Keep losing 72 and 61.5, 77 still good

[Retlaw]

Eastern Pa, near 18901.
VIP 211k, about 5 years old.

For the past few months, I've occasionally been losing signal on the hd channels.
Figured it may be due to a wobbly roof mount, so I relocated to near ground level for better access, about 12 ft lower. Has clear unobstructed view.
Using the on-screen signal meter for peaking, got approx the following signals:
77: 50%
72: 40%
61.5: 25%

A short time later, I lost all but 77. Tried re-peaking, but couldn't pull in 72 or 61.5 unless I rotated dish about 1/8" to hit 72 with the 77 lnb. Was also getting a signal on 61.5 but screen says it was the 77 sat.
Tried covering the 77 and 61.5 lnb's with foil and couldn't find any signal for 72.
It appeared only the 77 lnb was working.

Today I considered disassembling the dish and moving the 77 lnb to the 61.5 position to see if it would change my results. However that appears to involve destructive disassembly (!), so I just moved the cable from #1 to #3...... now it works with signals:
77: 64%
72: 55%
61.5: 41%

What is my likely problem here? I'm thinking I may have intermittent failure of the lnb assembly.
How do you guys recommend I proceed?
Thanks!
Walt

 

[HipKat]

If your signal values Changed by simply moving the cable from one port to the other than it sounds to me like you're correct about failure at the LNB. I don't know what the values are in South Carolina but your 61 and 72 seem low. Here in the Midwest I can hit in the 50s on both. I haven'tused a .4 Eastern Arc in a long time but I'm pretty sure here we get in the seventies on the 77. Just a guess that being on the East Coast you should be seeing better signal than you are

 

[Retlaw]

Thanks.
I just swapped the cable back to port 1 and still getting good signal. 62/57/53
I seem to have an intermittent problem. Let's see how long this works....

 

[boba]

My guess would be corrosion on the cable ends at the dish. Removing and reinserting the stinger cleaned the connection enough to raise signal level.

 

[Retlaw]

I did adjust the position to maximize signals.... between the first set of readings and the second set.

When I was only getting the 77 sat, signal was still approx 50%, and zero on the 72 and 61.5.
I don't believe there is much skew necessary for my location, So I thought it odd I could had decent signal on one sat and nothing on the other two.

 

[Retlaw]

Was working at 11pm, only had 77 this morning:
77: 52%
72: 0%
61.5: 0%
reset receiver, no change.
Moved cable from port 1 to port 3 and all sats came back. Did not adjust position.
77: 62%
72: 50%
61.5: 52%

Anybody know what is going on?

 

[TheKrell]

I think the internal switch in your 1000.4 (?) is not long for this world.

 

[Retlaw]

Krell, that could be it. Lost a different sat this AM. Swapped the cable to a different port and they came back.
All lnb's seem to work but switching between them seems to be the problem. Glad it's not the receiver.
Just ordered a new LNB.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Bobby]

and, if you have the right tools, I'd cut the old fitting off of the coax and put a new one on.

 

[TheKrell]

Thanks for the help!

That's what we're here for!

 

[Retlaw]

Put the replacement LNB on it today and I still have the same problem.... no signal in the morning, but it comes back if I disconnect the cable and move it to a different port. Did the 'check switch' test and also did the reset (unplug) on the receiver.... no change.

The 'new' lnb obviously isn't.... lots of sun fading of the housing. Did I possibly get a lnb with the exact problem (unlikely), or is the problem in the receiver?

 

[HipKat]

The only way to know for sure is to put a meter on the line at the LNB, ground block and receiver and see what signal strength, dBM;s, LNB drift, etc looks like

 

[boba]

Unless you are a well equipped amateur it might be time for a service call.

 

[Retlaw]

Apparently I don't need to switch the cable to a different port on the LNB to regain signal.... I just need to remove cable, reattach, and then I regain signal.
My 'solution' was to install a cable A/B switch on the receiver. When I have no signal (when I turn it on in the a.m.), I switch to 'B' (no connection), then back to 'A' (dish cable). I regain signal within 15 seconds.

A service call is $90. A replacement receiver is about $60.... that's the likely culprit.
I'd consider buying a receiver but not sure if that will affect my recordings on the external hard drive or if I have to pay reactivation fees.
For now, the A/B switch is a minor inconvenience but I can live with it.

 

[navychop]

Clever work around.

Replacement will not affect EHDs. No reactivation fee.