I see the signal drop to the 63-66 threshold level occasionally but normal here around Houston is 86-88 for the primestar (fixed) and just a bit more 90-91 on the 10' Unimesh. It is tight (ala Ku on a big dish) and I usually have to bump the big guy a time or two to get peak, but it is very strong most of the time.
Sorry to hear you guys in the upper lattitudes are having issues.
Recording favorites is a good idea, and since both feeds are available, you have an extra chance to catch your favs if you suffer from temporary wx/signal strength issues.
I agree with the suggestion of aligning for best signal and removing the motor from the feed line. If you see a marked improvement in strength you have identified an issue.
As I said the signal does vary so a "realtime" comparison to a known good install may help too, There is a chat thing on the board, but I dont (intentionally) have my JAVA runtimes updated so I cant speak on it more than it does exist.
It does contribute to one's frustration level to try finding a signal that is too weak to see on an established system.
If you have the resources, a temporary install of a different dish/lnb and feed to use as another signal strength reference point may be helpful as well.
If you know another FTA hobbist in the area, try your rx on his array(s) and compare notes to reading on your setup. You may have rx sensitivity issues, although I havent heard of/read about any of the 1st gen Coolsats with sensitivity problems.