HI Readers,
When you are starting out in a new home business and no one
knows who you are, one of the greatest challenges you will face
is how to drum up new business.
If there were not people in your community or marketplace that
you knew who needed your products or services, you probably
would not have started your business to begin with. But, once
you have talked to those who you personally knew who needed your
what you offer, then your next task is to find others who will
help keep your doors open.
Many people know that they must turn to advertising at some
point in the future, but they hope that day will be long down
the road. For some, this utopian concept will come to fruition.
But for the rest of us in the real world, we must come up with
creative solutions for meeting our home business advertising
needs while working within our budget.
Most people have a misconception about having to spend lots of
money in order to advertise their home business. When you start
out, you honestly will not have much money available for
advertising, and if you do, you should still spend it wisely.
Before you jump headfirst into the world of advertising, let me
share some of the lessons I have learned concerning this most
important topic.
LESSON #1
It does not have to cost an arm and a leg to advertise your home
business, unless you fail to plan and fail to test.
As much as is possible, you should always test your advertising.
If you jump in and start dumping tons of money in to advertising
without first testing your advertising, you might find yourself
broke and without sales at the end of the road. Most people who
commit this error write off their failure on the home business
they chose or the economy or any of a hundred other excuses.
But, if they are unwilling to take responsibility for their
mistake, they will never learn from their mistake. Don`t let
this be you.
LESSON #2
All testing should be done in blocks. If you begin to advertise
simultaneously in newspapers, radio and television, how will you
know which advertising is bringing people to your cash register?
You won`t. All you will know that something might be working,
but you will not know what is actually doing the trick.
Even if you tell people in your advertising to tell you how they
found you, my experience shows that fewer than 10% of the people
ever will tell you anything --- and those people who do may not
even get the facts straight! You cannot rely on your customers
to tell you what advertising is working for your home business.
You must put in the extra effort to know for yourself.
LESSON #3
Only when you have a proven and solid advertising portfolio
should you venture to drop big bucks in an advertising campaign.
Even then, you should be careful to keep further measurements to
determine how much the maximum advantage of an ad would be.
Sometimes you might be able to reach ten times as many people,
but depending on the kind of media and other factors, the
additional exposure will only generate twice as many sales. Keep
your eye attuned to situations like this to get the most from
your advertising dollars.
LESSON #4
As Lesson #3 illustrates, sometimes your best advertising
investment may actually cost you less money. When you are first
starting out, whether you are running a home business or a
business outside of your home, you need to be able to get people
talking and thinking about your business.
If you are busy testing ads in media`s such as the newspaper,
magazines, radio, and television, you need to learn ways of
promoting your business that do not require large cash
expenditures. A few examples are:
· Word of Mouth
· Business Cards
· Press Releases
· Non-Primetime Ads on Radio and Television
Here is more information about each type of low-cost advertising:
WORD OF MOUTH
This of course is the cheapest kind of advertising on the planet
--- it does not cost you anything. Ask your customers if they
know anyone who could also use your products or services. When
they are happy with your offerings and service, they will be
willing to tell you whom you can contact, and they will pass the
word for you.
BUSINESS CARDS
You can usually pick up 500 business cards for about $20. When
you do, hand them out. Do not give more than a couple of cards
to each person. If they need more cards from you, they will ask.
Some people are known to network with others on a regular basis.
Some of these people are also known to be always looking for an
extra few bucks. With these people, you can suggest to them that
if they write their name on the back of one of your business
cards and the card is presented to you, then you will pay a
referral fee to them. You do not have to offer much ---
sometimes one dollar is enough. Look at your home business and
your offerings and decide how much would be a good referral fee.
PRESS RELEASES
Press Releases are a good source for generating news about your
home business. The business editor at your local newspaper is
always on the lookout for a good business story to fill the
business news section of the newspaper.
Of course, the business editor understands the economics of
running a paper and is more inclined to run your story if you
buy advertising in his/her publication, but will still print
stories for special events and openings.
The important thing to remember about Press Releases is that it
must be constructed in the form of a news story. Even if you are
a sole proprietorship, quotes from you should be written in a
third person format: John Doe said, "Your quote here."
A Press Release should pack the most important information at
the beginning of the copy, and leave extra details towards the
end.
You should always provide the reporter who gets the task a
simple and easy way for him/her to contact you directly. Often
the reporter will want to contact you to get details that will
enhance their take on your story.
NON-PRIMETIME ADS ON RADIO AND TELEVISION
Believe it or not, some of the best rates for radio and
television are on the overnight and non-primetime venues. These
target times are not a total waste as they can easily keep the
infomercial people in business.
These off-hours are just less populated than the primetime hours.
Don`t be afraid to check your local radio and television rates
for non-primetime hours to see what bargains may exist. With
television, primetime is 7pm to 10pm. With radio, primetime is
8am to 5pm. This sure leaves a whole lot of hours available to
advertise your home business at discount rates!
IN CONCLUSION
When it comes down to it, there is a lot to understand about
advertising, but when you have the basic knowledge down pat,
everything will fall into place and bring more dollars to your
bank account.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
What u needed to know about Marketing?
Are you an online marketer? Or do you simply promote affiliate
programs? Marketing is truly the most misunderstood word in use
today on the Internet. Let me see if I can clarify this issue
just a bit.
In Marketing 101 at your local university, marketing is actually
the process of Product, Place, Price and Promotion.
PRODUCT
No business can exist without a product or service to sell.
In a nutshell, entrepreneurs are the people who believe in a
product, service or idea, so much that they are willing to
invest their lives into the development of their dream.
Historically, every major corporation in the world was started
by an entrepreneur with a dream and the drive to make it a
reality.
However, there comes a time in the life of every corporation
when those who fear the gambling nature of their founder, squash
the entrepreneurial drive that made the company a viable concern
in the first place. The entrepreneur will either submit to the
careful nature of the stockholders, or he will be forced to
leave the company he created.
The only entrepreneurs who withstand the pressure to move more
carefully are those who have maintained majority control over
their companies.
PLACE
In the offline world, place is defined by location. On the
Internet, place is defined by domain name and the web hosting
service chosen.
Both online and offline, place can make or break a company
without respect to the quality and value of the product, service
or idea.
PRICE
Selecting a price is determined first on a basis of whether the
company wants to be seen as a discount or a value company.
Take for example Wal-Mart and Staples.
Wal-Mart is the lead discounter in the marketplace. Staples on
the other hand is the specialist in office supplies.
Both sell a significant number of office supplies despite the
fact that the lowest price can usually be found at Wal-Mart. As
a value dealer, Staples can afford to charge more for their
products than Wal-Mart.
So the question for you is whether you want to position your
company as a discount or value company.
Testing has shown that products and services can be sold at any
number of prices and still reach a significant number of people.
The challenge of selecting the best price for your product or
service will require a certain amount of testing.
UNDERSTANDING THE PRICING EQUATION
Let`s assume we are selling a product. Let us also assume that
we know that the product can be sold for $10 or $50. Let us also
assume that if the price dips below $10 or rises above $50, then
the product sales fall off significantly.
Our challenge is to determine the best rate at which to sell our
product.
Testing has shown us that we can sell 1000 items a week at $10.
Testing has also shown that we can sell 500 items per week at
$50. And testing has shown that we can sell 650 items per week
at $45.
At $10, our projected weekly earnings are $10,000. When we sell
the product at $50, we know that we can earn $25,000 per week.
Most importantly, we know that we can earn $29,250 when our
product is priced at $45.
With the imaginary testing we have done on our imaginary
product, we can easily see that selling our product at $45 per
item will earn us more money over the long haul.
Thus, when we make the decision for a national rollout of our
product, then we will price our product at $45.
Of course, this is a very simplistic analysis of the point I am
trying to make. Though simple, I believe this analogy will help
you understand the methods of developing a product`s prices.
PROMOTION
Promotion, on the other hand, is the process of notifying the
consumers for your product or service of your availability to
serve them.
Methods of promotion vary distinctly and should be arranged to
meet very specific goals.
As with product, place and price, promotion should not be left
to chance. You should test every ad, every media, and every
price point to determine the best bang for your promotional
dollars.
HEADS UP!
If you are an online promoter or marketer, please factor in the
most important element concerning the cost of your promotions.
What element is that? Your time!
Value your time at a certain dollar amount, and figure in your
time into the cost of your promotional accounting.
I say this because too many online promoters lose sight of this
concept and spend 20 hours to generate one sale while using free
advertising. Even if you rate your time at the federal minimum
wage, then you will have invested $105 of your time for one sale
that might only net you a gross sale of $45!
ARE YOU TRULY A MARKETER OR ARE YOU JUST A PROMOTER?
Most people who run a business on the Internet call themselves
marketers. Yet, most of these same people are really just
promoters wrapped in the label of a marketer.
True marketers do not promote without a lot of advance work.
They spend time planning, testing and measuring their actions
and results to get the most out of every dollar spent and earned.
Entrepreneurs finesse the art of marketing as they build their
company into a major enterprise.
If you are a promoter who does not keep an eye on the total
marketing equation, then you are bound to fail.
If you do call yourself a marketer, then do what a professional
marketer does. Make sure that every dollar spent is spent well.
Make sure that every dollar earned is put to good use. Market
well so that when the people of the next generation look at your
life, they will see a fine example of a successful entrepreneur
that they will strive to emulate.
programs? Marketing is truly the most misunderstood word in use
today on the Internet. Let me see if I can clarify this issue
just a bit.
In Marketing 101 at your local university, marketing is actually
the process of Product, Place, Price and Promotion.
PRODUCT
No business can exist without a product or service to sell.
In a nutshell, entrepreneurs are the people who believe in a
product, service or idea, so much that they are willing to
invest their lives into the development of their dream.
Historically, every major corporation in the world was started
by an entrepreneur with a dream and the drive to make it a
reality.
However, there comes a time in the life of every corporation
when those who fear the gambling nature of their founder, squash
the entrepreneurial drive that made the company a viable concern
in the first place. The entrepreneur will either submit to the
careful nature of the stockholders, or he will be forced to
leave the company he created.
The only entrepreneurs who withstand the pressure to move more
carefully are those who have maintained majority control over
their companies.
PLACE
In the offline world, place is defined by location. On the
Internet, place is defined by domain name and the web hosting
service chosen.
Both online and offline, place can make or break a company
without respect to the quality and value of the product, service
or idea.
PRICE
Selecting a price is determined first on a basis of whether the
company wants to be seen as a discount or a value company.
Take for example Wal-Mart and Staples.
Wal-Mart is the lead discounter in the marketplace. Staples on
the other hand is the specialist in office supplies.
Both sell a significant number of office supplies despite the
fact that the lowest price can usually be found at Wal-Mart. As
a value dealer, Staples can afford to charge more for their
products than Wal-Mart.
So the question for you is whether you want to position your
company as a discount or value company.
Testing has shown that products and services can be sold at any
number of prices and still reach a significant number of people.
The challenge of selecting the best price for your product or
service will require a certain amount of testing.
UNDERSTANDING THE PRICING EQUATION
Let`s assume we are selling a product. Let us also assume that
we know that the product can be sold for $10 or $50. Let us also
assume that if the price dips below $10 or rises above $50, then
the product sales fall off significantly.
Our challenge is to determine the best rate at which to sell our
product.
Testing has shown us that we can sell 1000 items a week at $10.
Testing has also shown that we can sell 500 items per week at
$50. And testing has shown that we can sell 650 items per week
at $45.
At $10, our projected weekly earnings are $10,000. When we sell
the product at $50, we know that we can earn $25,000 per week.
Most importantly, we know that we can earn $29,250 when our
product is priced at $45.
With the imaginary testing we have done on our imaginary
product, we can easily see that selling our product at $45 per
item will earn us more money over the long haul.
Thus, when we make the decision for a national rollout of our
product, then we will price our product at $45.
Of course, this is a very simplistic analysis of the point I am
trying to make. Though simple, I believe this analogy will help
you understand the methods of developing a product`s prices.
PROMOTION
Promotion, on the other hand, is the process of notifying the
consumers for your product or service of your availability to
serve them.
Methods of promotion vary distinctly and should be arranged to
meet very specific goals.
As with product, place and price, promotion should not be left
to chance. You should test every ad, every media, and every
price point to determine the best bang for your promotional
dollars.
HEADS UP!
If you are an online promoter or marketer, please factor in the
most important element concerning the cost of your promotions.
What element is that? Your time!
Value your time at a certain dollar amount, and figure in your
time into the cost of your promotional accounting.
I say this because too many online promoters lose sight of this
concept and spend 20 hours to generate one sale while using free
advertising. Even if you rate your time at the federal minimum
wage, then you will have invested $105 of your time for one sale
that might only net you a gross sale of $45!
ARE YOU TRULY A MARKETER OR ARE YOU JUST A PROMOTER?
Most people who run a business on the Internet call themselves
marketers. Yet, most of these same people are really just
promoters wrapped in the label of a marketer.
True marketers do not promote without a lot of advance work.
They spend time planning, testing and measuring their actions
and results to get the most out of every dollar spent and earned.
Entrepreneurs finesse the art of marketing as they build their
company into a major enterprise.
If you are a promoter who does not keep an eye on the total
marketing equation, then you are bound to fail.
If you do call yourself a marketer, then do what a professional
marketer does. Make sure that every dollar spent is spent well.
Make sure that every dollar earned is put to good use. Market
well so that when the people of the next generation look at your
life, they will see a fine example of a successful entrepreneur
that they will strive to emulate.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
OFFICE 2003 Scheme of work
GETTING STARTED
Starting Word 2003
How To Start Word 2003
What's New In Word 2003
Getting Familiar With The Word 2003 Screen
How To Use Menu
How To Show Or Hide Toolbars
How To Move Toolbar And Menu Bar
How To Use Toolbar button
How To Use Shortcut Menu Using Right mouse Click
How To Use Shortcut key
Getting Help
How To Use Search Help
How To Use Contents Help
How To Use Microsoft Office Online
How To Type A Question For Help Box
How To Use Office Assistant Help
How To Use Get Help In A Dialog Box
How To Use Research Task Pane
Creating A New Document
How To Create A New Blank Document Using Task Pane
How To Create A Document From A Template
How To Enter Text Into Word Document
Creating A New Document
How To Save Document For The First Time
How To Save Another Copy Of The Document
How To Save To Another Folder
How To Save A Document Onto A Diskette
Closing a Document and Existing Word
How To Close A Document And Exit Word 2003
How To Open A Word Document
STARTING TO USE WORD 2003
Automating Text Options In Word 2003
How To Enable Or Disable The AutoComplete
How To Use AutoText
How To Create An AutoText Entry
How To Change An AutoText Entry
How To Delete An AutoText Entry
How To Use Use AutoCorrect Options
How To Set The AutoCorrect Options
How To Use Quick Spelling Correction
How To Use Quick Grammar Correction
Inserting, Overtyping And Deleting Text
How To Insert Text in a Document
How To Insert Date and Time in a Document
How To Overtype Text in a Document
How To Enter Text With Click And Type
How To Delete A Word
How To Delete A Sentence
How To Delete A Paragraph
How To Delete An Entire Document
Selection Techniques
How To Select a Word
How To Select a Line of Text
How To Select Multiple Lines of Text
How To Select a Sentence
How To Select a Paragraph
How To Select an Entire Document
Moving and Copying Text
How To Cut And Paste Text
How To Copy and Paste Text
How To Move and Copy Text with Drag and Drop
Using UNDO and REDO
How To Use UNDO To Reverse Your Last Actions
How To Use REDO To Redo An Action
Viewing a Document
How To Switch To Normal View
How To Switch To Web Layout View
How To Switch To Print Layout View
How To Switch To Outline View
How To Switch To Reading Layout View
Using Reading Layout
How To Page Through The Document
How To Navigate A Document With The Document Map
How To Jump To A Particular Screen Using Thumbnails
How To Highlight Content You Want To Remember
How To Revise The Document
How To Add Comments
How To Turn Reading Layout View Off
FORMATTING FONT
Changing the Font and Font Size
How To Change Font Type
How To Change Font Size
How To Change The Default Font
Formatting Text
How To Bold Text
How To Italic Text
How To Underline Text
How To Change Text Color
How To Format Font Using Font Dialog Box
How To Format Font Using Format Painter
How To Change The Font Case
How To Apply Text Effect
Using Drop Caps
How To Create A Drop Cap
How To Add More Than One Letter To A Drop Cap
How To Remove A Drop Cap
How To Add A Clip Art Drop Cap
FORMATTING PARAGRAPH
Aligning Text In A Document
How To Align Left
How To Align Right
How To Center A Paragraph
How To Justify A Paragraph
Indenting
How To Create Left Indent And Right Indent Using Ruler
How To Create Left Indent And Right Indent Using Menu Options
How To Create First Line Indent
How To Create Hanging Indent
Creating Bulleted and Numbered Lists
How To Create Bulleted List
How To Create Numbered List
How To Change Bulleted and Numbered Lists Style
Adjusting Line Or Paragraph Spacing
How To Set Line Spacing
How To Set Spacing Between Paragraphs
Adding Border And Shading To Paragraph
How To Add Border To A Paragraph
How To Add Shading To A Paragraph
Using Tab
How To Use Default Tab
How To Set Left Tab
How To Set Right Tab
How To Set Center Tab
How To Set Decimal Tab
How To Enter Information Using Tab
How To Adjust Tap Stop Position
How To Adjust Tap Stop Type
How To Delete All Tabs
How To Create Leader Tab
How To Create Form Using Tab With Leader
Microsoft Word 2003 Training Manual
Table of Contents: Module 2
FORMATTING PAGE
Setting Page Margins, Paper Size and Page Orientation
How To Set Margins
How To Change Paper Size
How To Change Page Orientation
Creating Page Break
How To Insert A Hard Page Break
How To Delete A Page Break
Creating Section Break
How To Insert A Section Break
How To Delete A Section Break
Creating Headers, Footers and Page Numbers
How To Add Headers And Footers
THE FINAL DOCUMENT
Proofing Your Document
How To Use Spelling And Grammar Check
How To Use The Thesaurus
How To Find And Replace Text
How To Find And Replace Specific Formatting
Previewing And Printing Your Document
How To Preview A Document
How To Print A Document
How To Use Advanced Printing Options
WORKING WITH TABLES
Creating Tables
How To Create A Table From The Menu Option
How To Create A Table Using The Table Button
How To Enter Information Into A Table
Selecting Parts Of A Table
How To Select Cells
How To Select Rows
How To Select Columns
How To Select The Entire Table
Resizing Parts Of A Table
How To Change Column width Using Mouse
How To Change Column width Using The Menu Option
How To Change Row Height Using Mouse
How To Change Row Height Using The Menu Option
How To Change Make Multiple Columns/Rows the Same Size
How To Change The Space Between Cells In A Table
Adding And Deleting Columns And Rows
How To Add Columns To A Table
How To Add Rows To A Table
How To Delete Columns
How To Delete Rows
Formatting Tables
How To Format A Table Automatically
How To Add Border Line To A Table
How To Add Shading To A Table
How To Merge Cells In A Table
How To Split Cells In A Table
How To Convert Text To A Table
How To Perform Calculation In A Table
WORKING WITH GRAPHICS
Inserting And Formatting Text Boxes
How To Inserting A Text Box
How To Format A Text Box
How To Modify Colors And Lines
How To Apply Text Box Fill Effects
Adding AutoShape
How To Insert An AutoShape
How To Color An AutoShape
Inserting Pictures And WordArt
How To Insert Clip Art/Picture From The Clip Gallery
How To Insert A Picture From Another File
How To Insert A WordArt Drawing Object
How To Create A Picture Watermark
How To Create A Text Watermark
Writing the Formula in MS Excel
Writing the Formula
Writing Excel formulas is a little different than the way it is done in math class.
Excel formulas starts with the equal sign ( = ) rather than ending with it.
The equal sign always goes in the cell where you want the formula answer to appear.
Rhe equal sign informs Excel that what follows is part of a formula, and not just a name or a number.
Excel formulas look like this:
=3 + 2
rather than:
3 + 2 =
Cell References in Formulas
While the formula in the previous step works, it has one drawback. If you want to change the data being calculated you need to edit or rewrite the formula.
A better way would be to write formulas so that you can change the data without having to change the formulas themselves.
To do this, you need to tell Excel which cell the data is located in. A cell's location in the spreadsheet is referred to as its cell reference.
To find a cell reference, simply look at the column headings to find which column the cell is in, and across to find which row it is in.
The cell reference is a combination of the column letter and row number -- such as A1, B3, or Z345. When writing cell references the column letter always comes first.
So, instead of writing this formula in cell C1:
= 3 + 2
write this instead:
= A1+A2
Note: When you click on a cell containing a formula in Microsoft Excel (see the example above), the formula always appears in the formula bar located above the column letters (circled in red in the example).
Updating Excel Formulas
When you use cell references in Excel formulas, the formulas will automatically update whenever the relevent data in the spreadsheet changes.
For example, if you realize that the data in cell A1 should have been an 8 instead of a 3, you only need to change the contents of cell A1.
Excel updates the answer in cell in cell C1. The formula, itself, doesn't need to change because it was written using cell references.
Changing the data
Click on the cell A1
Type an 8
Press the ENTER key on the keyboard
The answer in cell C1 where the formula is, immediately changes from 5 to 10, but the formula itself is unchanged.
Mathematical Operators
Creating formulas in Microsoft Excel is not difficult. Just combine the cell references of your data with the correct mathematical operator.
The mathematical operators used in Excel formulas are similar to the ones used in math class.
Subtraction - minus sign ( - )
Addition - plus sign ( + )
Division - forward slash ( / )
Multiplication - asterisk (* )
Exponentiation - caret (^ )
Order of Operations
If more than one operator is used in a formula, there is a specific order that Excel will follow to perform these mathematical operations. This order of operations can be changed by adding brackets to the equation. An easy way to remember the order of operations is to use the acronym:
BEDMAS
The Order of Operations is:
Brackets
Exponents
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction
How the Order of Operations Works
Any operation(s) contained in brackets will be carried out first followed by any exponents.
After that, Excel considers division or multiplication operations to be of equal importance, and carries out these operations in the order they occur left to right in the equation.
The same goes for the next two operations – addition and subtraction. They are considered equal in the order of operations. Which ever one appears first in an equation, either addition or subtraction, is the operation carried out first.
Excel Formulas Tutorial Step 1: Entering the Data
Let's try a step by step example. We will write a simple formula in Excel to add the numbers 3 + 2.
Step 1: Entering the data
It's best if you first enter all of your data into the spreadsheet before you begin creating formulas. This way you will know if there are any layout problems, and it is less likely that you will need to correct your formula later.
For help with this tutorial refer to the image above.
Type a 3 in cell A1 and press the ENTER key on the keyboard.
Type a 2 in cell A2 and press the ENTER key on the keyboard.
Excel Formulas Tutorial Step 2: Add the Equal (=) Sign
When creating formulas in Microsoft Excel, you ALWAYS start by typing the equal sign. You type it in the cell where you want the answer to appear.
For help with this example refer to the image above.
Click on cell C1(outlined in black in the image) with your mouse pointer.
Type the equal sign in cell C1.
Excel Formulas Tutorial Step 3: Add Cell References Using Pointing
After typing the equal sign in step 2, you have two choices for adding cell references to the spreadsheet formula.
You can type them in or,
You can use an Excel feature called Pointing
Pointing allows you to click with your mouse on the cell containing your data to add its cell reference to the formula.
After typing an equal sign in cell E3 in step 2:
Click on cell A1 with the mouse pointer to enter the cell reference into the formula
Type a plus (+) sign
Click on cell A2 with the mouse pointer to enter the cell reference into the formula
Press the ENTER key on the keyboard
The answer 5 should appear in cell C1.
If you have more than one row or column of data that you need to perform calculations on, it is often possible to copy the first formula to other cells.
The easiest way to do this is to copy formulas with the fill handle.
HELP on DSTV Signal Issues
What could cause a failure or interruption to your DStv reception?
Signal Issues
What could cause a failure or interruption to your DStv reception?
Quality of picture and sound
MultiChoice has operates a 24-hour monitoring room which tracks the channel signals on all satellites. Should you have any problems relating to the broadcast, they should be infrequent and quickly resolved.
Dish size
MultiChoice recommends that only 90cm dishes are used within the footprints from the IS-7 (Formerly PAS 7), W4 and SESAT satellites. Any dish smaller than this will cause failures or interruptions to your television signal. In areas that experience seasonal bad weather, sometimes a larger dish size (120 cm+) is recommended.
Installations
For best results please ensure you use an accredited MultiChoice installerto connect you DStv. An updated list of accredited installers can be obtained from your nearest MultiChoice office or in the Agents and Installers section of this site.
Power failure
Frequent power failures are experienced in some countries. We recommend you use a surge protector to protect against decoder box failures.
Surge Protectors
A power surge, or transient voltage, is a sudden increase in voltage, which is significantly above the designated level in an electrical circuit. In most countries, the main power supply operates at 220V. This voltage is available in normal households and offices.
Under normal conditions i.e., in the absence of an electrical failure, this voltage produces a nominal current which operates electronic devices. If this voltage rises above the values tolerated by the devices connected to it, there may be damage caused by the excess current. A surge protector absorbs the excess current generated in such cases, and thus avoids damages to electronic devices. For this reason, MultiChoice recommends the use of surge protectors to protect decoders' and avoid damage.
Dirty dish
Ensure that your satellite dish is clean as the accumulation of dust and dirt on the dish will negatively affect your signal.
Solar Outages
During certain times in the year, the satellite communication industry around the world experiences transmission disruptions. This occurs when the sun crosses the equator and traces an arc that places it directly behind Geostationary satellites. This phenomenon is known as a solar or sun outage and will last several minutes each day during the season and will last longer, the smaller the antenna involved satellite dish is in use.
The event may occur for several days both before and after the peak day, at roughly the same time each day.
Rain Fade
Rain fade (temporary loss of signal) usually only occurs in during very heavy rain and bad weather and should only last for a few seconds. We estimate that only about 0.1% of annual viewing time is lost as a result of rain interference, which affects all satellite systems worldwide. You should not experience any problems with your signal if the sky is overcast of or if there is drizzle or normal rainfall.
If you experience rain fade for longer than 1 to 2 seconds, you may have an installation problem. It is preferable to contact a MultiChoice Accredited Installer to check any installation related problem - you may, however, check the following yourself:
The position of your dish. to check that your dish is firmly anchored and has not been disturbed / moved in the bad weather. Contact an installer to rectify the problem.
The GT number on your Low Noise Block Down-Converter (the LNB is the small box on the arm of your satellite dish). The GT number should be 17 or higher to guarantee good reception. Adjustment of the GT number may only be performed by an accredited installer.
It is important to bear in mind that the signal can also be affected by adverse local weather conditions in the location from which the signal is broadcast. For example bad weather in Randburg (South Africa) or Spain, from where we uplink (broadcast the signal to the satellite), may affect the clarity of the signal.
Troubleshooting - Error Codes
Below is a list of all our error codes.
E04 - Please insert Smartcard
Your smartcard might have been inserted incorrectly or in the incorrect slot. Remove the Smartcard, wipe with a soft dry cloth and re-insert. If message re-appears, reboot. If problem persists then the decoder and/or the Smartcard might be damaged and must be tested.
E05 - Unknown Card
The incorrect Smartcard is inserted or the Smartcard might have been inserted incorrectly or has collected dust. Remove the Smartcard, ensure that it is free of dust and re-insert it with the chip facing downwards and the arrows facing the decoder. Reboot the decoder.
E07 - Checking Smartcard
The decoder is checking the Smartcard. If the message is still displayed after 30 seconds remove the Smartcard, wait for the error code and re-insert the Smartcard. If
E07 reappears, reboot your decoder. If E07 reappears, the decoder/Smartcard might be damaged and should be brought in for testing.
E08 – CA Module failure
The Control Access module is malfunctioning. Please have your decoder tested.
E14 – Service is Currently Scrambled
Transmission might be temporarily suspended. Tune to another channel and back again. If the message re-appears, re-boot your decoder. If the E14 message re-appears again, contact your nearest MultiChoice Contact Centre.
The code E37 error appears on all the channels.
Your decoder might be in the incorrect bouquet selection. Press the TV button on the remote control, scroll up to 'DStv bouquet' and press the OK button.
E16 – Service is currently scrambled
Transmission might be temporarily suspended. Check that there are no outstanding payments on your account. The service needs to be reset from by MultiChoice. Call your local MultiChoice Contact Centre
E17 – Service is currently scrambled
Transmission has been scrambled. Re-boot your decoder. If the error code re-appears call your local MultiChoice Contact Centre .
E18 – Unknown Smartcard
The incorrect Smartcard is inserted or the Smartcard might have been inserted incorrectly or has collected dust. Remove the Smartcard, ensure that it is free of dust and re-insert it with the chip facing downwards and the arrows facing the decoder. Re-boot the decoder.
E19 – Service is currently Scrambled
Your subscription might have expired. Please call your nearest MultiChoice Contact Centre.
E30 – Service is currently scrambled
Transmission might be temporarily suspended. Check that there are no outstanding payments on your account. The service needs to be re-set fromby MultiChoice. Call you local MultiChoice Contact Centre.
E32 – Service is currently scrambled
Your Smartcard is not switched on or activated. Check that there are no outstanding payments on your account. The service needs to be reset from MultiChoice. Call you local MultiChoice Contact Centre.
E34 – Service is currently scrambled
The signal is not being received. Tune to another channel and back again. If the problem persists, re-boot the decoder.
E35 – Service is currently scrambled
Temporary failure in receiving transmission .Tune to another channel and back again. If the problem persists, re-boot your decoder.
E37 – Service XX is reserved for future use
There is no service running on the selected channel number. An incorrect channel number was entered. Re-enter the required channel number.
E38 – Service is not currently running
The service is not running. Consult the TV Guide Dish or TV Guide for running hours of this service.
This service might be reserved for future use. If the error appears often, re-boot the decoder. If the problem persists, your decoder might be faulty and should be tested.
E39 – Locating Service
The decoder is trying to locate the service. Wait a couple of seconds until the service is located.
E42 – Parental Control Lock
The service/event has been blocked by parental control. Enter your PIN to cancel the parental control block or call your nearest MultiChoice Contact Centre if you have forgotten your PIN.
E45 – Searching for signal at XXXX MHz
The satellite dish is not receiving a signal. This might be caused by bad weather – either where you live or where the signal originates from (Randburg, UK etc). Your installation may, however, might need checking if the message persists.
Mobile Phone Tips
If you are a DStv subscriber and you receive the E16 error message on your TV even after you have paid your DStv subscription; you need not panic. Simply follow the steps below using your mobile phone to reset your decoder.
To clear an E16 error message after your account has reconnected, text RA and the first 10 digits of your smartcard to 08036393788
To retrieve your smartcard number text SC to 08036393788
To retrieve your Account Balance text BAL to 08036393788
To retrieve your due date text DD to 08036393788
To use the self help option using your mobile phone, please ensure that your mobile number is registered on our system.
To register your mobile phone number, send an email to: dstv@nigeria.multichoice.co.za or call the call centre numbers: 01-2703232, 08039003788 with the mobile number(s) you wish to use and it will be registered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)