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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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 Posted -
09/01/2008
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12:36
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This now supercedes the earlier topic and is specifically aimed at all who are involved, Plus I do not like making spelling mistakes. First of all the current weather forcast for Skipton is: Saturday; showers, high 5, low 2. Sunday; showers, high 7, low 3. Not brilliant, but not like last night when for the first time ever I saw snow being driven horizontaly and illuminated by violent lighting!. With the lack of traffic on the cut at this time we may not have to empty locks before entering. A few tech, bits next. Summit - the highest section of a canal, ours is the highest of all twixt Greenberfield and Barrowford. Top of flight, section above flight, bottom of flight, that section below. This of course becomes in turn the top if you are going down. The section between locks in a flight are called pounds.. Locks have a head; top, and a tail; bottom. Each lock has six "paddles" two of these are ground paddles and are situated at either side in the canal banking above the head gates. These allow water into the lock at low level and are always opened first, some are opened with a lever and the rest with a rack and pinion, operated with a windlass NOT TO BE DROPPED INTO THE CUT, Two more paddles are one in each of the head gates and should not be opened until the water has risen above them, windlass operated, the remaing two are in each of the tail gates. These two need not concern us on this trip When using a windlass, after raising the paddle, engage the "Pawl" on the gear before doing anything else. Never let the weight of the paddle take charge. Safety is paramount, know what you are doing first. Sadly a dropped windless was the cause of multiple deaths at Gargrave a few years ago. Swing bridges, there are quite few between Silsden and Gargrave, some are often open. To open these, first cross the bridge and using a "necklace key" remove the chain device which secures the bridge beam. push the beam to bring the bridge parallel to the cut reducing the effort before helps to prevent the bridge from bouncing back into the path of the oncoming boat, hold the beam until the boat is clear, this caution also aplies to lock gate beams. Returning the bridge is the reversal of this operation. Someone on a bike can be very useful when attempting a "fast passage" but if there are other people about, take your bike over the bridge with you, its not funny when your iron is off down the towpath in the hands of a stranger. Someone on a bike can go ahead and ready the bridge or lock two is even better. I hope that this is of some help to whoever comes along and is unsure of events. But to all who come, Welcome and thank you. Keep safe and as warm and dry as is possible.
thomo
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panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 15:09
I hope thet remove any sunken navigational obstacles as part of the development.
Ian  |
Big Kev
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 16:59
Panbiker wrote
Still no signal lock so BK is going to reset the box using his known good (already optimally aligned) dish re-do the download and test that the box is OK. That should sort it, if not it will prove where the problem lies.
Nowt wrong with the box............
Big Kev
It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. |
Ringo
Site Administrator
3793 Posts
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 18:16
It could be the cable......maybe a loose conection somewhere.
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panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 20:26
BK, we had the sat finder at both ends of the cable and got a signal and tone in both cases. Logicaly if the cable were at fault this would not happen, the only thing you can possibly have wrong with a two core coax cable is open or short. Open or short would not register any signal. The problem was with the signal lock which does lean towards the box, Curious, never really trusted the "F" connectors, they are a bout as cheap and nasty as you can get but it would do no harm to remake them. The end stopping signals we had should have produced a lock. We need to mate the box back up with the portable sat dish, now you have re-loaded the software. If it was corrupt and it now works it may well work back in situ.
Edited by - panbiker on 20/01/2008 20:30:34
Ian |
Big Kev
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 21:13
PB, the box was OK as soon as I plugged it in here so I suspect a problem with the LNB, I presume it's preset for optimum focus (although I did notice a small amount of movement back and forth once the screws were slack).
I forced the software download to the box so it should be up to date (I'm not aware of any recent automatic downloads). I believe H is going to contact the dish supplier. Might be worth "pointing it through the hole in the wall" again and tweaking the LNB, failing that refitting the F connectors. The only other suggestion if all that fails is the LNB has had it. There was a very brief signal, at Silsden, so it has worked once.........
Big Kev
It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 21:29
I've left a message on the guy's phone so will report back on what he says. I'm tempted to ask for my money back but don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face.
However, maybe a cheap Maplin jobbie would function just as well, especially as we've cancelled our Sky subscription and simply want the free channels.
Has anyone any experience/opinion on the Maplin (or similar) system. I think they're about £65. |
panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 21:44
If the cables are ok and the box it only leaves the LNB. nothing else to go wrong. Need specialist equipment to test the LNB, alternative is to swap out after everything else has been checked. I had a similar problem on my system before I upgraded to multiroom. The original single output LNB supplied with the Sky dish developed regular dropouts of signal, select a channel and "No Sattelite Signal is Being Received" message. I could sometimes get the signal back by jumping a few channels up or down. Nothing was ever shown on the signal test screen, Signal strength and lock was always constant. I got a 4 port LNB with my multi room upgrade and have not had the problem since. LNB is now prime suspect I reckon.
Ian |
panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 22:46
BK, just found this on the Astra site:
http://www.ses-astra.com/resources/pdf/en-shared/azimuth/0_AzimutEurope.pdf
Was the LNB mechanicaly offset, or did the LNB have a preset offset? I can't remember. The chart indicates a 7 degree offset to get the best polarisation.
May be worth a try before apportioning blame to the LNB.
Cally, I have just had a look at the Maplin Portable Sattelite System you mentioned, The kit does include everything you would need including the free to air receiver. It looks to be a similar sized dish to the one you have already got, 39cm? It would be an alternative but check out the supplier of your existing kit, I assume it will have warranty if push comes to shove.
Ian |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 07:09
I'm very impressed by all the above...... My problem with leccy and all its ancillaries is that it travels at 186,000 miles per second and is both invisible and faster than me...... I've never attempted to get beyond starter level..... I hope you get a resolution. Experience in the wider world of dignostics tells me you are doing exactly the right thing and when you do find the location of the fault it will be something tiny, stupid and terminal. I suppose the miracle is that 99.9999 percent of the time the little men in the East get it right and it functions first time and perfect.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Big Kev
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 07:37
quote:
panbiker wrote:
BK, just found this on the Astra site:
http://www.ses-astra.com/resources/pdf/en-shared/azimuth/0_AzimutEurope.pdf
Was the LNB mechanicaly offset, or did the LNB have a preset offset? I can't remember. The chart indicates a 7 degree offset to get the best polarisation.
May be worth a try before apportioning blame to the LNB.
Cally, I have just had a look at the Maplin Portable Sattelite System you mentioned, The kit does include everything you would need including the free to air receiver. It looks to be a similar sized dish to the one you have already got, 39cm? It would be an alternative but check out the supplier of your existing kit, I assume it will have warranty if push comes to shove.Would certainly be worth a look. We'll see what the supplier comes back with, it may be something as simple as LNB adjustment.............
Big Kev
It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 11:53
When I spoke to the guy before, he did say something about the LNB having to be at about the 7 o'clock position in its 'holder'. As far as I can tell, that's how it is. In fact, I can't see how it would fit any other way.
Martyn from Travelsat hasn't returned my call yet. Hmm.
EDITED: About 2 minutes after I wrote that, Martyn called. He's flummoxed too. We've done everything he was going to suggest, so he's promised to travel up from the Midlands on Saturday morning to sort it out (bringing replacement kit).
He says it's unlikely to be the LNB as he's only had two fail out of 300 installations. But what's to say ours won't be the third, knowing our luck?
At least we used a company with a good customer care policy.
Woooh - it's getting scary outside - we're bobbin' up and down and the water is uncomfortably close to the top of the bank.
Edited by - Callunna on 21/01/2008 4:04:50 PM |
Big Kev
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 13:36
I hope you've been out with the mastic gun sorting out those roof vents?
Big Kev
It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. |
panbiker
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 13:39
Cally, I remember seeing an adjustment on the clamp, if you look at it I think it has graduations marked on it. This will be the polarisation offset. Anyway it would appear that you have a result from the supplier. And if he comes equiped with a replacement system, so much the better. If he does sort your existing dish and LNB I would like to know what the resolution was.
If it carries on raining for much longer there may be one or two more contemplating a move onto a boat! I could nearly have sailed to work this morning on the top road! 
Ian |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 16:09
"I hope you've been out with the mastic gun sorting out those roof vents?"
Yeah, right... !
And Panny, I don't know about it being better living on a boat. We could end up like the Ark: stranded on top of Weets! |
Another
Traycle Mine Overseer
6250 Posts
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Posted - 21/01/2008 : 16:17
Cally, nip down ro Barrowford or Greenberfield and open the locks. Nolic
" I'm a self made man who worships his creator"  |
FRABJOUS DAY, the homecoming.
