The Sky TV Link when installed and working correctly will allow you to watch and control your Sky box from a remote location.
However, sometimes they stop working which may lead to you thinking the unit is faulty, more often than not this is not the case, it's just an installation problem. Here we cover fault finding for two different scenarios, one when the LED is lit, and one when the LED is not lit.
LED is NOT lit - I have installed my TV Link as per the TV Link - Installation section but it does not work.
Firstly you need to connect the TV Link directly to the back of your Sky, Sky+ or Sky+HD box. Do not use any cables or connectors for this test, simply plug the female end of the Link on to the RF2 output. If the LED does not light up when plugged directly on to the RF2 outlet you will need to follow the TV Link installation instructions, if when you are following the instructions the screen already says RF Power Supply - On, you will need to turn off and save new settings, then turn back on and save new settings.
If when plugged directly on to the RF2 output on the Sky box it now lights up you will need to check the cable and connectors at both ends of the cable, please ensure they are fitted correctly by following the steps below.
Most coax connectors can be broken down in to three parts, the main body, a clamp that sits in a cup on the main body and a cap that screws down on to the main body causing the clamp to grip the cable.
Begin by sliding the cap over the end of the cable. Then carefully score round the outer sheathing (about 12mm from the end) using a sharp blade and remove to reveal the copper braiding. Fan this out and fold back so it lays flat against the cable toward the cap you put on earlier.
Cut away the centre dielectric (white plastic or foam) so it stands proud of the outer sheathing by 2mm, this will then reveal 10mm of the centre copper core.
Now feed the clamp part of the connector over the end of the cable until it rests on the outer sheathing ready to clamp down on the copper braiding.
Now put the main body of the connector on. The centre copper core will go in to a small hole on the main body, the clamp will sit in the cup of the body and the cap is then slid up and screwed on, this will cause the clamp to tighten against the coax cable with the copper braiding trapped between the cable and clamp.
Give it a gentle tug to make sure it is fitted correctly.
Tip: When screwing the cap to the main body causing the clamp to tighten, make sure you have all the copper braiding pulled back as this must NOT touch the centre copper core.
Once you have checked the cable and connectors, plug the cable back on to the RF2 outlet and take the tvLINK to the end of the cable. Fit the tvLINK to the end of the cable but do NOT connect it to the second TV, does it now work like this?
If the answer is YES but not when the TV Link is connected to the second TV you will need to install a short piece of coax between the TV Link and second TV, this will change the impedance and hopefully cure the problem.
If the answer is NO however, there could be a piece of equipment in the installation that's stopping the DC getting back to the Sky box, if you do have other equipment such as wall plates, splitters, amplifiers etc you may need to change them to TV Link compatible products. If you do NOT have any other equipment in line the TV Link could be faulty and should be replaced.
LED IS lit - I have installed my TV Link as per the TV Link - Installation page but it does not work.
Before you can test the TV Link you need to block the remote pick-up sensor on the front of the Sky box, do this by placing a book or similar across the front of the box, then test it no longer picks up the remote signals by trying to change channel, if it doesn't operate you are ready to start testing.
Firstly you need to connect the TV Link directly to the back of your Sky, Sky+ or Sky+HD box, do not use any connectors or cables, just the female end of the link directly on to the RF2 outlet and check the LED is still lit.
Point the Sky remote at the eye part of the TV Link and try changing the channel of the Sky box.
If it works at the main Sky box it could be there is something along the cable run to the second location that is stopping the DC signal from getting back to the box. This could be any, or a combination of the following reasons...
Some wall plates, splitters and amplifiers will stop the DC signals from getting back to the Sky box, if you have any of these fitted somewhere in the cable run you will need to make sure they are suitable for use with a TV Link, if they're not you will need to replace them with compatible products.
The cable needs to be double screened to prevent noise leaking through as this can also cause problems with TV Links working. If you have purchased satellite grade coax cable for a new TV Link installation this will be double screened, if you are using coax cable that you already had you may need to replace it.
Harmonics can cause problems as well, you will need to avoid multiple lengths of 11 meters. So if your total cable length falls between 10.5m to 11.5m, 21.5m to 22.5m, 32.5m to 33.5m etc you may need to extend the cable to fall out of these ranges.
The only other problem we have come across that can cause a TV Link to not work at the second location is the second TV running open circuit. This causes an impedance mismatch, you can easily cure this by inserting a short piece of cable between the TV Link and the second TV.
If you have checked (and if necessary rectified) the above reasons for failure it could be you have a faulty TV Link, if this is the case you will need to contact Customer Services as they will be able to assist you further.
