This is the sixth in a series of articles which will help you to save
money on repairs and installation.
Pace receivers have menu options which will result in "no picture" or
"no decoder messages" if you set them incorrectly. I have lost count
of the number of times I have found the contrast set below number 4.
This invariably results in loss of decoder messages - sometimes on
just one channel, which can be rather confusing! Make sure that the
contrast is set to either 4 or 5. This is the optimum for correct
decoder operation. Why did Pace give the option in the first place?
It was designed for the export version which has no decoder. Another
Installation Menu option which gives problems is "LNB Power." Make
sure that this is always "ON" unless the receiver is part of an IF
distribution system in an hotel, for example.
The Grundig GRD series of receivers allows you to set the LNB local
oscillator frequency to silly numbers if you are not careful. When
you set it for an Enhanced LNB, be sure to press 09.75. If you omit
the zero it will default to 99.9 which leaves every channel stuck at
the lowest possible frequency!
The Amstrad SRD700 and Fidelity SR950 have no factory reset facility.
To make matters worse, they DO have an "Autotune" system which, with
a few careless button presses, will set the receiver off on a
self-tuning spree which will leave all channels stored in transponder
order with a few blank screens thrown in for luck! The SR950 has no
10.0 GHz option for a standard LNB so Autotuning with an old LNB will
result in a very strange channel order if you then use an Enhanced
LNB. One option is to retune every programme by hand. The other is to
order a pre-programmed memory chip from:
(SatCure), PO Box 12, Sandbach DO, CW11 1XA. (01270) 753311.
The Pace Prima handset, although similar in appearance, uses a
different code set from other Pace receivers. The Prima handset can
be distinguished by the designation "RC-10" at the bottom right
corner of the keypad. Recent production MSS100 also uses this Prima
handset. If the receiver won't respond, check that you have the
correct handset. I've also seen quite a few PRD800 and PRD900
receivers which would not respond to the handset. This problem is
usually caused by a broken solder joint on the infra-red sensor.
There's no need to dismantle the entire receiver to fix this. Simply
remove the top cover and front panel. The sensor wires are near the
front of the circuit board and can easily be resoldered with the unit
upside down. A poor joint on the sensor can lead to other problems
such as inability to change polarisation. A factory reset will often
cure this symptom. If it doesn't then try a download from an
identical receiver or use the Pace Link computer system. If all else
fails, a pre-programmed channel memory chip from SatCurewill do the
trick.
It never fails to amaze me how many installers, while perfectly
competent in the practical work of installation, are totally inept
when it comes to making real money at the job. I can understand this
from somebody on a fixed (high!) wage but for someone who is
self-employed it is rather sad. There are many ways to increase your
income without having to fit twenty dishes per day. One local
installer is an excellent salesman and carries out only two or three
dish installations per day. How does he live on that? He offers
additional services.
"Got children, missus?" he will ask. "Got tellies in their bedrooms,
have they? No! I can get some nice portables really cheap. Guaranteed
six months and I'll even fit an amplifier in the loft so they don't
need those awkward, unsightly set-top antennas. Can I wash my hands?
I'll just move these plates shall I. What you need is a dishwasher. I
can fetch one from the warehouse tomorrow if you like - trade price
of course! Where's the towel. You need a towel holder. What, you
bought one a year ago but he can't be bothered to drill the wall for
it! I'll fix it for you in a jiffy. You just put some newspaper down
while I fetch the drill." Invariably he earns an extra tenner for
this without even asking for it.
He is very observant and makes conversation with the house owner in a
friendly fashion while he is actually digging for information on
things he or she might need. "I hear there was a break-in next door.
You're not worried about burglars are you? You are! How about a
camera that connects to your video recorder. Whenever you go out it
records everything that happens. That way the police can catch them
and lock them away for a few years." And so he carries on looking for
things that the customer needs. "Dark out here. You need one of those
automatic lights. I've got one in the van. Here, I'll show you how it
works." He's even into mobile telephones: "Just had your car
serviced? I hear this model isn't too reliable. My wife keeps a
mobile phone in the glove compartment so she can call for help when
her car breaks down. Used it twice already. It was raining both times
and she in her best clothes. They make them really small, too. Here,
look at my phone. Bet you didn't even see it in my pocket! Let me
demonstrate."
The possibilities for earning extra cash are infinite. If the gutters
are soiled up you can offer to clean them. "Do they flood over when
it rains? I thought so. It'll get worse, too. Pretty soon the
rendering will come off the wall. Normally I'd charge 35 call out to
clean gutters but, since I'm already here, I can do them for
twenty."
He doesn't forget the satellite side, either. "You pay full
subscription but you can't get Sky Movies Gold or Granada Good Life?
What about Country Music? What you need is a Channel Expander. You
can get then from Sky but that could take three weeks. I've got one
in the van. Let me connect it up and show you. Of course, you have to
press this and this each time you want an Astra 1D channel. You don't
understand? Tell you what. Let me take your receiver to the workshop.
For an extra tenner I can have it upgraded so it works this Channel
Expander automatically. That way I can tune it permanently and you
get the extra channels without worrying about it."
Most installers overlook the possibility of upgrading receivers. A
repair is a repair and that's that. The customer won't pay more than
such and such to have the receiver fixed. But what if you can upgrade
it to 199 channels? Or make it work with an Enhanced LNB? Or modify
it so you can select the Channel Expander automatically in the menu?
Wouldn't the customer pay extra?
You can also part exchange the customer's receiver for one with a
higher specification: an SRD400 for an SRX200; An SRD510 for an
SRD400. A PRD800 for an SS9000. You might trash the SRX200 but the
others can be refurbished and used as part exchanges in turn.
For more advice about upgrades, contact Martin Pickering
repairman@netcentral.co.uk