Sky Satellite Cables

[buzz_lightclick]

Hi, I just wondered if there was any benefit in upgrading my Sky satellite cables, I have 2, one for each input, I believe one is for the TV picture and the other is for recording on Sky+? The cables I have are horrible twisted things, they are surprisingly difficult to screw into place on a media plate I have in my apartment as they always want to untie and unravel themselves as you screw them into position.

In my Sky settings the Signal Strength bar is about 40% and the Signal Quality about 10% for each input. Is there a possiblity I am getting interference from some of my other equipment/cables and perhaps a better shielded cable might lead to better Signal Quality?

 

[jjbomber]

In my Sky settings the Signal Strength bar is about 40% and the Signal Quality about 10% for each input. Is there a possiblity I am getting interference from some of my other equipment/cables and perhaps a better shielded cable might lead to better Signal Quality?

Should be around 90% for both. Has the dish been blown out of line? Have the ends come off the cable? They may look in place but be loose. A quick way to test for interfrerence is to switch everything else off, so that just the Sky box and TV are on.

 

[buzz_lightclick]

In my Sky settings the Signal Strength bar is about 40% and the Signal Quality about 10% for each input. Is there a possiblity I am getting interference from some of my other equipment/cables and perhaps a better shielded cable might lead to better Signal Quality?

Should be around 90% for both. Has the dish been blown out of line? Have the ends come off the cable? They may look in place but be loose. A quick way to test for interfrerence is to switch everything else off, so that just the Sky box and TV are on.

Hi, there was a fault or problem with the dish on the roof of my apartment block which an engineer has fixed now.

Now I have Signal Strength at about 40% and Signal Quality about 95% for both inputs.

I guess there's nothing I can do to boost the Signal Strength?

 

[bigboss]

I've never used it so can't comment on performance.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001U4KTU6?vs=1

 

[kikiso]

I don't think there is enough info here to say if the cables are at fault. An engineer should be able to measure the signal at the dish directly from the LNB and either realign it or recommend new cables or a new dish or whatever. There are several things that could be wrong but it should also be pretty straight forward to identify the issue with the right knowledge and kit.

 

[buzz_lightclick]

I don't think there is enough info here to say if the cables are at fault. An engineer should be able to measure the signal at the dish directly from the LNB and either realign it or recommend new cables or a new dish or whatever. There are several things that could be wrong but it should also be pretty straight forward to identify the issue with the right knowledge and kit.

The management company of my property called the engineer after several residents reported loss of picture. I could only get the Sky channels to work, BBC, ITV etc did not. Following the engineer's visit (I've no idea what he did as I have no way of accessing the roof), I can now watch all channels again and while Signal Strength remains at around 40%, Signal Quality is about 95% as above.

From what I understand Satellite cables are digital so they either work or they don't, there will be no variation in picture quality achievable by changing the cables. I suspect my Signal strength remains low as there is one dish serving a number of apartments which are all wired for Sky+.

 

[kikiso]

Yes, seems that your signal quality is good and changing cables will not have any effect on viewing the picture quality. Given you are sharing the signal, 40% is not an issue. I've just checked my signal and I'm showing about 60-70% strength and 90% quality (and I don't share) so you are actually doing very well. I certainly wouldn't bother with a booster and new cables also not worth the effort.

 

[daveh75]

Being as you're in an apartment you will be on an IRS system so the dish feeds will be fed through multiswitch and depending on the size of the system a series of amps etc.

The signal strength isn't really as important (so long as it isn't so low as to be causing picture break up etc) as the quality, and yours is good.

I wouldn't try to boost the signal with an fixed gain inline amp like BB linked to, they can cause more issues than they fix, and amps should only really be used to account for cable losses etc not to make up for low signal levels.

In short it aint broke...

 

[buzz_lightclick]

Ok, thanks for the advice guys, will stay as I am for now then. Cheers.