Death of a 508

[randykimj]

We had a snowstorm with power failure this morning. When the lights came back on, my 4900 was receiving only one satellite signal and my 508 was acting flaky. I was hoping it was just an ice problem, but after cleaning off the lnbs (which were ice-covered), the 4900 shows a strong signal on 110 and 119, and 508 still flaky. Swapped wires, no change.

I can get a system menu, pvr menu (intermittently get as far as seeing the list of recorded items), sometimes 'Please wait while the disk spins up...' message. Can't get past the point dish menu item to see signal strength, and have not gotten to any screen that streams video (live or recorded).

So it seems my 508 has major problems. Anyone have any idea whether this is just a hard drive going bad, or is the whole box likely toast?

 

[N6BY]

If you can get to the System Information screen then let it run the 12 status checks and then select "Details". It should give you an idea of where the problem is.

You should also call Dish Tech Support and see if they can help.

If it turns out that the hard drive is bad, there is a Yahoo group called "dishmod" which has information about the procedure for replacing a failed hard drive. From what I hear its not easy!

 

[dfergie]

Or sign up for the Digital Home Protection Plan then contact them again and you will get a RMA Replacement...

 

[dlsnyder]

I had a similar problem last year, where the 508 thought its hard drive was dead. To reset I turned it off, pulled the smart card, then unplugged it. I then put the smart card back in and plugged the unit back in. It has worked flawlessly since then. It couldn't hurt to give it a try.

 

[Bob Haller]

power plug pulls are the best reboot if you ask me

 

[SaltiDawg]

Or sign up for the Digital Home Protection Plan then contact them again and you will get a RMA Replacement...

Or, alternatively, do something honest.

 

[Anole]

I agree. Pull the power cord, wait a whole minute (no cheating), plug it back in, and shove in the smart card - that's about the best a user can do.

You should be able to watch channels on it even if the hard drive is dead (in 90% of the cases).
So, if you continue to have the same trouble described above, I'd consider you might have suffered major damage to the unit, and it's not likely home-repairable.

As for replacement of a bad hard drive, that's a really big job unless you've very familiar with the PVR.
As a first project, it's not recommended.
For someone who has done it a few times, it'd take a couple of hours.
The biggest problem is finding a proper replacement drive.
They're getting harder to locate, and the last three I bought off Ebay have proven to be total crap.

 

[purwater]

Or, alternatively, do something honest.

Signing up for the protection plan to get a receiver replaced isn't dishonest. I've had CSRs recommend just that when having trouble with a receiver. They say it'll cost this much for a replacement or for just a few bucks sign up for the protection plan and we can send one out.

 

[SaltiDawg]

Signing up for the protection plan to get a receiver replaced isn't dishonest. ...

Of course it is both dishonest and it is dishonorable to even suggest it.

Quoted from Paragraph 2.

"You represent and warrant that the hardware for which you are seeking coverage are in proper operating condition at the start of the warranty coverage and that your DISH Network account is current and in good standing."