Dual OTA Dongle question

[Yragha]

This is in regards to the new "dual" adapter -

1. Does anyone get a brief message box come across the screen occasionally that says something to the effect of the channel can't be tuned only to then go to the channel?

2. Also, since yesterday the Dongle will scan ch. 2 (digital 35) but will not show a picture only the message box I stated above. What could be causing this?

Thanks

 

[Hall]

1. Does anyone get a brief message box come across the screen occasionally that says something to the effect of the channel can't be tuned only to then go to the channel?

I see this pop-up message (it's yellow, right ?) every so often. We have the single-tuner dongle and this has occurred with the Hopper 1, Hopper 2, and Hopper 3, so I don't think it's unique to the dual-tuner dongle. I can only guess is that the receiver is "impatient" ! It expects to see a signal too quickly and when it doesn't, it pops this up. Once the dongle has tuned the channel properly, the message gets removed.

2. Also, since yesterday the Dongle will scan ch. 2 (digital 35) but will not show a picture only the message box I stated above. What could be causing this?

Do you get audio ? Is there coincidentally a problem with the station temporarily ? Try tuning to it with your TV as a test. Or, just delete the channel and do a re-scan.

 

[Yragha]

I see this pop-up message (it's yellow, right ?) every so often. We have the single-tuner dongle and this has occurred with the Hopper 1, Hopper 2, and Hopper 3, so I don't think it's unique to the dual-tuner dongle. I can only guess is that the receiver is "impatient" ! It expects to see a signal too quickly and when it doesn't, it pops this up. Once the dongle has tuned the channel properly, the message gets removed.

Do you get audio ? Is there coincidentally a problem with the station temporarily ? Try tuning to it with your TV as a test. Or, just delete the channel and do a re-scan.

Thanks Hall for responding. My pop up is gray but seems like one in the same so that's good.

I did a scan in the bedroom (non satellite) using a converter box and all is fine.

Dish TV no audio, no video just the pop up.

 

[Hall]

Does it say something like "The OTA signal has been temporarily lost..." ? That's the one I'm thinking of.

Go to the OTA 'setup' screen and "tune" to this same channel and see what kind of strength you get. Make sure the coaxial connection is tight (cable and satellite techs snug these up with a wrench for good reason). Delete this channel (or all of them) and re-scan.

 

[Yragha]

Yes and 100% consistently which is baffling.

 

[pattykay]

Does it say something like "The OTA signal has been temporarily lost..." ? That's the one I'm thinking of.

On the Wally, the pop-up when you lose signal on an OTA station actually says "The satellite signal has been lost..." and the pop-up box is gray, just like Yragha said. Dish really should fix this, and make the pop-up yellow like it is on the ViP receivers. As it is, the message could be confusing for someone who doesn't realize that they are on an OTA channel.

 

[Deadlocked]

Has the duel part of it even been turned on yet?

 

[pattykay]

Has the duel part of it even been turned on yet?

Not on Wally.

 

[Jim5506]

I have seen instances where a stations psip info or something in the digital stream did not decode properly to certain tuners.

I would call the station and tell them what type of tuner you have and ask them to check their digital stream to make sure it is optimized - it has worked for me in the past.

I had a Toshiba tuner once that failed to decode sound from one station, I called them and the next day it was working.

 

[jackbyron1]

I'm having the same problem on the ABC affiliate of my OTA channels. That channel has the lowest signal strength of the other 4 networks. On 3 of my SONY TV tuners a channel can lock in with as low as a 5 on the signal strength meter. I think the DISH tuner needs at least a 55+ signal strength to lock in. The weird thing is the NBC affiliate is at 44 on the TV meter and a 70 on the DISH OTA tuner. It locks in with no problems all day and night. My ABC affiliate is at 33 on the TV meter. Very strange. I can't use an amplifier because I live only 4 miles or less from the towers and get overload which drops the signal lower.

 

[dweber]

You cannot compare signal strengths from different devices since each manufacturer calibrates their signal meter differently. Even Dish has changed their satellite signal meter over the years.

 

[Hall]

because I live only 4 miles or less from the towers

What antenna do you have ? Is it possibly too big considering how close you are ? Or is that not possible (for the antenna to be too big) ? I have a Radio Shack U-75R (I think) and am 8 miles away from the TV towers for one market and 35 miles away from a 2nd market. I actually point my antenna at the ones 35 miles away and still get 90-100 for the close stations on the TV or the Dish dongle.

 

[jackbyron1]

The towers are all in the same location. I have a RCA Compact Yagi HDTV antenna with a 60 mile range mounted in the attic. No rotor needed.

 

[jackbyron1]

My 2 locals have dropped signal strength dramatically this year. Maybe to save money? Or got a letter from the FCC.

 

[Jim5506]

The towers are all in the same location. I have a RCA Compact Yagi HDTV antenna with a 60 mile range mounted in the attic. No rotor needed.

Try moving the antenna around a bit, it may be in a null spot for that channel.