No sat signal for some channels but perfect signal for others

[golfgtiman]

I'm back on here again as I have another question...

I have a Sky HD box here in Spain (near Nerja, Malaga) and I'm having some problems receiving a lot of channels. I have a Sky subscription with HD in London, UK and I've brought over my white sky card and have slotted it into the Sky HD box here in Spain.

I've made a note of the channels that I CAN see. Working my way up from channel 101 (BBC - which I can't see), I CAN see the following (I went up as far as Universal +1 - which I can't see - before I got bored):
Channel 4
Channel 5
Gold
Sky 2
Sky Livingit
Sky Living +1
Challenge
Comedy Central +1
S4C
More4 +1
4Seven

For a number of channels, Sky1 HD, Sky Living HD and Sky Atlantic HD, I received an error message stating I had the wrong card for my sky box. I called Sky and got them to pair my card to my Spanish Sky box and then I was able to see those channels.

My problem however is I CAN'T see the below channels and I'd like to know if I need to call out an Engineer or if I can change some settings on the Sky HD box.

BBC 1 London
BBC 2 England
ITV1 London
Comedy Central HD
Universal HD
Syfy HD
BBC3
BBC4
ITV2 HD
ITV3 HD
ITV4 HD
FX HD
Comedy Central X
Sky Arts 1 HD
Sky Arts 2 HD
ITV +1
Gold +1
C4 +1
E4 HD
E4 +1
More 4
BBC1 HD
DMax
DMax +1
CBS Reality
CBS Reality +1
CBS Action
CBS Drama
Universal +1

Some other points to note:
- When the Sky box is on any of the viewing any of the channels which I can view and I check the signal setting I can see there is no signal strength or quality.
- When the Sky box is on a channel that I can view, the signal strength is at maximum and quality is at half.
- There is only a single feed from the dish to the box and I've set the Sky box setting for this.
- The default transponder is set to 12207.

[satandpcguy]

For a number of channels, Sky1 HD, Sky Living HD and Sky Atlantic HD, I received an error message stating I had the wrong card for my sky box. I called Sky and got them to pair my card to my Spanish Sky box and then I was able to see those channels..

And when you go back the the UK you will have to repair it again - do it too often and Skys curiosity may mean they will not pair it - "why are you repairing it up so often???"

My problem however is I CAN'T see the below channels and I'd like to know if I need to call out an Engineer or if I can change some settings on the Sky HD box...

Some of those channels are on the north beam of Astra 2a and Astra 2B, and your dish may not be big enough to receive the all day - you do not say what sized dish you are using. In some areas of SPain even 2.4m dishes can struggle to receive these north beam channels 24/7.

It may also mean your dish is not aligned correctly, and / or your LNB is not a good perfoming LNB, and / or your LNB skew is not correct for maximum reception.

There are no setting you can change on the sky box to ensure reception of all those channels.

Some other points to note:
- When the Sky box is on any of the viewing any of the channels which I can view and I check the signal setting I can see there is no signal strength or quality.
- When the Sky box is on a channel that I can view, the signal strength is at maximum and quality is at half.
- There is only a single feed from the dish to the box and I've set the Sky box setting for this.
- The default transponder is set to 12207.

Which ever Default transponder frequency you use makes no difference to individual channel reception.
In single feed mode, the signal test screen will show the signal for the channel you are currently watching. It will vary between channels, which are on difference frequencies, beams and satellites.

[golfgtiman]

Many thanks for the reply...

Re-pairing. I told Sky that I have 2 boxes, one in the bedroom and one downstairs in the sitting room. He said I should have 2 cards, 1 for each box but I said that means you'll charge me extra to give me functionality I don't want (i.e. I don't want to watch different channels in the different rooms.) Their official answer is that I should move the box between rooms. I told them that was ridiculous and I'll call back to re-pair with the sitting room box again.

Dish size. I knew I forgot to mention an important fact. I didn't know my dish size but I've just measured it and it's 1.3m diameter.

Dish alignment. Is it still possible that my dish isn't aligned properly even though I get full and I mean full signal strength on the signal test screen on the Sky box?

Signal test screen. Thanks for confirming the reading relates to the actual channel selected.

[satandpcguy]

Dish alignment. Is it still possible that my dish isn't aligned properly even though I get full and I mean full signal strength on the signal test screen on the Sky box?

The signal test screen can either show the default transponder signal, or the signal for the channels you are watching.
Just because that shows good signal, does not mean it gets good signals on other frequencies.
It just means you are getting a good signal for that one frequency - UK TV comes from around 100 plus frequencies, from 4 different satellites, from about 7 different beams, with each beam having its own reception characteristics.

So for example, it may show a great signal if you are watching Sky news...I should hope so as that is on a south beam and easy to receive in most of Spain even on an 60cm or 80cm dish. But select BBC1, and it is showing no signal, quaklity or strength, then the dish is not aligned perfectly to receive that frequency.

Idealy a pro meter is way better and more sensitive than the sky signal test screen, especailly as they is always a delay in that responding to a small omvement in the dish.