Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Regarding any faults in manufacture.
For an exchange B&Q normally require all items are returned within the 12month sale period (guarantee).
For a refund of purchase you have 45days.
(In both cases original receipt required)
Brian

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi Guys.

I've just spent the time to read through this fascinating thread. and I think I can add something to it.

I'm new to this furum and new to sat finding other than in the old days of Sky analogue when I used to swing my dish around to 'see what was there'. So I hope I'm not in a grandma and eggs situation.

I bought the Ross system about 12 months ago (on offer at Homebase).

At first I simply used the reciever box on a spare output from my Sky lnb. This gave me the ability to watch an alternative programme whilst recording 2channels on my Sky HD box.

Anyway, I've recently aquired a mobile home so I decided to try out the system with its own dish with a view to taking it around with me.

I mounted the dish on a speaker stand (I do disco's) and stood it on the patio. I used a portable TV as a monitor and wired it all up. But try as i might I could not get a signal.

I resorted to phoning Ross.

I was told by their tech dept that the arm on their dishes is set at a different angle than conventional dishes and so the scale on the side of the dish is wrong

I had got the angle set at 24deg, as intructed by the information included with the system. I lowered the elivation by 10 degrees to an indicated 14 and hey presto... 59% signal.

Before somebody sugests that I had the bolts in the wrong holes or that I was using the 'B' scale..... no I wasn't.

This is apparently a trait of the Ross system.

Dave.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Just came accross this thread - thking of buying the Ross 8130 HD receiver from B&Q but I noticed that the external USB HDD has to be FAT32/16 hence maximum file size of 4 GB - too small for HD ?. I have prob. missed the answer to this on the thread but does this mean that recording via USB is at SD not at HD? So if you record BBC HD, for example, the recording is only standard definition ? I guess this would explain why it seems to be possible to play the recordings back on a PC since DRM would normally stop you doing this on HD content by encrypting the file.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Feel like a wally. Also emailed Ross Tech support when I posted and got a reply within 3 hours !!! Really impressed. The recordings are chopped into 2 GB segments and are HD. Unpacked the box and got it working in about 5 minutes after tweaking the sat dish. I am very impressed with this so far. By the way I just got my box from B&Q for 55.23 - normal price less 15% with voucher from Money Saving Expert valid 1st to 4th April.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Back again after all this time with my trusty (?) Ross box. This one has left me completely clueless.

Originally I had the dish mounted on a basketball pole in the garden. However, I recently tired of standing the thing up again after it was blown over by the wind so made the decision to hang it on the wall being more secure, etc.

I made the decision to invest in a Sat Finder to help me with alignment and set about the job in hand. The position the dish is in now is approximately 2 metres back and 1 metre higher than it was on the basketball pole.

Elevation set to 25 degrees and ensuring as much as humanly possible that the thing was level I then slowly rotated the dish to find my satellite. No matter what I do I can't seem to get anything other than the Astra 1 sat with all the German/French/Austrian stuff on it. And stranger still I find that same signal (Astra 1) in two places (admittedly not far apart). The Astra 1 signal is very strong giving me a maximum reading on the Sat Finder on the lowest dB setting (turned all the way to the left).

To check the equipment I put the dish back where I originally had it and hey presto, there's Astra 2 again. Back up on the wall and we have the same situation again with Astra 1.

After consulting with DishPointer I notice that Astra 1 is 10 degress more south and 2.8 degress less elevation. So I drop the elevation and turn ever so slightly to the left and.......NOTHING. Where is the damn thing? Why does someone keep moving Astra 2 when I'm not looking? Why have I been up a ladder for the last three days?

It's driving me nuts! Any guidance/help/advice gratefully received before I lose the plot completely and stick a mallet through the thing.

Yours, ever so calmly,
John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

You might have not read my post 4 up from yours, I was told by Ross that the elevation scale on the side of the dish is out by 5 -10 deg. because the angle of the arm is not as it should be thus putting the LNB in the wrong place. Also, your basket ball post may not have been perfectly upright, They usually do lean a bit.
Where I am the elevation shoud be about 24 but the scale reads 15. Try lowering the dish. It worked for me.

alternatively....can you move the wall?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I had noticed your post Dave and have every intention of trying that today. The way it's working at the moment it's more likely I WILL move the wall than find Astra 2. ;)

Just a question though. Is the Astra 1 signal more powerful than Astra 2 or would I expect them to be about the same?

John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I get a better signal on 2 but never more than 60% on anything.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I wouldn't worry too much about the scale on the dish ... it's only any use if your bracket is perfectly vertical in the first place.

There are two ways of finding the sweet spot in the middle of the cluster of sats you need in order to get all the channels you want. You either buy a sat finder and whack it on the end of the arm (quick, but costs money) or you crank the thing round and round by hand, constantly checking and re-checking to see if your box is picking anything up yet.

I can't recommend the latter - I have just arrived at our holiday flat to find the dish has taken a real hammering from the coastal weather over winter. It took me 20 minutes to adjust the dish manually, and all I was doing was inching the bracket up and down (i.e. only moving the dish through the vertical plane). The dish mounts themselves are fine - rusted solid, in fact - but the bracket is ever so slightly loose. I got my channels back with the 'upright' part of the arm leaning forwards a fraction, which unfortunately means the weight of the dish and a few good storms will knock it out of line again. I'll be coming back in the summer with a selection of spanners and a sat finder, as I am obviously going to have an ongoing use for one.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

If you've not got a sat finder then a pair of PMRs (walkie-talkies) with someone watching the TV can be invaluable

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

But don't forget that there is a delay between moving the dish and the TV/Tuner reponding and showing a picture. Unlike the instant responce of a sat-finder.

They also save having to ballance the 50" plasma on the top of your ladder.:D

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Also best is never move elevation at the same time as declination.

Set the vertical then go from side to side slowly.. if nothing found then slightly alter (only about a milimeter) the elevation again and go side to side.. Keep doing that until you find the sat you want

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thanks for the replies people.

A lot of patience and delicate hands are the points I'm picking up. When these things don't go the way you hope it becomes very easy to completely abandon one method for another in a short space of time. In effect, I could have been millimetres away from hitting Astra 2 many, many times but impatience has got the better of me.

I'll give it one last go today before admitting defeat. I do have a Sat Finder which has been very helpful in finding me Astra 1, even though I wasn't looking for it.

John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Success. Of sorts. I now seem to be pointing at Astra 2 and have some channels. But there are a few odd things I noticed.

1. When using the Sat Finder I get Astra 1 at the full reading even with the dial turned all the way to the left (maximum -dB setting). When pointing at Astra 2 I have to turn the dial down to about -3dB to register a reading. I thought that was odd.

2. All the channels have numbers before the Horizontal and Vertical designation. I could seem to get all the ones that started 10xxx but then nothing for any that were 11xxx and 12xxxx. A slight tweak in elevation seemed to fix this. Is that what is to be expected?

So, in summary, for now I'm happy (ish). After a good three days of faffing about with it I seem to have a half decent number of channels. It still strikes me as odd that I could get Astra 1 without even really trying but Astra 2 was very particular. When it was on the basketball pole it seemed to be the other way round yet there must be no more than 2 metres in terms of length between where it was and where it is. :confused:

John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

If I knew anything at all about this stuff I might suggest that the basketball post might have been acting as some sort of antenna thus helping the dish out. Was the ring and net still on it? :confused:

And, perhaps the near 2 meter distance you have moved the dish is not eaqually divisible by the wavelength of the signal!!! :D

:dunce: Dave. :dunce:

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

If it wasn't for the fact that the thing kept falling over with a decent gust of wind I'd have left it on the basketball pole. Without the top net/backboard part on it made a perfect sat dish stand.

I wish I had the brain capacity to know more about this stuff.

John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Just a quick heads up!
I noticed SD satellite kit reduced to 24pounds 98pence at B&Q.
No idea for how long the reduced price lasts.
Brian

ross satelite will only pick up scrambled signal
 

Hi all, new to forum and have scanned posts, but can't seem to find anyone with similar problem. Have bought Ross sd satellite dish from B&Q, stuggled a while to set up - think I've aligned to correct sat cluster- though when scan for FTA's only pick up handfull of programmes. Changed scan mode to all and bam, all the channels were found ( talking BBC, ITV etc ) but they are all scrambled! Has anyone any advise?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Welcome to the forum Peter. I have merged your query into our ongoing Ross thread which is being monitored by a number of knowledgeable people.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Ta Chris, look forwardto ANY help!

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Sounds like you're only getting one sat in the cluster (you may need to fine tune the dish alignment).. How many TV channels are you getting when you do a full scan?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Maybe also worth asking - do you have a sat finder or are you wiggling the dish about by hand?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hello everyone I'm new to this and I have a question on the above satelite kit.
Having set up the dish, when it came to setting up the receiver I only get the Ross logo and then the message No Programme. Also no response from the remote, no buttons seam to work with the receiver.
In the manual states No signal, but nothing about programme, could this be a software issue.

Please help
Keithl

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

If you can't get the menu up and running then you might have a faulty unit. No program might refer to the fact that there's no programs (channels) scanned into memory..

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thanks Kymmy, your correct. It appears this is because no programmes have been scanned as yet.
This may be a problem with the remote and receiver.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thanks guys,only got in this minute - Kymmy I'm picking up 146 channels on a full scan (all) and Chris- yep, using a sat finder - noticed that I'm picking up a lot of the sky channels and wondering if indeed I'm on the right group of sats? Still can't understand why all the normal ''freeview'' channels are scrambled though?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi folks - when switching from terrestial tv to satellite (via the HDMI), within (usually) a few minutes the picture will go pink (most of the time only a few areas of the picture - sometimes all), the picture will then turn black and no audio. Within a minute or so the picture and sound are back and no further problems are experienced unless I change the input source to the tv then go back to the satellite!

Just recently a message also pops up stating that there isn't an input signal at the HDMI.

My tv is a Samsung 42" plasma and the satellite receiver is the HDR-6610 USB HD.

I've tried different cables and different HDMI ports but the problem remains. I've also tested the cables and ports with other equipment which work flawlessly.

I've not yet tried the scart option yet - but do you think the receiver's faulty - or is it merely a compatiblity issue with the tv?

I have to also mention that when the problem occurs when also recording - the playback of the recorded program is perfect so there's no problem with the reception!

Many thanks.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Sounds like a fault with the blue component on the HDMI output.. If you've tested out the TV ports and cables with other equipment then it can only be the sat player. I'd suggest having it looked at under warranty..

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thanks for that Kymmy - I've tested the scart output and that was fine so it's definitely the HDMI output at fault. However, since connecting the scart cable I no longer get the colour fault, but the loss of signal still occurs at some point. There are now two messages that appear - 'No Signal' and 'Mode Not Supported'. Could the problem be down to a faulty HDMI port?

What's the best way of getting this resolved? Going back to B&Q or contacting Ross direct?

Thanks once again.

El

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Depends when you bought it and what arrangement Ross has with B&Q.. Ring up B&Q's customer service number..

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

hi Ive bought a ross satellite system, but cant get a signal to recive the channels ive bought the satellite finder kit, been on the dishpointer website, got all the right positions, but cant seem to get any % in the quality bar? the strength is at 70% but no matter what we do we cant seem to get the quality bar to go up at all. Any suggestions?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

More than likely the wrong satellite.. It only takes a few degrees movement to be on the wrong one.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Kymmy's right - your dish is probably pointing too far south. Start with the dish pointing about 30 degrees more easterly than where you expect to pick up the satellite(s) - then move the dish in a southerly direction until you get a reading in the quality bar. IIRC my readings are quality 99%, strength 63-70%

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I have just bought a Ross HD satellite system.I got the signal to 99% no problem
I spent hours trying to get the quality above zero, I tried everything, I was about to take it all down and return it to B&Q. I thought that I would try one more thing,
I turned the LNB horizontal so that the f connector was pointing straight down 6 o`clock.
within two minutes I had found the satellite and the quality was 57%.
Ross tech help said that it should be at 8 o`clock which was wrong for me.

within two minutes I had found the satellite and the quality was 57%. Fine tuning gets the signal quality better.

Hope this helps some of you.
Oilyboy

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

The F connector should always be pointing down (though with skew it might be +-15 degrees rotated)

The reason for pointing down is increased weather protection.

Check dishpointer.com for the skew in your area

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

From experience I knew that I wouldn't get any joy ringing B&Q so I emailed Nexus directly.

Within 30 minutes or so I got a reply asking me to send the receiver back using their freepost address.

I sent the receiver back last Tuesday after 4.00pm.

This Saturday morning I received a brand new receiver - complete with handset and HDMI cable!!!

My old receiver had been tested and was found to have a faulty HDMI output.

So a massive thankyou to Nexus Industries for their excellent customer service and unbelievably quick repair/replacement turnaround.

As an aside, not only is the HDMI output from this new box (still a HDR-6610USB) absolutely perfect - the timer recording function seems to work 100% reliably too (the old one was a bit hit and miss).

At some point in the near future I'm going to buy another receiver - with customer service like this it's definitely going to be another Ross!

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

i have just bought a ross freesat hd box from B&Q i can't get a signal at all. i bought the signal streagth meter and tried that but still no signal. so i called thier help line and although the guy was ok all i was told to do was to keep trying .
has anyone else had the same problem gettting or not getting a signal .:confused:

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi Jimmc,
As 23 pages on the same thread show, it is not very easy to set these up. I started by trying it out with everything including the satellite in my bedroom. I wanted to be sure the system worked before i braved the outside elements. There are many parameters to set up, not least to make sure that the receiver is set to tv as opposed to radio. The difficulty is that you are looking for a needle in a very big haystack. Once you have set the satellite in the rough area you then have to very carefully physically move the satellite in a raster that is horizontal then up a bit then horizontal back and keep doing this. It might take 5 minutes, it might take 5 hours. It bears no relationship at all to setting up a television, tuning in a radio, setting up windows on the computer or anything like that. You may tune it in then move 1/2 inch and completely lose it (the signal that is). Once you have done a full raster you then have to slightly alter the lnb and then do a complete raster again , and again. Once you get a signal you will get a buzz of elation, this will give you the 'well now I know that it works' feeling and then you can fine tune, then take the dish outside reroute all your cables and set up for real.
I set mine up at least a year ago, if not 2 now, and it has never lost the signal once. My only problem is that I don't know what the remote code is, so that I can use a universal remote for this and my dvd and telly.
I hope that this post gives you confidence to keep trying.
daycartes

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi all,
I just joined the forum after recently purchasing the Ross FTA SD satellite kit from B & Q. I used to be in the TV industry and thought I would try and keep up to date with technology. I set the dish up on the patio by screwing the stand to a piece of wood and then pointed it in the rough direction of others in the street. Like many I got plenty of strength but no quality. I found Astra 1 easier to get but the key for me for receiving Astra 2 was the tilt of the dish and not so much the direction. I didnt have any meters or gear but once I understood the angle is much shallower than you would imagine, I was sorted! All i have to do is find somewhere to fix the dish to, which my wife says is a bit big compared with Sky. hope this helps others. Snowwy

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

The signal strength relates to the connection between the LNB and the box, so it should be good as long as you have done your cabling properly.

The signal quality relates to what the LNB is actually receiving from the satellite. This is the one that will vary depending on how well you position the dish.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi folks

Just a heads up if you're got the Ross HD box and you've noticed that BBC HD and BBC1 HD have gone missing. Because the BBC have changed the transmission properties of these channels you will need to do a little edit to make them work again.

Go into the menu and go to the TRANSPONDER LIST. Scroll down slightly until you get to the FREQUENCY of 10847. Press the GREEN button on your remote to edit the entry. You need to change the SYMBOL RATE from 22000 to 23000. You will need to confirm the change by pressing the OK button and not the EXIT button.

Once you've done that, BINGO! Your channels will return.

:)

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

This is the switch to DVB-S2, presumably?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Either that or they are messing about with the transponders and how they are grouping the channels together on them again?.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Yes, exactly right.

The small bits of blurb I'd read about it suggested that a simple "re-tune" of the transponder would suffice but for reasons known to people much cleverer than me that doesn't seem to work on the Ross HD kit.

However, with a small amount of jiggery and a fair dollop of pokery I found a solution.

Regards
John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Of cause, if your missing channels or audio etc you can always go here: http://en.kingofsat.net/pos-28.2E.php an get the settings for all the FTA channels and manually correct any details that you might be having problems with any particular channel.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Before I happened across my solution I had mailed the Ross Technical bods for their input on the subject. They replied thus....

"Since the BBC changed the transmission type for their HD channels to increase the amount of data being sent (the same transmission system as Channel 4 HD uses), they left them on the same transponder as they were on before though.

We observed that throughout the last 3 days the channels have repeatedly gone off and come back on again (currently our lab receiver has stopped showing a signal from the BBC HD transponder although it was working earlier today on a couple of occasions).

We cannot be certain how long the BBC HD transmissions will continue to be unreliable."

It seems odd that the channels appeared the moment after I made the change. And even odder that the BBC would be running some sort of ropey signal considering their involvement in the Freesat platform.

A happy fallout of the change is that the signal quality for these two channels now registers at 75% where it was previously 63%.

It would seem that the change to the new format opens up the possibility of maybe a third HD channel (BBC2 HD?).

For those of you who missed the BBC latest mass marketing campaign detailing the changes then you can find it on the very well publicised BBC Internet Blog here http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...annels_on.html

Regards
John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Just for information I mailed Ross Tech Support back to tell them my solution. Having thanked me for the information provided they still persist with this line that the new BBC HD signals are prone to disappear at any particular time they feel like it.

Is anyone with a Ross box experiencing this? More to the point is anyone with any type of Freesat HD box experiencing this?

Regards
John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Some comments from the BBC about this - there have been various issues but nothing affecting branded Freesat boxes so far as I can see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...ment_109308107

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

just set up a B&Q FTA SATELLITE DISH,signal 70%,quality only 30%.have no obstructions but cant get quality any higher.am getting all signals ok but lose some when it rains heavily.it cost£25 so i shouldnt complain.whats the best twin lnb to buy?would a new lnb improve the quality?.many thanks.jcb.

---------- Post added at 20:11 ---------- Previous post was at 19:58 ----------

Hi kymmy,would you give me a answer to the above query,thanks,jcb

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

If you live anywhere but the top half of scotland then you should get a good picture even in heavy rain. Sounds like you're still slightly off with either your dish or the LNB skew. A good lower noise higher amplification LNB would help but not as much as a simple dish adjustment. Remember that tiny movement can make the difference between a poor signal and a great signal.

As for standard twin LNB's they all tend to be the same specs so shouldn't make much difference until you pay a lot extra for higher specs.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

thanks Kymmy,,,will do a bit more adjusting.jcb

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

An analogue sat meter is invaluable especially if it's got an audible signal as it's ever so easy to adjust the dish without having the view the meter. If you use the one on the box just remember that it has a slight delay so it's adjust very slightly and then wait a few seconds before moving again.. Check dishpointer.com to see what skew the LNB should be set to.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I found when setting up my Ross system that the dish angle or whatever it's called had to be set slightly higher than the setting they gave in the instructions. Dunno if that helps.

John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

thanks for the extra info,Kymmy and John.i found the best signal with the dish almost vertical,,ie,to the horizon.have got interested in this satellite mularky so am going to invest in the analogue sat meter.ive even been and bought another £25 sat from B&Q to set up for a mate,,,lol.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Someone did point out to me that whilst they give you various angles for the elevation of the dish that would all be assuming you were starting from an absolutely flat level surface.

You'll find the sat meter a great help as it saves a massive amount of time.

Having said that, I found http://www.dishpointer.com a great resource and it works especially well if you have some landmarks you can work with to give you a bit of a headstart in at least pointing in roughly the right direction.

John

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

You've gotta remember that as the LNB is off-set a vertical dish is still pointing upwards by about 20-40 degrees (depends on the dish)

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

havent got round to buying a sat finder yet,,,im trying to get the haylage in between showers.ive used a portable tv outside,moved the dish and watched the quality greenline go up.have now got all progs.bbc streams,all locals,,itv,bbc,etc.sky freebys,,and loads of others,,very happy with b&q sat set up,,,and the price.thanks john,,,kymmy.jcb.

---------- Post added at 19:24 ---------- Previous post was at 19:19 ----------

has the 19degree satellite got a few more free sport channels on it,,i know its mostly foreign but i can always mute it.jcb

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

check out lyngsat.com

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I been having problems scanning 19.2e the box Ross DVD-S 5010 keep resetting it self three quarters of the way though the scan, I found if you go in to TP setting & unclick 47 (12168 V) it will then scan, is anyone having this problem? do I have a faulty box?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi guys. First post and I am after help. I just bought the Ross HD unit from B&Q but I cannot get an image from the HDMI connection. The scart is fine and I have plenty of SD channels but without the HDMI I get no HD :-(

Does anyone know if I am missing something obvious?

I have tried having only the HDMI cable plugged in, having the TV set to the correct input before switching the box on and changing the screen resolution with the VP button but nothing yet.

I took one box back and I bought a new HDMI cable. My blu-ray player works fine through the same input and with the same cable!!!!

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

There have been other people posting in this thread with the same issue - I believe the HDMI port on the box was shown to be faulty. Is there a phone number for Ross customer support on your documentation? Might be worth calling them and going through some troubleshooting steps, then let them tell you to take it back to B&Q again (assuming that's where you got it) for another replacement, or a refund.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thanks Chris.

I did a search but did not find this mentioned.

I will make the call and see what happens.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Well it's not the box it's my Sony Bravia. The HDMI output works fine on a 19 inch TV. So got to plan what I am going to do next.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Just A quick question guys I'm new here, I've had the Ross FreeSat for round about 7 months now. Ive heared channel 4 hd is now out? as my bbc hd no longer works I wondered how I go about solving this? Do I need to update the software somehow or simply just do a re tune? thanks in advance for any answers. :)

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

What box do you have?

if its the HDR-6110USB these a Firmware update at www.ross.co.uk

if you have the HDR-8130USB it should work OK you need to scan

10847 V
23000
for BBC One HD & BBC HD

and

12607 V
27500
for channel 4 HD

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Just wondering if anyone has come across this proble. I set up the dish and had my tv up in the attic and was getting all the channels from Eurobird 1 & Astra 2A/2B/2D at 28.2°E fine there with the 10 metre cable supplied. I then had to put a joiner on that co-axial cable to bring it down to the sitting room (another 10 metres). There I am getting some of the channels (mostly the bbc's itv's and channel 4 stations) But i am getting a "weak signal" for most of the other channels. I put a signal booster on the join in the attic but still cant get the more "obscure" channels. Any suggestions?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Extra cable, joiners and even poor quality cable can attenuate the signal (not only down from the LNB but also the control signals/voltages back up to the LNB)

Always best to use one piece of co-ax and for it to be good quality co-ax.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I had to use a joiner as the builder had the cable to the sitting room already installed and I cant pull a new cable through the ducting- its too tight, and the wife wont let me have wires going up the walls inside. I am just wondering why I can not see all channels that i can get before joining the cable? Are they not all broadcast at the same strenght? Or has it anything to do with transponders?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Two things will effect the signal, transponder ERP and also the position of the sat. Think of Astra2 as three sats all moving inside of a box in space, if your dish is perfectly pointing towards the middle of the box you'll get a good signal from the inner sats and an OK signal from the sats near the edges of the box. If your dish is slightly out then the other sats will be even weaker.. Mix that with varying transponder ERP's and you then have an issue.

If you need to keep the join then you need to check that the cable is good and that the connectors are joined to the cable properly and securely.. A good connector might equate to adding 1m to a cable (same attenuation) where as a bad connector might be the same as adding 20m to the cable) Even then it might not be enough

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thanks for that. Just one other question. If I have to keep the join and cant change the cable as its in the walls is there different signal boosters that will overcome the problem? What would you recommend?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

New co-ax is the only thing I would recommend.. If you boost a degraded signal then you're also boosting the noise. Only other option would to replace the LNB with a higher gain/lower noise rated LNB

---------- Post added at 15:19 ---------- Previous post was at 15:17 ----------

I would though firstly check the connectors and make sure that there's no shorts and also good and corrosion free joints..

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

hi kymmy,,,what is a transponder?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Transponder = Receiver/Transmitter (it receives the channel from the groundstation and retransmits it on the frequency that your receiver is tuned to)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transponder

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

sorry to be thick,,,but is the LNB the actual transponder?
is it in there?ive looked it up kymmy but dont understand what it actually is on the B&Q sat dish set up.by the way im getting good reception with the cheap SD version.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

The transponders are on the satellites, each sat has many transponders and each transponder might deal with more than one channel.

The LNB (Low Noise Block Convertor) is a device at the end of the dish that takes the signal from the sat (about 10-11Ghz), amplifies it and then converts it into a lower signal (.09-1.2Ghz) that is then transmitted down the co-ax to the receiver. The LNB also is able to switch between polarizations (for example Horizontal or Vertical depending on the voltage supplied to it)

So in simple terms this is the path a signal takes from for example Sky to your box

Sky Offices >> Groundstation >> Receive transponder on Sat >> Transmit Transponder on Sat >> Your Dish's LNB >> Coax >> Sat Receiver

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Thankyou for the reply, so once I have scanned how do I go about saving these channels or will it auto do that for me? :)


I have clicked save but I still have no Channel 4 HD or bbc ONE hd (I have bbc hd but not #1 hd)

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

BRILLIANT Kymmy,many thanks for the transponder explanation.sorry for the delay,,,,ive been muckspreading:rudo::rudo:

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi all, bought one of these a few months back and have recently moved to south west scotland..a couple of weeks back we attempted to set this system up..we have the dish aligned to roughly the same angle as the other dishes on our road and also roughly to the readings taken from dishpointer.com.
however, despite my brother gradually moving the dish as i sit watching the screen..we cannot get the quality bar above zero..the signal strength reading is around the high 60s or low 70s.
we are novices at this game and dont know if we are missing something here or there is something faulty.. any ideas anyone ?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You're missing one thing.. A sat finder.. without one it can be like trying to find a needle in a small haystack. They're only £5-6 off ebay

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

OK, thanks for that Kymmy:)

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Don;t get me wrong you can do it without one but you have to go extremely slowly and remember that the signal meter spikes are delayed by a second or two. Best to start off in a position you know is definitely higher or lower and then move the dish very slowly from side to side (perhaps going a millimeter at a time) once you've done a sweep then drop/raise the dish a millimeter and do the horizontal sweep again.

It can take hours where with a sat finder it can take 10-20 minutes as you get an immediate visual and (depends on the meter) audible response to a signal.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Try doing a "Blind Scan" if you pick up any channel, have a look at http://en.kingofsat.net/ to find what satellite you are on, then move the dish left or right to find the one you are after.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Just bought one of these sets in B&Q. I'm a complete newbie to satelites and havent even tried to set it up yet. Most of the channnels i'm after seem to be on Astra 2 28.2E and Eurobird 28.5E but i was hoping to pick up one channel (VTV4) on Hotbird 13E. Will it be possible to pick up channels from these satelites at the same time with this dish?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

You need one of three things (for 28.2 and 28.5 you only need one LNB)

1# A dual monoblock LNB (this is two LNB's side by side seperated by an angle of 15 degrees) you need two specify either the angle or the two sats you want to receive(28.2 & 13.0)

2# A LNB mount that you can fit two LNB's at the right angle (I made my own) switching between LNB's you need a disecq switch

3# A DiSEqC motor (which will turn the dish to point to whichever channel you choose.

I'll try to find a couple of examples of what I mean and post links on here

---------- Post added at 17:17 ---------- Previous post was at 17:10 ----------

Twin LNB mount (you will need to buy another LNB and DiSEqC switch and also make sure that it'll fit your dish)
http://www.aerialshack.com/product_t...flexiblock.jpg

An adjustable dual LNB (doesn't seem to be many 15degree dual LNB's about, if twin output you will have to buy a DiSEqC switch, if single output then the switch is built in)
http://www.octagoneurope.co.uk/cart/...HQ_OFFLG_1.png

DiSEqC motor
http://www.sat-control.net/plugins/c...ors_sm3d22.jpg

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Cheers, i'll probably go for a motor, seems the most straigforward and adaptable option. Will something like this motor http://www.maplin.co.uk/satellite-dish-motor-47176 do the trick? I'll probably get someone to help me set it up, i've only ever messed around with cable boxes before and haven't got a clue about satellite dishes.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

The maplins one doesn't state what size dish it can cope with.. If it's a 60 or 80cm dish then you should be fine.. I'd suggest popping to Mpalins and seeing if it says on the box..

But YES that is a DiSEqC motor and as you change channels it'll automatically move the dish to the correct sat once it's been fully set up and configured

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Maplins online product Q&A is actually very good - put the question on the product page and you should get a useful answer.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

someone already asked on maplins q&a...
so i suppose it should do the trick

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Yeah but if it says 1.2 meter dish I wouldn;t trust it past a 1.1 meter dish.. You know what I mean.. I got one for my 1.1 meter dish and bought a 1.3 motor

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Hi there, I downloaded all new channels to get; the new hd channels I now have

BBC HD
ITV HD
4 HD
bbc one hd
itv one hd
is there any more hd channels available does anybody know? :)

But my main problem is when I downloaded these channels I downloaded literaly hundreds and ended up with alot of duplicates like 4 itv +1's etc etc so I have been on a deleting rampage and have just left the channels I use but I realised I deleted to many itv + 1 and now dont have it, is there anyway I can re download just that and not have to download the hundreds of pointless channels? Many thanks in advanced

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

You can also get NHK World HD

11224 V
27500

Have a look at http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html & just search the transponder you want.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

I am just returning my ROSS HD Sat Kit kit to B&Q for a replacement. I set it up, Got the 99% signal strength, about 5% on quality but no channels - all reported as 'weak signals'. After about an hour of careful adjustment with no difference, the signal quality dropped to 25% (for no apparant reason) and then I discovered even cable unplugged made no difference to anything. I read one of these forum articles about a chap who set one of these things up by pointing the dish out of his bedroom window in Northumberland so I have a suumed that this is DOA.
Will see if I can get a signal meausring thing at B&Q.
So far my first experience of FTA sat is more than bad.

---------- Post added at 13:32 ---------- Previous post was at 13:31 ----------

Any advice greatly appreciated before I bin this thing

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

If you've never set up a sat before then without an analogue signal meter it can be damn near impossible.

You might have had a strong signal but it could have been a totally different satellite especially as they can be sometimes only a few degrees apart and also a half a degree misalignment can also mean the difference between a good and bad signal.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

OK. Replaced the Kit #1 with Kit #2. Exactly the same. 99% PIC1 and about 0% PIC2. I can point the dish at the floor and it is still 99% picture stregth and 0% Quality. Ross the manufacturer, dont even admit to making this kit on their website. I am about to ring them. Again, if anybody knows how they fixed this 99% , 0% issue please let me know.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Scamps, "Signal Strength" has nothing to do with the signal coming from the satellite to the LNB/dish. The signal strength is a measure of the signal between the LNB and your set-top box. It should always be high, regardless of where you point the dish.

"Signal Quality" is a measure of the signal being received at the LNB and if this is zero, your LNB is not receiving anything from any satellite.

What measures have you taken to establish the correct bit of sky to point your dish at?

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Aha. thanks for response. So at least the connections are good LNB- Coax - Sat REceiver

So, measures to establish correct bit of sky. I used www.dishpointer.com to get a direction (Azimuth and Elevation), trying both Astra 1 and Astra 2 to try get success. (Info on here seems to throw confusion on just which is the correct satellite)

I also watched the ROSS video on set up. It looks rediculously easy when their quality manager does the set up. slight adjustment and up comes the signal.

What am I missing? - I am getting nothing at all. Just about to see once again if I can get through to ROSS who so far have not picked up the phone.

---------- Post added at 16:53 ---------- Previous post was at 16:47 ----------

also, neighbour has a dish on his wall. They look to be similar in elevation and direction.

If I need to get a meter to find a signal, which would you recommend?

---------- Post added at 17:18 ---------- Previous post was at 16:53 ----------

I spoke with ROSS support and it is suggested using the factory preset, selecting BBC1 London and adjusting the dish until a picture is seen. Watching the signal quality monitor is of little use. Using the cheaper end of the market for signal metering is not really good. So it looks like I am getting to the end of the road. BTW This is the HD Satellite Kit (Not the SD).

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Astra 2 at 28.2 is the correct sat for UK freesat channels. As for the sat meter check ebay but any meter with an anolgue display and an audible signal will do (the audible signal is ideal as you don't need to look at the meter whilst balanced on top of a ladder. You shouldn't be paying more than a tenner for a meter, patch cable and delivery from ebay. I have a KONIG myself but that was because it was the cheapest at the time.

Just remember to have the meter at the dish end as then you can see or here the signal strength as you move the dish.

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

OK Kymmy and Chris. Konig on order. Will forget the thing until it arrives. I had hoped the sat technology would have been a little bit easier, but FTA or Freesat are definitely the way to go. Better setup design would certainly be a bigger threat to SLY!

Re: B&Q Satellite - Ross freesat box and dish
 

Sat tech is very easy once the dish is pointing in the right direction.. When you get the meter you'll see how easy it is to miss the sat with just a small movement