What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'?
How to Reset a Sky Digibox when 'No Signal' appears.
Reset method 1 - Delete and Rescan
- Turn the power off at the mains socket. Either do this by pulling the plug from the socket, or using a power switch if there is one.
- Remove the viewing card from the machine. Using a dry cloth or kitchen roll, clean the gold connector on the reverse of the card. Do not use any cleaning products.
- Check cables and connectors are in good order.
- Wait for at least 30 seconds.
- With the card still out of the machine, plug the Digibox back into the mains.
- Ignore all the messages, and wait for around a minute.
- Try 101 for BBC One, 102 for BBC Two and 103 for ITV-1.
- Insert viewing card, wait a few seconds.
- Check 104 for Channel 4 and 105 for five.
Reset Method 2 - Reset the LNB
If the above method does not work, the LNB may have a fault.
- Press the [SERVICES] button and then press [4] [0] [1] then [SELECT]
On Sky HD, press the [SERVICES] button and then press [0] [0] [1] then [SELECT]
Press the buttons in the sequence above exactly - do not atttempt to use [UP] or [DOWN]. Note that when you press the second 0 and 1 nothing happens on the screen until you press the final [SELECT]. This is a "hidden menu".
- Then press [1] to go to the RF output menu.
- Press [DOWN] three times to highlight the line 22Khz Command and then press [RIGHT] to change the value to [OFF].
- Press [DOWN] and [SELECT] to select Save New Settings.
- Press [SKY].
- Again press [SERVICES], [4], [0], [1], [SELECT]; then [1] again for the LNB Menu. (SERVICES 0 0 1 SELECT for Sky HD).
- Now press the [RED] button (reset all settings), then [DOWN] until you can select Save New Settings again.
- Press [SKY].
Reset Method 3 - Upgrade the system software
If there are still problems:
- Turn the Digibox off at the mains again and remove the viewing card.
- Whilst holding down the BACKUP key on the Digibox - NOT ON THE REMOTE - turn the mains power on.
- Keep hold of BACKUP until the screen displays a "UPGRADING SYSTEM SOFTWARE" message – this will be white text on a black screen. On some boxes this can appear as a half screen.
- Wait 10 to 20 minutes for the software to download and install. The box will restart when the process is complete.
- Ignore all the messages, and wait for around a minute.
- Try 101 for BBC One, 102 for BBC Two and 103 for ITV-1.
- Insert viewing card, wait a few seconds.
- Check 104 for Channel 4 and 105 for five.
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L NicklessThursday 1 July 2010 1:50PM
Thanks for all your help. ok.....I've done most of the things suggested on this page. I have now lost channel 5 and when trying to serch for it it says no signal found........& when doing tip 1 I have nothing in both of the lower boxes. I'm thinking its time to get a freesat box?L NicklessThursday 1 July 2010 1:54PM
& while upgrading system software the screen is flashing & pink!BobTuesday 6 July 2010 10:53AM
Hi,I have bought a used Sky HD box of ebay to use in my motorhome when in Spain to try to get uk tv with a small dish (camos).I am trying to get it up and running in the uk but get no signal.I use a FTA Zehnder receiver connected to the Camos control box which works fine, I have connected the Sky box to the Camos control box receiver socket with Astra 2-S selected as before.
My query is do I need a card in the Sky box or does HD Sky transmit on a different satellite.Bob: No card is needed, the satellite cluster is the same. Are you sure the dish is correctly aligned on 28.2? JamesSaturday 24 July 2010 10:00PM
I also bought an hd box off of eBay and live in Spain I got a new card from sky but they can not seem to activate it after me spending hours on the phone giving serial numbers etc I swoped for my normal box and they activated this right away can anyone help please?James: Have you tried putting the now activated card in the Sky+HD box? JamesSunday 25 July 2010 7:59PM
Yes and it still does not work it's not the card because I got then to activate in a normal box I have also tried to reset by unplugging and holding down the back up button on box but nothing happens and I can only get a signal when I plug in to number 2 with the sky cable James: I would start being doubtful about the box, to be honest. Does it report that you have a "signal" and a "lock"? James MTuesday 27 July 2010 9:58PM
Sounds like you have been sold a dodgy box and as such you should send it back to get a refund.georgeWednesday 4 August 2010 3:15PM
my sky box has lost ITV LONDON and gone to central itv can i put itv london back to the 3rd position on the menugeorge: Only by contacting Sky, and providing them with an address in London for your account. John DarbyThursday 5 August 2010 1:51PM
My sky+hd box has suddenly stopped recieving certain channels, message 'no sattelite signal recieved' yet channels prior to and after are fine. For example I can't get BBC1
yet BBC2 ITV1 CHAN4 are fine. Then no CHAN5.
This happens in patches up the programme range. I have lost countless channels,
I have reset the box,unplugged the unit,and
removed the viewing card, it's a mystery.
Thanks J.D.John Darby: Have you done "Reset Method 2 - Reset the LNB" yet? Carol MuntSunday 8 August 2010 3:48PM
Hi,Thanks to all of you who post help tips. I get the messages but no signal How do I check the dish? By the way I am not connecting my box to the phone line.
MuntmapaulFriday 13 August 2010 5:47PM
hello i am living crete and have a amstrad sky box and sky card from my sister in england, the sky has been working fine until now, no signal beeing recived, have try method 3, cant get installer setup from services,can you help.
paulpaul: Press Sky, then press SERVICES], [4], [0], [1], [SELECT]. Nothing is shown until you do this. sashaSaturday 14 August 2010 1:50PM
hi I have the new sky box and am also having the same issues with the no reception notice every few hours due to use of communal dish... the instuctions on here have not worked?! pls help!!sasha: Please contact whoever manages your communal dish, I would have thought. Sean McgheeTuesday 17 August 2010 6:28PM
Hi, I have a sky+ box which has completly lost its signal. The signal was very weak at one point but I put it down to heavy rain but the weak signal continued days after. The box now wont lock onto a signal at all, I have tried all 3 methods but none of these have worked. The box is only about 18 months old or less. This also previously happend to a sky+ HD box i used to own. could it be a fault in the line thats damaging the box or just bad luck?LutonFanTuesday 17 August 2010 8:55PM
Sturminster Newton Sean McGhee- From what you have stated, water MAY have penetrated the coax lead. It may be prudent to get this looked at.Sean McgheeTuesday 17 August 2010 9:08PM
Well there is never any liquids near the box but i do often get condensation in the room perhaps thats the problem, which lead is the coax lead and if your correct is this a simple fix or are we talking replacement?Sean McgheeTuesday 17 August 2010 9:15PM
Was thinking some more, is the coax lead at the dish end? if so I don think that the problem because theres 3 other boxes in the house and they all work perfectly.Sean McgheeTuesday 17 August 2010 9:36PM
I fixed it! :D, I removed a small amount of insulation on the 2 signal feed leads so more of the wire was exposed and went further into the sky box and I have to say the locking devices on the cables are very poor, they where only jammed on with copper wire its possable the cables where easing thier way out of them. Thanks for the response any I hope this helps anyone else if they have the same problem?Sean Mcghee: Always make sure that the power is off on the box when you disconnect the satellite feeds. It is possible to blow the receivers in the box if you don't.
You always need a good connection on inner and outer, and absolutely no stray bits of the outer anywhere. Sean McgheeTuesday 17 August 2010 10:10PM
Thanks Brian ive refitted the cables and neatend them. look a lot better than they where before and the box is recieving a signal again. I'll be sure to turn the power off beforehand if it happens again :), thx for the help!. Iv'e jammed the locking nuts on with insulating tape rather than the copper wire which was on it before, It's still a cowboy job but I cant think of anything better right now, can you?Sean Mcghee: It is not usually necessary to use anything other than the basic crimp connector with such a cable. It should just screw into the box using the bulking caused by the grip to keep it secure. colin morrisWednesday 18 August 2010 9:44PM
Hi i have a similar problem with a Thomson sky HD box model no 902020 op system 1.32B12 EPG sky+8.3.2 every few days the signal on input 2 disappears but comes back if i power down the sky box and turn it back on doescolin morris: I would try option (2) above. MitzeeThursday 19 August 2010 1:36PM
We had no signal on the digibox, my dad managed to fix it, however we have now lost channel 5 any suggestions? ThankyouMitzee: I would try option (1) and/or (3) above. colin morrisFriday 20 August 2010 11:55AM
Hi Brian tried option 2 waiting to see if this has cured the problem, incidentally getting into the installer menu is slightly different with the new HD EPG i used
Services-001-select colin morris: I've updated this page to note the 001 sequence. Thanks. colin morrisSaturday 21 August 2010 12:02PM
Hi Brian option 2 didnt work had the same problem last night, however its quicker to run option 2 to get the signal back than it is to turn off the power and wait for the box to rebootMitzeeSaturday 21 August 2010 1:45PM
I tried Method 1 i am now trying method 3 will let you know how things work out MitzeeSaturday 21 August 2010 1:56PM
THANKS for all of the advice, we now have all our channels back :)Mitzee: I'm glad to hear it worked for you. colin morris: Either your LNB is faulty, or your Sky box is on the way out. alan mcdonaldTuesday 24 August 2010 12:10PM
Hi I have a pansonic sky + box and subsribe to sky. I have recently upgraded to Sky HD abd kept the old box. im pretty sure the engineer just put the card from the old box into the new. I own a holiday home ad have installed the old box there but when i put the card in i get a message saying its the wrong card for this box. How can i make the box accept this card
thanks alan mcdonald: You'll need to phone Sky each time you change the box the card is used in. PaulSaturday 28 August 2010 6:54AM
Hi, my Sky system just stopped working!When I try to switch it on I now have a PINK screen and nothing works, any ideas please??sharealamSaturday 28 August 2010 12:18PM
paul take the plug out of the socket and replug it wait couple of minutes and the sky box should work.MariaSaturday 28 August 2010 3:37PM
I tried all of these methods and none of them worked. What to do?
Thanks.jimSunday 29 August 2010 4:46PM
Whilst watching the football on sky at a friends there seemed to be a short power cut and we lost sky the box went in to standby. He also has another box in another room which had also gone into standby neither remote will switch the boxes on. We then went round to my house in order to watch the rest of the match after 30min my sky switched off and went into standby and will not respond to the remote as any other sky user had this happen today 29 augustWendySunday 29 August 2010 9:41PM
Hi Mine has just done the same as Jim's (in both rooms).
Are sky doing something to their system? Have tried all the usual ways to get it going again, but its not working :(PaulMonday 30 August 2010 5:59AM
Hi, as suggested turned evrything off and I disconected digibox from the wall and cleaned my viewing card. All working fine now. Thanks to everyone.jimMonday 30 August 2010 9:33PM
Re my post the only way I could get my plus box to work was a full system restore which meant I lost all saved recordings which was also the only way we could get my friends 2 boxes to work. I was interested to see Wendys comment did you have to do the same and I would still be interested to see if anyone else had the same happen to them on that dayross perryThursday 2 September 2010 6:16PM
hi for some reason i can only receve itv it2 itv 3 and cbs reality all other channels have " tech fault " or no signal " every now and then i get the other channels but after a while it starts to freeze up and then the messages above appear please help ross:
go through all the usual checks:
check all the cable connections (on the receiver and LNB and if there are any other on the cable run), the LNB may need replacing, is your dish aligned properly, have you tried another receiver on your system to discount an issue with your receiver? katherineThursday 9 September 2010 10:56AM
bought a sky+ box but will not accept my viewing card as i wanted to use my sky+ box at my caravan at weekends and use the viewing card at home in the week +atcaravan at weekends could any body tell me if i can do this 
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