811 OTA 49% problem

[Cyre]

Anyone know if this problem has been fixed yet? Just got an 811, and I am getting 49% on NBC, in which previously came in fine on my Voom and Zenith HD recievers....

 

[ucrazy51]

In my experience I've found that the 811 has a very weak OTA tuner. Good Luck.

 

[riffjim4069]

There is no substitute for a good OTA antenna. Cyre, were you using the VOOM supplied OTA antenna (powered Winegard Sensor II)? If so, the following posts should answer your questions:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=70201
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=72647&highlight=voom+dish+ota+powered
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=69339&highlight=voom+dish+ota+powered

*Just wanted to add that I have two CM-4228 antennas that run directly into my two 811 receivers and a 942 receiver. The 811 worsk just as well as the old VOOM STB.

 

[Cyre]

i am using a radio shack VU-120 XR. It has a VHF range of 120 miles, and a UHF of 90 miles. I am about 40 miles from the antenna farm, so I know its not my antenna. I checked it last nigth, it is working now, it just takes about 3-4 seconds to lock onto the signal. I will get the 49% error, get the error screen, and then about 3 seconds later, i get the station, it is just very slow in locking onto it. With all of the advances made in these HD boxes, you would think that this type of problem would be a non-issue. Never had this problem with my zenith 420 or voom box, ever....

 

[riffjim4069]

I've had my 811s for 3 1/2 months and have never had that problem when tuning to stations at full power. I have been running firmware P2.87 and P2.89 (current) and my signal levels are typically 75 or higher. The only time the 811 will display a signal level of 49 is when I change channels and forget to flip the A/B switch to select another antenna or select a low-powered broadcast network in my area. What software are you running and what are your signal levels after the 811 finally "locks"? Granted, the 811 appears to "lock" a little slower than the VOOM STB and my 942, but mine are not at all horrible.

 

[waltinvt]

What I don't understand is my 811 would lock on a couple of close stations and there were about 4 others further away that would mostly stay at 49% but sometimes go up to 55% with occassional spikes up into the low 60s. I even got a couple of those stations to lock for a short while a couple of times but they wouldn't stay.

However now I've replaced my 811 with a 942 (everything else stayed the same) and although I can still lock those same 2 close stations, the others won't show any signal activity at all - no matter where I rotate my antenna, I can't get a flicker of signal. It's like the 942 doesn't see / register the weaker stations.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

This same "49%" then fail to lock and then lock after 4 seconds or so is also happening on some, but not all, of my OTA channels. This started AFTER getting the 2.89 "update." I never saw it once when I was at 2.87.

 

[Carl B]

Yes, the P2.89 software upgrade to the Dish 811 definitely increased the "lock" time for all OTA DTV channels. Those that suffer multi-path problems take a really long time, but when they lock, they seem to lock better and with a little higher signal reading.

My guess is that E* decided to tweak the discrimination capability of its Dish 811 software again. A software revision around summer of last year fixed the 49% problem that initial 811 purchasers had w/ the unit. In that case, 49% stayed, no lock, for channels other STBs readily locked. So now they've pushed it too far the other way and the unit takes too much time trying to make sure it has the strongest, steadiest, signal before it locks.

They should have left well enough alone!

 

[waltinvt]

Yes, the P2.89 software upgrade definitely increased the "lock" time for all OTA DTV channels. Those that suffer multi-path problems take a really long time, but when they lock, they seem to lock better and with a little higher signal reading.

My guess is that E* decided to tweak the discrimination capability of its software again. A software revision around summer of last year fixed the 49% problem that initial purchasers had w/ the unit. In that case, 49% stayed, no lock, for channels other STBs readily locked. So now they've pushed it too far the other way and the unit takes too much time trying to make sure it has the strongest, steadiest, signal before it locks.

They should have left well enough alone!

But I also believe that with the 942 they did something that basically keeps it from showing any signal reading at all until it's almost high enough to lock. This makes it allmost impossible to "zero in" on a weaker station with the antenna rotor.

 

[Devil24]

This same "49%" then fail to lock and then lock after 4 seconds or so is also happening on some, but not all, of my OTA channels. This started AFTER getting the 2.89 "update." I never saw it once when I was at 2.87.

The same thing is happening with my 811.

Ever since my receiver go the 2.89 update, its OTA reception quality and stability has dropped considerably.