1000.4 - Can't see 2 sats at once

[Tailegater]

I had an installer drop off a new 1000.4 and a 211 HD receiver. The dish was put together by the installer out of my sight, and he left me a note saying I had to point to 65.1. Now that I know only enough to be dangerous, I understand I need both 65.1 and 72.7 (and later 77) to get all the channels in my HD Turbo Silver package. In any case, either I'm bad at aiming, unlucky, or something's wrong because I have gotten 65.1 easily many times, I've picked up 72.7 a couple of times, but I've never gotten the two satellites at the same time. Could the installer have put the thing together wrong? I wonder that because of his note to point at 61.5. The installation instructions I've since found online say to peak on 72.7, and 61.5 should be there. Help!!

 

[harshness]

Where did you get your azimuth, elevation and skew numbers? I'm betting that at the very least, your skew is off.

Assembling the dish is pretty foolproof. It is unlikely that it is incorrectly assembled.


Self-installing is overrated.

 

[garys]

If you are trying to use a sat finder and are inputting 65, you will be using the wrong coordinates, you need 61.5, not 65.1.

 

[Tailegater]

Sorry - that was a typo, I am using 61.5

I started with the setup data in the installation manual for my zip code (08525), and also worked with setup I found in dishpointer.com, although they only have setups for each individual satellite, not one setup for all three. Most of the time after the initial setup number doesn't work, I'm very s-l-o-w-l-y moving the dish and trying to get a signal.

Going back to the 1000.4 dish assembly itself, I haven't taken it apart to look, but if I did, are the 3 ports all connected to individual cables that are then combined through a (reverse) splitter which is why only 1 cable comes out of the arm? The manual shows each LNBF port identified as a certain satellite, so I'm guessing the LNBF itself is is not a combiner? I'm questioning this because I've been able to get just 1 satellite at a time.

I need to get good at this because the reason I went self install is to take this to football games, (even though I didn't even spell tailgater right when I signed up) so I need to be able to do this every few weeks! I appreciate your responses and any additional help.

 

[mperdue]

I had the same problem with my 1K.4 dish - I could get 61.5 or 72 but not both. I covered the LNBF's for 77 and 72 with aluminum foil and aligned to 61.5 then I pulled the foil off and did a check switch. Everything worked fine after that.

Mario

 

[Tailegater]

Just tried the aluminum foil. I couldn't find any satellites with the 77 and 72 covered. When I took it off, I find 61.5 right away. I ran the check switch and only had 61.5. Anything else I should look at or try?

One more thing - when I had the signal screen up, I blocked each LNBF and found that the signal was coming from the left LNBF as you look at it from behind the dish. The installation manual says that LNBF should be the 77. Is this installed wrong maybe?

 

[Jim5506]

You are way too far East and picking up 61.5 with the left lnb instead of the right. Swing the whole dish about 10-15 degrees right. Might have to raise it a degree or two also.

If you could not find 61.5 with the 61.5 lnb , you were either way too far east (probable) or the 61.5 lnb is bad.

 

[rcdallas]

that or covered up the wrong lnb with foil.

 

[vegassatellite]

My suggestion is to pay for an hour of the installer's time and have him teach you how to point the thing. I've done this for many customers and made them pro pointers with just an hour of instruction. Hands-on training is by far the best.

Clear out the switch matrix on your receiver by unhooking the satellite cable and running the switch test. It will take a long time. Your receiver is sending a steering command to the LNB to attempt to find 61.5 through the LNB that you found it through originally. So, clear that bad matrix and do it over using the foil trick.

 

[topcat0399]

I had an installer drop off a new 1000.4 and a 211 HD receiver. The dish was put together by the installer out of my sight, and he left me a note saying I had to point to 65.1. ...............!!

I really don't get this part at all. An installer just dropped off equipment??????

I, as an installer, would NEVER do that. Either I put it in or you get it from someone else. He has to warranty that system for 90 days. What an idiot.

Good luck with your aiming.

 

[webbydude]

Yes, that part really bothers me as well.

To the OP...was it by your request he simply just dropped off the D1K.4 and receiver?

 

[topcat0399]

Yes, that part really bothers me as well.

To the OP...was it by your request he simply just dropped off the D1K.4 and receiver?

Even if the customer requested it, I would still refuse. Im an installer, not a delivery boy thats on the hook for 90 days for FREE. No no no no no no no.

 

[steve4810]

Even if the customer requested it, I would still refuse. Im an installer, not a delivery boy thats on the hook for 90 days for FREE. No no no no no no no.

Are you guys considering that this is a tailgate dish and so it couldn't be put up with the OP not home because someone could just pick it up and walk away with it.

Just asking. I didn't think installers dealt with tailgate/tripod installs.

 

[v0rt3_x86]

A 1k.4 requires a professional installation for a reason...

Regardless of the reason, that installer's a turd.

Anyways, A VIP211 will only pick up 61.5 the first time around. You have to run the CST, allow software to download and then re-perform a CST. Fixed.

p.s.
"Clearing the matrix" doesn't do anything.

 

[vegassatellite]

You know nothing about DiSEqC commands then.

 

[v0rt3_x86]

vegassatellite:

Ok.

That doesn't negate the fact that it's software-related and you just have to do an upgrade before it'll see the other orbitals.

 

[vegassatellite]

Yes. But if his matrix is set to locate 61.5 at the wrong LNB and he keeps trying to point the dish with 61.5 in the wrong spot, he'll not get it properly aligned. The download will add the other two orbitals to his list of potential orbitals to choose from, but getting an LNB B command when you want an LNB A command can really mess things up with trying to put the right orbital at the right LNB, especially for a novice. Clearing the matrix would prevent DiSEqC commands from trying to route 61.5 through the wrong LNB.

 

[Tailegater]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

It was at my insistance that the installer just dropped off the equipment. I never intended to use the system at home - only at football games. It seems as though transporting the equipment and trying to align it might be more than a novice is capable of, but I thought it could be done.

In my trials and errors, I have seen both 61.5 and 72.7, but again, never at the same time. I just had a guy out with a meter and he found both at once, so mystery is solved. The equipment works, aiming is better left to skilled technicians with meters in their hands. Now I need to go buy a meter!

 

[topcat0399]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

It was at my insistance that the installer just dropped off the equipment. I never intended to use the system at home - only at football games. It seems as though transporting the equipment and trying to align it might be more than a novice is capable of, but I thought it could be done.

In my trials and errors, I have seen both 61.5 and 72.7, but again, never at the same time. I just had a guy out with a meter and he found both at once, so mystery is solved. The equipment works, aiming is better left to skilled technicians with meters in their hands. Now I need to go buy a meter!

Personally I don't care what you intended to use your system for.....If you want me to deliver it, then Im going to install it. PERIOD. If you want gear to go tail gating, Im going to tell you to go buy it somewhere and leave the techs the hell out of it.

You would understand this completely if you were the guy having to roll on a couple of dozen FREE trouble calls.

An example is people take dishes that were professionaly installed off thier mounts at home for Tailgating, and try and put it back at home, cant make it work, and call dish to blame the installer who rolls out to fix it for free.

 

[mperdue]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

It was at my insistance that the installer just dropped off the equipment. I never intended to use the system at home - only at football games. It seems as though transporting the equipment and trying to align it might be more than a novice is capable of, but I thought it could be done.

In my trials and errors, I have seen both 61.5 and 72.7, but again, never at the same time. I just had a guy out with a meter and he found both at once, so mystery is solved. The equipment works, aiming is better left to skilled technicians with meters in their hands. Now I need to go buy a meter!

I don't think you'll need the meter in the future. Once you've stored the switch configuration in the receiver finding the two satellites becomes much easier. Go ahead and give tailgating with the 1K.4 a shot and let us know how it goes.

Mario