My Birdog is Lying To Me

[Quantum]

I've been a DirecTV installer for a good while, and my Birdog v3 was good to me.

But recently I switched to being a Dish installer, and have had some bad experiences. For example, did an upgrade adding a 24" for 129, but Birdog lied to me and said I was locked onto 129, when it was actually 119.

WTF?! The whole point of paying so much for a Birdog is that it not only recognizes the sat carriers, but then only locks to the digital stream for the actual bird you want.

Then I discovered that for installing a 500+ dish it only recognizes 119 on one DPP port and 110 on the other. And that only intermittently. Well this doesn't help.

I have all the latest plugins from birdog.tv, so what could possibly be wrong with this thing? This is affecting my ability to make a living. What am I going to do?

 

[jckm78]

Just remember 129 have a lower signal than 119, if you peak it. If your birdog is set to 129 it will say found 129 even if you point at 119 and vise versa.

 

[mr_kite]

my birdog maybe lying as well

First the configure page on birdog.tv site doesn't have Echostar 5 129 on the list, which one did you use? Galaxy 129?

Secondly, just got a Birdog off and I setup a Satelite on what Birdog says is Echostar 9 121' but when i use those transponders in Mytheatre and scan them I get no signal. i put in 129' echostar 5 transponders and i get many channels on every transponder except 2 of them. I don't have 8spk tuning device yet, so i got about 70 channels including 5max, Acmax, http://www.hashhu.com/forums/showthread.php?p=877861#, Boom, Byutv,Cbs,Cinel,Clips,Cnbcw,Cnnes,Colrs,... DiscE,Diy,Dkids,,,, NickG,NickT,NtGeo,PlbyE,..Scien,Starsw, Tclip, Teez,....etc

can someone tell me am I on Echostar 9 121 or Echostar 5 129? or maybe even 119?

 

[Quantum]

mr_kite, it's under Named Services: BR Dishnetwork 129 West. And if you 6-1-1 in the Menu and look at signal strength for 121, it will turn the bar red, yellow, or green and identify the bird. Run Check Switch first tho.


I just don't understand how it can confuse 119 with 129. The whole idea of spending so much for a Birdog is that it's supposed to lock on digitally to the bird you set it to. This kind of mixup is not supposed to happen.

But I am most concerned about installing Dish500+, as this meter often doesn't even register a reading for 119 or 110. I turn it off/on and then it registers strong! Hadn't moved the dish. This makes installation very dicey. (read: scarey)

Does anyone else see this? It never failed me on DirecTV.

 

[pabeader]

from the Birdog website homepage..

"Please NOTE that Perfect 10 supports the factory default loads only as DirecTV and HughesNet are the intended purpose for this device. Other satellite selections from the "Configure" page are provided with the understanding that they MAY prove useful to you but their function in this meter is not guaranteed."

Also see...

http://www.birdog.tv/default.aspx?page=11

Where they keep the Dish Network specific information.

 

[mr_kite]

Hmmm

If I'd known that, i wouldn't have bought this meter.

 

[pabeader]

maybe get a refund? no harm in asking...

 

[oldford]

If I'd known that, i wouldn't have bought this meter.

I've not been able to find any meter that can discriminate between all of the Dish birds. Your compass becomes your friend.

Regards, Eric

 

[Quantum]

My gosh, thank you pabeader.

Today I had an awful time. I did an install of a Dish500+ and used an LNB I'd taken off a prior service call with no video. On that one I'd found a bad connection so assumed the LNB was OK. But when I was aiming the Birdog never, never saw 119, so I settled for aiming to 110. Covered the 110 side to ensure I had that right, and I did.

But after about 15 minutes of trying, it started shouting OVERCURRENT, and shut off. Repeatedly. So I presumed the LNB was bad and tried to make arrangements for another. When that failed, out of desperation I checked the LNB with the receiver, and Check Switch went fine on both birds! Nice hot lock, even through 197' of cable. (I know, I know)

Alright, so bogus overcurrent at the dish and no 119. I can live with that as long as I can calibrate to 110. I have the latest plugins, so that's not the problem.

But I can not understand why there isn't a meter to get a digital lock on Dish birds. Are there not enough of us to matter?

 

[mritt75]

I've not been able to find any meter that can discriminate between all of the Dish birds. Your compass becomes your friend.

Regards, Eric

The SuperBuddy is geared towards installation of Dish. Have never, ever had any problem with finding any Dish bird. SuperBuddy also has an ID feature on it where it verifies that you are on the correct satellite. No problems with finding any other satellite as well. Have done DTN, C & KU Band, Wildblue, Direct, Starband, Hughesnet. No false readings ever.

 

[Quantum]

SuperBuddy

{yikes, $700}

 

[jckm78]

My gosh, thank you pabeader.

Today I had an awful time. I did an install of a Dish500+ and used an LNB I'd taken off a prior service call with no video. On that one I'd found a bad connection so assumed the LNB was OK. But when I was aiming the Birdog never, never saw 119, so I settled for aiming to 110. Covered the 110 side to ensure I had that right, and I did.

But after about 15 minutes of trying, it started shouting OVERCURRENT, and shut off. Repeatedly. So I presumed the LNB was bad and tried to make arrangements for another. When that failed, out of desperation I checked the LNB with the receiver, and Check Switch went fine on both birds! Nice hot lock, even through 197' of cable. (I know, I know)

Alright, so bogus overcurrent at the dish and no 119. I can live with that as long as I can calibrate to 110. I have the latest plugins, so that's not the problem.

But I can not understand why there isn't a meter to get a digital lock on Dish birds. Are there not enough of us to matter?

I guess you forgot to read the user manual. If you are using a 500 plus, it will sometimes say overcurrent because the DISH pro plus uses too much power (24v) and the birdog is not intended for the use of DISH Pro Plus LNBs. What you do is use a dual dish pro LNB on the 119 side and aim it. If you can get it to 100% on your birdog, that mean you catch the 119. If you can't peak it to 100%, you probably are pointing to 129. If you use the 500 plus, use must hook up a dishnework receiver to it, then aim. That way, the receiver power it and you won't have to worry about overcurrent.

One more thing, the 500+ is the 118 110 119 dish, and the 500 plus is the 110 and 119.

 

[jckm78]

There is also a switch on your birdog that can switch from 119 to 110 with out putting it on the 110 port. Just put hook up port one for the 119 and peak the signal. Then if you want to check for 110, press down arrow and hold it until the DiseqC menu comes up. Then select DiseqC LNB B and you will be reading the 110 signals.

Reading the user menu may help.

 

[Quantum]

I guess you forgot to read the user manual. If you are using a 500 plus, it will sometimes say overcurrent because the DISH pro plus uses too much power (24v) and the birdog is not intended for the use of DISH Pro Plus LNBs.

Never got a User's Manual, as I bought it on eBay. And I've used the Birdog very successfully for some time on DirecTV, so I thought I knew WTH it's about.

What you do is use a dual dish pro LNB on the 119 side and aim it. If you can get it to 100% on your birdog, that mean you catch the 119. If you can't peak it to 100%, you probably are pointing to 129.

Did that yesterday, but never, never saw 119. Power-cycled several times, but only ever got 110 with it set to 110. Turned out that was enough tho.

One more thing, the 500+ is the 118 110 119 dish, and the 500 plus is the 110 and 119.

You have got to be sh*tting me. There's a difference between the Plus and +? Do they both use DisEcq? (sp)

My shop only has the Plus LNBs; don't we need 118.7 for HD? (or internationals, or something) I am new to Dish.

 

[pabeader]

welcome to dish!!

please check your common sense at the door.

thank you.

 

[Quantum]

There is also a switch on your birdog that can switch from 119 to 110 with out putting it on the 110 port. Just put hook up port one for the 119 and peak the signal. Then if you want to check for 110, press down arrow and hold it until the DiseqC menu comes up. Then select DiseqC LNB B and you will be reading the 110 signals.

Reading the user menu may help.

I saw that last night on birdog.tv. I have never seen 119, although next time I'll try DiseqC LNB A.

Don't understand what you mean by '110 port'. I've only used the DPPlus and DPquad; these seem to have agnostic ports. Still never saw 119, probably because it hadn't been switched there by DisEqc .

The 129 setting has always worked fine, as long as I'm careful to make sure it's not stupidly reading 119. How can it digitally lock onto 119 when set to 129, is what I do not understand. It's supposed to be reading the packet headers.

I'll try to find the User's Guide and read the Dish-relevant sections.

 

[highdefjeff]

You have got to be sh*tting me. There's a difference between the Plus and +? Do they both use DisEcq? (sp)

My shop only has the Plus LNBs; don't we need 118.7 for HD? (or internationals, or something) I am new to Dish.

Difference between the plus and +. The Dish 500 uses a Dish Pro Plus LNB (DPP) and receives sats 119 and 110.
The Dish 500+ uses Dish Pro Plus technology also, but the + is plus 118.7.
It depends on where you live as to whether or not you need 118.7. It is used in St. Louis for locals.

Get a dual analog or a Super Buddy. (Dual analog works faster and better in my opinion.)

 

[Quantum]

welcome to dish!!

please check your common sense at the door.

thank you.

LOL, thanks.

Actually I like Dish alot better what with this single line for two IRDs and remote antenna with diplexers/splitter, and jumpering 129 over to the DPPlus, and all. Running four lines for the gigantic DTV KaKu is for the birds.

 

[Quantum]

Difference between the plus and +. The Dish 500 uses a Dish Pro Plus LNB (DPP) and receives sats 119 and 110.
The Dish 500+ uses Dish Pro Plus technology also, but the + is plus 118.7.
It depends on where you live as to whether or not you need 118.7. It is used in St. Louis for locals.

Get a dual analog or a Super Buddy. (Dual analog works faster and better in my opinion.)

My gosh, maybe I don't need to remember about the D+ since my shop doesn't seem to carry them. (Seattle)

How do you use the dual analog? I guess they only sense carriers and can not digitally lock? Do you turn the dish until you get both, and assume they are 119+110? How do you get 129 reliably? Brands? Certainly can't afford a SuperBuddy.

 

[pabeader]

true that.

Never worked for Direct, but i've 'fixed' a few over the years.