LNB Died After 1 Month

[mdonnelly]

I had Direct installed at my house the first week of June this year. Last Sunday night we suddenly started seeing a "771" error code saying that the receiver couldn't see any satellites. I figured it would be something simple, so I looked online and sent a couple of receiver refresh commands, but that didn't help. I called tech support and they did the same, also didn't help.

They scheduled a service call for today, since I was going to be out of town (while my wife was home fuming over not having satellite TV). I took vacation this morning while the tech came out and checked the signal levels using the remote (no signal), checked back at the dish (no signal), and finally at the LNB (no signal).

He went to his truck and came back with another LNB, and it fired up immediately. I asked if this was a common issue with Direct equipment, and he said no. He blames it on some internal defect that must have been borderline at installation, but went into full failure after a month.

I can't say that I have a good impression of Direct after 1 month, even though the tech found the problem and fixed it quickly. We had Dish network for 10 years, and never had that issue. The wife has put me on notice that one more problem will send us back to Dish.

 

[mdram]

ive had brand new electronics fail after a week. it happens.

heck i had 2 dish lnb's, still on my original directv one

 

[Jimbo]

I had Direct installed at my house the first week of June this year. Last Sunday night we suddenly started seeing a "771" error code saying that the receiver couldn't see any satellites. I figured it would be something simple, so I looked online and sent a couple of receiver refresh commands, but that didn't help. I called tech support and they did the same, also didn't help.

They scheduled a service call for today, since I was going to be out of town (while my wife was home fuming over not having satellite TV). I took vacation this morning while the tech came out and checked the signal levels using the remote (no signal), checked back at the dish (no signal), and finally at the LNB (no signal).

He went to his truck and came back with another LNB, and it fired up immediately. I asked if this was a common issue with Direct equipment, and he said no. He blames it on some internal defect that must have been borderline at installation, but went into full failure after a month.

I can't say that I have a good impression of Direct after 1 month, even though the tech found the problem and fixed it quickly. We had Dish network for 10 years, and never had that issue. The wife has put me on notice that one more problem will send us back to Dish.

Your experience is Not typical, or you would have heard about it by now.
I've been using the same LNB on my current set up for over 7 years now, no issues.

It is possible that you got a bad one, that does happen ... usually electronics if they go bad will go bad quickly.

Also you have to consider the fact that you have no idea how that LNB got to your home, how many times was it tossed around in a delivery truck, then your installer as well ...
Its the only piece of electronics really outside as well.

 

[raoul5788]

It's unusual for any electronics to fail that quickly but it does happen. Look at the bright side, odds are you won't have another issue for a very long time.

 

[texasbrit]

As usual I'm sceptical about things like this. A loose connector is just as likely. "Hey, I changed the LNB and its fixed. Must have been the LNB."

 

[Claude Greiner]

LNB's for Directv generally do not go bad

 

[skihoodoo]

Where I was on the oregon coast I had to get a new dish and lnb every year because of the salt air
I don’t live there anymore

 

[KraziJoe]

7 years with D and still on same dish and LNB...

 

[skysurfer]

OP experience sounds about right. My LNB crapped out in low temperatures not long after I started service. I replaced it with a new LNB from ebay since it was cheaper to get it on ebay than pay for directv service call. Now this LNB is crapping out in high temperatures after 2 years and I just ordered a new one as a replacement. I wish DIRECTV would use quality LNBs.

My big backyard dishes - LNBs have been on some of them for 15-20 years no problems. My DISH Network LNB gave 6 flawless years when I had their service. DIRECTV - soon to be 3 LNBs in just over 2 years that I've had them.

 

[ncted]

I've had bad LNBs on both Dish and DirecTV. One each over the past 13 years of mostly satellite service. It happens, but is it not common. I've had equipment from the cable company fail much more often to be honest.

 

[raoul5788]

OP experience sounds about right. My LNB crapped out in low temperatures not long after I started service. I replaced it with a new LNB from ebay since it was cheaper to get it on ebay than pay for directv service call. Now this LNB is crapping out in high temperatures after 2 years and I just ordered a new one as a replacement. I wish DIRECTV would use quality LNBs.

My big backyard dishes - LNBs have been on some of them for 15-20 years no problems. My DISH Network LNB gave 6 flawless years when I had their service. DIRECTV - soon to be 3 LNBs in just over 2 years that I've had them.

I've never had a Directv lnb go bad in 14 years.

 

[skysurfer]

I've never had a Directv lnb go bad in 14 years.

I wonder if it's the SWM system that makes the LNBs unreliable. Mine uses the SWM system, apparently you long timers reporting no failures have systems that predate the SWM deployment.

 

[DukeBlue]

I wonder if it's the SWM system that makes the LNBs unreliable. Mine uses the SWM system, apparently you long timers reporting no failures have systems that predate the SWM deployment.

I haven’t had a LNB fail either in 18 years, upgraded to a SWM8 then a SWM LNB, now using the reverse band 5LNB… knock on wood.

 

[mdram]

I wonder if it's the SWM system that makes the LNBs unreliable. Mine uses the SWM system, apparently you long timers reporting no failures have systems that predate the SWM deployment.

mine is at least 5 years old, the genie was installed in 2012, still going fine

 

[ncted]

I wonder if it's the SWM system that makes the LNBs unreliable. Mine uses the SWM system, apparently you long timers reporting no failures have systems that predate the SWM deployment.

My DirecTV LNB failure was on the old 3-LNB dish, pre MPEG4 HD. My Dish LNB failure was on the 1000+.

 

[raoul5788]

I wonder if it's the SWM system that makes the LNBs unreliable. Mine uses the SWM system, apparently you long timers reporting no failures have systems that predate the SWM deployment.

Could be I suppose, but I've had a swm lnb for almost as long as they have been out with no issues.

 

[Jimbo]

I would take a guess and say that most of us old timers have been upgraded to SWM by now.