the providers have done a minor change that causes you to change along with it. Here's three common issues that occur, and the solution for them:
KEY CHANGE - This is when the providers change the "access code" to "get in to the building" so to speak. Now most receivers out there have an autoroll feature that finds the keys automatically and gets you going again. Some get stuck and you'd have to cycle the power on your box to get this feature going. If you're box does not have autoroll, or if it appears your autoroll is not working, have a keygrabber on hand. This will at the very least tell you if a key change has taken place, and when. Most are updated quickly and will have up to date information including the new keys. If this has taken place, you may have to reenter the new keys manually with the method specified for your particular box. Information on how to do this is most likely posted in your particular box's section.
CHANNEL MOVE - The providers from time to time shift there channels from one transponder to the other or across to a different satellite. They do this to annoy you, but it is easily fixable. If your box has a working Auto Transponder feature, use it. It should find where the channel is hiding and get you back up again. If it doesn't have this feature, or like Coolsat, not functioning properly, just rescan your satellites. I generally don't do a factory reset, but you may have to for your particular box. See factory reset later on here for a few details on that.
NHL CENTRE ICE OR SPORTS PACKAGE - Its game time, and guess what? Scrambled Channel. This is merely a channel move as noted above, but is usually done just before game time, or within the first 10 minutes. So do the same as stated in "Channel Move". You may miss the National Anthems, but hey, you know the words already right?
FACTORY RESET - This brings your box to 'near' factory condition. I'm listing this here because some don't realize that when you use this feature, your satellite settings are reset and have to be reconfigured to receive proper signal again. My suggestion to you is to write down your satellite settings and keep them in a safe place for future reference. So if your particular box requires a factory reset to be done before scanning, (to avoid duplicate channels, and the like), make sure you reconfigure your settings BEFORE doing a scan, because your channels will be all screwed up, for lack of better terminology.
USE OF CHANNEL LISTS - Channel Lists are pretty much self explanatory... Lists you can upload to your box to manipulate the way you view your channels in the guide. I list this one here because on particular boxes, when uploading your channel list back into the box, it sometimes does not upload your satellite settings correctly. So you may have to go and reconfigure them before your viewing pleasure recommences. Also worth noting, that if you have to do a rescan of any of your satellites, you will notice that your channel list may have been altered back to original channel names... so you may have to reupload a new list.
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This by no means is a comprehensive list that has all problems listed. Many issues have to do with faulty wiring, and faulty switches. If you are confident your switches and wiring are fine, and you are absolutely sure your dish hasn't moved or been blocked by either the weather or trees respectively, then a great last resort feature before posting is the following:
SEARCH AND READ POSTS ALREADY IN EXISTANCE - This is a great tool. You are not the only one with your particular box, and chances are another person has already experienced the same issues you are currently having. This by no means belittles your problem, and sometimes your comprehensive search will render negative results, but you'll never know until you try and not only might you find your question answered to your satisfaction, but extended comments to the problem that may assist you in it not happening again.
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Finally, if all else fails, POST IT so we can all learn from your question. Its sometimes easier to send a private message to the helpful people of this site, but the only person that benefits is you. We know stuff, but we don't know it all, so you will just expand the communities knowledge. You will not be ridiculed for your question, and most of us understand that sometimes a search isn't always successful, even though the question was asked before. But please don't use this as a scape goat... Try the search first please.
I see a lot of posts regarding issues people have with their various boxes, most of which have very simple solutions. So before posting please ensure that you have checked the following. This by no means is all you can do, but the points listed are some very common issues, with very easy and common solutions.
"Scrambled Channel" This is the issue that finds most of us here. Sometimes, the Sky really did fall, but more often than not, its because the providers have done a minor change that causes you to change along with it. Here's three common issues that occur, and the solution for them:
KEY CHANGE - This is when the providers change the "access code" to "get in to the building" so to speak. Now most receivers out there have an autoroll feature that finds the keys automatically and gets you going again. Some get stuck and you'd have to cycle the power on your box to get this feature going. If you're box does not have autoroll, or if it appears your autoroll is not working, have a keygrabber on hand. This will at the very least tell you if a key change has taken place, and when. Most are updated quickly and will have up to date information including the new keys. If this has taken place, you may have to reenter the new keys manually with the method specified for your particular box. Information on how to do this is most likely posted in your particular box's section.
CHANNEL MOVE - The providers from time to time shift there channels from one transponder to the other or across to a different satellite. They do this to annoy you, but it is easily fixable. If your box has a working Auto Transponder feature, use it. It should find where the channel is hiding and get you back up again. If it doesn't have this feature, or like Coolsat, not functioning properly, just rescan your satellites. I generally don't do a factory reset, but you may have to for your particular box. See factory reset later on here for a few details on that.
NHL CENTRE ICE OR SPORTS PACKAGE - Its game time, and guess what? Scrambled Channel. This is merely a channel move as noted above, but is usually done just before game time, or within the first 10 minutes. So do the same as stated in "Channel Move". You may miss the National Anthems, but hey, you know the words already right?
FACTORY RESET - This brings your box to 'near' factory condition. I'm listing this here because some don't realize that when you use this feature, your satellite settings are reset and have to be reconfigured to receive proper signal again. My suggestion to you is to write down your satellite settings and keep them in a safe place for future reference. So if your particular box requires a factory reset to be done before scanning, (to avoid duplicate channels, and the like), make sure you reconfigure your settings BEFORE doing a scan, because your channels will be all screwed up, for lack of better terminology.
USE OF CHANNEL LISTS - Channel Lists are pretty much self explanatory... Lists you can upload to your box to manipulate the way you view your channels in the guide. I list this one here because on particular boxes, when uploading your channel list back into the box, it sometimes does not upload your satellite settings correctly. So you may have to go and reconfigure them before your viewing pleasure recommences. Also worth noting, that if you have to do a rescan of any of your satellites, you will notice that your channel list may have been altered back to original channel names... so you may have to reupload a new list.
------------------------------------------
This by no means is a comprehensive list that has all problems listed. Many issues have to do with faulty wiring, and faulty switches. If you are confident your switches and wiring are fine, and you are absolutely sure your dish hasn't moved or been blocked by either the weather or trees respectively, then a great last resort feature before posting is the following:
SEARCH AND READ POSTS ALREADY IN EXISTANCE - This is a great tool. You are not the only one with your particular box, and chances are another person has already experienced the same issues you are currently having. This by no means belittles your problem, and sometimes your comprehensive search will render negative results, but you'll never know until you try and not only might you find your question answered to your satisfaction, but extended comments to the problem that may assist you in it not happening again.
-------
Finally, if all else fails, POST IT so we can all learn from your question. Its sometimes easier to send a private message to the helpful people of this site, but the only person that benefits is you. We know stuff, but we don't know it all, so you will just expand the communities knowledge. You will not be ridiculed for your question, and most of us understand that sometimes a search isn't always successful, even though the question was asked before. But please don't use this as a scape goat... Try the search first please.