My reception is losing strenght all of a sudden...

[DirtyMack]

It started about 2 weeks ago when i couldn't receive most of the news channels (CNN/MSNBC etc.). And now i lose a bunch of channels throughout the day, only to have them come back later on. For instance, last Sunday i couldn't watch the Sopranos on HBDHD.

I had a service guy at my house last weekend, but i left me with 60-101 reception strength on my 110 and 119, and a baffled look on his face. The signal strength meter fluctuates from 70-100 while performing the test. He asked me if it had been windy in my area, and we haven't had any hurricanes in Southern California....well probably never

Anyway, could there be a problem outside of the house, like a bad switch box? I've had Dish for 5 years, 16 months at this location and never a single problem with reception.
BTW, i have an 811 and a 2700 model.

 

[SimpleSimon]

This is the "tree" time of year. Check your line of sight and see what's what - like new leaves. Other than that, corrosion in the connectors is the next thing to check - especially if you're close enough to the beach to be getting salt air.

Not too likely to be the switch box, but anything's possible. Could even be the LNBFs, but first and foremost, check your line of sight.

Remember, the dish is NOT looking directly at the satellite - the bird is higher than you'd think. Eyeball the angle of the LNB vs. the face of the dish and you'll get the idea.

 

[Fuelrod]

Lots of people are having this problem, especially on 119, which is an old bird and may be having battery (power) problems.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Lots of people are having this problem, especially on 119, which is an old bird and may be having battery (power) problems.

This isn't the first time you've made an assertion that 119 is going bad.

I see no basis for this. I just checked, and I'm still getting a signal strength of 100 for 119 - the same as I've gotten for 6 years.

 

[DirtyMack]

Well, i'm just going to call them over until someone fixes the problem. The tree that stands in the front yard has been there for almost 60 years, so i doubt it's grown tremendously over the course of the 14 months i've been here.

 

[Fuelrod]

Simon, check tp-6 around noon...Mack, it's the leaves. You need a CLEAR view of the southern sky. What is your latitude? (How far north do you live?)

 

[DirtyMack]

What i'm wondering is, why didn't my signal act this was last May?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Simon, check tp-6 around noon...

Oh - now I see - it's real bad - only a rock solid 95.

Aren't you the guy from a couple hundred miles south of the border?
The one that jumped on my case about not everywhere is CONUS?

Well, the reality is the signal footprint is spec'd for CONtinental UNITED STATES. Not North America, not Mexico, CONUS.

You want a good Mexican signal, use SatMex.

 

[boba]

Go to menu 6-1-1 and run a switch test what equipment do you have it will tell you if you have Dish Pro,Quad, Twin,switch? maybe if we knew a little more about what you have we could offer a little more help. Your problem description sounds like a temperature sensitive LNB if you have had the same equipment for five years it is possible it's aging.

 

[DirtyMack]

Go to menu 6-1-1 and run a switch test what equipment do you have it will tell you if you have Dish Pro,Quad, Twin,switch? maybe if we knew a little more about what you have we could offer a little more help. Your problem description sounds like a temperature sensitive LNB if you have had the same equipment for five years it is possible it's aging.

All my equipment was replaced when i moved here in February 2003.
We did however go from 100+ heat to 60-70 weather in a matter of a few days.....

 

[Chuckster]

If your system was installed in Feb of 2003, it could be one of the heat sensitive DP twin LNBs labeled CCS9601. Check your LNB to see if it has this part #.If so then that is most likely your problem. Is the problem happening with all of your recievers?

 

[DirtyMack]

If your system was installed in Feb of 2003, it could be one of the heat sensitive DP twin LNBs labeled CCS9601. Check your LNB to see if it has this part #.If so then that is most likely your problem. Is the problem happening with all of your recievers?

Yes, both receivers are gicing me problems.

 

[bcshields]

Very well might be the twin.. but... you have a 2700.. not Dishpro. if you can access the dish, check the serial number like Chuckster said above...

I would still check the trees.

 

[bcshields]

Oh - now I see - it's real bad - only a rock solid 95.

Well, I've noticed my 119 signal drop a bit, used to be around 100.. now it's in the low 90's.

I'm in delaware... maybe the footprint is shrinking?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Well, I've noticed my 119 signal drop a bit, used to be around 100.. now it's in the low 90's.

I'm in delaware... maybe the footprint is shrinking?

Possible, I suppose. More likely that the dish has been bumped by the wind or a person or whatever. Or maybe the LNBF is aging a bit.

 

[Fuelrod]

Simon, down here satmex is not the answer....1.1 or 1.2 meter Channelmaster antennas are the answer on 119. A common 30" antenna works fine on 110. Perhaps 119 has a slightly tighter beamwidth.
I have seen the CONUS db map. There is a VERY sharp drop-off as you head south. Compensate Mr. Checkov. Compensate!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Simon, down here satmex is not the answer....1.1 or 1.2 meter Channelmaster antennas are the answer on 119. A common 30" antenna works fine on 110. Perhaps 119 has a slightly tighter beamwidth.
I have seen the CONUS db map. There is a VERY sharp drop-off as you head south. Compensate Mr. Checkov. Compensate!

Sorry, I thought you were the guy that was b*tching about satellite footprints not covering Mexico. Oh yeah - you are the guy. Example: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=108233&postcount=15

 

[ViROID]

If your Line-Of-Sight is clear and you have no corroded fittings, I would say your LNB is going bad.

 

[Jeff003]

I'm having the same problems.I have checked my signal strenth and 110 is the one that fluctuates from 85-94 on mine.119 is 125 and doesn't fluctuate.I believe the problem is in dish network thou because channel 191 froze up and then went black and said no signal for over 5 minutes and dish network put up a message on the screen saying they were having technical difficulties.My satellite dish is on the roof pointing toward the southern skies and there is no trees anywhere around my house.I have had mine since January and have never had problems till now but I still prefer dish to cable thou.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I'm having the same problems.I have checked my signal strenth and 110 is the one that fluctuates from 85-94 on mine.119 is 125 and doesn't fluctuate.I believe the problem is in dish network thou because channel 191 froze up and then went black and said no signal for over 5 minutes and dish network put up a message on the screen saying they were having technical difficulties.My satellite dish is on the roof pointing toward the southern skies and there is no trees anywhere around my house.I have had mine since January and have never had problems till now but I still prefer dish to cable thou.

The channel 191 problem was probably specific to that channel. If we were having any system-wide bird trouble, you can bet donuts that there'd be tons of posts about it here - probably even before the CSRs knew about it.

You don't say much about your configuration, so it's hard to tell you where to start debugging, but parts swapping and looking for the problem to move is where we usually start. That may or may not apply to your setup.