HD channels on weak Sat?

[berck]

We've had a major storm go through California today. I've noticed that I've lost nearly every one of the HD channels. Doesn't seem to affect any of the SD feeds, but nearly all the HD channels come back with 771 message searching for the satellite. There are a few exceptions, ESPN seemed fine.

Is this going to be a common problem with Directv?

 

[raoul5788]

We've had a major storm go through California today. I've noticed that I've lost nearly every one of the HD channels. Doesn't seem to affect any of the SD feeds, but nearly all the HD channels come back with 771 message searching for the satellite. There are a few exceptions, ESPN seemed fine.

Is this going to be a common problem with Directv?

It sounds like your dish is out of alignment. What are your signal levels?

 

[berck]

101 74%
110 83%
119 61%
99b 25%
103a 0
103b 0

When the rain cleared, I got back most of the HD channels. Once it started raining again, they nearly all got dropped again. So, I pay for a professional installation and it goes out of wack with the first sign of rain???

 

[digiblur]

KA band will be affected by rain a lot more than the DBS band.

 

[cebbigh]

Those numbers are way lower than what you should be seeing. I haven't had any trouble at all with signal loss on any channels since I signed up with DTV in October, here in the Pacific NW, and we have had a miserable time with rain and wind this winter. Most of my signals are in the high 80's and low 90's and I haven't seen significant drops even in bad weather. (Signal drops off the 129 sat (E5) were a major factor in my switching from Dish.)

 

[berck]

My dish must of got knock off alignment. Even with the weather nicer right now, I can only get about half the HD channels. I just got this system a month ago with professional installation. Will D got fix it for free or do I need to go up there and move it myself?

 

[drgranata]

berck,

I also live in California (near Yosemite). During the storm my system was unwatchable in both hd and sd (the winds were 40+ mph). I could see the dish moving on its roof mount 1 to 2 inches in the gusts (installed 4 months ago by d*). After the storm, the signal strength on the 103(b) was in the 30's and 40's and many of the hd channels didn't come in. I called D and the csr told me it would cost $80 for the tech to come out and realign the dish. I immediately asked for "retention" and after some discussion with the retention csr about who controls the wind and the $100+ dollars I pay a month, they told me they would waive the fee and a tech would be here on sunday. Sometimes it pays to b*tch and moan.

 

[berck]

Thanks for the info. I went up and looked at the dish. It looks solid, but I'm still having problems. I'll call in and complain. They just installed this less than a month ago. I wouldn't have thought it could have been that easily pushed out of alignment. My E dishes were always solid.

EDIT:
Just called and they will come out and check the dish. They said it would be free. Unfortunately, they won't come out until next Sunday.

 

[SB1]

My signal has been really low and the dish is not out of alignment. It seems to only affect the HD stations and I know that many others have experienced the same thing here in Santa Barbara. The signals were very high prior to the storm and I'm not sure there is anything that can be done. I will say that this is unacceptable if it is going to do this during every storm.

 

[raoul5788]

My signal has been really low and the dish is not out of alignment. It seems to only affect the HD stations and I know that many others have experienced the same thing here in Santa Barbara. The signals were very high prior to the storm and I'm not sure there is anything that can be done. I will say that this is unacceptable if it is going to do this during every storm.

Please post your signal strength numbers.