Dish OTA Module Won't Pick Up Locals

[Anonymous99]

Hey guys! I purchased an OTA module for my 722K from Amazon to get my locals in HD through my DVR. My OTA antenna is a small, paper-thin antenna that picks up every local channel when I hook it directly into the TV. However, when I hook it into the OTA module that I've installed into the back of the receiver, the Dish scan picks up none of the locals. Anyone know why this may be happening? Is there a way to troubleshoot the OTA module?

I'm scheduled to have a tech come out on Monday to install a second satellite from Dish on my roof, pointed where my locals are offered in HD (my current Dish is pointed in a way to allow for a particular international package that is only available on one arc). I'm hoping to avoid having a second satellite on my roof....and of course, I don't have the option of having additional tuners if I go this route (not to mention that I'm pretty sure Dish compresses the HD bandwidth they use for my locals as well).

Thanks for any help!

 

[Tampa8]

I'm not near my receiver for specifics but make sure your receiver is set for OTA not cable. Be sure you are connected to the ant Input.

 

[KAB]

I'm not near my receiver for specifics but make sure your receiver is set for OTA not cable. Be sure you are connected to the ant Input.

Yep, a common mistake.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Yes, if you don't select antenna over cable you will not be able to scan for ota channels . I had that happen on my parents 722k when I installed the ota module.

 

[dishstaller]

It's been a while since I installed an OTA module for a customer but it seems like I always unplugged the 722 from power, installed the OTA mod, then plugged back in. Otherwise the 722 won't recognize the module.

 

[Anonymous99]

Thanks guys! Fixed my problem...didn't have it set to Offair as all of you suggested. Can't believe I've been watching my locals in SD for so long when they've been available in HD forever. Now I can cancel my appointment for next week and not have another satellite on my roof!

Does anyone remember off the top of their head how to replace the SDs with the OTA HDs in the guide?

From the manual when this gets indexed by Google:
"If the scan does not find any local channels, verify that the Analog Type is set to Offair on the HDTV Setup screen. Press the MENU button, select System Setup, and then HDTV Setup. If necessary, use the left or right ARROW keys to navigate to Analog Type and then the up or down ARROW keys to change the setting to Offair. Select Done when finished."

 

[KAB]

Good to hear!

 

[TheKrell]

Does anyone remember off the top of their head how to replace the SDs with the OTA HDs in the guide?

I know of no way to make that happen. When there are both satellite SD and satellite HD channels, you can set your guide to show only one. But you can't (correct me if I'm wrong) replace the satellite SD channels with OTA HD channels in the guide.

 

[sam_gordon]

I know of no way to make that happen. When there are both satellite SD and satellite HD channels, you can set your guide to show only one. But you can't (correct me if I'm wrong) replace the satellite SD channels with OTA HD channels in the guide.

I can on my 211 and 611. I have a "favorite" guide set up that lists my OTA channels, and no satellite locals.

 

[fuzzy]

hide and lock

 

[TheKrell]

I can on my 211 and 611. I have a "favorite" guide set up that lists my OTA channels, and no satellite locals.

Right! Of course I totally forgot about the favorite guides or the hide and lock feature.

 

[STDog]

hide and lock

I have a "favorite" guide set up that lists my OTA channels, and no satellite locals.

How does affect recording? Especially Dish Pass (or what ever they call it now).

 

[KAB]

How does affect recording? Especially Dish Pass (or what ever they call it now).

Not at all, if I understand your question. Now, remember, the OTA locals are only going to record one at a time on one tuner. PTAT will record all four networks simultaneously on one tuner, but only the sat locals, not OTA.

 

[STDog]

I haven't used OTA yet. Don't even have an antenna at present.
Just trying to understand how it works.

Not at all, if I understand your question.

So if you set a timer using Dish pass it won't choose to record the sat feed instead of the OTA signal?

Is that when using "hide and lock" or when using a favorite's list?

If the timer is set to prefer HD and the sat feed is only SD, would it then choose the OTA feed for HD?
If the sat feed is HD, would choose OTA instead?


I would expect that a timer for a specific channel would stick to the OTA feed, though I've had it occasionally get the HD/SD preference wrong.

 

[HobbyTalk]

I haven't used OTA yet. Don't even have an antenna at present.
Just trying to understand how it works.

So if you set a timer using Dish pass it won't choose to record the sat feed instead of the OTA signal?

If you set the timer to an OTA channel it will only use that OTA channel to record from my experience.

 

[STDog]

Dish Pass records across multiple channels though.

 

[KAB]

Dish Pass (not a very good option, IMO) records only Sat channels, IIRC.

 

[dare2be]

Dish Pass (not a very good option, IMO) records only Sat channels, IIRC.

Incorrect. It will include the OTA channels. I have one Dish Pass timer that prefers the OTA channel and skips the SAT channel as a duplicate. Because that OTA channel sometimes comes in sporadically, I skip the OTA timer and the SAT timer automatically takes over.

I prefer Dish Pass as there are more timer options (all channels, single channel, search by keyword, etc.)

 

[STDog]

Incorrect. It will include the OTA channels. I have one Dish Pass timer that prefers the OTA channel and skips the SAT channel as a duplicate.

What about others? Is that the only one likely to get a hit on OTA?

I suspect it depend on how the channels are ordered when the Pass search is run.
But I don't know that OTA would be first.

And would hiding or locking the SAT channel cause it to always pick OTA?

I doubt not having it in a favorites list would.

 

[dare2be]

I could never get the hiding or locking work to exclude channels from Dish Pass. The timer entry would just show up in the schedule as "Locked Event", but would still record from that channel.

Point is, even if it chose the SAT channel before the OTA channel, and it does seem random, both channels would be candidates for recording (one chosen, one marked as duplicate).

That would be a nice feature to limit Dish Pass to only unlocked or in a favorites list.