If you've just fitted an Explora or a new Smart LNB, the DStv signal settings on the decoder have to match what is on the dish. When they don't, you get one working tuner, recordings that clash or no picture at all. Most Simon's Town homes we visit only need a few minutes in the menu, not a ladder.
Quick answer
To change DStv signal settings for a Smart LNB, press the DStv button, open Settings, then Satellite Settings, and set the LNB type to Smart LNB (Unicable on some screens). Save, then wait until every tuner shows steady signal. If one tuner stays empty, the cable or the LNB port is usually the cause, not the menu.
Check three things before changing your DStv signal settings
Do these checks from the lounge, with the decoder still on.
- Your decoder. An Explora or Explora Ultra wants a Smart LNB. DStv's own advice for every Explora is a Smart LNB on an 80cm dish.
- Your LNB. The installer's invoice or the box it came in will say Smart LNB. If you're unsure, our notes on DStv LNB prices show what each type costs.
- Your cable. It should run into the port marked LNB IN on the back of the decoder, firmly pushed home.
If you've only just moved from an HD decoder, the old single LNB may still be on the dish. That setup can't feed all of an Explora's tuners, whatever you choose in the menu. Our Explora installation work always swaps the LNB at the same time.
Where to find DStv signal settings on an Explora
DStv's Explora guide puts everything under one central menu, opened with the DStv button on the remote. Satellite Settings sits inside Settings, next to User Preferences and Parental Control.
- Press the DStv button on the remote.
- Scroll to Settings and press OK.
- Open Satellite Settings.
- Find the LNB type option and choose Smart LNB or Unicable, whichever your screen shows.
- Leave the satellite and transponder details as they are, then save.
- Watch the signal bars and wait until all three tuners show signal, as DStv's guide asks.
Good to know
Menu words shift a little between models. If you can't see Satellite Settings, the decoder's Installation Wizard asks the same LNB question during first set-up, so running it again does the same job.
How DStv smart LNB frequency settings work
People often search for DStv smart LNB frequency settings expecting a list of numbers to type in. You don't need one. A Smart LNB uses Unicable, which gives each tuner its own user band down one cable, and the decoder sorts out those bands itself once the LNB type is right.
The DStv frequency fields you may spot in the menu belong to the satellite, not the LNB. They come preset for South Africa, where DStv broadcasts from Intelsat 20 at 68.5 degrees East. Changing them by guesswork loses every channel. Our page on signal shadows and line of sight explains why the dish faces north-east.
Unicable outputs and Universal outputs
DStv lists two Smart LNB models. The LMX500 has 4 Unicable outputs and 2 Universal outputs, while the LMX501 has 3 Unicable outputs and 1 Universal output. An Explora belongs on a Unicable output. An older HD decoder in a second room can run off a Universal output with normal single LNB settings.
DStv signal settings by decoder and LNB port
Here's the match-up we use on call-outs.
| Decoder | Smart LNB output | LNB type to choose | Sign it's wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explora or Explora Ultra | Unicable | Smart LNB or Unicable | Only one tuner shows signal |
| HD decoder on the same dish | Universal | Single LNB | No signal on any channel |
| Two linked decoders | Unicable for each | Smart LNB or Unicable on both | Recording clashes, linking errors |
| Flat on a shared block dish | Not suitable | Ask the building's installer | Settings never hold |
Two decoders on one account need more than the right menu choice. If you're adding a second box, our page on XtraView multi-room setup explains how the link works.
Need DStv help in Simon's Town?
Tell us what you need or what your screen shows. We price the job before we drive out.
Run the DStv signal setup again after a change
Any time the hardware changes, repeat the DStv signal setup. That means a new LNB, a moved dish, a swapped decoder or a reset back to factory settings.
After a south-easter
Summer gales off False Bay can twist a dish on its bracket without it looking any different from the street. If every tuner drops at once after a windy week, the settings are fine and the dish needs satellite dish realignment with a proper meter. Our page on storm damage to dishes covers what we check.
After a long empty spell
Holiday flats in Glencairn and Miller's Point can sit unused for months. Salt air gets into the connectors while nobody is watching. Before blaming the settings, read about salt air corrosion on dishes, because a green, crusty plug looks just like a settings fault on screen.
Safety first
Please don't climb onto the roof or up a ladder to check the LNB, and don't unscrew the wiring on the dish arm. On steep Simon's Town plots a fall is a real risk, and the south-easter makes roof work worse. Everything in this guide is done from the decoder.
Signs the fault is outside the decoder
Correct settings can't fix a signal that never arrives. These clues tell you the problem is on the roof or in the cable:
- All tuners show weak or no signal, even with Smart LNB selected.
- One tuner stays at zero while the others look healthy, which often points to a cable or output fault.
- The picture breaks up in rain and comes back once it clears.
- A neighbour's new extension or a tree now sits between the dish and the north-east sky.
Homes stacked up the slopes of Castle Hill and Da Gama Park sometimes lose the view as the street fills in below. If the decoder shows a no-signal message, our guide to the E48-32 error walks through the safe checks.
Guesthouses, flats and shared dishes in town
DStv says the Smart LNB is not suitable for complexes and apartments that share a dish. Blocks in Welcome Glen and guesthouse rooms near Boulders often run a shared system with its own rules, so changing settings in one flat can't fix it. That work falls under communal DStv systems.
Technician tip
Take a photo of the signal screen before and after you change anything. If you end up calling us, that one picture tells us whether to bring a new LNB, new cable or just a meter.
Book a Smart LNB check in Simon's Town
If the bars still won't settle after these steps, call a technician rather than trying more combinations. Our team handles DStv installation in Simon's Town and the suburbs around it, and we quote before we drive out. Call or WhatsApp 079 754 5527, or contact our team online to book.
DStv signal settings: FAQs
What are the correct DStv signal settings for a Smart LNB?
Set the LNB type to Smart LNB, or Unicable if that is the wording your decoder uses, and leave the satellite details at their defaults. Then wait until every tuner shows steady signal. If one tuner stays empty, the fault is usually in the cable or the LNB output.
Do I need to type in DStv smart LNB frequency settings by hand?
No. Once the decoder knows it is connected to a Smart LNB, it handles the user band for each tuner itself. Typing numbers in by hand usually makes things worse. If the readings stay poor, the dish or cabling needs checking.
Why does only one tuner show signal on my Explora?
The most common reason is that the Explora is connected to a single LNB, or to a Universal output on the Smart LNB, instead of a Unicable output. It can also happen when the LNB type in the menu is set to Single LNB. Fix the menu first, then have the port checked.
Do HD decoders need Smart LNB DStv signal settings?
No. DStv recommends an 80cm dish with a single LNB for its HD decoder, so the LNB type stays on Single LNB. If the HD box shares a dish with an Explora, it can run from a Universal output on the Smart LNB with the same single settings.
Who can check a Smart LNB in Simon's Town?
Our local team checks Smart LNBs, cabling and dish alignment across Simon's Town, Glencairn, Da Gama Park and nearby areas. We test the signal on a meter, show you the readings and quote before any work starts. Ask our team for a current quote.