Humax Digital box not working

[nb Innisfree]

Yes I have just checked on my back orders and whilst the equipment I have looks like the one illustrated, the description in the original order states that it is a 1 Way Aerial Amplifier.

 

They now look like this:- http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Electrical...Way/d/sd/p40516

 

I have been led to understand that masthead amps are better than set back amps, I don't know if that is a fact

[Albatross]

I have been led to understand that masthead amps are better than set back amps, I don't know if that is a fact

With the amp nearer the aerial you are amplifying a better signal. When it's near the set you have all the loses of the cable, to spoil the signal before it's amplified.

[alan_fincher]

With the amp nearer the aerial you are amplifying a better signal. When it's near the set you have all the loses of the cable, to spoil the signal before it's amplified.

Athough the degree to which this makes a difference is proportional to the length of cable between antenna and set. In domestic situations it can be significant, but provided a reasonable antenna cable is used, in most canal boat situations any benefit of putting a TV amplifier at the masthead is likely to be quite marginal.

 

Masthead amplifiers are usually more expensive, as they both have to be powered remotely, and also be made weathertight.

[Iain_S]

With the amp nearer the aerial you are amplifying a better signal. When it's near the set you have all the loses of the cable, to spoil the signal before it's amplified.

 

When it's near the aerial you have all the losses of the cable, to spoil the signal after it's amplified

 

However, I agree near the aerial is better; that way you're not amplifying the cable noise.

Iain

[twocvbloke]

Don't forget, even with a masthead amp, you can't amplify what isn't there...

 

Also, if your aerial isn't set up properly, the amp will also boost any noise picked up, so would actually be more of a problem than a solution...

[David Schweizer]

Well I connected the Humax box to the TV with a Scart lead (just in case the RF was not working) but the results are just the same - A "No or poor signal" message and no picture or sound. I have tried it on my main TV which normally has a cheapo Goodmans box but the results are still the same. I have re-installed the programmes and run an update check but no difference.

 

I have run a signal strength test on all the main channels and the strongest I got was for channel 5 which was between 15% and 18% all the others (BBC and ITV) were between 10% and 13%. All of them showed 0% for quality. This is all very odd because my cheapo Goodmans digital box bought from Argos for about £25 works fine and is showing a signal strength somewhere between 50% and 60%, which suggest to me that there is something amiss with the Humax box.

 

The chap who sold me the box is in the trade and has promised to get back to me, but I am beginning to think I have been sold a dog, unless someone can come up with any other ideas.

[Chris J W]

Have you got another aerial you could check it against?

 

It's odd that it managed to get sufficient signal to pick up the channel list, but insufficient to show the channels.

 

One thing you could do is to delete the current channel list (TV and Radio) and then do a complete rescan. It's possible (ok, maybe not likely, but you never know) that the channels you picked up were stored in the 300/800 range (my PVR does this when I've moved from one transmitter to another).

[WotEver]

Well I connected the Humax box to the TV with a Scart lead (just in case the RF was not working) but the results are just the same - A "No or poor signal" message and no picture or sound. I have tried it on my main TV which normally has a cheapo Goodmans box but the results are still the same. I have re-installed the programmes and run an update check but no difference.

 

I have run a signal strength test on all the main channels and the strongest I got was for channel 5 which was between 15% and 18% all the others (BBC and ITV) were between 10% and 13%. All of them showed 0% for quality. This is all very odd because my cheapo Goodmans digital box bought from Argos for about £25 works fine and is showing a signal strength somewhere between 50% and 60%, which suggest to me that there is something amiss with the Humax box.

 

The chap who sold me the box is in the trade and has promised to get back to me, but I am beginning to think I have been sold a dog, unless someone can come up with any other ideas.

 

Hi David,

 

Can you take the box to a friend's house who has a known good aerial? That would hopefully prove if the box is faulty or just needs a strong signal to operate. I've often found that cheap digiboxes (I have three that I bought for £13 each from Makro) are more forgiving of poor reception that better boxes. My elderly mum bought one for £50 and got nothing but clicks and pops; I tried one of my cheapies and it worked fine. She ended up having a high-gain aerial fitted.

 

T

[nb Innisfree]

Our Humax PVR would display channel info but also display 'no signal', rang their helpline and was told to go via installation menu and choose default setting and restore to factory default. Prob cured. Have since had to repeat this a couple of times

[David Schweizer]

Our Humax PVR would display channel info but also display 'no signal', rang their helpline and was told to go via installation menu and choose default setting and restore to factory default. Prob cured. Have since had to repeat this a couple of times

Done that, it made no difference.

[Semitrad]

I have a Humax recorder which I bought from ebay, supposedly new but I have some doubts. Occasionally it would switch off showing an error code, or lockup and have to be switched off ond on again before it would work. Also the hard disk would run continuously and noisily. The answer was to upgrade the software, this is available off air but only at certain times, otherwise it can be downloaded from the Humax website and transferred to the box via a serial cable. Having done this all symptoms were cured.

[David Schweizer]

All is sorted now. Although it is not very well explained in the manual, it seems that you have to run the factory default proceedure twice, telling it not to re-set the defaults the first time, then re-enter the codes and confirm re setting fasctory defaults the second time.

 

I had not read the manual and asumed that when ithe on screen page asked if I wanted to re-set, that answering yes the first time would work. Silly me. Anyway it is all working perfectly now without a Scart lead, so the RF Modulator is also working. A result.

 

Now I have to try and get it to work on the boat TV, which does not have a Scart socket

 

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Edited July 28, 2009 by David Schweizer

[Chris J W]

Glad to hear it's all sorted now, David!

[twocvbloke]

All is sorted now. Although it is not very well explained in the manual, it seems that you have to run the factory default proceedure twice, telling it not to re-set the defaults the first time, then re-enter the codes and confirm re setting fasctory defaults the second time.

 

I had not read the manual and asumed that when ithe on screen page asked if I wanted to re-set, that answering yes the first time would work. Silly me. Anyway it is all working perfectly now without a Scart lead, so the RF Modulator is also working. A result.

 

Now I have to try and get it to work on the boat TV, which does not have a Scart socket

 

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

 

That's good to know, Humax boxes have RF modulators, very useful for older TVs, cos it's only 99 days in the Granada region before the analogue switchoff begins...

 

Poor analogue, it served us well, now we shall be flooded with more cr*p that nobody wants to watch...

[WotEver]

Poor analogue, it served us well, now we shall be flooded with more cr*p that nobody wants to watch...

 

And the land fills will be... well, fuller.

[David Schweizer]

And the land fills will be... well, fuller.

Not if you just add a digital box rather than shell out for a new TV. The TV on the boat must be 15 to 20 years old, it works fine but does not have scart socket, hence the need for a Humax box.

[WotEver]

Not if you just add a digital box rather than shell out for a new TV. The TV on the boat must be 15 to 20 years old, it works fine but does not have scart socket, hence the need for a Humax box.

 

Oh, I know... but when I last visited our local tip the TV area was full to overflowing with what the guys there described as fully working TVs that 'weren't fashionable' any more.

 

T.

[David Schweizer]

Oh, I know... but when I last visited our local tip the TV area was full to overflowing with what the guys there described as fully working TVs that 'weren't fashionable' any more.

 

T.

Fashionable is something I have never been accused of. My mobile phone is 12 years old, and I have just bought a new battery for it. I cut my lawns with a Mechanical Push mower which is nearly 80 years old. I use planes and other tools in my workshop some of which are over 200 years old, I have about 20 paraffin lamps some of which are pressed into service during power cuts, and there are other things as well. A 15 year old TV will certainly not bother me.

[carlt]

I have about 20 paraffin lamps some of which are pressed into service during power cuts, and there are other things as well. A 15 year old TV will certainly not bother me.

and purely as a matter of interest, David, I am often asked, by Swmbo and anyone who she shares my shameful secret with, "Why do you need 30+ coffee makers/camping stoves/ hammers/ film cameras?" (the word "film" is invariably spat out with a mixture of derision and pity).

 

Do you get the same question and have you worked out a better answer than "But look how shiny they are!"

[RLWP]

and purely as a matter of interest, David, I am often asked, by Swmbo and anyone who she shares my shameful secret with, "Why do you need 30+ coffee makers/camping stoves/ hammers/ film cameras?" (the word "film" is invariably spat out with a mixture of derision and pity).

 

Do you get the same question and have you worked out a better answer than "But look how shiny they are!"

 

Ah. Yes, I have a great many tools too... but most of them are hammers.

 

Richard

[Chris J W]

Ah. Yes, I have a great many tools too... but most of them are hammers.

 

And one day you'll work out which end to hold ...

[RLWP]

And one day you'll work out which end to hold ...

 

I have a certificate from Warwickshire College for using hammers!

 

Richard

[twocvbloke]

And the land fills will be... well, fuller.

 

Yep...