Broken Sky box?

[Feltwell]

Hello! After some help from you knowledgeable bods please.

My van has a Oyster II system, linked to a Sky minibox and then on to my TV. We hardly ever use it - it came with the van - in fact it stopped working over a year ago, and I'm only just getting around to sorting it! It's fitted to the van though, so it niggles me that it doesn't work.

Today I phoned Oyster and spoke to an incredibly helpful lady who talked me through all transponder code checks and various menu options, so I'm happy all is well there. Excellent customer service, I have to say.

The Oyster system is then connected to what I suspect is an elderly Sky mini box - a Pace BSKYB 1000. When the power to this is connected, a red light comes on, but pressing the on button seems to do nothing - the light stays red - I presume it should go green? Not sure! The TV says it's getting no signal.

Now I don't need Sky, we haven't even got anything beyond Freeview on our home telly.

So a couple of queries:-

• Anything I can do to possibly coax the Sky box into life, or is it jiggered?
• If it's bust, what's the simplest and cheapest replacement, bearing in mind I'm only interested in free to air channels?

The TV is fairly elderly, probably as old as the van (13 years) so I don't believe I can hook up to it without a box in between. Currently we've got a Sky remote and a "Sky Eye" to make the sky box work.

 

[TCG]

Hi
for the sake of 30 quid why not just replace the sky box with a cheap free to air from ebay

 

[Wagoneer]

I've got exactly the same system as the OP.

When you switch the sky box on the read light comes on. You then have to wait about a minute for the box to warm up. Then press it again and the green light should appear.

If the green light doesn't appear after further repeated pressings then it looks like it's faulty.

If you've got a sky remote handset, try turning it on with that.

Edit. Another thought, if your leisure battery is less than 12v this might be the problem.

 

[Speve]

This may sound strange but is your dish set o Astra 2 when you try your sky box? As if it’s not you won’t get a signal.

 

[Feltwell]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, dish receiving Astra 2 no problem, after the helpful Oyster lady talked me through all the menu settings.
Wagoneer, good to hear that, I will try some patience and let it warm up for a bit!

Failing that, new box time. I couldn't see the one on TCG's link, but this one looks similar and appears to have a 12v dc input - so I'm presuming it would do the job, unless anyone knows a better / cheaper option. I don't need recording of any kind.

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[Anthony OysterTech]

Hi Feltwell,

Glad Margaret's help got the Oyster up and running.

The Sky box is most probably suffering from what is known as the "red light of death" most probably caused by faulty capacitors on the board. Sometimes it's just a case of waiting for it to kick in but if Sky isn't that important to you then you have three alternatives.

1, A Freesat box - Has an EPG (electronic program guide) putting all your channels in a user friendly order and giving you a 7 day listings guide. Normally gives UK satellite only.
2, A free to air Satellite receiver - Has Now and next for each channel only and you generally have to download the channels although it can be used with foreign satellites if you speak other lingo's. The channels also download in the order they're seen so if you want them in an order you'll have to do that yourself I'm afraid.
3, A TV with built in Satellite receiver - Some have Freesat some are Free to air and some such as an Avtex are a bit of a combination. For example the Avtex will put the main channels in order but you still only get now and next currently, although I hear that may soon change. It also supports multiple satellites.

Hope this info helps but any problem getting the Oyster to communicate with whatever receiver you go with just give us a call.

 

[Feltwell]

Very helpful indeed, thanks Anthony. The programme guide on the old Sky box was a pain - umpteen channels listed of which I could only receive a few, no way to know without trying to select them. Sounds like a Freesat box would do us fine, and I see you can get 12v ones easily.

 

[Feltwell]

Current Sky box definitely kaput, "red light of death" will not change.

Might try one of these Chinese cheapie Freesat boxes - has a 12v input.

 

[obanvanman]

I have one of the sky boxes in the garage somewhere. I am returning to uk on monday and can post it for you to try. It worked before I had a new system installed.

 

[Feltwell]

Very generous of you, thank you - but I will give the Freesat box a try - the easy Electronic Programme Guide that Anthony describes sounds useful, as with the Sky box (but no subscription) we got a massive list of channels on the EPG with no indication of which ones we could actually watch.

As the Freesat is only £16 I'll give it a go, but I do appreciate the offer. If it won't work I may well drop you a line!

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[obanvanman]

More than welcome. Its been sitting there for ages. Give me a shout if you need it. Kev.

 

[Satandpcguy]

Might try one of these Chinese cheapie Freesat boxes - has a 12v input.

Very generous of you, thank you - but I will give the Freesat box a try - the easy Electronic Programme Guide that Anthony describes sounds useful, as with the Sky box (but no subscription) we got a massive list of channels on the EPG with no indication of which ones we could actually watch.
As the Freesat is only £16 I'll give it a go, but I do appreciate the offer. If it won't work I may well drop you a line!

Note that this is NOT an official Freesat UK box, as per option 1 in Anthonys reply
It is a free to air box, as per option 2 in Anthonys reply
It will NOT have the Freesat Guide, Freesat channel list, Freesat 7 day programme guide, or Freesat on demand options (should you want these).

 

[Feltwell]

Thank you for the advice. My word, this is mighty confusing - if it says Freesat in the description, does that mean it's official or not, no way of telling I guess! That and trying to spot one with a 12v input.

 

[Satandpcguy]

Thank you for the advice. My word, this is mighty confusing - if it says Freesat in the description, does that mean it's official or not, no way of telling I guess! That and trying to spot one with a 12v input.

Yes, very confusing when they call any old satellite receiver box a Freesat box when it is not...or even licensed by Freesat...but that is the way to get sales on Ebay!!!

I think only Manhattan and Humax are the only official producers of Freesat boxes these days..
Official Freesat boxes will have the Freesat logo on them, showing they are running the Freesat software, Freesat Guide and use the Freesat data stream

 

[Vansflyer]

Before declaring the Mini Sky Box dead you may have one more option... Make sure the dish is aligned on 28 east and it has stopped spinning. Remove the power from the rear of the Sky box and count to 5, press the "Back up" button on the box, not the remote. Keep it pressed and reconnect the power lead, keep the "back up" button pressed until all the lights come on on the front. When all the lights come on you can let go of the back up button. This sequence forces a software update onto the box, sometimes if they haven't been used in a while it can revitalise them, no promises but it has been known to work. When all the lights go out it is "cooked", give it a min and then try and turn it on. The software update sometimes needs more than one go, so try it twice. FYI this works on all Sky receivers. Good luck.

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[Jaws]

It could be fuse related
If at some time there has been a short on the coax it will take out one or more fuses as the box feeds between 13 and 15 v up to the LNB
Those Pace boxes are VERY rare now.. They are the only 12v box that has a Sky decoder which you can use a Sky card with

 

[Vansflyer]

It could be fuse related
If at some time there has been a short on the coax it will take out one or more fuses as the box feeds between 13 and 15 v up to the LNB
Those Pace boxes are VERY rare now.. They are the only 12v box that has a Sky decoder which you can use a Sky card with

No fuses on those receivers or any others for some time now, they all have short circuit protection. 13v & 18v + 22k tone for high band goes up to the LNB.
You are correct that they were the only 12v Sky receivers with a card slot, we sold hundreds of them to caravan / motorhome people. Not the quickest receiver in the world but worked well enough.