Hopper 3 shuts down, restarts without warning …

[BnT.atl]

Any ideas out there regarding the cause of this issue?

The headline is the problem in a nutshell … only had the h3 since the very end of December and this month the tv screen went black for no reason, in five minutes or so the h3 logo appeared and the h3 was restarting itself. This happens several times a day/night, whether watching live or recordings …it even happens during recordings therefore splitting a recording up into 2 or three (or four or five depending on length) recordings of varying lengths…

I did all the troubleshooting with an experienced dish rep over the phone and everything checked out … then the rep told me it seemed like “something outside” is be causing this. He did not specify what outside is the issue…

Got a tech visit at the home … he told me he worked for dish for over 10 years but was stumped. Replaced some outside cabling and and the h3 unit itself. It was ok for a few days then the issue started happening again…

The h3 is plugged into the wall. The tv, separate sound bar, and separate mp3 system (not all three are used at the same time) are plugged into a surge protector into the same outlet.

Neither the tv nor the soundbar are affected whenever these random h3 shutdown and restart happen, though the dish company line is telling me there is an electrical problem in the home…

I feel like a dirt member has tried to be helpful but no actual solution … I am getting another hdmi cable to try this weekend. I suppose that is the last troubleshooting option … I’m partially handicapped so getting behind the tv (55 inch LG) is a huge task which is why i put it off until the weekend…

this issue is mentioned on other internet threads via google search, the problem is mentioned but no particular solutions… might any of you have one? Thanks, Ray

 

[boba]

How were your signal strengths, solid or fluctuating? Any possibility of tree branches in your line of sight? Does the problem show up with windy weather? Is the problem showing up on only 1 satellite?

 

[BnT.atl]

hi boba --- I appreciate your reply!
Would that stuff affect the h3 even when watching recordings?

All that stuff you mentioned seemed When i did the troubleshooting with the dish phone rep all of that stuff checked out... also when i had the tech home visit (I mean, "apparently" he checked that stuff too ...) ... to be honest, I was a bit suspicious about 'trees' or something similar because the dish had to be re-positioned in 2014 when HD channels (like CNN) would switch to their SD version inexplicably... its "neighbor's" trees (of course!) but that seems to be a far reaching issue to affect the hopper internally ... particularity when watching recordings or am I wrong?

 

[JSheridan]

Is it well ventilated and not over heating?

 

[navychop]

I lean toward an electrical problem, too. I suspect you need more than a UPS. You might try a UPS/Line Conditioner. I have a couple from APC, one per HWS.

They ain't cheap.

 

[BnT.atl]

It is well ventilated … basically sits out in the open on a shelf with all sides open… a-l-l sides…

navy: the electrical issue is certainly possible but since the tv nor the sound bar are affected and they share the same outlet (though the dish is in the wall and the tv is on a surge protector…) … whenever the h3 shuts down, I can switch the tv to it’s dedicated wifi apps and use them… ‘electrical’ seems like an easy excuse for dish, particularly since the units have worked fine since December 2016 with no issues 'electrical' or otherwise...

 

[charlesrshell]

It is well ventilated … basically sits out in the open on a shelf with all sides open… a-l-l sides…

navy: the electrical issue is certainly possible but since the tv nor the sound bar are affected and they share the same outlet (though the dish is in the wall and the tv is on a surge protector…) … whenever the h3 shuts down, I can switch the tv to it’s dedicated wifi apps and use them… ‘electrical’ seems like an easy excuse for dish, particularly since the units have worked fine since December 2016 with no issues 'electrical' or otherwise...

Has anyone figuired out how to check the Hopper temps?

 

[BnT.atl]

Has anyone figuired out how to check the Hopper temps?

I dont know if anyone has figured out how to do that ... it comes up as an issue but this h3 is not enclosed whatsover, nor overused, abused etc etc ... I speculate that 'temps' do seem like they can be a problem but not in this case

 

[stardust3]

Just speculation, could intermittent internet drop be causing this?

 

[BnT.atl]

stardust, who knows?
That's really a question for an experienced dish tech ... the h3 'is' on the house wifi but i dont tend to use that feature with the dish too much since my LG tv has built in apps for netflix and more so I dont need the h3's app ...

in the past, I've tried to shut down the wifi aspect of the h3 in the past but not much luck there...

 

[Pepper]

I have been seeing this happen occasionally on mine. I suspect a bug in the latest software.

 

[Keystone7]

Not that this would be your issue, but i used a good power surge unit and forgot that I pluged the hopper into the (green) plugin. Once I figured this out, All was good and never shut down on me. I just place it in an plugin that was not labeled green. On my power protector it had three (green) plugins. Just trying to help.

 

[BnT.atl]

I have been seeing this happen occasionally on mine. I suspect a bug in the latest software.

Thank you Pepper!!!

That's what I suspect as well ... if there was a bonafide "electrical" problem, it will affect the tv and the sound bar not just the H3 ...

The h3 was fine since December until just a couple weeks ago... I bet there was some kind of "software update" that has an odd bug in it.... Dish tells me "I'm the only one" but I seriously doubt it...

 

[BnT.atl]

Not that this would be your issue, but i used a good power surge unit and forgot that I pluged the hopper into the (green) plugin. Once I figured this out, All was good and never shut down on me. I just place it in an plugin that was not labeled green. On my power protector it had three (green) plugins. Just trying to help.

I follow you Keystone...

I have a similar surge/power supply on my iMac and the unit has the "green" option... but ... Dish likes to say to avoid surge suppressor of any kind so I have the h3 plugged right into the wall and the tv + sound bar in the outlet below... "sorry Dish, bit if the h3 is affected by electric trouble and the tv is not, then the h3 is what's acting up...."

Truth...

 

[navychop]

Actually, the Hopper may be more sensitive to electrical glitches than the TV.

But I suspect you're right, it's s/w.

 

[sundude90]

Actually, the Hopper may be more sensitive to electrical glitches than the TV.

But I suspect you're right, it's s/w.

The Hopper will be more sensitive to electrical issues then TV's, Sound Systems, DVD players, ext. As of rule of thumb Routers, Modems and Satellite receivers are usually the most sensitive.

I however don't think its power, but you can easily and cheaply (about $50) get a UPS Battery Backup and plug the H3 into it and see if that helps.

I personally ALWAYS hook my modem and router to a UPS, so you wouldn't really be out anything.

Most likely software related.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[BnT.atl]

hey sun dude,

that’s an interesting idea “but” by using the Battery Backup unit, you are ignoring the dish mantra about “always plug the receiver directly into the wall” … you said that you use UPS for your modem but what about the h3?

I use Battery Backup on my iMac and modem as well and may look into one for h3 but … wow … h3 has got to be a real-l-l-l-l-y sensitive piece of equipment if its more “Sensitive” than a tv, sound bar, iMac, etc etc etc … if thats the case dish should consider this to be a “known issue”, instead of trying to say otherwise…

 

[n0qcu]

The H3 is basically a computer so any power problem that would cause a computer to reboot will cause the H3 to reboot.

 

[Bobby]

I have had my H3 plugged into a UPS since they first came out, without issue....

 

[navychop]

I suspect Dish is concerned about cheap, even burnt out surge protectors. I've always plugged mine into quality UPSes. Currently both HWS are plugged into units that are good line conditioners as well as UPSes.

Overkill now, especially since I ran a new line 120v line to the HT. Turned out, something like 20-25% of the house was on one circuit. I fixed that with rewiring and adding 3 (or was it 4?) new lines.

House was built circa 1965. And everyone just lived with popped breakers and did nothing. I've been here about ten years and one of the first things I did was have the breaker box replaced and improvements made to the wiring.