Does this support assessment make sense?

[sry58]

Sorry for the re-post I didn't see the tech discussions area. (long day)

One dish, two receivers: 622 and 322. Dish on roof. 22945 zip code
I've been having progressively more issues with reception in general but mostly HD and local. I typically get total signal loss ... reset your box error. I've run system info several times and get a LNB drift message (-11). The other night, clear weather, I could not receive anything on the 622, the System Info had red x's for all three satellites 110, 119, and 129. The aim dish could not lock on anything. However the 322 only had issues on local channels. The next morning all was fine, no LNB drift 110 and 119 had signal strength in the 70's 129 around 25.
Right now I check in aim antenna and only 119 and 129 can lock. 119 has signal strength of 71 and 129 has 26.
The tech who came out today says that the pine trees have grown and are the problem, but there is nowhere else to move the dish. So I say I guess I need to find another provider, then he says well there is an Eastern Arc antenna available for new customers. (61.5, 72, 77) (He is a sub contractor)
The 322 has to re-acquire several times a week as well.
Before I call Dish and push for a new antenna, does any of this make sense. He says the receiver is working too hard and that is why we are loosing signal. I plan on mounting an antenna in the attic this weekend, we are only 8 miles from the antennas and we will also have HD for local as well, so giving up locals is not an issue.
Thanks in advance

 

[MaryB@SlingTV]

Hi sry58, Welcome to Satellite Guys! You are definetly having a signal issue and if the techniocian has said you have a line of sight issue with the western arc, should be able to be installed for an Eastern Arc. You would need to upgrade the 322 as EA can only support VIP (MPEG4) equipment. If you would like to send me a PM with your account info, I can take a look at your programming and see what would be need to make this change happen. Just let me know!!

 

[navychop]

Mmmm. Michigan. Not sure, but you may be moving to EA anyway, per a quick google.

Do you own or can borrow a chainsaw?

 

[sry58]

actually Virginia. Need the trees to block the road. Very mature white pines haven't grown that much since we got HD two years ago.

 

[old corps]

That's what happened with me 2+ years ago. I no longer had reliable signal in the summer (it was great in the Winter) because of trees and Dish swapped me from WA to EA at NO cost and NO commitment.

BTW, I DO live in Michigan although I see sry58 is, in fact, from Virginia.

Ed

 

[TheKrell]

He's halfway between Charlottesville (know it well) and Crozet.

My recommendation: take Mary up on her offer to see what she can do to switch you to Eastern Arc. The sats are at an elevation angle of nearly 45 deg for us, so it's pretty easy to shoot over trees from somewhere on your roof.

Then, after you've upgraded your 322 and antenna, call up and "move" to Washington.

 

[navychop]

actually Virginia. Need the trees to block the road. Very mature white pines haven't grown that much since we got HD two years ago.

Boy, I sure fumble-fingered that one!

 

[jarvantgroup]

actually Virginia. Need the trees to block the road. Very mature white pines haven't grown that much since we got HD two years ago.

Go to Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com and input your zip code, and then select one of the satellite 61.5, 72, or 77. The site will mark line-of-sight from your house and you can tell right then if your have clearance for the Eastern Arc satellite. It points toward the southeast.

 

[navychop]

Where my in-laws used to live, a dish retailer came out and said no LoS without "clearing the forest" or going up a hill a couple hundred feet or so, and he wouldn't do the dig. I later climbed on their flat roofed garage and discovered easy, clear LoS to 110, 119 & 61.5. But by then it was clear they wouldn't be living there much longer, so it was moot.

 

[johnathanromero]

You may be able to get away with not having to go to EA if you can some how get a non-sub contractor tech to come out to your house and bring with them either a Dish500/1000+ mast...the mast is a few inches longer than a dish 1000.2 mast and MAY get you a few more years worth of decent signal. You can try a 2 dish solution since you only have 2 receivers, and you may be able to get better signal strength with 2 separate dishes 110/119 on one dish, 129 on the second...If you go EA dish, like others have said before, you will need to upgrade the 322, which they may do for free due to you having to switch due to the only way to keep you as a customer will be switching arc's.

 

[navychop]

Of course, for the truly dedicated, there's Rohn.

 

[harshness]

Getting the 322 swapped out for a ViP222 shouldn't be a big deal. Workaround multi-arc installs are doomed to fail frequently as stuff gets shifted on and off of 61.5.