921 Problems with OTA digital signals

[edfiero]

I had a 921 for about a year and it seemed to have great reception of OTA local digital signals. However the hard drive died and I had to get a new 921 receiver. The new one seems to have issues with the OTA channels. For example on the WB station the signal meter is showing signal in the 90-95 range, however the signal is constantly dropping out, pixeling, and displaying ACQUIRING SIGNAL on the screen. I see it occassionally on the other channels too which have signals of 97+ but its more frequent on WB.

Shouldn't a signal of 90 be enough to keep a solid picture? Could this be a software problem, rather than a hardware issue, that could be fixed in a new release? Would an amplifier help??

 

[Van]

You should check the center conductor of the connection to be sure that its straight and that it ends about 1/8 of an inch above the rim of the connection. Some times when a connection is removed and reatached the center conductor can become bent or even pushed back into the coax itsself. You should also look inside to see if there is any of the shielding thats making contact with the center conductor also, this can cancel out the signal.

 

[edfiero]

I've checked all the connections, and everything looks good. Center conductors are proper length, all fittings are tight. What else should I look for?

What's the minimum signal strength that should keep the OTA channels from Pixelating? If its 60 or 70.... and I'm seeing it at 90, then I think I have a beef with Dish... .but if its 100, then maybe I need an amplifer or something.

 

[dishman007]

on my 811,anything over 60 will give me clear ota,i don't think you need a
amp.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Those numbers should be plenty good. If you're at current software (L270), and all the gear checks good, you've got a beef with E*.

 

[garys]

The meter on the 811 is different than the 921 (I have both, 50 % on the 811 is 70% on the 921). I had a similar problem on my 921. What I found was a grounding block on the antenia line. If you have one, remove it. It seems the grounding wire was affecting the signal.