Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

johnlees · 18th May 2012, 8:48 pm

The picture from my Aurora (on a Defiant set) is momentarily freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds. I have timed it with a stopwatch and it is completely regular. At the same time there is a "ch!" on the sound.

Presumably it is a fault with the Freeview box - is that correct?

Can anyone offer advice or an explanation to get rid of this annoyance? (New Freeview box?) Thanks in advance.

John.

paulsherwin · 18th May 2012, 9:02 pm

Plug something else into the Aurora (a DVD player or VCR for example) to confirm that the Freeview box is responsible.

Have you tried turning it off at the mains then on again?

Does it happen on all Freeview channels?

Is it possible that there's a source of electrical interference every 19 seconds?

johnlees · 18th May 2012, 9:06 pm

Cheers, Paul. One House Point to you. Turning the Freeview box off and on again has cured the problem. Many thanks.

John.

paulsherwin · 18th May 2012, 9:11 pm

They do get their knickers in a twist sometimes, and power cycling is the first thing to try if they seem to be misbehaving. If it keeps on happening frequently you may have some dying electrolytics inside.

Boom · 19th May 2012, 11:57 am

I'm not far from Cheltenham John. My Freeview has been pixelating a bit lately. Could be the weather as I normally get a solid picture.

johnlees · 19th May 2012, 9:21 pm

Thanks, Boom, but it was definitely the Freeview box and Paul Sherwin had the right answer, an answer which was embarrassingly (for me) simple, turn it off and on again. I have two other sets with Freeview boxes and neither of them had the problem. I now know what to do next time !

John.

paulsherwin · 19th May 2012, 10:00 pm

This is standard advice for any electronics which contains a processor. It was a running joke in the TV sitcom The IT Crowd. In one episode the support guys had rigged up a tape recorder to answer incoming support calls. When the phone rang, the tape recorder replied 'Hello, IT?'. After waiting for a while for the caller to describe the problem, the recorder restarted and played 'Have you tried turning it off and on again?'. This satisfied all the support calls (in that episode).

johnlees · 19th May 2012, 10:48 pm

I hope this is not Off Topic (OT) but as a Junior School teacher I had this experience in the classroom when computers first came into use in schools:- I couldn't get the printer to work and one little boy aged 10 said, "Excuse me, sir, I don't want to be impertinent, but would it help if you switched it on ?"

I can assure you this is a verbatim true story. He now has a doctorate in computer science.

John.

Hybrid tellies · 20th May 2012, 2:04 pm

I am glad it was not the Aurora at fault. As Paul says it seems to be a common failing of modern electronics. I have this problem with two Freeview boxes, the household PC and the router box.All cured with a power recycle, ie switch off count 10 seconds then switch back on. Some of our cards at work need to be switched off for 5-6 minutes then switched back on for 5-6 minutes, we clear a lot of faults this way.

Dave Moll · 20th May 2012, 2:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

This [switching off and on again] is standard advice for any electronics which contains a processor.

I seem to remember that there was an episode of Star Trek where they even had to do this for the Starship Enterprise!

BGmidsUK · 25th Jun 2012, 8:28 pm

I regularly have to reset the two satellite receivers which feed BBC-1 and ITV to my vintage sets. The other Aurora gets its feed from my DVD/VHS/Sky setup and has no problems. When something upsets them (usually both of them, such as signal problems or a power glitch) the picture seems to split with half the interlaced picture being displaced, producing a flickering mess with a half-superimposed picture covering the right side of the screen. A simple press of the buttons to put them in standby and back on again sorts this.

Brian

18th May 2012, 8:48 pm	#1
johnlees Hexode Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 283	Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds The picture from my Aurora (on a Defiant set) is momentarily freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds. I have timed it with a stopwatch and it is completely regular. At the same time there is a "ch!" on the sound. Presumably it is a fault with the Freeview box - is that correct? Can anyone offer advice or an explanation to get rid of this annoyance? (New Freeview box?) Thanks in advance. John. __________________ Now that's the kind of Long Wave I like ! (Severn Bore near Gloucester) Last edited by johnlees; 18th May 2012 at 8:53 pm. Reason: Realising it must be the Freeview box, not the Aurora

18th May 2012, 9:02 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,967	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds Plug something else into the Aurora (a DVD player or VCR for example) to confirm that the Freeview box is responsible. Have you tried turning it off at the mains then on again? Does it happen on all Freeview channels? Is it possible that there's a source of electrical interference every 19 seconds?

18th May 2012, 9:06 pm	#3
johnlees Hexode Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 283	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds Cheers, Paul. One House Point to you. Turning the Freeview box off and on again has cured the problem. Many thanks. John. __________________ Now that's the kind of Long Wave I like ! (Severn Bore near Gloucester)

18th May 2012, 9:11 pm	#4
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,967	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds They do get their knickers in a twist sometimes, and power cycling is the first thing to try if they seem to be misbehaving. If it keeps on happening frequently you may have some dying electrolytics inside.

19th May 2012, 11:57 am	#5
Boom Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Westbury, Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 2,451	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds I'm not far from Cheltenham John. My Freeview has been pixelating a bit lately. Could be the weather as I normally get a solid picture.

19th May 2012, 9:21 pm	#6
johnlees Hexode Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 283	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds Thanks, Boom, but it was definitely the Freeview box and Paul Sherwin had the right answer, an answer which was embarrassingly (for me) simple, turn it off and on again. I have two other sets with Freeview boxes and neither of them had the problem. I now know what to do next time ! John. __________________ Now that's the kind of Long Wave I like ! (Severn Bore near Gloucester)

19th May 2012, 10:00 pm	#7
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,967	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds This is standard advice for any electronics which contains a processor. It was a running joke in the TV sitcom The IT Crowd. In one episode the support guys had rigged up a tape recorder to answer incoming support calls. When the phone rang, the tape recorder replied 'Hello, IT?'. After waiting for a while for the caller to describe the problem, the recorder restarted and played 'Have you tried turning it off and on again?'. This satisfied all the support calls (in that episode).

19th May 2012, 10:48 pm	#8
johnlees Hexode Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 283	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds I hope this is not Off Topic (OT) but as a Junior School teacher I had this experience in the classroom when computers first came into use in schools:- I couldn't get the printer to work and one little boy aged 10 said, "Excuse me, sir, I don't want to be impertinent, but would it help if you switched it on ?" I can assure you this is a verbatim true story. He now has a doctorate in computer science. John. __________________ Now that's the kind of Long Wave I like ! (Severn Bore near Gloucester)

20th May 2012, 2:04 pm	#9
Hybrid tellies Nonode Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area. Posts: 2,967	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds I am glad it was not the Aurora at fault. As Paul says it seems to be a common failing of modern electronics. I have this problem with two Freeview boxes, the household PC and the router box.All cured with a power recycle, ie switch off count 10 seconds then switch back on. Some of our cards at work need to be switched off for 5-6 minutes then switched back on for 5-6 minutes, we clear a lot of faults this way. __________________ Simon BVWS member

25th Jun 2012, 8:28 pm	#11
BGmidsUK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Leicester, UK. Posts: 809	Re: Aurora freezing/pixellating every 19 seconds I regularly have to reset the two satellite receivers which feed BBC-1 and ITV to my vintage sets. The other Aurora gets its feed from my DVD/VHS/Sky setup and has no problems. When something upsets them (usually both of them, such as signal problems or a power glitch) the picture seems to split with half the interlaced picture being displaced, producing a flickering mess with a half-superimposed picture covering the right side of the screen. A simple press of the buttons to put them in standby and back on again sorts this. Brian