Looking at getting Starchoice

[dish_dtv]

Update : Not yet delivered

Today is the 6th business day since 505 shipped out of Canada. Still no sign of it (CanadaPost website continues to say 'electronic shipment details submitted' and identifies service type as XpressPost-USA). Is this the norm? I had my installer originally scheduled for this weekend. I guess I will have to call him and reschedule for X-mas weekend (assuming that the 505 lands at least by then).

Wonder if I erred in choosing Canada Post XpressPost-USA over UPS (shipper/broker rip-off outfit).

 

[BabaLouie]

Today is the 6th business day since 505 shipped out of Canada. Still no sign of it (CanadaPost website continues to say 'electronic shipment details submitted' and identifies service type as XpressPost-USA). Is this the norm? I had my installer originally scheduled for this weekend. I guess I will have to call him and reschedule for X-mas weekend (assuming that the 505 lands at least by then).

Wonder if I erred in choosing Canada Post XpressPost-USA over UPS (shipper/broker rip-off outfit).

With all of the parcel volume this time of year, you can easily expect a couple of days delay.

 

[hiker]

XpressPost I think is the equivalent of USPS Priority Mail. It is not like USPS Express Mail which is overnight guaranteed if accepted at the P.O. by a certain cutoff time (11 am ?). The tracking should at least show accepted at the post office like my tracking info did. But like BabaLouie said it's that time of the year. Give it a few more days. I hope it was insured?

 

[dish_dtv]

Thankfully, it is insured for C$200

Yes, it has been insured for $200. I was also surprised that it did not even show that it was physically picked up, only the fact that the shipper electronically communicated 'shipment' (read intent to ship?).

Like you all say, may be it is a storm in a tea cup, and it's standard delays with Canada Post/USPS services at this time of the year.

Bummer!

 

[hiker]

BTW, I would not recommend that you rely on the 505 to identify the SC satellites. It comes loaded with an old software version and the menus and signal meter are very slow to react. I would make sure your installer has a satellite meter that can positively identify the AnikF1R or AnikF2 satellites. Better if he has had experience with SC system installs. I used an FTA receiver to identify and get max signal strength. See the installer guidelines here.

 

[dish_dtv]

Installer tells me that he does only ku-band and other FTA installs

Hiker:

Thanks for the comments. I guess based on the forums, I was hoping to use the 505 as the final fine-tuning aid to increase signal strength. My installer tells me that he has the appropriate signal meters and does Ku-band and other FTA installs only. He has no previous experience of SC, but does tell me that his signal meter easily picks up both 107.3 and 111.1. I guess I will know for sure once I get my 505 first, so that he can come over with everything else.

Un-related question on grounding:
Front of the house is where my E* dish is installed/ground at the electricity meter board. Since the new dishes are going to be big, and my E* will continue to be there in the front, I was hoping to have him install the 2 dishes in the back of my SINGLE STORY home. 2 questions:
(1) Which type of mount is better roof mount or wall mount? Installer is going to come with a 2" - 2 3/8" adjustable universal wall/roof mount with support legs for the mast/mount.
(2) Even if the Patriot dishes are installed at the back of the house, can I still have everything ground properly at the front? Just trying to get educated before the installer shows up. Because, if the installer tells me that "the electricity meter is in the front and if we go with a dish install towards the back of the house, then GROUND is not possible", I will probably believe him, since I don't know anything about ground issues.

 

[dish_dtv]

CanadaPost update

Hi all:

Just got off the phone with Canada Post. Apparently, they got physical possession of the package only on Friday, December 14, 2007, even though they were 'electronically notified' on Thursday, December 6, 2007. I don't know who messed up here (Canada Post or my friend). The Canada Post tracking website continues to only say 'shipping details electronically submitted on 12/06'. The Canada Post CSR estimates a wednesday/thursday delivery (12/19 or 12/20). I guess I might still meet my original target of getting my SC install completed by X-mas.

I guess my waiting game continues. Also, since there were no replies apart from a couple of very useful PMs, I am asking the ground/install question again:
---------------------------------------
GROUND/INSTALL QUESTION:
---------------------------------------
Front of the house is where my E* dish is installed/ground at the electricity meter board. Since the new dishes are going to be big, and my E* will continue to be there in the front, I was hoping to have him install the 2 dishes in the back of my SINGLE STORY home. 2 questions:
(1) Which type of mount is better roof mount or wall mount? Installer is going to come with a 2" - 2 3/8" adjustable universal wall/roof mount with support legs for the mast/mount.
(2) Even if the Patriot dishes are installed at the back of the house, can I still have everything ground properly at the front? Just trying to get educated before the installer shows up. Because, if the installer tells me that "the electricity meter is in the front and if we go with a dish install towards the back of the house, then GROUND is not possible", I will probably believe him, since I don't know anything about ground issues.
Experts, please advise or post your suggestions.

 

[dish_dtv]

Update - Got receiver today

Hi all:

Canada Post/USPS finally delivered by 505 today. Don't know why there was so much delay. Website has no update even now. Continues to say 'Electronically...shipped notice".

Will post again tomorrow. My installer will be coming tomorrow to align the 2 dishes and combine the 4 outputs to a 4x8 switch.

Will post again tomorrow/Sunday. Wish me luck.

 

[Mr Tony]

good luck

 

[dish_dtv]

Too cold/windy in Dallas. Rescheduled for tomorrow

Hello all:

It's been too windy (25-30mph winds) and cold (40 deg. F), so my installer said it might be a futile attempt to try and lock signals today. I guess 1 more day of waiting won't be too bad.

Will post tomorrow/monday with updates.

 

[dish_dtv]

Dallas Desperado - HELP!! Is my 505 DEAD?

Hi all:

Update on my install. My installer came today, installed a plumb universal mount on my wall (for the first dish), connected the twin-output Pansat LNBF (PT-5600) to one of the Patriot 85-E dishes, pointed first to 107.3 and then 111.1, one after the other to verify reception. With his 3-4 year old DVB-type FTA receiver, he showed me the signal strengths on both 107.3 and 111.1. The signal strength was on average above 75% and signal quality average was 70-74%.

He showed me the following transponder data on 107.3

L/O set to 10750
22khz set to 0/OFF/NONE
------------------------------------------
FRQLO SYMBOL Sig Strength Sig Quality
------------------------------------------
11902 5859 78 74
11911 5859 76 72
11919 5859 77 73
11941 5859 75 70
------------------------------------------

On 111.1, he showed me the following:
L/O set to 10750
22khz set to 1/ON
------------------------------------------
FRQLO SYMBOL Sig Strength Sig Quality
------------------------------------------
11861 10000 80 78
11874 10000 78 76
------------------------------------------

In order to confirm EB Nos/Signal strength on my new 505, he put the dish back on 107.3(main sat), tightened everything and sent a RG-6 directly to my living room. Connected the cables to my new 505 and turned the power switch on (front panel). No video/audio on screen. However, we noticed an streak of orange light going across 3-4 rows (right hand front of receiver). Reading the manual, it seemed like it should stop after 1 minute. However, it has been an hour & it was still cycling. Since my installer's FTA receiver is identifying the afore-mentioned frequencies with excellent signal strength/quality, he is confident that we have hit both the birds.

He said he will come and physically peak/point the 2nd dish at 111.1 and combine the 4 outputs using the DTV4x8 switch. He is telling me that since there is an exclusive cable running from one of the twin-output Pansat LNBF (PT-5600) without any switch to the receiver, the Starchoice receiver should be able to at least give signal strength information, just like his FTA receiver.

Please help me. Is there anything to be done to make my 505 start reporting signal numbers? He says since his receiver is reporting 75% signal strength and 70% strength quality on the dish pointing at 107.3, there is not much on his end regarding that satelllite. Is there anything we could do to make our 505 receiver stop cycling & start reporting EBnos?

I dread the fact that the receiver might be DOA. GRRRRRRRRRR!

 

[BabaLouie]

Hi all:

Update on my install. My installer came today, installed a plumb universal mount on my wall (for the first dish), connected the twin-output Pansat LNBF (PT-5600) to one of the Patriot 85-E dishes, pointed first to 107.3 and then 111.1, one after the other to verify reception. With his 3-4 year old DVB-type FTA receiver, he showed me the signal strengths on both 107.3 and 111.1. The signal strength was on average above 75% and signal quality average was 70-74%.

He showed me the following transponder data on 107.3

L/O set to 10750
22khz set to 0/OFF/NONE
------------------------------------------
FRQLO SYMBOL Sig Strength Sig Quality
------------------------------------------
11902 5859 78 74
11911 5859 76 72
11919 5859 77 73
11941 5859 75 70
------------------------------------------

On 111.1, he showed me the following:
L/O set to 10750
22khz set to 1/ON
------------------------------------------
FRQLO SYMBOL Sig Strength Sig Quality
------------------------------------------
11861 10000 80 78
11874 10000 78 76
------------------------------------------

In order to confirm EB Nos/Signal strength on my new 505, he put the dish back on 107.3(main sat), tightened everything and sent a RG-6 directly to my living room. Connected the cables to my new 505 and turned the power switch on (front panel). No video/audio on screen. However, we noticed an streak of orange light going across 3-4 rows (right hand front of receiver). Reading the manual, it seemed like it should stop after 1 minute. However, it has been an hour & it was still cycling. Since my installer's FTA receiver is identifying the afore-mentioned frequencies with excellent signal strength/quality, he is confident that we have hit both the birds.

He said he will come and physically peak/point the 2nd dish at 111.1 and combine the 4 outputs using the DTV4x8 switch. He is telling me that since there is an exclusive cable running from one of the twin-output Pansat LNBF (PT-5600) without any switch to the receiver, the Starchoice receiver should be able to at least give signal strength information, just like his FTA receiver.

Please help me. Is there anything to be done to make my 505 start reporting signal numbers? He says since his receiver is reporting 75% signal strength and 70% strength quality on the dish pointing at 107.3, there is not much on his end regarding that satelllite. Is there anything we could do to make our 505 receiver stop cycling & start reporting EBnos?

I dread the fact that the receiver might be DOA. GRRRRRRRRRR!

Try holding in the power button for 20 seconds or so. The receiver should then reset and power on. Perhaps that will help.

 

[mikekohl]

You will need to run four cables to the LNBFs for proper feeding of
a 4x8 DirecTV Multiswitch. Otherwise trash the multiswitch, use a 22 KHz
switch at the dish (one cable from each LNBF) and a single coax into the house from the 22 KHz switch to your 505 receiver. 2 receivers: 2 22 KHz switches at the dish with one connection from each LNBF and two cables indoors (one from each switch). Make sure that the 111 satellite is connected to 22 KHz and 107 is inputted to 0 KHz port on switches.

 

[hiker]

You should be able to get to the menus by pressing the Options button even if there is no RG6 connected. If you can't do that, the 505 might be bad.

The 505 comes from the factory with old version of software (ver 0.3, IIRC)) which has a slow, sometimes unresponsive interface. After you get a good satellite connection, the 505 should download the latest software (ver E0) overnight which is a big improvement. Then you can go to Options 6-4-7 to check signal and Ecb/No. There's a different sequence to do this with the older software, something like 6-4-0.

 

[dish_dtv]

None of the front panel / remote buttons work

I guess I did not make myself clear in my earlier post. The 505 (even when not connected to any cable) just goes into this mode where the bank of lights/vents on the front right of the receiver keeps switching between the rows/banks. None of the front panel buttons work. I tried holding the ON/OFF button on the front panel 15-30 seconds. The orange light stops cycling but stays glowing on a particular row/bank. Once I release my hand, the cycling resumes.

Mike: Thanks for the heads up on the 4x8. Yes, my installer has promised to come back today, to finish peaking the 111 dish, combine the 4 feeds (2 from each dish/Pansat twin output LNBF) to the input of the 4x8 (I will make sure that he connects the 107.3 outputs to 13/18 0 & the 111.1 outputs to 13/8 22). He has also promised to have 2 outputs run thru' my wall/attic into the living room, so as to future proof (in case I need to upgrade to a 530HD DVR). I will try to connect my 505 to one of the in-wall RG-6 connections after he completes all this and see if the 505 revives itself magically. Hope springs eternal, huh?

Is my 505 dead like Hiker suggests? What would my options be then?

 

[mikekohl]

It would be best for your initial setup to go out to the dish, WITHOUT
the multiswitch installed, and connect the receiver directly to the 107.3
satellite to get something mapped properly. It does not bode well that you cannot get the receiver out of the dancing orange light routine, and
until the menus come up, all bets are off because you cannot operate the receiver to test anything--much less do any mapping or getting authorization. Should this continue, the receiver is definitely bad, and should be returned to wherever it was purchased. Another reason to have a unit activated before shipping it...it would have saved a lot of shipping charges. (But you would need a friend or relative in Canada to help you in this situation). Good luck!

 

[SatboyZ]

One of my 505's exhibited the same operation out of the box - it was a return from Future Shop that I got off of ebay. When I did the front panel reset like you (15 sec power hold) it flashed the front lights and turned on. Could it be that it is downloading an update? Maybe someone else can answer that.

Hope you get it working.

Satboyz

 

[dish_dtv]

I think that my 505 is dead-on-arrival

One of my 505's exhibited the same operation out of the box - it was a return from Future Shop that I got off of ebay. When I did the front panel reset like you (15 sec power hold) it flashed the front lights and turned on. Could it be that it is downloading an update? Maybe someone else can answer that.

Hope you get it working.

Satboyz

Satboyz,

Based on others' posts here above (espl. Mike Kohl, Hiker), I am inclined to think that the 505 was/is dead on arrival. On the first evening, I was thinking the same thing too (downloading stuff). But, even after the receiver was doing that for the whole night, when I looked at it the next day, it was still dancing around with no audio/video. I tried holding the front panel ON/OFF RESET button (left front) for a long time. Nothing works.

At this point, I think that my best option is to ship the faulty 505 back to Canada and have my relative (or friend) return it to FS and get a replacement (hopefully, it would be before the 30 day window, customs/shipping permitting). This was one variable that I definitely did not even think of factoring.

FWIW, both my dishes seem to be peaked/aligned well and getting 75%+ signal strength/quality on both 107.3 & 111.1. All my 4 outputs from the 2 dishes are correctly fed into the Eagle Aspen 4x8 switch (107 using the 0khz, 111 using the 22khz) and have 2 outputs from the switch into my living room, just in case I ever upgrade to a 530.

Hopefully, if and when my replacement receiver reaches me in the next 15-20 days (being optimistic here), I will hopefully just have to plug my 505 in and all would be set (to get the account activated).

Wish me luck. It has been a twisted trip so far.

 

[dish_dtv]

New 505 on the way!

Hi all:

Finally, some positive news to share with you all. I shipped the defective 505 to my relative up north. My relative went and returned the defective 505 (since we were under the 30-day window) and then purchased a new 505 in a separate transaction.

This time, after reaching home, the 505 was powered up and apparently, after 30-45 seconds, the dancing stopped. When the power button was pressed, it rested with a RED sat symbol with the clock at 5:00. This is a lot more progress with the new 505 compared to my first 505.

Also, a friend of mine happens to fly into Dallas today, so my relative promptly took this new/working 505 to my friend's place last evening. If all goes well, my friend should arrive in Dallas later today with the 505 and I should be able to plug my new 505 and test my signals (again) tomorrow.

BOTTOM LINE: For those of you 'southern' subscribers purchasing NEW receivers from the Great White North, please ensure that your friend/relative/broker turns your new unit and ON & make sure that they get the RED/GREEN SAT icon on front panel glow before the unit is shipped down to the USA. That will save a lot of unnecessary headaches, like the one I had to experience.

 

[lern4483]

Whew, thats allot of agravation!

Im new to SC. I live in South Florida. Got a refurbished 530 from kusat. When first set up, one tuner was seeing the satelite the other was not.

The hookup guy told me machine was bad-send it back. Luckily, kusat knows there stuff. They told me that that unit requires some added steps. Low and behold I was up and running!

Glad they fixed it. Its a pain shipping stuff north and south and vice virsa. UPS slaps an additional shipping charge when they get to my home. Usually 30 bucks. What the heck is that?

Do you guys in Canada get that as well?

I highly recomend kusat!