"No signal or signal too weak" on all channels

S

slotph

Member
After the device worked more or less perfectly for over a decade, I suddenly get this message. Tried new install but no channels found. I first thought it was an aerial problem, but the TV works OK (signal feeds through the Fox T2). As it has two tuners, they presumably can't both be faulty. Old recordings can be played.
Was investigating replacing it with an Aura, but this is now unavailable. Does no one use video recorders any more? The Fox-T2 has a stereo analog output and gives (gave?) fantastic results with my high-end stereo system, but the Aura does not have this and would need a D-to-A converter.
So I'd love to fix this problem.
 
slotph said:
Tried new install but no channels found.
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So now you have no channels tuned instead of tuned channels but no signal. Well done.

slotph said:
As it has two tuners, they presumably can't both be faulty.
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But it only uses one at a time (for live broadcasts).

slotph said:
Was investigating replacing it with an Aura, but this is now unavailable.
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How can the Aura be unavailable?? It's the current flagship model!

slotph said:
So I'd love to fix this problem.
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Get a second-hand HDR-FOX off eBay?
 
Black Hole said:
How can the Aura be unavailable?? It's the current flagship model!
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For a while recently it was out of stock everywhere, even direct from the manufacturer. Then a few appeared locally (which is when I managed to get hold.of one). A quick check of Argos shows it isn't available anywhere. Currys - out of stock. Humax Direct - out of stock. Either it's selling well, or Humax are not producing enough machines.
 
Black Hole said:
A quick check of Argos shows stock local to me.
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Have you just bought it?
When I just looked at 3 different locations it stated not available, and asked if I was willing to travel. The "willing for travel" option stated that it was not available at ANY Argos store. It also stated that it was not available for delivery.
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Argos website said:
Sorry

Collection is not available in any of our stores.
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Neither 1TB nor 2TB versions available for collection anywhere near me, or London, or Bristol.
 
EEPhil said:
Neither 1TB nor 2TB versions available for collection anywhere near me, or London, or Bristol.
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I'd be worried for Argos if it did, as the Argos has only just told me that it is not available at any Argos store.
 
slotph said:
Was investigating replacing it with an Aura, but this is now unavailable.
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From a post elsewhere Richer Sounds are expecting some stock mid March and can be pre-booked.
They did the same with a batch that they were expecting, and did get, towards the end of December.

Hopefully when the Manhattan T4-R finally cones out there won't be the same supply issues as one of the features of the Manhattan T4-r over its latest discontinued model is that the chip is supposed to be easier to source.
 
"Local to me" meant my current location, not my home area... but I just went in and checked and it is now showing no stock so perhaps what I saw before was a blip.
 
Black Hole said:
How can the Aura be unavailable?? It's the current flagship model!
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One possibility might be that they a planning to release a new or upgraded model and are letting existing stocks run down so that they don't have to sell too many off in Clearance sales
 
Luke said:
the chip is supposed to be easier to source.
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Then something will happen like the Ukraine war ends and all those drone/missile chips become readily available and cheap (as chips?), or China invades Taiwan and everything goes pandemic style again. I've given up trying to second guess the future :eek:
 
slotph said:
After the device worked more or less perfectly for over a decade, I suddenly get this message. Tried new install but no channels found. I first thought it was an aerial problem, but the TV works OK (signal feeds through the Fox T2). As it has two tuners, they presumably can't both be faulty. Old recordings can be played.
Was investigating replacing it with an Aura, but this is now unavailable. Does no one use video recorders any more? The Fox-T2 has a stereo analog output and gives (gave?) fantastic results with my high-end stereo system, but the Aura does not have this and would need a D-to-A converter.
So I'd love to fix this problem.
Click to expand...
Could this be another instance of the tuner saga?
BMAX said:
Some of the regulars may remember a thread from eighteen months ago where I was investigating tuner difficulties following damage caused by a falling picture frame...
Dead HDR-FOXT2? | hummy.tv

...and a follow up six months ago.
HDR Fox T2 loses all signals after a day or 2 unused | hummy.tv

A few weeks ago, prior to a visit to the recycling center, I decided to have a last look at the box.

Hair dryer heat treatment had previously caused a temporary fix. Several forum members have advocated a more radical heat treatment for various other problems, so I decided to attack the pcb with a 2kW heat gun, more in hope than anticipation.

I badly under estimated the power of the gun, and the temperature of all the components in the target area rapidly became much hotter than I intended, but I don’t think it was hot enough to melt the solder. Everything suddenly went blank (no signal, etc).

Fearing that I had overdone the process and wrecked the board, I switched off, then re-powered after everything had cooled down. Surprisingly, the box seemed to work OK.

That was three weeks ago and the box has been in daily use since, with frequent test cycling of the various features as well as normal service use. There has been no recurrence of any problems.

Conclusions:

I still have no idea what the problem was, except that it was not the tuners themselves, but further upstream in the processing chain.

I have little idea of the temperature that the components got up to with the heat gun, A spot check with an IR thermometer indicated that it was probably above 120 degrees Centigrade.

I have no idea how long the board will continue to work, but I will report back any change.

Make of this what you will!

Thanks to those that showed interest, especially BH who kindly donated a spare pcb complete with a pair of good tuners.
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In the absence of a solution I have ordered a new Aura machine (for which I'll need a D-to-A converter to hook it up to my stereo system (I've been assured I'll get it next week...). But when I removed the cover from my 11- or 12-year-old HDR-FOX T2 I was amazed that it looked like brand new inside, so it would be a pity to have to scrap it. If no channels are being received but playback works, and the aerial has been proved to work (as the TV works on feed-through from the T2), the problem must be before the tuners. Is there an aerial signal amplifier somewhere in the chain? If so, it should be a generic component that should be replaceable. Any ideas?
 
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