Happy Camper with 24 inch Dish

[BigTVSteve]

It's early in the game, but so far my VOOM experience in San Diego is very positive.

I had a quality two receiver installation yesterday with a 24 inch dish (per my request). My Sat signal strength in clear weather is 98 or 99. We just had a moderate rain shower here and the signal level only dropped to 93-95. It is now back up to 98. There was no perceptible loss in picture quality on either the SD or HD channels during the rain storm.

The two VOOM satellite receivers are significantly more sensitive for OTA signal reception than either the Samsung T150 or LG-3510A dedicated OTA receivers that I was using. Overall HD picture quality seems about the same, but I will need to run some side by side tests between VOOM and the T150 pictures to be certain.

For those that are having signal dropouts, esp. weather-related ones, get the bigger dish installed. If you are having troubles, I think VOOM will do this on a no charge basis for a service call.

Who knows, as long as VOOM keeps improving and doesn't get too greedy, I may not re-install my big dish/4DTV setup...

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

I have the 24 inch dish and it works with rain but it won't with the wind and I'm in Las Vegas

 

[BigTVSteve]

FJA,

What happens to the 24 inch dish in your Vegas winds? I was thinking of a VOOM installation in Carson City. That location has some really high winds...

I wouldn't think that 18 inch satellite dishes in unprotected locations fare much better with high winds. Can you re-locate the dish to a protected location or build some sort or fiberglas or wood wind deflector?

 

[Sean Mota]

With the high winds, I will suggest you to make sure that the dish does not move. There is a screw under the LNB that sometimes is not tighly screwed and you should check that too.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

guys I don't have a tall enough ladder to reach the dish. And I'm not risking falling to fix the damn thing

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

FJA,

What happens to the 24 inch dish in your Vegas winds? I was thinking of a VOOM installation in Carson City. That location has some really high winds...

I wouldn't think that 18 inch satellite dishes in unprotected locations fare much better with high winds. Can you re-locate the dish to a protected location or build some sort or fiberglas or wood wind deflector?

Everytime it's windy the sat goes out but OTA stays on. The thing that gets me is that my neighbor across the street has DISH and he never loses his signal during rain or wind. He is watching his Football package while I'm stuck with OTA or DVDs. There was some movies on my planner for today that I was going to record but now I can't because this crap called VOOM isn't working!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sean Mota]

guys I don't have a tall enough ladder to reach the dish. And I'm not risking falling to fix the damn thing

That's fine. When the Service comes with a big enough ladder make sure that they check all the screws; the only reason for losing transmittion on high wind is that the dish was not mounted properly.

 

[Ilya]

Everytime it's windy the sat goes out...

And it will continue doing that until you or the installer tightens that screw, no matter how many times you post it in this forum!

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

the installer came out to fix this last week and he said it was up there tight enough you could hang from it. So what screw would be loose?

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

he also told me that the dish never moved from the wind. He kept saying some about the PQ was low and the sat signal was 95% I'm soo confused. The guys that do install here in Las Vegas are called AAA Media. The guy who is the boss Keith told me he was the first guys to install for VOOM when they first came out

 

[Ilya]

If the reception suffers from the wind, it has to be either the dish itself, or the arm or the LNB or loose wires. It could also be trees waiving in the line of sight. The installer can say anything he wants, but if he can't troubleshoot this simple problem, his experience is worth nothing. I would request a different installer, if I were you.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

there are no trees.....i'm in las vegas lol

 

[Ilya]

there are no trees.....i'm in las vegas lol

Good! That takes the list of suspects down to just four: dish, arm, LNB or wires. One of them needs to be tighten up. I don't see what else can be possibly affected by wind

 

[BigTVSteve]

What is your Sat signal strength?

FJA,

You can check your own satellite signal strength. Why don't you do this and report back to us? Your strength with a 24 inch dish and a clear view of the satellite should be above 97 or so. My signal strengths are 98 on one receiver and 99 on the other receiver (both fed from the same 24 inch antenna in San Diego). You are a little closer to the satellite than I am...

Here's how to check the satellite signal strength (and one of the most important quality factors of your installation), just using your remote control:

1. Turn TV volume down all the way or mute the TV sound before going on, as step 6 will otherwise create a loud tone
2. Press rectangular VOOM button on the remote
3. Press Green button (Options and Settings)
4. Press Green button (System Settings)
5. Use up/down buttons to highlight Option 7 (Installer Menu), then press OK circular button
6. Use up/down buttons to highlight Option 2 (Tune Satellite Signal), then press OK circular button

Your measured signal strength will be shown in the third window down, titled Signal Level Number. Let us know what that number is. Perhaps your "qualified installer" did not do such a quality job.

To get back to your normal picture from the signal strength display, just press your "Back" button four times.

There is no ladder requirement for this exercise; let us know what you find.

 

[BigTVSteve]

What is your Sat signal strength?

FJA,

You can check your own satellite signal strength. Why don't you do this and report back to us? Your strength with a 24 inch dish and a clear view of the satellite should be above 97 or so. My signal strengths are 98 on one receiver and 99 on the other receiver (both fed from the same 24 inch antenna in San Diego). You are a little closer to the satellite than I am...

Here's how to check the satellite signal strength (and one of the most important quality factors of your installation), just using your remote control:

1. Turn TV volume down all the way or mute the TV sound before going on, as step 6 will otherwise create a loud tone
2. Press rectangular VOOM button on the remote
3. Press Green button (Options and Settings)
4. Press Green button (System Settings)
5. Use up/down buttons to highlight Option 7 (Installer Menu), then press OK circular button
6. Use up/down buttons to highlight Option 2 (Tune Satellite Signal), then press OK circular button

Your measured signal strength will be shown in the third window down, titled Signal Level Number. Let us know what that number is. Perhaps your "qualified installer" did not do such a quality job.

To get back to your normal picture from the signal strength display, just press your "Back" button four times.

There is no ladder requirement for this exercise; let us know what you find.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

the sat is at 10 and OTA is at 98. I know all about that. I hope this new install company (Install Pro) is better than AAA Media. I want this fixed and not happen again.

 

[BigTVSteve]

Unsatisfactory Sat Signal Strength

FJA,

Thanks for the fast response.

Your satellite signal strength of 10 clearly indicates that the dish is NOT properly aligned to the satellite. Are you getting a satellite picture right now?? I would doubt it. Anyway, make sure to tell the installer guys this signal strength information before they come out again. Minimum acceptable satellite signal strength is supposed to be 85 and should be really be a steady 97 or higher with a 24 inch dish.

Your OTA strength has to be measured while you are tuned to each OTA station. Your 98 reading is just for one of the stations.

To see the signal strength on various OTA stations, you can select Option 1 on th Installer Menu (Installation Wizard). Then select Option 3 (Aim Off Air Antenna). Then punch in the desired digital channel number(s) for your area and press the OK button. The individual channel's signal strength will be shown at the right side of the bar display. Desired OTA signal strengths are in the 90s. Use the back button repeatedly to get back to your picture.

NOTE: Your analog and digital station numbers that need to be entered in the tuning window may be quite different. For example, in San Diego Channel 15 (PBS) is Channel 30 in the DTV world; Channel 8 (CBS) is Channel 55, etc. Check the antennaweb.org site for details on the numbers to enter.

Since you will be armed with this new information, I think you will get some better treatment from the installers next time around. Just be certain that they show you a good steady high 90s signal from your satellite dish before they leave again. Have them try to wiggle the dish while you are watching the signal strength reading on your TV. It should not change, if they have the dish locked down correctly.

Let us know of your results.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

well just a little update.... After requesting a new installer (Install Pro Inc) they are still sending AAA Media Masters to fix my dish!!!!!!! Yesterday VOOM gave me the work order # and the phone number to the new Installer. So I called Install Pro Inc and they said VOOM never sent them a work order!!!!! I called VOOM back and they said that AAA Media Masters took the order. When I stated I didn't want AAA Media Masters doing the work anymore they told me we could find another installer but it would take 7 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That means we'd be without TV for a WEEK!!!!!!! VOOM is getting on mine and my stepdads nerves. This is not what we signed up for

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

well somebody from AAA Media Masters came out this morning at 8am. He got the sat working. He didn't really tell me what was wrong with it because he didn't know. He got the sat at 99 and PQ at 98. Well that's what it said on his meter. But on the box it says the sat signal is 86. He told me don't really go by the box go by what his meter read. Is this more blowing smoke or what? You guys wanna hear what my installer said about this site,the "so-called suits" & engineers? He said not to listen to people on this site about problems with VOOM. He said he invites you guys to put on toolbelts and come over he'll cook u diner. He said this when I told him what you guys suggested was wrong with my VOOM.

 

[Vreesar]

Your installers METER will pick up any signal it recieves and probably can't tell the difference between V* and E* signals as they are so close together in the sky. ALWAYS verify signal strength with the voom reciever as thats the one that counts and not his meter. Your voom receiver should report mid to high 90's signal strength, if it isn't then its not posistioned correctly or you have defective equipment.