Directv at Camp. Sounded simple, but...

[Lakefront]

Good Day to all,
I know this is my first thread but here comes a big question. I have read as much as I could find before I posted this. As a mechanic by trade and DIY'er by birth I try to figure things out on my own....but alas here I am!


I am trying to set up our "camp" with a single receiver on a single TV. The receiver is an H21-200 from home. At home we have a SWM system feeding two H24 receivers with 3 minis as well as this H21. At first I tried an older 18" round dish that was given to me and told that it worked when the gentlemen used it in an RV years ago. I could not get any signal. I am fairly confident in my dish aiming with the help of dishfinder.com

The next dish I tried was a slimline with three LNBs, and four coax outputs, so I am assuming from the info I have read, that this would be a slimline 5. This dish came from a house not far way and the elevation and tilt was where dishfinder said it should be at my location. I did install a new BBC. Still no signal.

I have gone through the setup menu and set the receiver for each dish type.

If my aiming is off a little, which I expect it to be until I can fine tune with the signal meters, shouldn't I be getting something other than all 0's?

Is there more to this process than I originally thought?

Also, we will not be watching TV in both places at the same time. When I go home the receiver will be going with me. And the camp is only 15 miles from home so the local channels should not be an issue.

 

[stardust3]

In the settings you have to select the correct dish/switch setup for which you are working with.

Also you may be better off to have a swm lnb with the appropriate power supply. Everything is geared that way now.

 

[Lakefront]

I have done that. Going from the swm type SL3 that I have at home to the multi-switch SL5 at camp.

I have also tried changing the SWITCH TYPE before changing the DISH type as a youtube video mentioned that could make a difference.

 

[stardust3]

Those receivers can be finicky. Always do a reset after any change, then proceed.

 

[Lakefront]

Thank you stardust, now a reset is as simple as pressing the red button under the access card door, correct?

 

[stardust3]

Yes, double check your settings as well and make sure they match the hardware you're working with.

 

[Lakefront]

I have pressed the reset button a couple of times. To your point of adding a swm switch, that would just eliminate the hassle of changing the receiver settings each time I move it, correct? With a single TV there would be no other advantages?

 

[stardust3]

Yes that's true, the receiver also will automatically recognize the swm setup after a reset ensuring the right hardware is selected.

 

[Lakefront]

Its not too much bother to just change the setup in the receiver, since I don't plan on having any more TVs at camp. This might be a dumb question, but I am using the previous owners coax that ran to a DISH network dish. They use the same coax don't they?

 

[stardust3]

The wire should be fine, just be sure there is no dish hardware inline.

Also keep in mind while tuning. The receiver will likely have a delay in responding to the signal. Make small adjustments and give it a few seconds to see if it registers. Rinse and repeat till success.

 

[mdram]

silly question, but do you have a power inserter for the slimline?

 

[Lakefront]

I do not have a power inserter. Is one needed for a non-swm LNB? My research has told me that it is not used on a four coax LNB if your not using a swm set up.

 

[Lakefront]

As a side note, are any of the cheap electronic signal meters worth using?

 

[texasbrit]

no, you don't need a power inserter for a non-SWM dish. And the cheap signal meters are a waste of time.
You must change the switch type before selecting the dish type. And if you exit before you have a signal the receiver will revert to the SWM setting.

 

[Jimbo]

silly question, but do you have a power inserter for the slimline?

That is the question I was going to ask ...

I'm thinking that might be the issue, seeing hes getting nothing on any transponders and feels confident with the pointing.

 

[Jimbo]

Now I'm confused, is he using a SWM dish/LNB or a Slimline dish/LNB ?

If its a SWM, he'll need the power insertor.

 

[b52pooh]

Sounds like a non-SWM Slimline with four cable connections.

 

[Jimbo]

Sounds like a non-SWM Slimline with four cable connections.

If it is and he's only using 1 TV, he only needs 1 coax from the LNB.
If thats the case, he should have little trouble getting it set up.

Dish, LNB to recvr to tv ...
Point dish and hes good to go.

 

[Lakefront]

That is correct. At camp its a non Swm lnb with four connections. At home I have a Swm set up.

As for aiming, do people have pretty good luck with the dishfinder map? And how many degrees off does it have to be before it gets all 0s on the signal strength? Say, will two degrees off show a weak signal? 5 degrees? .5 degrees?

 

[Jimbo]

That is correct. At camp its a non Swm lnb with four connections. At home I have a Swm set up.

As for aiming, do people have pretty good luck with the dishfinder map? And how many degrees off does it have to be before it gets all 0s on the signal strength? Say, will two degrees off show a weak signal? 5 degrees? .5 degrees?

The degrees that your seeing is a starting point ... adjust from there.
The actual signal has to be pinpoint.
The mast has to be plumb, that is critical, or your other numbers are irrelevant.