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Satellite Workshop compilation This book is available as a PDF file which you can read with "Acrobat Reader" (which is free). The articles include fault reports and information about UK analogue satellite receiver repairs, many in the form of amusing stories that incorporate fictitious characters. Later articles also give some information about the BskyB Digibox. 12 articles written for Satellite Trader magazine for installers are also included. Some of the material in this book was never published in the magazine and will be new, even to magazine subscribers. The nice thing about a PDF book is that you can search for words and phrases. It's also much easier to read on-screen than web pages and it doesn't need a telephone connection once you have it. Each week 1000 people use my information without sending me even a "thank you" message. This is my way of encouraging you to send me something. It's not much to ask. If you liked my free book, you'll love this one! How to Order Click on "Books" above.

work, there was no sign of any soldering. All the original components were present, whether it is worth paying the 25 registration fee! I have been using the "Lite" was tapped. I traced the cause to broken solder joints on the 10-pin decoder board version for a couple of weeks and it has been a Godsend, since I do quite a lot of vehicle. I'm sure the roof bulged upwards.
vehicle - or perhaps he had borrowed his wife's car while his Mundaneo was in for a service?
under rated - especially if heatsink compound is not used.
truly 'in it'.

The words in this file have been jumbled. Why? Because the page is already registered with hundreds of search engines so I would be crazy to delete it. I decided to leave it as a gateway to my site with all the original text. However, it's not easy to read, is it, so why not have the complete compilation of articles in a book and read that at your leisure ? Tell me more

to transistor Q106 which adjusts the video level. I was unconvinced and replacing this 2SC1815 had no affect whatsoever. However, freezing it made the fault disappear. to have the unit returned, I simply swapped the mother board with one I had in stock to do just that! It is called "DesignWorks Lite v4.0" and is available for both Macintosh there was no picture or sound - just "snow" on the TV screen. This was hardly surprising as them quickly and easily. Recently, I downloaded an excellent software application the standby LED would light then go out again after a few seconds. I had tested all the sender was serious. The Subject heading was "I can't be bothered to read it" the rest of "Relkit 2" some months previously. I replaced the EEprom but that made the receiver back together with a sigh of relief. I know that this "bodge" was simply the rear right corner. These are notorious for failing and I had fitted BYV95A diodes the information about Hobby Electronics, Audio, Satellite TV, etc. (Everything from the audio and a hum bar that travelled repeatedly up the picture.
the 5.625 crystal and that was fine. Finally, I replaced the micro itself and that the 1k "bodge" and in went the oscilloscope. The cause was immediately apparent as I could that it can store a few more channels. However, copying the EEprom contents into that floated up the screen twice a second. I decided to fix it properly so out came that announced: "It won't lock and gives strange messages".
that a micro could cause an apparent "hum bar"!
still scrolled up the screen.
stages of the video amplifier. Heat made the problem worse, so that indicated a faulty semiconductor, several capacitors and a couple of transistors. The result was perfect pictures.
see a pulse coming out of pin 39 of the microcontroller U201. It shouldn't do that! remained scrambled and there were no decoder messages. Another twenty minutes spent rather than a faulty capacitor. Freezer spray apparently narrowed down the cause put a new one into my Crownhill Associates Ltd EEprom programmer and loaded up the contents provided a complete cure. Early units used the TOP201 but I suspect it is slightly polarised ones gave no decoder messages! Now, one of the many parts I had replaced was VR101, the video gain potentiometer. I had no 2k pots in stock so I put in pictures were very streaky so I spent a few more minutes fitting Relkit 2 which includes past. The three LED segments indicated a problem with the 24C08 memory chip so I past ten years. Does 50 miles to the gallon. Just as well, really, otherwise I couldn't owner! However, the video level was a fraction too low for the decoder's liking. own additional symbols if required.
on a hunch, I replaced the TOP201 with the slightly better rated TOP224 and that of button-pushing would change. I thought at first that the 2200uF electrolytic on the of a mess. Somebody had clearly tried to fix this intermittent fault and had resoldered numbers changing in a normal fashion but the three LED segments remained lit and now. I connected the receiver on the test bench and it produced a humming sound with not even need to contact me.
no difference. It HAD to be something preventing the microcontroller from working so I checked never ceases to amaze me that a six foot tall man will choose to drive a tiny 500cc my meter indicated no LNB supply voltage.
much more pronounced. It was very odd and I decided that the fault lay in the early more tests, it refused to light up! The power supply was pulsing and occasionally measurable components and added heatsink compound to the TOP201 without success. However, masking a fault caused by an associated component but it was 11pm and I was past loose and the tuner "F" connection was held in place only by virtue of the plastic base moulding. However, I was relieved to find that, despite the obvious hammer lit. I checked the 5.625 MHz crystal, X10, and there was no sign of oscillation. line of your Internet Browser. Press "Return" and my page will appear on your screen. lie in the power supply after all. Removing the decoder board made the "hum bar" it won't work. Just dots on the front."
it wasn't dead but the Timer and "On" LEDs were both permanently lit, which no amount in upgrading and didn't even seem to mind about the cost!
in order to reduce junk mail. Unfortunately, it means that genuine readers can't http://www.capilano.com
had also smashed the channel up/down buttons. I replaced these and tidied up the soldering grey suit looked very sorrowful and trudged out towards his tiny foreign car. It from my PC. (Whenever I have a working receiver in my workshop, I copy its EEprom fitting the capacitors from "Relkit 17" sorted out that problem.
fine but that original "hum bar" had returned in the guise of a faint row of dots every joint in the power supply. A pity they couldn't have used some flux! Somebody easily contact me. To combat that, type the URL http://www.ukstay.com/jack into the "Address" did replacing the large electrolytics. Feeling somewhat desperate I replaced the customers do. Instead, he merely reached for his wallet and commented on the weather.
cured that fault.
correct and "done to a turn".
contents onto my Hard Drive for future use. I'd be interested to know if anyone has connector.
connected mains power. Pressing the "up" button repeatedly resulted in the channel coincidence to have TWO faulty microcontrollers! Now the receiver worked OK but the decoded circuit design. It comes with a library of symbols (American) but it's easy to create your caring!
but a web page URL. The reason is that I often switch off one address and use another been touched". Close inspection inside revealed that the heat sink screws were extremely as a precaution. Replacing the remaining diodes made no difference to the symptoms. Nor and the receiver still worked perfectly. As the TV shop's customer was desperate and the message said:
and gave the receiver back. The following day when I plugged the old board in for and Windows P.C.s from Capilano Computing's web site at:
afford your exorbitant charges."
a working unit from another scrap receiver which some cowboy had "repaired" in the a similar "library" of TV EEprom files?)
a crystal set design to Chris Muriel's explanation of Digital Satellite TV).
a blank one and soldering that into an SVS250 gives an instant upgrade. (Pre-programmed a 1k which seemed fine - certainly better than the mangled thing left by a previous a 1k resistor from collector to emitter. The "hum bar" disappeared, so I screwed This receiver is almost identical to the SVS250 and the only obvious difference is There is also a "professional" version which supports lots of other features including The tall gentleman in a grey suit who brought this one in for repair wasn't interested The second unit had a similar symptom but this time the Timer and Standby LEDs were The first one had "dead" and "intermittent scrambling" scribbled across it. In fact The demonstration version will work for three weeks - long enough for you to decide The SVS260 cover screws were loose - worryingly loose for a receiver which had "never Swapping the micro for one from a scrap receiver finally provided a cure. Strange Subscribers will have noticed that my contact address is no longer an e-mail address Sports 2 or Discovery!" I tested it and the channels were there but most of the horizontally Since I had already spent far more time on this than it warranted, I tried soldering Replacing the crystal effected a simple cure. I thought that it was too much of a Pace Prima
On that occasion RELKIT 17 had provided a cure. This time it arrived with a note Occasionally I get fault reports that make the mind boggle. Mine was boggling right Now you can read the latest instructions for contacting me. You can also find on-line "Frequently Asked Questions" and answers about satellite faults so you might Many readers occasionally design simple electronic circuits and need a way to draw It's strange how you can see none for months and then two arrive on the same day! I was less cheerful. Apparently I had already replaced the two rectifier diodes at I told him the good news. On hearing the cost he didn't scream "HOW MUCH!??" as most I smiled to myself and typed: "Sorry, I can't be bothered, either".
I received an e-mail message, today, from foreign parts and I'm still not sure if I need, as I can't be bothered to read it."
I left it on test for several hours but it refused to die. Inside, it was in a bit I have attached a list of dish sizes and locations so you can tell me what size dish I had repaired this receiver previously when the symptom had been "no decoder messages". I fitted a 4k7 and made a mental note to order some 2k2 pots. Now the decoder operation was However, the picture was intermittent and would appear and disappear when the unit He pointed to the front panel which displayed three horizontal LED segments when I Even if you don't have a problem, you might like to look at my web site and peruse EEprom Stocked by SatCure).
E-mail blues!
Circuit Design
Before I could reply, he was out of the door and folding himself back into the little BT SVS260
BT SVS250
A local TV shop proprietor brought this unit for repair.