Picture distortion and signal booster

[ericmark]

All of a sudden I started to get picture distortion and scrolling of picture on all 5 TV's connected to loft 6 way signal booster from all three signal generators the sky box, the RF modulator connected to Hard-drive/DVD recorder player and old VCR.

Swapping the 6 way NIKKAI signal booster for an old two way booster in loft cured the problem (for 2 TV's) although we have lost the by-pass and hence the sky remotes no longer work.

I did test with only one TV connected first in case it was one of the unused TV's causing the problem with the rest.

I have never had this type of fault before and I had not realised a faulty booster could cause this sort of fault.

Has anyone else had similar problems? Is the booster now just fit for bin or is there a cure?

As a foot note I tried booster on main aerial and it has improved all digital TV. Just analogue it seems to have a problem with.

 

[ChrisFrost]

If you are a dab hand at electronics then you might find that the fault is a dead or dying capacitor, or possibly a duff regulator.

The question is though... Is it worth a repair on something mains powered that's left unattended in your loft once it has started to get a bit flaky?

Personally, I'd seriously consider a new replacement. The few tens of pounds a replacement would cost is a no-brainer for the peace of mind IMO

 

[big-all]

have you re-tuned anything recently or altered connections !!

 

[ericmark]

No nothing changed but I may open it up and look for fault. Just interests me why it should go that way. New one ordered and I will replace first before opening up just in case new one is the same. Temporary replacement has not got digi-eye through bit so maybe something to do with that? Worth waiting a few days before opening.

 

[big-all]

the reason i was asking was i used to have a freeveiw box that when you tuned it in for new channels would always interfere with chanel 4 untill you retune the output frequency
in the end to save retuniing every telly in the house before tunning would alter the output frequency [53 to 55] before retuning then reset [55-53]this cured the problem
hope you find a solution soon

 

[ericmark]

I had already realised the problems with co-channel interference and realised I had to use the bottom of the band. The three channels at 21, 26 and 28 were all tried on there own with same results And the aerial was disconnected. I have found two more analogue channels on 23 and 33 with aerial connected poor quality very grainy black and white. I will assume next door house is transmitting them?

The digital channels don't start until 44 I do sometimes wonder why I bother with an aerial as seems every week I have to return TV because something has changed.

Except for Yesterday we watch everything on Sky+ or a free to air satellite box. We do have 3 Freeview receivers two built into TV's and one set top box but very rare they are used.

I should climb up and turn my aerial at the moment aimed horizontal at Winter Hill but really should be vertical to some transmitter on Wirral. Moel-y-Parc is visible and a lot closer but I prefer English TV. When I had a rotator up I could also get Central.

With 4 transmitters in range it does not leave many free channels so I had been very careful in selecting and it was the first thing I considered that a freeview channel was the problem but seems that was not the case.

P.S. New splitter booster with digital by-pass fitted today Philex SLX8B and all seems now A1. I had never expected this sort of fault to be caused by booster.